J A Y K A Y P R I M E, a musical pioneer

Jephtha Prempeh is one of those rare artists who doesn’t hesitate to make art on their own terms, even if that means going against the grain and making something entirely new. They could be called a “jack of all trades,” but that would be wrong. Prempeh, a senior majoring in NGOs and social change, isn’t just a student of a handful of disciplines, they are the embodiment of a spirit that is forever learning and creating.

Prempeh, who goes by the stage name J A Y K A Y P R I M E, began their journey of self discovery within the walls of Horace Mann School, a private school in the Bronx, N. Y. Prempeh, who is a child of two Ghanaian immigrants, said that the homogenous environment at the school made them more aware of how they stood out, especially because unlike most of their classmates, they were Black and came from a low-income background, they said. 

Despite these obstacles, Prempeh said that this environment challenged them to find and use their own voice for themselves and others, something which they brought to USC, yet another private school where white people make up the majority.

But at USC, Prempeh had the chance to see themselves on their own terms, part of which meant picking up a minor in music production and another in dance. For Prempeh, it was time to be in control of themself and their own narrative, but also their art. 

“I’ve never wanted to make the same type of music as somebody else, but I’ve always been like, how can I take what’s cool from this person in this genre and this like tradition and weave elements of that together?” Prempeh said. “And then how can I challenge myself to find new things that I never heard and bring that into something else?” 

Dipping their toes into different genres is important to Prempeh because of their wide perspective as a music listener. Packaging those wide interests into one product may seem difficult, but Prempeh manages to make it work to beautiful effect.

“With music production, the thing that’s really cool about it is, lyrics are very specific, right? And even with melodies like there’s a lot of expectations you can set up,” Prempeh said. “But with the actual background of this song, it’s like you can throw in so many curveballs and just completely pull the rug out from under the listener however you see fit and because you’re one person, by the time you finish the project, it’s going to still be weaved together and be coherent.” 

Part of creating that coherence is also the way in which Prempeh writes songs. Sadiba Hasan, a friend that Prempeh made during their time at Horace Mann, commented on the way Prempeh crafts stories into their songs.

“I always hear a new story in Jeph’s music, which I really, really like, and they really cover parts of their life whether it be feelings or encounters of love,” Hasan said. “But then other things as well like their experiences with their sexuality, for example, or like different encounters with people, everyday things and everyday events.” 

Hasan said that, at their core, Prempeh is a visionary who isn’t afraid to try new things. This brave pioneering spirit and vision came to a culmination last semester when they made their debut as a performing artist at Ground Zero Cafe’s First Friday event.  

“The second I got on, I was just so happy, and I felt like it was like one of those moments that is almost so creepy because you just feel like everything’s too perfect right now,” Prempeh said. “I was like, why am I not nervous anymore? It was like an out-of-body experience because, on one hand, I’m performing, but on the other hand, I’m thinking in my head, ‘Wow, this is where I was supposed to be all along.’” 

Prempeh’s love for performance stems from their desire to connect with audiences in person, instead of through the internet as most artists do nowadays. Their friend Munachimso Mbaezue, a junior majoring in musical theatre, said they have always admired the way Prempeh prepares for a performance. 

“As a performer myself, having Jephtha see me in performance spaces, the respect they have for the arts performance and for other performers is one that I highly value and respect,” Mbaezue said. “They understand that performing is not easy, and they take it and hold it to a high regard and they train accordingly.” 

Something that must be understood about Prempeh is that they not only train to be the best performer they can, but they train to be the best artist they can from music production to lyrics. What’s most enticing about Prempeh as an artist isn’t this work ethic, however, it is the way they always attempt to learn more about better communicating their message. 

“In a beautiful way, Jeph has this kind of an entitlement to knowledge,” Mbaezue said. “In the sense that they feel like, if there’s something they need, or they want to learn, they have every right to learn it.”

Perhaps that is why Prempeh holds so many titles, ranging from magazine editor to community organizer. But most abundantly clear, Prempeh is an artist in every sense of the word, and they go by the name J A Y K A Y P R I M E.

J A Y K A Y P R I M E will be performing Friday at 8 p.m. in Ground Zero Cafe’s upcoming First Friday event.

Correction: In a previous version of this article, we incorrectly spelled Jephtha Prempeh photo caption. The Daily Trojan regrets this error.