The album is a 28-track collection of unreleased Dilla beats mixed and arranged by Pete Rock.

Although Jay Stay Paid is mostly instrumental, it includes guests vocals from several artists that Dilla worked with or admired, such as Black Thought, Havoc, Raekwon, MF DOOM, and M.O.P.

This album combines what he did in the beginning of his career, what he did in some of our early hospital stays, which was very deep, and some stuff pulled from old floppy disks & DATs.

[12]Art Direction and illustrations for Jay Stay Paid were contributed by graphic artist Mike Orduna (Fatoe) for Fatoe.com.

[13] The format of the album plays like a radio show with Pete Rock as the program director.