Biography & Album Notes

Volume 3:

                Solid Steele is the third installment of a three part album series called “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy.” This collection contains the earliest and previously unreleased material of this artist between the years 1998-2006. Throughout the trilogy, listeners are taken on the journey of the dramatic story and evolution of Jay Steele along with him.

                On “Solid Steele”, right from his initial song, “Fire”, his words are ignited with a passion to introduce more creativity, originality, and positivity into rap lyrics. The following song, “Bringin it Back”, is sure to resonate with the many rap fans that wish to see hip hop return to its more artistic, intelligent, and diversified roots. Steele’s songs also espouse his burgeoning intellectualism and thirst for knowledge as a college student (and then graduate student) at the time. 

                The autobiographical “Beauty from Pain” and “I’m Sure to Maintain” detail his early struggles in life and inspirational fortitude, perseverance, and relentlessness. “Truth Seeker” and “Nonviolence” represent his learning and evolving desires to see more peace, equality, and unity in rap music and society.

                “For years I questioned why we have inequality in our society,” Jay explains. “In college, this was being encouraged. I started doing my own research and questioning things even more, and this started to really affect my music.”

                Beats on this album that stand out are the Tone Rec produced “Fire”, which is composed of melodic keyboards and a shaker that combine to sound like flames kindling on a cold, quiet winter night. Then there is the hypnotizing, smooth, and refreshing jazz flavor found in the rolling piano, high hat, and shaker on “Bringin It Back.”

                Steele’s voice, like his real name, resonates strongly and deeply, evoking powerful voices of artists like Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, and The Fresh Prince (Will Smith). His rhyme style is sharp and comparable to golden age rap stalwarts like Wu Tang Clan, Common, Gangstarr, and KRS 1.

                In addition to representing his actual name, the title of this work, which is literally tattooed on his chest, signifies his physique at the time as an aspiring bodybuilder. It also encapsulates his becoming more mentally at peace in life after turbulent beginnings. Ultimately, Solid Steele epitomizes the evolutionary foundation of maturity toward becoming a unique and positive voice within the hip hop genre. Many years later, Jay would go on to release a second album under his given name called For “Tha Love”, which is even more meaningful, positive, introspective, and moving.

                This artist began his musical odyssey in Echelon, NJ, not far from his birthplace of Philadelphia, as a young, angry, scorned, vengeful, and ferocious hardcore rapper known as “Tha Mad Dog”. The first two albums of “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy” collection were conceived under this moniker. These works were the result of a traumatic childhood and the influence of hardcore rappers he emulated. After completing his raw debut EP “Relentless: The Beginning,”and his formidable hard core first full length album “Tha Call of Tha Wild,” he ceased going by this nickname.

                By 2002, he began recording under his actual name. This identity shift symbolized the transformation from his hardcore approach to the more intellectual and conscious themes found on this project. It’s noteworthy to see Jay’s evolution from the raw, wild ferocity of his Mad Dog material to his reflective and positive content as this trilogy unfolds.

                “While I was recording Volume 2, I got EMDR therapy, which is a type of counseling they use for war veterans who went through trauma,” Steele reveals. “Between that, learning about sociology in school, and a college friend, who was a conscious rapper, questioning my purpose, I was changing a lot.”

                After recording but not putting out the music now found on “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy”, he would go on to release 5 socially conscious political albums (including “Music for a Better World” and “Tha MisEducation of Tha Masses”) under the artist name “Tha Truth.” These albums have affected people from around the world with their powerful and insightful lyrics that advocate for equality and human rights. After his 5th Truth album, Jay was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, which left him believing he would not be able to continue as a recording artist.

                However, several years later, while rediscovering and compiling his unreleased forgotten material from this trilogy in his basement, he found new inspiration and began to write again. Soon after, he was delighted to discover that he could in fact still record new songs.

                While preparing “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy” for release, he concurrently began creating his latest album “For Tha Love.” This project likely stands as his most meaningful and positive music, and through hearing this trilogy, listeners can understand just how far he has come.

                The material on “Solid Steele” and the rest of the trilogy was not released at the time it was made for a host of reasons. Yet, over a decade after it was created, it can now be considered unearthed “buried treasure” for fans of high quality hip hop music.

Possible Quick Description

The intelligence of Canibus and the consciousness of KRS1 with the booming voice of Big Daddy Kane, Will Smith, or Dr. Dre mixed with the rhyme skills of Wu Tang, Common, or A Tribe Called Quest.

Sounds Like: KRS 1, Jeru Tha Damaja, Talib Kweli

Volume 2:

THA CALL OF THA WILD

                Emerging from a traumatic childhood and feeling incapable of continuing to exist by the age of 16, Jay Steele underwent a stark transformation. During this metamorphosis, the youngster from Echelon, NJ soon found two passions; weight lifting and hip hop music. Into these, he channeled his turmoil and it wouldn’t be long before he became quite muscular and quite skilled on the microphone as Tha Mad Dog. He turned his life around and went from timid to fearless and weak to ferocious both on his songs and in and out of the weight room.  

                After enduring much ridicule and abuse as a youth, his overcoming stands as a classic underdog story of relentlessness, survival, and triumph. The adversity he experienced clearly fueled his lyrics and gave him plenty to write about as he attests over the nostalgic, smooth saxophone driven beat of the song Tha Underdog, “My way was going poorly [but] I learned an easy life leads to really boring stories.”

                His lyrics detail his struggles, anger, and vengeance while majoring in fortitude at “The School of Hard Knocks.” However, as Tha Mad Dog’s body became forged with muscle like “Steele” and he no longer felt fear but rather admiration coming from his peers, he also began to feel happier and this can be heard in tracks like Howl at the Moon, Who Am I, and For My Peoples.

                “I also went to counseling while recording this album ‘cause it was hard to be happy at all when you’re mad all the time,” Steele reveals. “I went to EMDR trauma therapy, which they use for war veterans, and it helped, he says. “I felt lighter and more free and like I had a sense of humor for the first time in my life after that.”

                Some of the standout beats on Tha Call of Tha Wild are I’m Charged with its hard hitting, electrifying, kinetic drums and the relaxing, laid back rhythm guitar of For My Peoples. Then there is the gripping apocalyptic vibes heard in the orchestral notes and 808 drums of Unleashed. These tracks and several others were concocted by an underground producer residing in Clementon, NJ known simply as Tim.

                Another highlight of the album can be found within the song Racked wit Vengence. The vocals that Producer Tone Rec arranged utilizing the vintage MPC machine combine with this eerie beat to establish quite a powerful, memorable, and melodic chorus. Other intriguing stand out vocals are the howling sound effect Jay did on the Let Me Explain Intro and the humorous beginning of It’s On.

                Tha Mad Dog’s voice resonates strongly and deeply, evoking powerful, booming voices of artists like Big Daddy Kane, Parrish Smith of EPMD, Rock of Heltah Skeltah, and Dr. Dre. His rhyme style is sharp, complex and comparable to golden age rap stalwarts like Wu Tang Clan, Tha Alkaholiks, DMX, Smoothe Da Hustler, and Tha Lox.

                A drawback that should be noted is the reason why this album and the other two in the trilogy are called “Raw, unreleased material,” and it’s not difficult to hear that the album was obviously recorded in several different studios with varying degrees of technology and audio quality. The album’s production credits corroborate this as well.  Jay admits to this downside in deciding to put out this volume in particular. He explains his rationale by saying, “In the end, I’d much rather hear good music that doesn’t have the best sound quality or volume, than hear music that’s not too great but is loud and clear and has the best production possible. “ Clearly, it is his hope that others will share similar sentiment.

                The title of this work, as well as the artwork, is a tribute to a classic story by Jack London in which the protagonist faces rough times and becomes stronger as a result while finding out things about his nature and makeup that he would have never discovered otherwise. The main character is underestimated and judged by his appearance, but he ultimately surprises himself and those who encounter him during his transformation into a new form and identity. Jay also related to another character, an actual mad dog, which was described as having become the epitome of ferocity. These themes parallel the lyrical content and real life of Tha Mad Dog.

                Steele, who won first place in two powerlifting competitions, says that his relentlessness and strength also came to serve him quite well playing basketball, especially in the art of rebounding. He recalls, “One game, I kept missing shots and got like 5 or 6 rebounds in a row, and one of the guys I was playing against sarcastically yelled, ‘Not the mad dog or anything!’” Jay recounts this as one of many stories that helped cement his rap name, which would eventually be tattooed on his right arm and would later become the logo depicted on his artwork.
                Ultimately however, this was the last album he comprised under Tha Mad Dog name. Subsequently, his future songs became conscious material. He’d leave behind the name and the hard lyrics, but not before establishing a place among the best of the rugged, East coast, hardcore rap albums of the 1990s with this chapter.

                Tha Call of tha Wild is the second installment of a three part album series called Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy. This collection contains the earliest and previously unreleased material of this artist between the years 1998-2006. Throughout the trilogy, listeners are taken on the journey of the dramatic story and evolution of Jay Steele along with him.

                While preparing Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy for release, he concurrently began creating his latest album For Tha Love. For Tha Love likely stands as his most meaningful and positive music, and through hearing this trilogy, listeners can understand just how far he has come.

                The material on Tha Call of tha Wild and the rest of the trilogy was not released at the time it was made for a host of reasons. Yet, over a decade after it was created, it can now be considered unearthed “buried treasure” for fans of high quality hip hop music.

Possible Quick Description

Rugged, hardcore, East coast, 90s era, no crossover rap with hard rhymes like DMX and a booming Dr. Dre like voice

Sounds Like: DMX, Wu-Tang Clan, Smoothe Da Hustler

Volume 1:

RELENTLESS: Tha Beginning

                  Tha Mad Dog wants to make it clear that this EP is not his best work. Rather, it stands as the first stepping stone in his musical odyssey. While many of the songs recorded in his first year were in his words “terrible,” he felt that the tracks included on this volume were the first to show flashes of his burgeoning talent.

                “Relentless” is the first installment of a three part album series entitled “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy.” This collection contains the earliest and previously unreleased material of this artist between the years 1998-2006. Throughout the trilogy, listeners are taken on the journey of the dramatic story and evolution of Tha Mad Dog aka Jay Steele along with him.

                “If you never heard my music before, I recommend listening to Volume 3 or later material first and then going back to see how it all started,” Jay says. “If you are familiar with my music over the years, then I recommend listening to this first to check out how everything developed.” How this trilogy was discovered and unearthed is a story in itself…

                Just before his 20 year anniversary of being a recording artist, Jay Steele came across his rhyme mentor who he hadn’t seen since the genesis. He had heard Jay’s worst earliest material and brought up how lackluster it was. This event inspired Jay to start doing some digging.

                “When I became a conscious rapper, at some point I thought all my songs from my first few years were horrible,” Jay explains. He recalls thinking at this point, “Let me go see just how bad it is.” He continues, “I put all these old tapes and CDs in my basement and didn’t listen to ‘em for like 15 years. But, it’s funny you don’t even remember your own life. I mean a few of the songs are as bad as I remember, and I wouldn’t even want to hear ‘em, but I found a few songs that really show serious flashes of potential and definitely have some magic in them musically.”

                As he continued excavating the old material from his basement, he reports that he made another discovery. “I was inspired to look everywhere down there, and I found a lot of material I did from my second and third year rappin, after I improved a lot, that I totally forgot about, Jay recalls. “I mean some of it I don’t even remember making! And it was hardcore, but it was amazing, and I couldn’t believe I didn’t remember my own life!”

                As a result, “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy”was born, and the improved material would become Volume 2. While compiling and arranging this collection, he became inspired to write and record his latest album “For Tha Love”, which he feels is his finest material overall.

                Reminiscent of Mobb Deep’s album “Juvenile Hell”, in which the young rappers hadn’t fully developed their adult voices, Tha Mad Dog’s voice is much higher on this EP than on his subsequent work. He says that he was a late bloomer in many ways, and listeners may find it interesting to hear how his vocal tone evolved along with his skill and lyrical content as the trilogy unfolds.

                One of the highlights of “Relentless: Tha Beginning” is the prophetic “Don’t Stop”. “This was my first concept rhyme with a theme,” Jay reveals. Indeed, the song foretold of what was to come with lines like, “I stick around like oil spills.”

                There are a few shaky spots and inconsistencies in Mad’s delivery and flow on this track, but such as it goes for a rap neophyte in his first year creating music. However, these flaws are evidence of his relentlessness and passion toward honing his craft and the strides he made through time in utilizing rhymes. Then of course, within this same song are several flashes of the melodic vocals and skill that would become hallmarks of his undeniable talent.     

                Undoubtedly, the chorus of “Don’t Stop” stands as one of the strongest features of the EP. The vocals that Mad and producer Tone Rec arranged using the vintage MPC machine combines with Tone’s beat, which is fueled by a “relentless” sounding hypnotic piano and driving drums to form something both meaningful and utterly mesmerizing.

                This song’s theme of continuity also accounts for the basis of the title of this volume. “Relentless”, which is literally tattooed on Jay’s left shoulder, signifies his all encompassing dedication as a young and driven aspiring rapper and bodybuilder.

                “Echelon” features Tha Mad Dog’s lyrics once again being all over the place but with a far more smooth and consistent delivery. The title of the track is the name of the place he was raised, which is not far from his birthplace of Philadelphia. The area holds a special place in his heart, because while he did struggle immensely there, he also overcame so much there and became who he would become.       

                His usage of terms like “norepinephrine” reflects his study of psychology as a college student at the time as well as his penchant for wielding advanced vocabulary. The content is aggressive and this is the result of trauma he endured growing up. Tone Rec explains this briefly on the album’s introduction, and it is further expounded upon, and much more coherently and skillfully, on Volumes 2 and 3.

                On “Where Da Mic At,” Mad finishes strong lyrically in the final verse with lines like, “I make you all say who dat? The cat – Jay Tha Mad Dog – leave days in a blaze of fog,” and with the closing metaphor, “Might be different but I ripped this – like gift paper after Christmas.” 

                “Where Da Mic At,” like all songs on this EP, features the beat production of the ultra talented producer and rapper Tone Rec of Mt. Holly, NJ. Jay recalls the day they made the track together, “Tone’s ability to make beats was incredible. He’d ask you when you came in to record what kind of beat you wanted and the vibe you were looking for.”  Jay continues, “Then he’d sit there and make you a beat in like 20 minutes that was exactly what you had in mind! It was amazing! I always thought he was one of the best producers.” Indeed, the compelling keyboards Tone Rec comprised throughout the EP evoke the legendary DJ Premier.

                After recording but not putting out the music now found on “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy”, Jay Steele would go on to release 5 socially conscious political albums (including “Music for a Better World” and “Tha MisEducation of Tha Masses”) under the artist name “Tha Truth.” These albums have affected people from around the world with their powerful and insightful lyrics that advocate for equality and human rights.

                After his 5th Truth album, Jay was diagnosed with a serious medical condition, which left him believing he would not be able to continue as a recording artist. However, several years later, while compiling the trilogy, he found new inspiration and began to write again. Soon after, he was delighted to discover that he could in fact still record new material.

                While preparing “Tha Buried Treasure Trilogy” for release, he concurrently began creating his latest album “For Tha Love”.  For Tha Love likely constitutes his most meaningful and positive music, and through hearing this early collection, listeners can understand just how far he has come.

                The material on “Relentless: Tha Beginning” and the rest of the trilogy was not released at the time it was made for a host of reasons. Yet, over a decade after it was created, it can now be considered unearthed “buried treasure” and an interesting series of prequels for fans of this artist’s later efforts.

Possible Quick Description

A rapper showing flashes of potential [while just starting out] in his first year of rhyming who was inspired by Wu-Tang Clan, Killarmy, Mobb Deep, and Gravediggaz

Sounds Like: Killarmy, WarCloud aka Holocaust, Mobb Deep (Juvenile Hell)