Jalen Santoy is known for his ability to shift his sound from melodic vocals to head-bopping flows and, today, the Charlotte, NC-born and LA-based rapper releases the Taylor O’Neil-directed video for his enchanting single “Stay” with Nyla Symone. The video represents a step into Santoy’s world, finding Jalen enjoying a vibrant house party as he delivers catchy bars with elegance.

“The daunting temptation to get out of character, that comes with any persistent person climbing the ladder in their respective field, is more prevalent than ever,” notes Jalen. “Often those that praise us for our uniqueness are the ones that try to force us to adapt to their perspective of limits that are not our own. Timing & growth in relationships are two things you can’t force to coincide. It’s okay if ‘Some thangs ain’t you!’”

Jalen Santoy grew up in a musical household with a strong jazz influence and by 15, caught the attention of rapper Big Pooh. From there, his hip-hop jazz fusion led to his hit single “Foreplay” garnering 149 million+ streams on Spotify and 6 million+ on YouTube, among others. It also received support from several media outlets.