CJ Fly

{{Short description|American rapper and music producer from New York}}

{{Infobox musical artist

| name = CJ Fly

| image = Joey Badass x CJ Fly (cropped).jpg

| caption = CJ Fly (left) with Joey Badass at the Under the Influence Tour in Toronto, Canada in August 2013

| birth_name = Chaine St. Aubin Downer Jr.{{cite web|url=http://www.brooklyndaily.com/stories/2014/27/24-hip-hop-fest-cj-fly-2014-07-04-bk_2014_27.html |title=Flying high: Rapper CJ Fly is ready for take-off |date=7 July 2014 |last=Ham |first=Robert |work=Brooklyn Daily |accessdate=6 October 2015}}

| birth_date = {{birth date and age|1993|07|06}}

| birth_place = Brooklyn, New York City, U.S.

| origin =

| genre = Hip hop · East Coast hip hop · alternative rap · Mafioso rap · jazz rap

| alias = {{flatlist|

The Storyteller
The Painter
Rap Game Tarantino
Master Roshe

}}

| label = {{hlist|Pro Era|Cinematic|ADA}}

| current_member_of = {{hlist|Pro Era|Beast Coast}}

| occupation = {{flatlist|

Rapper
songwriter
producer}}

| years_active = 2011–present

| associated_acts = {{flatlist|

}}

Chaine St. Aubin Downer Jr. (born July 6, 1993), better known by his stage name CJ Fly, is an American rapper and producer from Brooklyn, New York City.{{cite web|author=ACE |url=https://www.ascap.com/repertory#ace/work/895458436 |title=ACE Repertory |website=Ascap.com |date= |accessdate=2020-03-10}} He is a founding member and the oldest member of the hip-hop collective group Pro Era. Throughout 2012 and 2013, he was featured on many of the collective's projects and towards the end of 2013, he released his critically acclaimed mixtape Thee Way Eye See It.

Early life

Downer Jr. was born on July 6, 1993, in Brooklyn, New York. He is the only child of a Bajan mother and Jamaican father. He began writing poetry by the fourth grade and by the seventh grade he began rapping. He attended Edward R. Murrow High School for communication arts where he met Joey Bada$$, Powers Pleasant and Capital STEEZ. The four of them would spend their school days cyphering in the auditorium.{{cite web|author= |url=http://schedule.sxsw.com/2015/events/event_MS29587 |title=CJ Fly | SXSW 2015 Event Schedule |website=Schedule.sxsw.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-23}} In 2011, the four of them formed Pro Era.{{cite web|url=http://www.laweekly.com/music/joey-bada-and-pro-era-turn-tragedy-into-celebration-with-their-annual-steez-day-festival-7093577 |title=Joey Bada$$ and Pro Era Turn Tragedy Into Celebration With Their Annual Steez Day Festival |date=July 5, 2016 |first=Tara |last=Mahadevan |work=LA Weekly |accessdate=August 30, 2016}}{{cite web|url=http://www.thefader.com/2013/11/26/capital-steez-king-capital |title=Capital STEEZ: King Capital |date=November 26, 2013 |first=Eli |last=Rosenberg |work=The Fader |accessdate=August 30, 2016 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160830232255/http://www.thefader.com/2013/11/26/capital-steez-king-capital |archivedate=August 30, 2016 |url-status=dead }}

Music career

In 2012, Pro Era released their debut mixtape The Secc$ Tape. CJ Fly later made a breakthrough feature on Joey Bada$$'s debut mixtape 1999, on tracks "Hardknock" and "Don't Front". On December 21, 2012, he and Pro Era released their second mixtape PEEP: The APROcalypse. With production from Pro Era members Chuck Strangers, Kirk Knight, Statik Selektah and others from Brandun DeShay, Thelonious Martin and more.{{cite web|url=http://www.datpiff.com/Joey-Bada-1999-mixtape.361792.html |title=Joey Bada$ - 1999 Hosted by Pro Era Mixtape - Stream & Download |website=Datpiff.com |date= |accessdate=2016-02-23}}{{cite web |url=http://theproera.com/music/capital-steez-amerikkkan-korruption-reloaded/ |title=AmeriKKKan Korruption Reloaded |publisher=Pro Era |date=2012-12-18 |accessdate=2016-02-23 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160303202625/http://theproera.com/music/capital-steez-amerikkkan-korruption-reloaded/ |archive-date=2016-03-03 |url-status=dead }}{{cite web |url=http://theproera.com/music/pro-era-peep-the-aprocalypse/ |title=Peep The Aprocalypse |publisher=Pro Era |date=2012-12-20 |accessdate=2016-02-23 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130428010005/http://theproera.com/music/pro-era-peep-the-aprocalypse/ |archivedate=2013-04-28 }}

In 2013, CJ went on the Beast Coastal Tour with fellow Pro Era members, The Flatbush Zombies and The Underachievers. He, along with the rest of Pro Era, joined Wiz Khalifa's Under The Influence Tour in 2013 with A$AP Rocky, Trinidad James, Chevy Woods, Smoke DZA, and more. He later made an appearance on Joey's second mixtape Summer Knights along with the rest of Pro Era on the song "Sorry Bonita" produced by Oddisee. On October 5, 2013, he released his debut mixtape Thee Way Eye See It. With features from various Pro Era members, Buckshot, Ab-Soul, Phife Dawg and production from Chuck Strangers, Statik Selektah, Brandun DeShay, and more, the mixtape has received critical acclaim and made him a candidate for XXL's 2014 and 2015 Freshman List.

{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BUxLyl1Ucmg |title=Joey Bada$$ - Sorry Bonita (Ft. PRO ERA) [Prod. By Oddisee] with Lyrics! |publisher=YouTube |date=2013-08-09 |accessdate=2016-02-23}}{{cite web|author= |url=http://www.xxlmag.com/news/2013/04/wiz-khalifa-reveals-under-the-influence-2-tour-lineup-dates/ |title=Wiz Khalifa Reveals 'Under The Influence Tour 2013′ Lineup, Dates - XXL |website=Xxlmag.com |date= 21 April 2013|accessdate=2016-02-23}}{{cite web|url=http://www.datpiff.com/CJ-Fly-Thee-Way-Eye-See-It-mixtape.534368.html |title=CJ Fly - Thee Way Eye See It Mixtape - Stream & Download |website=Datpiff.com |date=2013-09-27 |accessdate=2016-02-23}}{{cite web|url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mkk9WzmjOxg |title=XXL Freshman 2014 - CJ Fly Pitch |publisher=YouTube |date=2014-10-11 |accessdate=2016-02-23}}

On December 9, 2016, a date which happened to coincide with his mother's 49th birthday, CJ Fly released his debut studio album entitled Flytrap. He released the album exclusively with TIDAL on December 8, and made the album available on all streaming services on December 9.{{cite web|url=https://neonmusic.co.uk/cj-fly-spreads-his-wings-with-revolutionary-album-flytrap |title=CJ Fly Spreads His Wings With Revolutionary Album FLYTRAP |publisher=Neon Music |date=2016-12-15 |accessdate=2016-12-28}}

Since the release of FLYTRAP, CJ has released videos for single "Now You Know", a track that was premiered with Billboard{{cite web|url=http://www.billboard.com/articles/columns/hip-hop/7518777/cj-fly-new-single-now-you-know-premiere |title= CJ Fly New Single "Now You Know" Premiere |publisher=Billboard |date=2016-09-23}} in September 2016. He's also released the visual for "DOPE" which premiered on Pornhub on 4/20.

His single, "Now You Know" was featured in Love & Hip Hop Season 6 - Episode 7 (2017) {{cite web|url=http://www.vh1.com/shows/music/love-and-hip-hop-atlanta/season-6-episode-7-songs/ |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200815203235/http://www.vh1.com/shows/music/love-and-hip-hop-atlanta/season-6-episode-7-songs/ |url-status=dead |archive-date=August 15, 2020 |title=Love & Hip Hop: Atlanta Season 6 Episode 7 Songs |publisher=VH1 |date=2017-04-17}}

On March 6, 2020, CJ Fly released his sophomore studio album entitled RUDEBWOY. Entirely produced by Statik Selektah, the album featured guest appearances from majority of the Pro Era collective, as well as Haile Supreme, Oshun, Conway the Machine and former Pro Era member T'nah.{{cite web |last1=Mahadevan |first1=Tara C. |title=CJ Fly Drops His New Album 'Rudebwoy' |url=https://www.complex.com/music/2020/03/cj-fly-new-album-rudebwoy |website=Complex |access-date=23 January 2021}}

On January 18, 2021, CJ Fly released The Way I H(ear) It, Vol. 1; the first volume of his instrumental album series, inspired by the time he spent learning how to produce his own beats during the start of the COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.{{cite web |title=CJ Fly #THEWAYIHEARIT 1/18 on Instagram: "I PRESENT TO YOU, THE ARTWORK FOR #THEWAYIHEARIT VOL. 1. THIS IS THE FIRST INSTALLMENT OF MY BEAT TAPE SERIES. I WILL BE DROPPING MORE…" |url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CJtgOEfAd8B/ |website=Instagram |access-date=23 January 2021}}

On August 24, 2021, a release date chosen in tribute of Kobe Bryant,{{Cite web|last=Downer|first=Chaine St. Aubin|date=24 August 2021|title=Promotion of NOT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/CS9WIDtgTYK/|access-date=2021-08-26|website=www.instagram.com}} CJ Fly released NOT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING. CJ's third studio album, the project featured no appearances from Pro Era, however brought in Devin Tracy, Amon Tyson, and Marlon Craft. The album also featured production from several producers, including CJ himself.

Influences

CJ is influenced by The Notorious B.I.G., Nas, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, and MF DOOM.{{cite web|url=https://news.bandsintown.com/view-article/2017/02/24/exclusive-cj-fly-talks-childhood-influences-switching-up-his-style-new-album-flytrap |title= CJ Fly Talks Childhood Influences, Switching Up His Style, New Album FLYTRAP |publisher=BandsInTown |date=2017-02-24}}

Discography

Studio albums

Flytrap (2016)
RUDEBWOY (2020){{cite web|url=https://www.instagram.com/p/B78u7Glg086/ |title=CJ Fly 🇯🇲🇧🇧 on Instagram: "Very honored to announce my debut album #RUDEBWOY produced by the legend @StatikSelekt featuring @_Tnah_, @JoeyBadass, @whoisconway, ..."|website=Instagram.com |date= |accessdate=2020-03-10}}
NOT WHAT YOU'RE EXPECTING (2021)
Healing from Our Wounds (2023)
PIRANHA (with Stoic) (2023)
baited (with Stoic) (2024)
The PhaRaOh’S return 2: NUBIA (with NasteeLuvzYou) (2024)