Jaylon Yates News Today

In the premier issue of “West Dayton Stories Zine,” producers of WYSO’s popular series “West Dayton Stories”—including amaha sellasie, Tiffany L. Brown, Omopé Carter Daboiku, Love’Yah Stewart, and Jaylon Yates—briefly introduce themselves and give readers useful tips for everything from photography to fashion to gardening. Readers also can scan QR codes that will take them to archived episodes (some of them longer than those that first aired) from the inaugural season of the ser...

Dayton is known for invention and innovation, and there’s a new wave of creative energy coming from the West Side. Young people are making art, with deep commitment to community building and social justice.

Jaylon Yates, AKA Smb Jay is a Dayton, Ohio native who introduced himself to the music world with his first mixtape Tune Into Greatness, featuring songs like Paradise, Too Major, and Alize’. Jay got into music after observing his older family member Trailz, also a hip-hop artist. In December of 2016 Jay started his own record label Selfmade Boss Records LLC (SMB), and he later added the acronyms to his stage name.

The Edgemont Solar Garden on Miami Chapel Road has a long history on Dayton’s West Side. Lately it’s experienced a regeneration of sorts, with partners like Central State University and Agraria in Yellow Springs joining in to support urban agriculture.

Listen • 3:18 In this weeks edition of West Dayton Stories community producer Jaylon Yates uses lyrical language and poetic imagery to express his take on Black Joy. Black... Of the darkest colors owing to absence of or complete absorption of light. Absence... Some say blacks are absent time, knowledge, or even joy. Absent of opportunity, because he’s the darkest. “Sir you must work the hardest because you’re the darkest.” They simply lack because they’re associa...

Listen • 3:03 Young people are raising their voices in the political debate, and we need to hear them. Community producer Jaylon Yates shares his ideas on the importance of voting, especially locally. Post-election a lot of people feel a relief that Trump is out of office, but there’s a portion of the population that feels nothing will improve; from being experienced in voter registration I’ve talked to people of all ages who feel the same. I find myself in the middle,...