Jamaican rapper Jay X teams with Beenie Man on the song, From a Mile Out. Produced by Razsy Beats, it will be available on ITunes January 20.

Jay X is originally from Tivoli Gardens in West Kingston. It has been 12 years since he relocated to the Bronx, New York.

“I came up with the name Jay X being that whatever I do, I like involving Jamaica. So the JA in my name is for Jamaica and the y is silent. The X represents the Bronx,” Jay X explained.

Born Glenroy Pickersgill, he developed a passion for songwriting at an early age.

“I was always memorising and singing the lyrics from my favourite rap artistes over and over. Hard Knock Life by Jay-Z, Dear Mama by Tupac, and It Was all a Dream by Biggie Smalls were some of my favourite songs,” Jay X recalled.

After migrating to the United States, he became more exposed to hip hop. He was influenced by the success of Jamaican rappers including Busta Rhymes and Heavy D.

Initially, Jay X intended to attend college to pursue an associate degree in business administration but his passion for rap music won.

The first song he recorded was Better Than You which created ripples in New York City and opened doors for the emerging artiste.

Save Me, I’m a Real N*gga and Only Jah — which has an unofficial remix featuring Popcaan — are some of Jay X’s previous recordings.