Meet Jayse Vegas

We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Jayse Vegas a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Jayse, thanks so much for taking the time to share your insights and lessons with us today. We’re particularly interested in hearing about how you became such a resilient person. Where do you get your resilience from?
My resilience comes from my queer identity. I’ve spent my life embracing who I am as a unique individual, and with that I’ve learned how to navigate the negative scenarios “being yourself” can bring. I’ve learned how to be self-disciplined, how to stay focused, and most importantly transform/ enhance positive energy. Being met with a lot of hate has made me the warrior I am now. I’m not going to stop living my life, creating my art, or attempting to make the world a better place because of homophobia. It’s not all bad though, there is an overwhelming amount of love that also gives me strength. People like me, or who relate, want to see me win and need to see me win- so we can see each other dominating in systems set against us.

My identity, my queer presence, has brought a mix of battles and celebrations that have shown me the power of being unapologetically resilient.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?
My name is Jayse Vegas, and I’m here to push The Gay Agenda. No. literally, THE GAY AGENDA 2 is the title of my latest musical project. It’s a combination of dance music, honest lyrics, and a plethora of queer artists. 11 queer artists involved to be exact. 7 songs, 6 featured artists, 5 producers, 1 POPSTAR ! Even the graphic designer for the album artwork is apart of the community.

My main objective is to make the world a better place through my music. I know, cliche, but the most honest and straight forward answer I could give you. Music saved my life, and I have dedicated it to helping others the way I am. I found my purpose through music. Story telling, breaking down mental health issues, understanding acceptance, dancing, all can be communicated through music. It is a therapeutic thing for people who find spirituality and the arts can be combined.

I chose to feature so many artists on this project because I believe in the powers of community, representation, and collaborations. Each song has a meaning behind it, and each artist was needed to help express them. I’m really excited for the visuals to come out, and perform all through the states/countries with these incredible artists.

Tracklist w/ featured artists

1. In The Dark (ft. Divine Rakym)
2. Feel Me (ft. Thee Queen Princess)
3. Tonight (ft. Honey Davenport)
4. MAGIC (ft. Saint Ahmad)
5. Fantasy (ft. Christopher Ambrose)
6. Through The Looking Glass (ft. Kris Cherry)
7. Popstar

Prod by: Christopher Ambrose, Ricky Allson, Jen Urban, Goldilocks, Jayse Vegas

 

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?
BE KIND. Be kind to yourself, be kind to the people you know, and be kind to the people you don’t know. You never know what someone is going through, kindness can go a long way. You never know when your path with someone will cross again, you’d be surprised who ends up in a position you may need access to. Most importantly, how you treat yourself plays a major role in your day to day life. Love yourself in all ways, be your biggest supporter, trust yourself, be understanding, compassionate – LOVE YOURSELF.

HOW YOU SPEAK IS IMPORTANT.
Words are manifestations. Speak what you want into existence. Remind yourself you can accomplish all the goals you’ve set for yourself. Choose how you talk to be lead with good intentions. Stop saying negative things about yourself – even if you only say the to yourself. When you have conversations with others, allow there to be optimism in your words.

HAVE FUN.
The best way to get to your authentic self is by doing the things that make you happy. Keep thriving to live your best life. Having fun helps navigate through the seriousness of the world. Keeping a smile on your face can impact the whole world.

Any advice for folks feeling overwhelmed?
Feeling overwhelmed can be a common thing, especially for New Yorkers. The hustle, the amount of people, the expectations, the MTA – I’m getting worked up thinking about it now! All of that, on top of pursuing my dreams, I must take moments to center myself. My advice is to allow yourself to feel those emotions – it’s okay to cry or be angry – but after acknowledging how you feel, turn it into energy that fuels you. For me, it’s music, singing/writing/dancing, it helps move what I’m feeling. Find a passion you could allow those feelings of being overwhelmed to work themselves out. Deep breaths, meditation helps a lot. Remind yourself of your strength and accomplishments.

Don’t forget the power of communication. It’s okay to express yourself to others, sometimes talking about things helps simply because of the release. It’s okay to ask for help. It’s okay to say “I need a moment”. We’re all human. Life has its ways, but there’s nothing you can’t overcome.

Contact Info:

Image Credits
MONTE PHOTEAUX – https://www.instagram.com/montephoteaux/

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