The state of Florida is known for oranges, golf, and celebrities. Besides being known for its outdoor activities, it has some of the best rappers in its state. Many legendary rappers have come out of Florida, including Rick Ross and Trick Daddy. Jayo Sama, whose real name is Jonas Joseph, received local notoriety in his city and was well respected by peers. Jayo Sama was an up-and-coming rapper and record producer hailing from Lake Park, Florida. Check out other Florida rappers featured on our blog!
His first release on SoundCloud was Juice, which he produced and rapped. In his music, the Florida rapper often discussed drugs, guns, and violence in Palm Beach County. Jayo released his first mixtape Bringin Drama Vol. 1 in late 2016, which included his most popular songs Intro, You Sleep, What It Is, and Where They At. He is best known for his breakout hit Intro which was released in 2016. Over 2.7 million people have viewed that video on YouTube since it was posted. Considering that he comes from Lake Park, a town with less than 9,000 residents, this is a big accomplishment for a local rapper.
Following the release of his debut music video, he was sentenced to 1 year in prison and was eventually released in 2018. Since his release from prison, he released numerous singles on SoundCloud and a mixtape Out On Bond.
Jayo Sama’s career was tragically cut short on January 27, 2019, when he was shot to death in West Palm Beach, Florida, and died at the age of 22 years old. On Instagram, rapper 12 Honcho confirmed the death of Jayo Sama, saying the late rapper had been advised to leave Florida because of gun violence. Sama’s girlfriend, Sofia Veronica, confirmed that she is pregnant with his son, who he leaves behind. In addition, Sofia, also known as Lil SoSo, has been developing her music career.
It has been three years since Jayo Sama’s death, but his legacy still lives on as he is still getting recognition post-death with songs like F da Other Side which has over 2 million streams across multiple platforms. Production for this song was done by Jermaine Sims, who goes by the alias Prod.Chuckee, a West Palm Beach, Florida-based producer.
His music and influence inspired others to develop their careers as rappers. Known as a local legend, Jayo Sama will forever be missed.