Life, Values & Legacy: Our Chat with Just Jay of College Park

We’re looking forward to introducing you to Just Jay. Check out our conversation below.

Good morning Just, it’s such a great way to kick off the day – I think our readers will love hearing your stories, experiences and about how you think about life and work. Let’s jump right in? Have any recent moments made you laugh or feel proud?
In the past year I’ve performed in 9 states, been on 4 podcasts, 3 magazine interviews including this one, made it in a rap video and I became a dad on June 14. I drove over 100,000 miles, performed in front of some pretty memorable audiences, met some pretty amazing people and I’m 2 weeks away from the end of my third term rocking all As and 1 B (which I expect to have an A by term’s end. I’ve been blessed to have spent the past 8 weeks bonding with my son. Life got very fulfilling and rewarding.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
My name is Just Jay, and I’m a comedian, storyteller, and cultural commentator based in Atlanta. I built my brand from the pavement up—no shortcuts, no gimmicks—just raw truth told through humor. I use comedy not just to make people laugh, but to break down social walls and reframe narratives about identity, race, and resilience. My story spans decades of lived experience, from incarceration and homelessness to rebuilding my life and finding purpose through performance.

I like to use humor to flip stereotypes and spark conversations that most people avoid. It’s not just about getting laughs, it’s about making people think and feel something too.

My current project, “I’m Not a Racist, But…” —it mixes stand-up, skits, music, and real talk while digging into identity, race, and how people see each other—all through humor that’s sharp but honest.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. Who were you before the world told you who you had to be?
Not really sure. I guess I was whoever I thought I had to be in that moment a lot of times that was determined by whatever nickname I was going by. For most of my life I went by names like Crazy or Crazy Jay. And when you have a name like that, people always expect you to be the craziest one in the bunch. And it gets tiring trying to live up to the person everyone thinks you are. And then the clouds cleared and I learned that life is fictional. Nobody is who they say they are or think they are. Everyone you know is the person they think they have to be in that moment. In a world of shared opinions, manufactured beliefs, and duplicate personas who identify with the labels they accept, all I want to be is Just Jay, no labels and no shared opinions. And all of a sudden the world is a brand new wonderful place.

What fear has held you back the most in your life?
I’m sure deep to the root there is a fear, but for most of my life the lack of fear has gotten me in so many situations that I never should’ve been in. From the ages of 14-41 I spent less than 5 years accumulative in the free world. My longest time in was 9 years and my shortest time out was 7 days. I had never kept a car or job longer than 3 months or a girlfriend longer than 5 months. I had never had anything, so I never had a fear of losing anything. August 26 will make 6 years for me. I’ve been homeless and broke for most of it, funneling everything I make into chasing a dream only I can see. It has been the hardest time of my life, but it has also been the most rewarding. Because I’m living for me now.

So a lot of these questions go deep, but if you are open to it, we’ve got a few more questions that we’d love to get your take on. Is the public version of you the real you?
Most definitely. Life is f_cking hard. Even harder trying to be someone other than yourself while looking through clouded lenses of other’s opinions. I don’t want to get to the end and not know who I’ve been.

Okay, we’ve made it essentially to the end. One last question before you go. Are you doing what you were born to do—or what you were told to do?
In the present I am doing what I was born to do. Every step taken in life has brought me to the place I am now. I don’t think I could have missed a single step and gotten back to this place I’m in now. Things may have gotten better or might not have. I do know that I have survived and succeeded in so many different situations in recent years because of things I learned enduring something when I was younger.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/5o_shades_0f_jay?igsh=cDN1OTNuc3hqNDlu&utm_source=qr
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jay-cathey-27b985224?utm_source=share&utm_campaign=share_via&utm_content=profile&utm_medium=ios_app
• Twitter: https://x.com/5o_shadesof_jay?s=21&t=zv_7U2VzPLtI-pE5Gc7OEg
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/p/James-Cathey-100091405281513/
• Youtube: https://youtube.com/@50_shades_of_jay?si=2ifhdurRjxgVxf3D
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@5o_shades_of_jay?_t=ZP-8ygPFCLQgkJ&_r=1

Image Credits
No credits. Just chose a bunch of pics I’ve managed to be in with a bunch of talented comedians, musicians and entertainers. Not even sure I knew most of the photographers.