Rapper Jay Electronica makes Tampa debut with summer concert in Ybor City

The 44-year-old is on the Smithsonian’s new hip-hop anthology.

By Ray Roa on Mon, Jul 12, 2021 at 1:57 pm

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thecomeupshow/Flickr [Attribution-NoDerivs 2.0 Generic (CC BY-ND 2.0)]

Jay Electronica who plays Crowbar in Ybor City, Florida on August 5, 2021.

Jay Electronica was never in the road warrior category, but being locked up during the pandemic might’ve inspired him to get out to cities that never dreamed they’d get a chance to see the rapper and producer in the flesh.

UPDATE On the night of the show, Jay Electronica was forced to postpone his Tampa debut after "Jay was called away unexpectedly to help finish Kanye's Donda album." A makeup date is in the works, and Creative Loafing Tampa Bay will provide an update when the new date comes it. At least anyone who went to Hooch and Hive after the last minute news got to see MC Serch (3rd Bass) workshop some lyrics with Wally Rios and Rude 100 of The S.E.T.

Electronica—who just landed on the Smithsonian’s new anthology of hip-hop for his lightning bolt verse on “Exhibit C”—is coming to Ybor City this summer, marking his live debut in Tampa. Tickets to see Jay Electronica with Asaru at Crowbar in Ybor City, Florida are on sale now and start at $30.

It’s good timing, too. Electronica—real name Timothy Elpadaro Thedford—just won a Grammy for his latest LP, A Written Testimony.

Now pass me my Jay Elec-Yarmulke.

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About The Author

Ray Roa

Read his 2016 intro letter and disclosures from 2022 and 2021. Ray Roa started freelancing for Creative Loafing Tampa in January 2011 and was hired as music editor in August 2016. He became Editor-In-Chief in August 2019. Past work can be seen at Suburban Apologist, Tampa Bay Times, Consequence of Sound and The...

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