New apparel and merchandising line Urban Hitchcock, launches next week, with KXNG CROOKED of Slaughterhouse (Shady Records) as the first face of the line.
Industry veteran Jonathan Hay developed Urban Hitchcock following his departure from SMH Records in a six-figure deal to pursue new business ventures.
His new endeavors include a secondary company Jonathan Hay Celebrity (www.jonathanhaycelebrity.com), focusing on major celebrity projects — one of the first projects involves an upcoming movie with Academy Award and Golden Globe winning actress Jennifer Lawrence, a fellow Louisville, Kentucky native.
Says Hay: “My passion is strategizing and developing new businesses. Taking an idea from the ground floor and turning it into something real is what I love to do. The inner workings and the time it takes to materialize an idea and turn it into the perfect storm is where I do my best work. Once the idea has come to fruition and it’s out in the public eye, I feel like my work is done and it’s time for me to move on. At that point it’s best for me to pass the baton to people who can finish and win the race.”
Jonathan Hay will continue with a distribution deal under SMH Records. He will also appear in the first two episodes of rap competition series One Shot in episodes that feature celebrity guest judges RZA and T.I. Moving forward, Hay will place a bigger focus on his own musical production.
His debut production project is titled “Colorblind and Reclusive,” by Smith & Hay featuring co-production from Mike Smith and DJ King Tech, and is slated for a June release. Features include Twista, Inspectah Deck of Wu-Tang Clan, KXNG CROOKED and Royce da 5’9 of Slaughterhouse, Cyhi the Prynce, DJ Revolution, Horseshoe Gang, Russ Smith, Shalé, Mitch Littlez, Madchild, Nino Bless, Kool G Rap, Sadat X, Skyzoo, Wordsworth, Frankie Porkchops, Troy Ave and others.
