Onel Velasquez, was born in Brooklin, USA; on December 31, 1997. Better known as Izay is a musical artist under the formal signature of his own record label Stack Beyond Lyfestyle llc. IZay presents his latest song “Curry and Klay” with Jay Bandz; and announces the release of “Like Grahh” for April 22.
About IZay:
IZay trained at Theodore Roosevelt High School, where he dropped out of 9th grade to pursue his musical dream. His career in the music industry began in 2016; but IZay says that at the age of 12 he had already begun to set up his music studio and learn sound engineering. “I started going seriously with music after losing a family member to street violence,” IZay says in an interview with Free Press Info.
In 2019, Izay released his first album titled BLUE CHEESE, a work coordinated with manager Bo God. BLUE CHEESE, with 10 songs, already has millions of views on music platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music, Soundcloud, YouTube, etc. The song “Blue Cheese (intro)”, got the collaboration of the Channel WorldStartHipHop, for the music video.
After their first album, IZay continued to work to end up collaborating with artists such as Lil Tjay, Sosa Geek, Ron Suno, Lil Zay Osama, Bouba Savage and LouGotCash. Izay’s popularity increased dramatically, after working alongside Lil Tjay on the song “Pray For Me” which has racked up more than 1 million views since 2019.
IZay and Lil Tjay met through a friend who used to go to IZay’s house to record.
In 2021, IZay released their second music album titled Ghetto Lover (7 songs); with the participation of artists such as Kenzo Balla, Lando Sbl, LouGotCash and Sha Ek. This last album of Izay obtained thousands of reproductions, but the song that has stood out the most is the one he recorded with LouGotCash entitled “Mixed Emotions“.
Musical interview with IZay.
- Why did you choose IZay as your stage name?
People used to call me “Zay” at school as a mistake, but I took it and ran with it after adding the “I”.
- What musical style are you most comfortable with?
Honestly, I’m more comfortable with melody and rap.
- Which musical artists have influenced you?
From the classic Michael Jackson, to current artists like Lil Durk and Chief Keef
- Of the records you’ve made, which one is your favorite? And your favorite song? What would you say about mixed emotions?
My favorite album has to be “Blue Cheese” because it was dedicated to my cousin from the past and “Mixed Emotions” too, they are my favorite songs.
Of the artists you’ve collaborated with, which one would you repeat? What was it like working with Lil Tjay?
IZay: I would do another song with Lil Tjay for the simple fact that he knows how to market his songs in the right way. Working with Tjay was a great experience. I learned a lot working with him.
- Now, which artist would you like to work with?
I’d like to work with Drake and Lil Durk because they’re in a position where a song with them can help you in your career in a massive way.
- Curry and Klay is a very powerful song. Can you give us a sneak peek of your upcoming projects?
Yes, I have another song called “Like Grahh” that I’ll be releasing on April 22nd.
- How do you see the evolution of the music industry over the past 20 years?
I see that it’s much easier for artists to get recognition, as they’ve now made it easy with social networks like tiktok and Instagram.
- What’s the best and most difficult thing you’ve been through during the artistic process of creating yourself as a musician?
The best thing I’ve been through was when my song “Pray for me” with Lil TJay reached 1 million views; and the worst thing I’ve been through was seeing people who thought it was my friend to change because they saw me well with music.
Read before you sign your name on anything. Focus on yourself and always continue what you started.
Izay
