Meet Jayahadadream, Nottingham’s Hip Hop Sensation Set to Take the Music Industry by Storm

A number of bands met and formed while they were at university in Nottingham; think Amber Run, Blondes, and Don Broco, to name a few. Jaya (stage name Jayahadadream) - a rising star in the world of hip hop - also found her voice and sound while studying here, and Nottingham has served as something of an honorary hometown for her ever since. “It has been the most nurturing city for me; this is definitely my city. Most of my big checkpoints have been here,” she says. “It feels like home when it’s not, really.”

My own introduction to Jaya and her music was during Hockley Hustle last year, when I was instantly struck by her connection with the Nottingham music scene, demonstrated by both the reaction of the crowd in a packed-out Metronome and the numerous artists she vocally showed love to throughout the set. Later that evening, I spotted her yellow-and-green Arsenal shirt in the crowd while KAP, one of the artists she shouted-out, was performing.

“She’s one of my close friends, she’s really good,” Jaya says. “That was one of my favourite shows, actually!” Her connections within the local scene have encouraged her to try and do more collaborations with fellow Nottingham artists. “I do loads of collaborations across the world, but recently I'm trying to do a lot here. That's where all of us are, and all my friends are musicians, so we need to do more together. It almost feels like a renaissance of music is happening here right now. Nottingham brings the most variety.”

This month, Jaya will make a further appearance on Nottingham’s vast festival circuit, headlining Green Hustle in Old Market Square. This is an opportunity she was particularly looking forward to because it aligns with her own personal morals and interests. “I’m so excited, not just because I love the people who are hosting it, but also because I'm vegan myself, so the event very much supports my morals and the things I'm interested in.”

Another line-up that boasts Jaya’s name this summer is Splendour, Nottingham’s largest outdoor festival, which takes place in Wollaton Park. This is something that she is yet to fully process. “The Sugababes are going to be there!” she laughs. “They didn't used to have a Nottingham stage at Splendour, so it's really cool that they have that now. Nottingham is such a good city for putting on local people and matching them with bigger artists.”

The inspiration behind her stage name, which can now be seen displayed on these festival posters, is a complex one with many layers. “There's a lot of different things that went into it,” she says. “I have a sociology degree and I have a strong sense of justice – I can't help it, being a woman and being mixed race. Ever since I was a kid, in the hallway we had a Martin Luther King poster which had his whole speech on it. Then, at the bottom it said, ‘I had a dream.’

“I used to just naturally say ‘Jaya had a dream’ in my songs a lot, and that's something that seemed to stick with people. It just fits. Actually, people in the industry have tried to get me to change it and shorten it. But Tyler, the Creator is a long name, too!” she laughs. “I like it and I do feel like there's something deep in it now, in my soul.”

With the mention of Tyler, the Creator, I recall a tweet where Jaya said she doesn’t listen to much hip hop herself, despite making it. “I forget that people can read my tweets!” she says with a laugh. “I actually only listen to hip hop thirty percent of the time. I listen to a lot of old music, like Stevie Wonder and David Bowie. If I feel the lyrics, I like it. I think Kendrick Lamar and Nas are my top rappers, but I even listen to Kings of Leon and My Chemical Romance. I also love musical soundtracks, like Les Mis and Rocky Horror.”

Using social media can create a lot of pressure and anxiety for recording artists, but Jaya has established a healthy balance that many find difficult to strike. “At the moment, I'm actually finding social media really fun,” she says. “I have support across the world and that wouldn't happen without social media. There is an anxiety, but right now I don't scroll very much. That’s my biggest piece of advice for other artists: just post, don’t scroll!”

In another tweet, Jaya explained that her most recent single, the engaging and commanding Top One, marked the moment where her excitement for her music overtook her overthinking. “I feel like I'm at a point where I can enjoy making music and experimenting. Things are clicking and falling into place, and this song was the first track where I can really say I've earned this. I just felt this buzz.”

Going forward, Jaya plans to release a single which is more in line with the rest of her discography prior to Top One. “Something that's a bit slower, with more of a story, like my other songs,” she explains. A full EP with Nigerian artist Wasalu is also on the way, which has been two years in the making. “I recorded most of it on Glasshouse Street here in Nottingham, in my old flat,” she says.

Jaya reveals that she is also working on a project with Andy Zoutr, a music producer from The Elementz Studios here in Nottingham. “I really want to get it out on vinyl,” she asserts, something that she notes other hip hop artists in the local scene have been venturing into recently. “I’m focused on making collaboration projects with people here, so there’s lots of Notts stuff coming up.”

If that wasn’t already enough new music in the works, Jaya leaves our office to head straight to the studio, for a session with hip hop artists B-TONE and Tom Hodson. “They make good, real hip hop stuff,” she says, “so I’m looking forward to delving into that.” With so many different things for us to look forward to, as Jaya says in her own tunes, she is truly a force to be reckoned with.

@jayahadadream