Jay La’Mont, a Point Park sophomore, aspires to assimilate into a game that only a few have played and countless have dreamed of. The rap “game,” that is.

New York and California have a stranglehold on the hip-hop scene that features among the greatest to ever hold the mic.

Pittsburgh’s relationship with rap is very exclusive, as Mac Miller and Wiz Khalifa are the only two artists from the Steel City to ever reach superstardom.

La’Mont is further than most in regards to a career in music. He has performed at two VH1 festivals as well as various locations throughout Pittsburgh. The 21-year old rapper shares his music on platforms such as Soundcloud, Apple Music and Spotify.

“Pittsburgh is one of those places right now, especially with the college scene,” La’Mont said in an interview in the lobby of Lawrence Hall, Monday. “I feel like a lot of us are really creative and open minded. That’s the type of people that I feel could follow the brand.”

La’Mont grew up in Johnstown, Pa., a tight-knit community where everyone seems to know each other’s families. It was there he discovered a curiosity for music.

His love affair with music began when his uncle taught him how to play the piano at age six.

He drew his first crowds at talent shows beginning in the third grade, but he did not showcase his rapping capabilities. It was two pop legends that piqued his interest and influenced his performance.

“I wanted to be like Michael Jackson or like Usher,” exclaimed La’Mont.

Dancing to Usher’s single “Yeah,” La’Mont experienced his first time on a stage.

His ambitions for hip-hop began with a tape recorder. La’Mont’s friends reveled in rapping over the soundtrack from the video game, “NBA Street Vol. 2”.

“I still have [tapes] to this day. I don’t throw anything away,” La’Mont said. “I have all my stuff that I wrote back when I was 10 years old.”

La’Mont’s friends recognized his talent early on. Dion Peoples, a longtime childhood friend claimed that, “He was always into music, making beats. He progressed a lot.”

Because of La’Mont’s positivity and motivation, Peoples always admired him.

“I’m a little bit older than him, but I always looked up to him,”  Peoples said.

After acquiring what would become nearly 38,000 Twitter followers, La’Mont was faced with a difficult decision while attending Thiel College. 

“Do I want to finish school or go full throttle with music?” La’Mont asked himself.

He decided that his best option was taking a year off and he eventually discovered Point Park University. Now majoring in Public Relations and Advertising, La’Mont hopes that this field will assist in his promotion of his music career and his record label.

Genius Society is his self-produced record label that he feels “could really go all the way.”

As much as Genius Society is a record label, La’Mont believes that it can be much more than that. It’s just as much a lifestyle choice.

The record label’s website states that Genius Society is a “movement changing the world one moment at a time” and that “everyone is a genius in their own way and to never stop striving to find what makes you happy in life.”

Jason Inde, the videographer for Genius Society filmed music videos for La’Mont, including his recent release of “No Stressin.”

“It’s fun. He’s creative, easygoing and a positive guy,”  Inde said in a phone interview.

La’Mont has always been enamored by Kanye West’s production. In terms of rap, he’s always been a fan of Kid Cudi. As with a lot of his music’s messages, Bob Marley was a major influence in his work.

La’Mont makes it a priority to deliver high-quality music to his listeners.

“I don’t want you to hear fast food all the time,” La’Mont said. “Sometimes you want a luxury five star meal.”

With that, La’Mont has a confidence about him that very well could take him to that illusive next level that is the rap industry.

He is often emphatic on social media, once tweeting, “They say Kendrick and Travis.. I say La’Mont,” referring to the two current rap moguls, Kendrick Lamar and Travis Scott.

“For what I have to offer,” La’Mont said. “I shouldn’t settle for underground because I feel that I would be cheating myself and the world.”