iyaz  

Photos (13)

               

Videos

Blogs (1)

Meet Iyaz Sep 4, 2009

On his upcoming debut album, IYAZ makes lilting reggae-infused R&B melodies inspired by island shorties, wireless romance, and the anguish of unrequited love. The 22-year-old singer, songwriter, and rapper cranks out undeniably pop-friendly tunes, like his first single "Replay."

"IYAZ’s songwriting style is timeless and universal," says J.R. Rotem, the in-demand songwriter and producer who signed IYAZ (whose real name is Keidran Jones) to his label Beluga Heights and crafted most of the tracks on IYAZ's album, which will be released by Reprise Records. "IYAZ is a storyteller who paints visual scenarios that tug at the listener’s heart-strings," says Rotem, who also discovered pop sensation Sean Kingston. In fact, it was Kingston who first stumbled across IYAZ's MySpace page in May 2008, liked what he heard, and recommended him to Rotem, who has also worked with 50 Cent, Britney Spears, and Rick Ross.

IYAZ and some college friends from had recorded a song called “Island Girls” that was soon bumping out of every jeep and yard across the Caribbean. “I recorded it on my laptop, using a headset mic from Wal-mart,” IYAZ says. “Because I studied engineering in college, I can make any mic sound like it was placed in a million-doll...

iyaz's Profile Chat (0)