Introductions are a staple of entertainment on the internet, yet they’ve always been a challenge for me. While I can easily make a short and simple post introducing myself—something I’ve done on Mastodon and Bluesky—I feel there should be a more comprehensive introduction for those interested in my music. This way, people can understand not just who I am as an artist but also as an individual.
Who is JamezyTee, and who is Sam Dorsey?
For both those who already follow me on social media and those just discovering me, I want to clarify my names and how to address me. My musician name is JamezyTee (sometimes stylized with an umlaut on the “A”), while my writer’s name is Sam Dorsey. Generally, I prefer to be addressed as Sam, but you can also refer to me as Sam Dorsey or JamezyTee—either works, whether on social media or in real life.
The story behind these two names is complex and risks revealing more of my personal life than I’d like, so I’ll simplify it: JamezyTee comes from a childhood nickname, while Sam Dorsey is a name I partially use in my daily life. Although I go by both, I typically credit the writer of my songs as “Sam Dorsey” and the producer as “JamezyTee.”
Who am I, and what do I do?
I am primarily a music producer and rapper—occasionally a singer. Every song I create is self-produced on my Mac mini using FL Studio (Fruity Loops). I write all my own lyrics and produce every instrumental myself. In my early years of making music, I purchased beats from other producers online, but now, everything I release is fully produced, written, and mixed by me.
My Story: The Village Kid
If you visit any of my pages online, you’ll see my hometown listed as Syracuse, New York. While that’s somewhat true, I list Syracuse because it’s the nearest city to where I actually grew up. I was born in 1995 to military parents in New England and spent my childhood between Upstate New York and Hampton Roads, Virginia.
My introduction to music came at the age of eight when my stepfather gave me a Grandmaster Flash mixtape—a compilation of classic NYC hip-hop records. That moment sparked my love for music, but my childhood was far from easy. I was diagnosed with autism at a young age (or as they called it in the early 2000s, “Asperger’s Syndrome”), faced relentless bullying due to my race, and dealt with a parent’s drug addiction. These struggles drove me deeper into making music, though some family members discouraged me, claiming I was “fitting a stereotype.”
As I approached adulthood, I leaned on my family for guidance, but the path they wanted for me wasn’t the right one. By the time I was in my mid-twenties, I had gone through a brief stint in the military, another attempt at college, and eventually returned home to pursue music and blogging full-time while working a desk job to support my lifestyle.
When thinking about my artistic identity, I decided to reconnect with my roots by using the name “Village Kid”—a nickname given to me by people from Downstate New York who were surprised that I came from a small village. I embraced the name, using it as the title for my first album, which I’m still working on after a year!
My Inspirations
As mentioned earlier, my first experience with hip-hop was at eight years old when my stepfather played that Grandmaster Flash mixtape. However, my musical influences extend beyond hip-hop and rap—I don’t limit myself to just one genre. While hip-hop is the core of my taste, I also enjoy rock, metal, electronic, grime, and more. To me, good music is good music, regardless of genre.
One example that comes to mind is System of a Down. Their music resonates with me as a minority in American society. Even though their sound isn’t my personal preference, I still appreciate their songwriting and melodies, drawing inspiration from their approach. This pattern applies to many artists across different genres—I analyze their music, extract elements that resonate with me, and incorporate those influences into my own work.
Production plays a huge role in my creative process as well. Sometimes, I’ll hear an instrumental from a different genre and use it as inspiration when producing my own beats. The fusion of various influences allows me to create a unique sound that reflects my diverse musical background.
Conclusion: Welcome to JamezyTee.com!
I hope this article answers any questions that potential fans—or my one or two dedicated supporters—may have. There’s so much more I’d love to share, and I look forward to doing so.
If you have any inquiries or want to reach out, check out my Linktree or Gravatar, where you’ll find links to my social media pages. Stay tuned for new music releases, and if you want to be the first to hear my latest tracks, follow me on SoundCloud, Bandcamp, or keep up with JamezyTee.com for new records!