StaJe

StaJe (Justin Payne) is a Los Angeles-based R&B vocalist and publicist. He is a voting member of NARAS (the Grammys®) and served as a publicist for the Grammy-nominated instrumental composition “Opening” by Zain Effendi.

In 2018, StaJe moved to Los Angeles with the dream of making music. Raised by a single mother in South Carolina, Stale spent his first six months living on the streets of Skid Row until a friend offered to take him in. With a relentless pursuit of making it and a borrowed suit from his friend, Stale landed a job as a salesman at a car dealership, which got him on his feet and eventually enabled him to fund his true passion. Despite countless obstacles, Stale continued to throw everything he had into his music.

Since that time, Staje has seen incredible growth and response to his work. In 2020, he released his debut song "Keisha," which landed him in the Top 100 global DTR charts. In 2021, his song "Up" landed him on Apple Music's top 10 and garnered over 1 million views on its music video.

In 2022, he released his first Spanish-language record, "Oceano," which landed him at #17 on Billboard's Top 100. In addition to the Latin community here in LA playing a major role in his life, StaJe's father was originally from Puerto Rico. This record pays homage to a special connection he has to his Latin community and heritage.

His 2023 #1 iTunes Charts singles "Sunrise" and "She Don't Want No Love" were on the Grammy ballot that year. He released his debut album "No Love" in the Summer of 2024, and his single "Turn Up Tonight debuted at #1 on the iTunes R&B Charts.