Rapper Kanye West Scouts 17-Year-Old Rapper at Open Mic Show

Rapper Kanye West came to The Dopeness Jersey City on Wednesday, October 29^th just to see amateur rapper Jahmila Sandifer, 17, better known as “Jay Hype” make her showcase debut. Sandifer, happens to be the daughter of a close friend of Kanye West and sees him as an uncle, says that he surprised her at the curated open mic.



Kanye didn't stay in the venue for long after Jay Hype performed her Kanye West inspired song, "K.O.W.," which stands for Ye's birth name, Kanye Omari West.  After she finished her performance, she and Kanye hung out together briefly and snapped a few pictures together before he made his departure.  

Restaurant owner Jon Scanlon said  "It happened so fast and everyone was in shock," ."It was a 15-minute thing. I walked him to the back, he used the restroom. He came and gave her a big hug and a kiss, watched her perform, and he was out."

Earl "Ego" Davis, who runs the event with DJ Mega Mission and Lana Sez, says Sandifer was tense at first, but ended up delivering a strong performance. 

Davis said "When he came, she stepped up to the plate and was phenomenal,". "It's just awesome that the universe was aligned right. And for this girl to choose to perform for us? It's a testament to the power of our culture. There is something special happening here."

Sandifer says she was coincidentally performing "K.O.W." (Kanye Omari West's initials) and was nervous since West had never seen her perform live before. After the show, however, he texted her father referring to her affectionately, saying, "Baby LeBron killed it."

"Kanye is a very, very big idol in my life and I try to incorporate the stuff he does into my work," said Sandifer, who raps about self-esteem and relationships and puts emphasis on her energy and flow. "He gives me pointers and I take it very seriously...his opinion is always in the back of my mind."

  

 

Scanlon said Kanye West, who was escorted by two bouncers, may have come solely to see Sandifer, but his visit electrified everyone at the show.

"It really set the tone and everyone had a Kool-Aid smile on their face," said Scanlon, a longtime Yeezy fan. "Nobody expected it, that a world-renowed rapper shows up out of nowhere. It totally hyped up the crowd for the night and it probably enhanced everyone's performance. He gave everybody life."

Davis, who called the rapper "one of the biggest artists since Michael Jackson" and says his debut "The College Dropout" even "changed his life," adds that West wasn't the obnoxious guy some make him out to be.

"He talked to people and gave us smiles and head nods. And he kind of knows who he is, I guess, so he kept an 'It's OK, calm down, it's really me' face on," said Davis with a chuckle. "He showed so much respect to the culture and looked really comfortable."

"He gave her a pound in the beginning and when he left, she was behind the cash box eating and he joked, 'I'mma take your rice and beans,'" said Scanlon. "Everybody had their own little experience with him."

Source: NJ.com/Vlad/Dicedupnaija