At only seven years old, Jayvon Braxton became interested in the world of music after his uncle taught him to play “Lean on Me” on the piano. Since then his passion for music has grown and matured with him.

Since then Braxton, 23, has learned how to play the clarinet and a variety of percussion instruments including drums, bongos and maracas to name a few. Braxton spent the first two years of his college career at Thiel College to play football before transferring to Point Park in spring 2017, where he learned how to play the guitar, and has since started learning the bass guitar.

“My uncle never really played music around me as much as he listened to it around me,” Braxton said in a phone interview.

Braxton’s music ability doesn’t stop there, as he has been making a name for himself in the music industry as a rapper. Since 2013 Braxton, whose stage name is Jayy Braxx, has created and run a record label and signed a few local artists while producing his own music.

“At Genius Society, I believe that everyone is a genius in their own way,” Braxx said.

Since starting Genius Society and his rap career, Braxx has had his fair share of experiences and opportunities. From flying to Portland, Oregon to make and record music, to opening concerts with artists such as Kevin Gates, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony, Treble, NVSV, Lyn Starr, DJ Femi and Warren G; who has worked with artists such as Snoop Dog, Dr. Dre and even Tupac . He has also performed at two VH1 music festivals and NAACP music festival and had magazine features in Soul Pitt and Round Table Empire.

Braxx has also met Pittsburgh rappers Wiz Khalifa and Mac Miller, and even exchanged numbers with Miller at the Spirit Lounge in Lawrenceville.

“I took tons of pictures with him,” Braxx said. “We had a genuine moment, we were talking and joking about his cracked phone. I felt like I was talking to a regular person.”

Braxx has always had the support from his family when it came to his music career. His uncle always supported him and his music, but disliked his nephew’s desire to rap at first. After proving that he could be successful his family was fully on-board.

“Some people are cut and dry and have only learned one way to do things, to go to school and get a job through that degree” Braxx said. “I was raised by my aunt and uncle and that is what they were, old school.”

Most recently, Braxx has released a five song long EP titled “Planet Braxx.” The senior public relations and advertising major is working towards bettering his company and his music career to eventually give back to his community.

“When you have to do everything yourself as an independent artist, you have to make everything make sense from a PR perspective,” Braxx said. “It helps me elevate myself and [increases] my self-reliance. I don’t have to rely on anyone but myself.”

“I can’t credit everything to what I’ve learned in school, it’s [also] from the people I’ve met in college and the people I watched on YouTube that I have become close with [personally.]”

Braxx hopes to use Genius Society for more non-profit work, believing that it shouldn’t be just him, but all people who run their own companies to aid their communities.

“I really want to help people and underprivileged communities to get resources and opportunities,” Braxx said. “I want to reach a point where we can provide guidance from the brand and members that represent it […] I believe that this is more than just me.”

At one point, Braxx was looking into starting a scholarship at his high school, Greater Johnstown. After speaking with his principal, Braxx realized that people don’t need a lot of money to start a scholarship. He believes that a person doesn’t have to be rich to start something good for their community. He also wants to do more niche-based charities and fundraisers.

“[The scholarship] doesn’t have to go to the smartest kid with the highest grades, sometimes kids don’t have the right help and resources to help them see their potential and that they are a genius in a different way,” Braxx said. “I plan on taking the money I make from the record label and give back and help people open doors that they didn’t think were possible. A lot of people don’t have much, and I want to help give them something.”