Elpadaro F. Electronica Allah (born Timothy Elpadaro Thedford; September 19, 1976), known professionally as Jay Electronica (stylized as J A Y E L E C T R O N I C A), is an American rapper, singer, songwriter, and record producer. Born and raised in New Orleans, he first saw recognition with his single "Exhibit C" (2009), led fellow American rapper Jay-Z to sign Electronica to his Roc Nation label—following a multi-label bidding war—in 2010.
His debut studio album, A Written Testimony (2020), was met with critical acclaim and entered the Billboard 200 at number 12, alongside peaking within the top 10 of the Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart, specifically at number 8; it was followed by his second studio album, Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn) (2020) in October of that same year, although it was originally recorded from 2010 to 2012. His guest appearance on fellow Jay-Z protégé Kanye West's 2021 song, "Jesus Lord", marked his first entry on the Billboard Hot 100, peaking at number 26 on the chart.
In 2025, he re-released Act I: Eternal Sunshine (The Pledge) and Act II: The Patents of Nobility (The Turn). These re-releases were followed by three mini-albums, A Written Testimony: Leaflets, A Written Testimony: Power at the Rate of My Dreams, and A Written Testimony: Mars, the Inhabited Planet. Throughout his career, he has collaborated with artists such as Justin Bieber, J.
