Ahh where to begin…. I was born Jayson Duke Paymella into the Tewa Tribe in New Mexico in 1980. Born into an activist family and taught from my first breath of life that I am NATIVE AMERICAN. I could go on and on about what my heart feels it is to be Native American but I’ll leave that to the letters I write to news papers and in letters of support I have to the different organizations I follow. I first lived in Chinle, AZ a small town on the Navajo Reservation with my family but my grandmother was my life. I guess I believed I was a Dine’ because my babysitter spoke to me only in the Dine’ language so I was fluent and could carry on conversations with my friends and understand why that joke was so much more funny than if it was told in English.
In 86 my family relocated to part of our ancestral lands that we fought for and earned on the Hopi reservation. So from 86-03 I lived with my own people at the Village of Tewa located on one end of Polacca, AZ. During that time I found that I had a talent and that talent was running. Going to Hopi schools was very difficult for me. I was lighter skinned from the other kids and teased and made fun of daily. But if you go out to the Tewa villages in New Mexico you’ll find that we are a lighter skinned people. But my talent of running was my escape. I was free to run and run and run and clear my head.
In 2003 I think I finally had enough of the treatment and went back to Chinle. My old friends immediately remembered me and ran up to me and we started bonding again but there was one problem. They would often talk to me in Navajo and I wouldn’t understand. In the years that I was out on the Hopi rez I forgot how to talk Dine’. I had to slow things down and tell them that I no longer knew what they were saying. I can still remember the look on their faces. My brother promised me that he could make me a state champion if he coached me there in Chinle and that was another reason I moved. He came through on his promise. I won a couple state championships during my time in Chinle. Back in the days when we were not some weak 3A school. We were 4A and I was able to lock horns with the states elite. During this time in Chinle I made some of the greatest friends through my nephew Ben. He invited me to hang out with his friends and man its been history since then. I graduated from Chinle High School in 98 and moved to Phoenix the very next day!!
In 1996 while in Chinle I got turned on to the entertainment business. I joined a local car club that was THE car club at the time. We had car shows every year and had lowrider magazine featured cars enter it was that big of a deal!! And to have all this in little Chinle made it feel that much better. But at the second annual show I was “forced†hhahaha to host the show. It had gotten so large that year that many of my friends were too scared to grab the mic and make the event happen so I got “voted†into hosting it. From that year all the way to 2002 I hosted the largest car show north of Phoenix. Often called the best in the 4 corners area. But 2002 was my last show. I was getting tired and was constantly moving. I was living in Glendale, Phoenix, Tuba City, Flagstaff and eventually here to Anthem, AZ. I also spent some time in the Army in Ft. Benning, GA. It was taking its tool on me and in 2001 my son Jaylyn Duke Paymella was born.
My passion for entertainment was born that windy day in 96 and hasn’t stopped growing. Since working with Vino Sam and RedNations to creating UrbanInjun with DJ Wreck in 05 and its ending in 07 to the founding of Envy Nights Entertainment with DJ Wreck, J-Ro and DJ Kiss its all been a dream. We lived in motel rooms from week to week traveling from city to city, state to state and we are a common name in Rocky Point, Mexico. We’ve been able to hold our own in the 5th largest city in the USA. Holding events at venues all over the valley and even being a part of the worlds largest pool party when it came to the valley. Wet Grooves came to Phoenix and we helped it happen. After my second son OhKuwa Neil Duke Paymella was born I slowed down a bit. We all felt as if we needed a break from the traveling. People have asked us if we’ve fallen off or if Envy is still around. We are…. Just waiting to make a few moves and do things right.
I just want to thank everyone who has helped me along my way to where I am today. We've done over 140 major events and arent about to stop anytime soon. I’ll be working on this list in the future but most of you know who you are.
Too be continued…….
^j^
WORDS I LIVE BY:
"Go over, Go under, Go around or go through, but NEVER give up."
"Happy are those who dream dreams and are ready to pay the price to make them come true."
"Work hard and make things happen. Don't wait for them to happen to you."
"Just because you can't see something, doesn't mean it's not there."
“I am a man who will positively influence everybody I meet. I will strive passionately to live, love, learn, and leave a powerful legacy.â€
IF YOU KNOW ME YOU KNOW THAT I LIVE IT LIKE ITS THE LAST. I'M PASSIONATE, EMOTIONAL AND LOYAL AND I WOULDN'T DO IT ANY OTHER WAY!