Alabama rapper Bleu has gone country, picking Kirk Jay – an Alabama native who nearly won ‘The Voice’ four years ago – as the first signee for his new Moon Boy University enterprise.

Moon Boy University, named for Bleu’s breakthrough album “Moon Boy,” isn’t just a brand: It’s a brand-new facility in the Atlanta area that has been under construction since last summer. Bleu announced in early February that it was open for business. According to hiphopdx.com, the complex features multiple recording studios plus “a bowling alley, a basketball court, a pool, a sauna, a massage area, meeting rooms, bunk beds for the homies, a master suite, a gym, a theater, an area to cook in and a roof top bar.”

In announcing it, Bleu said he was looking to sign artists, producers, writers and filmmakers in a campaign to build a global brand.

Bleu, who also has a multimillion-dollar mansion in the Atlanta area, is from Mobile. The first artist on his roster comes from close to home, but Jay has a built-in national fan base thanks to his exposure on “The Voice.”

Jay, who’s from Bay Minette, was living in the Montgomery area and performing with the group Kirk Jay & Kuntry Funk when he emerged as a potential frontrunner in Season 15 of The Voice in fall 2018. He had a particular knack for ballads, starting in the blind auditions with a rendition of Rascal Flatts’ “Bless the Broken Road” that impressed all four celebrity coaches.

“It was like CeeLo (Green) and Blake (Shelton) made a country baby,” coach Adam Levine said. Jay joined Team Shelton. In the series finale in December 2018, he came in third behind winner Cheval Shepherd, then 16, and runner-up Chris Kroeze.

In a two-minute video celebrating the new deal, Jay said he enjoyed steady work after his “Voice” exposure, only to face tight times when the COVID-19 pandemic shut down live entertainment work.

“That took a huge toll on my career,” he said. “So bad to where I had to get a nine-to-five. I had to clock in, get a job for a couple of months. I have a daughter that I definitely don’t want to see go without, and it was a sacrifice that I had to make and just put my dream to the side so that I could be there for my kid.”

Jay said signing with Bleu was “a lot to process.” But it appears the creative juices are already flowing: In another clip posted on Bleu’s social media channels, Bleu is seen singing along with Jay on a song titled “Pot of Gold.” While the performance is off the cuff, Bleu shows a pop vocal is within his range.

“Just actin a hoot in some boots,” Bleu commented on a photo of himself and Jay in cowboy hats.

On Wednesday, Jay posted a photo of himself aboard a private jet, wearing one of the “Moon Boy University” varsity jackets that some of Bleu’s associates were seen wearing during the rapper’s recent appearances in Mobile Mardi Gras parades. “On the jet to NYC,” Jay wrote. “This crazy how life changes so fast … major move real soon.”

Putting his weight behind a Black country singer might seem like an unconventional move for someone who has made his name in rap and R&B, but Bleu has shown a knack for making unconventional moves pay off.

Born Jeremy Biddle, he started his career in Mobile as Yung Bleu with a prolific series of “Investments” mixtapes and R&B-oriented “Bleu Vandross” releases. He broke through to national notice thanks in part to a high-profile endorsement by superstar Drake on a 2020 remix of the single “You’re Mines Still,” followed by the release of the album “Moon Boy” in 2021.

Bleu has remained an independent artist whose strength has been the streaming success of his songs. While he doesn’t boast a list of Top 10 singles in the conventional arena of radio play, he has won some significant industry recognition in the form of awards: In 2021 he won “Best New Artist” at the BET Awards, as well as the same honor at the Soul Train Awards.

He recently released “Tantra,” a follow-up album to “Moon Boy.” Like the previous album, it features appearances by a large cast of noteworthy collaborators. Among them are One Direction alumnus Zayn, Nicki Minaj, Kelly Rowland, Lil Wayne and Ne-Yo.