About Me
His name is pronounced "pesos," like the currency that
moves the Mexican economy. Lifting a bar from one of
Jay-Z's rhymes, Pay$oz flipped the line and inflected
it with his own style. "I was thinkin' of a verse Hov
had said, "Jay Hov, 'bout to change my name to Jay
Pesos.'...You know Mexican money. Since I love money,
I figured it sounded good...Then I wanted to add a
little spice into it so I came up with the dollar
sign."
Even though he's got that chill Brooklyn swagger, like
a Jay or a Fab, he's easily as comfortable flowing
over bass-heavy, Southern-fried beats as he is
discussing world politics. With a distinctive yet
versatile style influenced by the rowdy party flair of
the ATL, the grit of Brooklyn's most thorough streets
and the hardships and hope of his native Haiti, Pay$oz
is an artist as enigmatic and unforgettable as the
spelling of his name.
Born in Haiti, a country still struggling with a
tumultuous political fallout that rivals present-day
Iraq, Jeff Chery aka Pay$oz emigrated to the U.S. as a
child. The turmoil of his native country still stays
with him. "When you step off the plane it's hard to
breathe already because the air is so thick. People
walk around naked because they have no clothes, you
see females taking showers in the street, animals out
there walking and you see they're bones though their
skin because they so hungry...My father brought me out
there to see how the life is so I know to get my mind
focused."
Growing up in New York, a young Pay$oz got caught up
in the all too typical truant lifestyle of many BK
young'ns. Eventually his antics caused his family to
book him a ticket down south, away from the bright
light and easy excitement of the city. While he was
always a star in the making, captivating schoolyard
fans with his coolly, slick flow, staying on the
outskirts of Atlanta Pay$oz was able to focus on his
craft.
Despite being active in the streets, Pay$oz maintained
a stellar academic record and at the close of his high
school career was accepted to St. John's University
where he planned to study Business Administration. But
at the urging of close friend and future manager,
Teks, Pay$oz took the earnings from his street
politickin' and built a recording studio instead and
the two set out to conquer the hip hop world. After
recording scores of tracks, Pay$oz released the
mixtape, Last Of A Dying Breed (2006), which
got shine on MTV's Mixtape Monday and a "Bangin'"
review from RapMullet.com. Pay$oz also consistently
knocked down opponents on RapMullet.com's indie battle
section, The Come Up for five months. All this packed
in at the ripe old age of 19.
In 2007, Pay$oz will drop the anticipated follow-up to
his Last Of A Dying Breed, called Cheating
On New York. A collection of Pay$oz' signature New
York rhymes over down-bottom beats that album is a
unique concept that unites the grimy slickness of New
York, hip hop's birthplace, with the rugged crunkness
of the Southern sound which currently run the rap
game. "I don't really see anyone doing what I'm doing.
Like, I don't really see a New Yorker going hard with
the Southern thing...But all the new things you hear
from me are gonna be about the lyrical content."
Pay$oz has that realness that can't be replicated or
denied. Influenced by artists from Common to Biggie,
Pay$oz is MC bringing more to the table the average
rapper. He's a fire-spitting thug with plans to
conquer all of forms of media from music to acting to
fashion. It's his hooks and swagger that will draw you
in but it's his intelligence that will keep you coming
back. As Pay$oz puts it, "my mind exceeds the box that
everyone's trapped in."
