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Meet Zay Roberts

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Today we’d like to introduce you to Zay Roberts. 

Hi Zay, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today.
 I started making music in 2015, but I wrote my first verse when I was 8 and that was my introduction into poetry. Not only did I start rapping in 2015 but I also had an opportunity to tap into Michigan‘s medical marijuana market and I think that was the most impactful moment to me. I released my first mixtape on my birthday ( [Daddy Rich] ) in 2016 and the responses I got assured me that this was something I was meant to do. Four months later I released my second mixtape Tales Of Butterscotch Vol. 1 to showcase the hopeless romantic nobody knows about. Over the next 4 years I went on a soul/sound searching quest to develop a brand name sound. But in 2019 I got into cannabis politics at the state level and served as the Development Director for a non-profit lobbying firm. Cannabis and music are intertwined, one compliments the other. In 2020 during the Pandemic I started Silk Swade Records LLC to provide a platform to Care Free Black Men who have ever felt boxed in, suppressed vocally, or have a drive to create unapologetically. As an entrepreneur, content creator and entertainer I feel that it’s extremely important to create a platform not only for yourself but to share with others who might not have as many opportunities as the next.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Is it ever a smooth road? And if it is, then I feel like there’s more along the way. I am not the type of person that’s familiar with the easy way. I am used to obstacles and being faced with challenges. For certain tasks I actually require a certain level of difficulty because I know I will take it seriously. In 2021 I was hit with some legal battles and some family health issues that slowed down the momentum but I feel extremely motivated knowing the support group around me wants me to win as much as I do.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I am known for making music and podcast production, and DJing. I am the owner of SILK SWADE records which a record label. What sets me apart from others is the ability to be multifaceted in so many forms of entertainment. I am a natural MC that is trying to create a platform for carefree black men to be unapologetically themselves in a free space.
Are there any important lessons you’ve learned that you can share with us?
“Always bet on yourself.” I have taken important lessons in having confidence in a space where there is little advice given. I don’t come from an environment with a mentor or anything, so a lot of my lessons were learned from trial and error. I am very proud of the work ethic I have created for myself, so I often tell myself, “You didn’t make it this far just to make it this far,” meaning that all the hard work I put in will pay off, and this is not the end of the journey because I know I am destined for more. I am an Idealist, so I know my strategy is calculated and has the opportunity for momentum, so just keeping confidence while staying humble is important. Also utilizing and tapping into the resources around me. More times than not I am prideful to a fault so sometimes asking for help or admitting I don’t have all the answers is hard. Being open to constructive criticism and always willing to learn in an industry where change happens everyday is very important to me.

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Image Credits
Tate’anna Hinds

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