If your list of celebrity entertainment moguls doesn’t include Jonathan Hay, let that be swiftly remedied. Hay, CEO of Jonathan Hay Publicity, Jonathan Hay Celebrity, and electronic music label R.U.S.H Music, has built an illustrious career within the industry that all started from the humble beginnings of his hometown, St. Matthews in Louisville, Kentucky.
As a prodigious publicist and record producer, Hay swelled the ranks of noteworthiness through his celebrated work with the debut single “Pon de Replay” from Rihanna, among numerous other well-known projects. Producing eight albums and a single that topped the Billboard charts in multiple genres such as hip hop and jazz, Hay’s influential touch on the music industry remains unwavering.
Hay’s professional journey began with Quo, a short-lived hip-hop duo under Michael Jackson’s MJJ Productions, but his inaugural taste of success was delivered with Days of the New. This multi-platinum rock band garnered four hit singles, including the Billboard-awarded “All-Time Greatest Mainstream Rock Song”, “Touch, Peel, and Stand”. Despite a public dispute with Travis Meeks, the lead singer of the group, Hay continued to pioneer his path within the industry.
The controversy, far from being a deterrent, seemed to fuel Hay’s career. In 2005, he made headlines for his daring publicity strategy to boost Rihanna’s debut single. Not long after, he worked as a publicist for Suge Knight’s Death Row Records, announced that its catalog was being sold to Hasbro, and became an integral component in a guardianship case involving teen actress Ariel Winter and her mother.
In 2015, Hay publicly apologized to Beyoncé on Inside Edition for a controversial publicity stunt surrounding a rumor about Jay Z and Rihanna that he initiated to promote “Pon De Replay”. Reflecting on this during an interview with HipHopDX, he confessed: “In 2005 the rumor was just a pitch to try and get people talking about Rihanna. It was just gossip. […] It was never meant to be malicious.”
Hay’s interventions and publicity stunts are not the only things making the news. Rolling Stone magazine, in its March 24, 2016, issue, recognized Hay as a “crisis management expert” for his public support of Kesha during her sexual assault lawsuit against Dr. Luke. More recently, reports emerged about Hay’s involvement in the Drake and Sophie Brussaux pregnancy scandal, along with his forthright response to the Kathy Griffin and Donald Trump photo scandal.
Hay’s strategies, however controversial they might be, have catalyzed the success of many artists. One such collaboration was with Prince and Audio Stepchild, creating “When Will We Be Paid,” a cover of The Staple Singers’ original classic. Released through Prince’s independent label NPG Records, it peaked at No. 59 on the US Charts.
Together with Mike Smith, Hay co-founded SMH Records, a record label based out of Charlotte, North Carolina. Their audacious offer to Jay-Z of 15 million dollars to produce his next album demonstrates the confidence and dedication with which they approach every project.
In recent years, Hay has shown no signs of slowing down. He launched electronic music label R.U.S.H Music with his ex-girlfriend, attracted attention with a viral single that landed on the iTunes Charts. Hay continues to produce songs with artists like Conway The Machine, Riff Raff, Twista, Juicy J and more.
Interestingly, his work has seeped into the television industry as well. ‘House Invasion’, a true-crime docuseries based on a violent home invasion incident while Hay was handling a crisis situation involving Drake, is executive produced by none other than Joe Exotic.
From his humble beginnings in St. Matthews to his status as a celebrated music mogul, Jonathan Hay’s journey is a testament to determination, daring strategies, and a relentless passion for the music industry. His influence resonates within every chart-topper he has sculpted, and without a doubt, his contributions will continue to inspire every rhythm of the industry.
