Jay Electronica unveils debut album 'A Written Testimony' featuring Jay-Z, Travis Scott and The-Dream
Jay Electronica has released his official debut studio album titled 'A Written Testimony' on March 13 via the Jay-Z label Roc Nation. The long and highly-anticipated album comes as a welcome addition for fans who have been waiting for the LP for quite some time. Over a period of ten years and after near-misses over the years, 'A Written Testimony' has finally arrived.
Rumors spread that the album would be a joint album and it pretty much is, as Jay-Z features on almost every track. The new project also features numerous rappers including Travis Scott, The-Dream, James Blake and Minister Louis Farrakhan (who appears on multiple songs).
Electronica was first introduced to the world in 2007 through the film 'Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind' with his 15-minute piece 'Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge)' where he rapped over Jon Brion's score. After 'Act I', the rapper went on to release a series of one-off songs and verses as guest, most notably when he partnered with veteran producer Just Blaze on 2009's 'Exhibit A' and 'Exhibit C'. He had been regarded as a serious contender as one of the world's best rappers and after a bidding war, Electronica signed with Jay-Z's Roc Nation in 2010, according to XXL.
Over the past decade, Electronica had made appearances and released a few tracks, but he gradually receded from the spotlight. Fans never got to see a debut album until now. Jay Electronica had scheduled three listening parties for the new album in Los Angeles, New York, and New Orleans for March 12, but were canceled due to the coronavirus spread.
According to Rolling Stone, late that night, Electronica appeared on Instagram Live to reveal the new music instead. Electronica held the phone and played Jay-Z's '4:44' title track over the monitors as a large group crowded into the studio. “We’re going to blast from the top,” he said, as soon as the livestream had reached 4,000 viewers, before giving eager fans a listen to the long-awaited album.