get to know emjaysoul
Emjay Soul Rider Hastwell, creatively known as emjaysoul, grew up on hip-hop and R&B’s prime music era of the 90s, solidifying his interests and tastes from a young age, emjaysoul’s humble beginnings of beat-boxing on the streets at the age of 10 was powered by an innocent and endearingly-naive ambition to be discovered by huge label executives.
Soon, all of that drive and energy was directed to a Maschine Mk1 – a drum machine that was gifted to him by his dad when he turned 13. Though he neglected to explore it at the time, his first ever brush with beatmaking is forever imprinted on the pads and panels of that instrument.
emjaysoul is as raw, genuine and unfiltered as his music. Much of his releases at this point have been cases of “I might as well put this out and see if someone likes it and if not, oh well, I do”, choosing not to succumb to the formulaic industry rollout that guarantees streams, likes, or attention
- VICE Spotlight article by Adele Luamanuvae
EMJAYSOUL + FRIENDS
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“emjaysoul is a dynamic talent with roots in Adelaide, Melbourne, and Sydney, emjaysoul has established himself as one of the most exciting young producers in Australia’s hip-hop and R&B scene. Currently based in Sydney, he has collaborated with notable artists like Zion Garcia, Cherry Rype & Tahkoe. emjaysoul’s unique sound blends classic sampling techniques with modern production styles, breathing new life into old records through crate digging. His innovative contributions have turned the heads of industry insiders and fans alike, earning him the title of Acclaim’s Producer of the Year for 2024.”
