UP-AND-COMING R&B singer-songwriter Jay Ice is juggling studies with his career, and still making time to help other young local singers, writes MATT TROLLOPE. Still just 22, Jay – real name Bernard Osei – is as keen to help younger singers as he is to la

UP-AND-COMING R&B singer-songwriter Jay Ice is juggling studies with his career, and still making time to help other young local singers, writes MATT TROLLOPE.

Still just 22, Jay - real name Bernard Osei - is as keen to help younger singers as he is to launch himself.

Jay is a former pupil of Loxford School of Science & Technology in Loxford Lane, Ilford, and grew up in Staines Road and Thurleston Road, also both in Ilford, and Tennyson Road in Wanstead.

A big fan of Usher (and you can see his image and sound is a big nod to the American superstar) Jay's whole life resolves around music, whether it's singing, songwriting or production.

A student on the creative production and business course at Whitechapel Community College, Jay told the Recorder: "I've just finished a work placement with the clothing brand Diesel at their Diesel U Music Radio project in Hackney. I'm really enjoying the college course, which is attached to Westminster University."

Jay, also known to friends and family as Junior Osei, even presented a couple of his own shows for the temporary Diesel radio station, but now he'll put any aspirations of being a presenter to one side as he tries to make records that leading stations will play.

"I've had quite a lot of support from various underground stations in London, and have started to make good contacts at BBC's 1Xtra," he added. "That's my aim at the moment, to continue making those contacts in mainstream radio and press."

He was a member of an R&B band called IceCold, which released their best received effort, called Yeah, in 2007. Now he is looking forward to two new tracks over the coming months - one as a featured artist on Esteem MC's Calling, and the other, his own release, Make It Work.

Both tracks will be released through his JSMG label...which stands for Jay Star Music Group, and which he runs with Jayson Star, also his press officer.

Jay explains: "I do a lot of the production for my tracks myself, and that's why I enjoy working with other artists. There's a lot of great talent out there, but it's getting it recorded and released which is the hard bit."

That includes Carla Louise, from Chigwell, and Vivienne, from Walthamstow, both 21, on the R&B tip.