Career Timeline of Jonathan Hay (publicist): Major Achievements and Milestones

How Jonathan Hay (publicist) built a successful career. Explore key moments that defined the journey.

Jonathan Hay is an American publicist and record producer from Louisville, Kentucky. He gained prominence for publicizing music industry acts, including Rihanna's debut single "Pon de Replay" in 2005. Notably, his collaborative album with Eric B. & Rakim reached the top spot on Billboard's Top Jazz Albums chart in 2019, showcasing his success as a music producer.

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Full Timeline Career & Achievements

2003: Conflict with Travis Meeks

In 2003, Travis Meeks, the lead singer of Days of the New, criticized Jonathan Hay for premature disclosures, which Meeks believed damaged his career advancement opportunities with Guns N' Roses. Despite the conflict, Hay continued to work with Meeks in later years.

2004: Introduction to Rihanna's Producer

In late 2004, Kevin Skinner introduced Jonathan Hay to one of the co-producers of Rihanna's debut single "Pon de Replay" while Hay was working with Whitney Houston's father's company, John Houston Entertainment.

March 17, 2005: First Press Release for Rihanna

On March 17, 2005, Jonathan Hay's first press release for Rihanna's "Pon de Replay" became a MTV News item after being hired to promote the single.

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2005: Publicizing Rihanna's debut single

In 2005, Jonathan Hay publicized Rihanna's debut single, "Pon de Replay", marking an early milestone in his career as a publicist in the music industry.

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2012: Guardianship Case Involvement

In 2012, Jonathan Hay was involved in the guardianship case of Ariel Winter, a star on the TV series Modern Family. He testified in court and signed a declaration supporting Winter's preference to stay with her sister.

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2013: Publicizing a Book about the Kardashian Family

In 2013, Jonathan Hay publicized a book about the Kardashian family, adding to his portfolio of public relations work.

July 2014: Release of Fear of a Pink Planet

In July 2014, the album Fear of a Pink Planet by Pink Grenade, produced by Jonathan Hay and featuring Johnny Depp, was released.

2015: Public Apology to Beyoncé

In 2015, after the release of "Becoming Beyoncé: The Untold Story", which revealed Jonathan Hay's "desperate, publicity stunt" for Rihanna's single, Hay appeared on Inside Edition and publicly apologized to Beyoncé for the stunt.

March 24, 2016: Support for Kesha in Rolling Stone

On March 24, 2016, Jonathan Hay publicly supported Kesha during her sexual assault lawsuit against Dr. Luke in Rolling Stone magazine, where he was identified as a "crisis management expert."

June 2016: Producing a Single for Snoop Dogg

In June 2016, Jonathan Hay produced a single for Snoop Dogg's Doggy Style Records, contributing to his work as a music producer.

August 23, 2016: Debut of "One Shot" on BET

On August 23, 2016, the TV show "One Shot", for which Jonathan Hay was a music producer, debuted on BET, featuring artists like T.I., RZA, and DJ Khaled.

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April 2017: Involvement in Drake Pregnancy Scandal

In April 2017, Jonathan Hay became involved in the Drake and Sophie Brussaux pregnancy scandal, telling People Magazine that text messages purportedly from Drake urging Brussaux to have an abortion existed.

April 2017: Producing song about Kylie Jenner and 21 Savage

In April 2017, Jonathan Hay produced a song about Kylie Jenner and 21 Savage that debuted on TMZ.

January 2018: Number 1 Billboard Jazz album

In January 2018, Jonathan Hay's jazz debut release Jazz (Deluxe) reached No. 1 on the Billboard Jazz Charts, marking a significant achievement in his career as a jazz producer.

2018: Producing songs for multiple artists

In 2018, Jonathan Hay produced additional songs for Riff Raff, DJ Whoo Kid, and Bubba Sparxxx, further expanding his production credits.

July 2019: Second Billboard Jazz Chart Topper

In July 2019, Jonathan Hay's Jazz Part Two hit No. 1 on the Billboard Contemporary Jazz Charts, solidifying his success in the jazz music scene.

2019: Reporting Mike Smith to Authorities

In 2019, Jonathan Hay reported his former associate Mike Smith to local authorities and the FBI, claiming to have "blown the whistle as loud as I could."

2019: Producing for Juicy J and Yung Bleu

In 2019, Jonathan Hay was one of the producers for Juicy J and Yung Bleu, continuing his work as a music producer.

2019: Billboard Chart Success

In 2019, Jonathan Hay's collaborative album with Eric B. & Rakim reached No. 1 on the Top Jazz Albums Billboard chart, demonstrating his success as a record producer.

March 2020: Forming an Electronic Music Label

In March 2020, Jonathan Hay formed an electronic music label with distribution through Ingrooves (part of Virgin Music Group), expanding his ventures into the electronic music scene.

2020: Recording Contract with C.J. Wallace

In 2020, Jonathan Hay entered into a recording contract with Christopher "C.J." Wallace, an heir to the estate of The Notorious B.I.G., which at the time had partnership with Sean 'Diddy' Combs.

October 2022: Defending Ye (Kanye West)

In October 2022, Jonathan Hay defended Ye, previously known as Kanye West, stating that Ye was “profoundly misunderstood by the media” and “grossly misconstrued and taken way out of context."

November 2023: Working an event for the Vice President of the United States

In November 2023, The Hindustan Times reported that Jonathan Hay worked an event for the Vice President of the United States.

2023: Collaboration with Solo Lucci

In 2023, Jonathan Hay collaborated with Solo Lucci from Love & Hip Hop, adding to his list of musical collaborations.

February 2024: House Invasion Soundtrack Release

In February 2024, the soundtrack album for House Invasion, a true crime documentary based on Hay's home invasion, was released and peaked at No. 1 on the Apple Music/iTunes Albums Chart in South Africa.

March 2024: Chart Performance in the UK

In March 2024, Jonathan Hay's "We Are the World (Contemporary Jazz Instrumental)" peaked at No. 18 on the United Kingdom Apple Music charts.

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July 2024: Response to Documentary Mention

In July 2024, after being mentioned in Trap Lore Ross's documentary "The Disturbing Death of Jay-Z's 'Mistress,'" which was streamed by DJ Akademiks, Jonathan Hay spoke out on his Instagram and in an interview with AllHipHop.

September 2024: Arrest of Mike Smith

In September 2024, Mike Smith, Jonathan Hay's former associate, was arrested and faced charges of wire fraud conspiracy, wire fraud, and money laundering conspiracy, following Hay's reporting of him in 2019.

March 2025: Clarifying circumstances surrounding Sophie and Drake

In March 2025, Jonathan Hay interviewed with Kat Tenbarge to clarify the circumstances surrounding Sophie and Drake, shifting responsibility onto a different publicist.

May 2025: Whistleblower Statement

In May 2025, Jonathan Hay told Wired Magazine, "I blew the whistle as loud as I could" when discussing reporting his former associate Mike Smith to authorities in 2019.

2025: Hay sues CJ Wallace, Sean Combs and Willie Mack for sexual assault.

In 2025, Jonathan Hay sued CJ Wallace, Sean Combs and Willie Mack for sexual assault, leading to a criminal investigation involving the Los Angeles Police Department.