For
@thejay305 , smelling good is sanctity. A trail of musks, resinous woods and creamy florals follow him around like an orb of protection. But the real flex, the never-ending quest, is to smell unlike anyone else. At Scent Bar DTLA (
@luckyscent ), the niche perfume boutique with locations at The Row, Hollywood and New York City, the South-Central rapper is picking up perfumes and putting them to his nose in short progression, leaving a collection of bulbous and angular bottles in his wake. He is looking for something that stimulates him almost reflexively, the way a fragrance that’s truly meant for you will. Jay came in with a list of possible contenders written on his Notes app, which he does often: Parfum de Marly’s Layton, Initio Parfums Privés’ Oud for Greatness, Nasomatto’s Black Afgano. Beast-mode fragrances with an air of mystery, or spirituality. The kind of perfumes that make an introduction for you. “Scent, it’s like your brand,” Jay says.
Jay’s latest EP, called “Don’t Wait Until I Die,” made in collaboration with rapper and producer
@hitboy , takes a page from the deep, oily, enveloping scents that have become his signature. The record, which dropped in May, is complex, dealing with themes of legacy and mortality. He’s been wearing ouds as part of his creative process when making the EP, one of the most expensive — and divisive — notes in perfumery known as “wood of the gods.” “It has a darker tone to it, but it’s still spiritual, it’s still healing, which is what ‘Don’t Wait Until I Die’ is,” he says. “Don’t wait until I’m gone to remember my scent.”
📸:
@jheydamc
✍🏽:
@goodjuju8 
