Friday Favorites: J Lye

One of my favorites as of late is the incredibly gifted Julien Paul. Julien goes by the artist name J. Lye and comes from the Boston area and is a graduate of Boston University.

 I discovered J. Lye thanks to the beautiful & talented Ashley Sofia, who was last week's Friday Favorite. Julien sang on the track "If We Really Try"with Ashley and they filmed the music video here in Boston.

"If We Really Try" is one of my all time favorite songs. There is just something so easy-going and pure about the song that you find yourself naturally moving along to it, only after coming to realize that you have been continuously hitting replay. 

My ears definitely perked up the first time I heard Julien rap. As his first verse begins, you can feel his words unfold into a story so crisp and controlled, while he still manages to spit some serious game. Since then, I have been listening to J. Lye’s other songs from his YouTube Channel and loving everything I've found.

One of my favorites, "City on my Back" might as well be Boston's anthem. I dare you to listen to it, without finding the need to turn it up and cruise with your windows down. I definitely find myself going harder on the elliptical when I hear "I got a city on my back, I'll never let it fall. We riding to the top and Ima never let it stall. Put the city on my cap. Boston on the map. I bring it to the light every single time I rap…” The lyrics can’t help but make you want to put on a Boston jersey and maybe even rap a little, as evidenced in my Tweet that I sent out while listening to this song the other night...

While I've decided to remain "Creatively" Lu for now, Julien is quickly making waves on the Boston music scene and beyond. This past summer, J. Lye was featured in Tosser Magazine as "One of the Top 50 People to Keep on Your Radar." His most recent accomplishment is winning a video contest in which KarmaLoopTV shot a music video for his song "Where'd You Go" f. Lisa Bello. And let me tell you, the track is out of control.

 "Where'd You Go" takes you on a trip down memory lane of lost love, which I think is  something everyone can relate to in one way or another. I guarantee you will be singing along to the chorus, and at the very least melting over Julien's smile in the video. 

Julien is an incredible rapper with an incredible soul and in just the few minutes I spent getting to know him, you can tell he is the real deal. So take a listen for yourself because believe me no one will be asking J. Lye where he went. His music is definitely here to stay.

*Reach out to J. Lye via his  website, Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram