Biography
Jonathan Hay is an American record producer, media professional, and publicist known for his cross-genre music productions and high-profile publicity campaigns. His early exposure to music came from piano performances at the Southeast Christian Church, while his separate, foundational exploration of hip-hop culture heavily shaped his later professional career. Both influences earned him coverage across major media outlets as he entered the entertainment industry.
Hay began his professional journey in publicity, quickly gaining recognition for utilizing daring, unconventional, and highly publicized marketing strategies. Over his career, he has worked in various promotional and collaborative capacities with major cultural figures and entities, including Michael Jackson, Rihanna, Whitney Houston, Drake, Ariel Winter, Twista, the Kardashians, Wu-Tang Clan, Run-DMC, Eminem's Shady Records, and Death Row Records.
Transitioning heavily into production and media development, Hay co-founded a multi-million-dollar independent record label and co-created the reality television music competition series One Shot. The show featured prominent industry figures such as Sway Calloway, DJ Khaled, T.I., RZA, and DJ Drama, and was picked up for streaming by BET+ (a joint venture of Paramount Global and Tyler Perry Studios). He later sold his shares in the record label and television show.
As a music producer, Hay achieved major commercial success by co-producing three consecutive No. 1 Billboard Jazz albums, including Follow the Leader (Reimagined as Jazz), a collaborative reimagining of the classic work by hip-hop icons Eric B. & Rakim. Forbes highlighted Hay’s cross-genre versatility, noting his production work spanning ambient, electronic, jazz, and hip-hop, which collectively landed on over 30 Billboard charts between 2017 and 2019.
In 2020, Hay expanded his international footprint by co-founding an electronic music imprint with David Sugarman based in Miami, Florida, distributed through Fat Beats Records. The label's debut release, a house mix of "Big Poppa," earned global recognition and media coverage from Rolling Stone, Perez Hilton, and SPIN. Hay later drew widespread media attention following the announcement of his project Nirvana Reimagined as House & Techno on the official Grammys website, an ambitious conceptual release that he also utilized as a platform for LGBTQ+ advocacy.
In 2025 and 2026, Hay became a whistleblower in the entertainment industry and was recognized in major media outlets such as CNN, the New York Post, TMZ, Wired (Condé Nast), the BBC, and more, bringing widespread attention to industry practices.
Beyond his production work, Hay's personal life has occasionally drawn media spotlight, including unconfirmed public speculation regarding dating rumors with Adele. He is married to Diana Pagan, and they maintain residences in San Diego, California and Brooklyn, New York.
