 I'm from East Flatbush, Brooklyn, 50s to be exact, 54th and Tilda. Okay, so, but if people are not from New York, tell us what's like growing up in Flatbush. It's very Caribbean, I will say that, very, very Caribbean-oriented. So you kept your roots at a young age? You know what's funny? I'm actually American. Wow. I'm straight. Like, I'm Southern, like, I'm Southern American. My mom's from Tennessee, my grandmother from Georgia. Oh, you got a taste of the Caribbean life? Yeah, a little Caribbean life, yeah, you know, with all the restaurants and stuff being around. It's cool. You know, a lot of young boys is outside doing their thing. A lot of schools in my area, I went to 244, I went to Winthrop, you got Maya Levin, Tildane, South Shore, South Shore Further. Oh, that's what I mean. You know what I mean, actually, how old are you? I'm 29, I actually just turned 29, two months ago. Okay, so how was it, like, musically from back then to now, like, even though music's for how long now? I've been doing music since I was about, maybe, 12? Okay. About 12. So from high school, you know, in high school, you had a bop and it goes to studio versus now. Like, I feel like music now is very different. What's your take on it? The generation, the generational change has really made an impact on the music and the way we listen to music and the amount of, like, the different artists that come out. There's a new sound out now from where I was used to listening to growing up. Like, I listened to a lot of 50 Cent growing up, a lot of G-Unit. I listened to a lot of Hardcore Gangster Rap growing up. Now, it's a lot of the young boys throwing the drill music. So that's what's really buzzing right now. Do you like the drill music? I'm not going to say I don't like it because everything changes, you know what I'm saying? I respect the change in hip-hop, but it's not really my prefer kind of music. No disrespect to the artists, but that's not my prefer. I like boss. Okay. Okay, so getting into you, like, you're named J. Lyrical. Yes. So why did you have to put Lyrical in your name? Have like people know, like, this is bars on there? Yeah, no, I think I had to, like, solidify with the name. I feel like your name is what carries you, so I felt like I wanted to let them know that the bars is here and also have a different kind of name, like, so when you hear it, you know what's up. Like, you know what's up with me, like, I don't have to, like, yes, I do have to prove it. I'm not even going to say I don't have to prove it. I have to prove it. I let the lyrics speak for the name and the names speak for everything else around it. Okay. Okay, so lyrics, not everyone has, like, not everyone is Lyrical. So is there anyone that you've seen, like, on the come up that you feel is Lyrical? Um, there's a few. There's some names that are popping my head. I ain't really too much put some blood into it, but there's some names that are popping my head. You know what I actually do? Like, now I take that back. I like it slow and I like what he's doing, I like Coast to Ghost music. Okay. I like NVK music. NVK and me having some bars in this genre, like, I listen to NVK music, I'm like, all right. So I got some, like, I know who I could rap with, you know what I'm saying? I know. So you think you could rap with him? I definitely believe so. I definitely believe so. I'd put that out there, bro. I'd definitely do a song with NVK most definitely. Even forgetting all the politics and all that good stuff? So people got to understand, like, with me, I don't mix politics and money. I don't mix politics and opportunity. So I tell people, like, I separate that. I don't care what you got going on in the street, whatever the case may have you. I'm all about music. When you meet me, it's music. When you, when you see me, it's music. When I leave, it's music. Okay. You know? I wish everybody was gonna tell me that. It's music. It's cool. All right. So do you feel like it's, I don't want to say harder to be lyrical these days, because it's not much. I don't know. People say it's not much inspiration out there, or it don't mix, because the people you see getting on makes you not want to work that hard. Right, right. I don't know. These are the things I heard. What's your take on that? Nah. It's inspiration out there. Because there's a, there's levels of generation. So the generation now that's popping right now might inspire younger kids than them. I feel like it definitely did. Yeah. A lot of artists now. Right. Like Booba Savage is 12 years old. Like Lil Scrap is like 10 years old. You know what I'm saying? You think it's a, it's a age limit on doing music? Nah. You think that's too young to start? Nah. What I will say is, would your age just be mindful of what you're saying to your music? You know what I'm saying? If you're talking hot, just know we'll come with that. But nah, I never think it's an age limit. I feel like you start whenever you feel like you're ready. You might have a lot of influences around you that might. Like Lil Scrap definitely got a lot of influence. You know what I'm saying? Most definitely. And I'm like, oh, I, I ain't even know he was 10 to like, recently I was like, 10 years old? Damn. Shit. Shout out to the little dude though. Okay. So who was some of your inspirations in music? Like what inspires you to keep going? Uh, the simple fact that the generation, like the people that I listen to are still doing music right now. And that they, like, they, Jay-Z most definitely. He's not doing music. Huh? He's not doing music. He's doing, he just dropped four, four, four a couple of years ago, but I mean he's still, there's artists that's not doing music at all. Not consistent. Four years. He doesn't have, well, see here's the thing. He's already established to where he doesn't have to be consistent, but I would, but I could still listen to him to this day. Yes, you could still listen to him. You know what I'm saying? I mean, yes, it's legendary songs out there, but like inspiration, like who, who motivates you to like keep growing music? Like I feel like he got all those opportunities after he dropped like mad projects, you know? But isn't that, isn't that what we, we work for, we work for legendary status? Yeah, but we also got to be super consistent. Okay. What inspired you to be consistent? Oh. You want to keep going, bro? You know? Like just, just the simple fact that music for me is fun. Like I never, I love what I do, I enjoy what I do, I join the music I make and I put myself in the category of where this is me and I know you have people that's better than me. You may have people that's not better than me, but I always believe in myself. I feel like as an artist you should believe in yourself. So one of the most consistent rappers I can say now to this day that's in my age group, Dave East. Dave East is mad consistent. Okay. Even when there's no freestyles in all that work. Yeah. Not like that, but like. Not easy. To me, freestyles don't count as drop of music. That's feeding your fans. I don't know how you feel, but that's mine. Well, I mean. Because freestyles you're not going to get paid for. I mean, depending on how the freestyles go. Like a remix to a song or something. Like you, you're not going to get that clear. So to me, freestyles are not going to get paid for. I mean, depending on how the freestyles go. Like a remix to a song or something. But you could, but, but he could get. You could blow off a remix. Yeah. I mean, there's so many artists that have blown off of somebody else's beat. You could blow off a remix. Young and May is dope too. I definitely felt we're young and may be. Yeah, but she's somebody else. Yeah. Yeah. Young and May. Young and May stay dropping shit. You know what I'm saying? Casting over. Drop music a lot. You know what I'm saying? I definitely was messing with casting over music a lot. Before the. Yeah. Before the little situation. Don Q. A Boogie. Don Q. Like Don Q reminds me of that old school. Like the music that I love listening to like bars, the, the, the consistency. I like, I love that. Like Don Q's music is dope. He has a lot of substance in his. So you have to compare yourself to a, a nation artist. Like who would you say are you similar? Nobody. Oh yeah. Why is that? Because I'm me. I never put myself in the same shoes as the next man because the next man is different from me. We may have went through different struggles. You know the sound tip. Like who artist would you say you sound like? You know what's funny? How you say Sean? Because a lot of people say Sean. I've gotten Sean. I've gotten biggie. And I tell people that, that's a big. I'm like, I respect that. But yeah, that's, yeah. I'm like big in the whole other category. God rest his soul. But I got Sean. I've gotten biggie. I've gotten G that before, which was interesting. Not in a bad way, but it was interesting. But yeah, because it's my voice. The deepness of my voice. Yeah, that's exactly what I'm like. Who'd they collect kind of conversion? So Asafi No Music, you also are a cameraman. So is that conflicting with doing music? Nah, not at all. The goal is hand to hand. Because I actually gain clients out. I meet new people. I meet new artists. So when I make shoot a video for him one day, we might get on the song the next week. You know what I'm saying? So I always said like that goes hand to hand for me. Like that really does increase my networking. Because I end up meeting a bunch of people that I may have not met through music at the time, but I met through as being a cameraman. So I feel like I love like me being multi, be like multi-tasking like that. Well, isn't it hard to like cross-brand though? Nah, not really. Not really. I feel like it's cool for me because like I work on my own pace. I got my own schedule. And I know what I need to get done at a certain time. Okay. So as far as being an upcoming artist from New York City, what are some of the obstacles you face like walking with music? Hate. Hate. Like whether low-key or high-key. Hate man. So hate come on different levels? Definitely does. Hell yeah. Yeah, like somebody might hate you just because your music is nice. Somebody might hate you because you might dress better than them. Somebody might hate you because you have more connection. Yeah, it's different levels of hate. It's different reasons. Yeah. So when you're in the studio, like what's the record process like? You need your friends? Nah, I'm usually on my... You need a story to tell. You gotta be inspired. Like what? Well, all my studios are closed. I don't really invite nobody to my sessions. Like I'm one of my good friends that I would quote with Nat Cave, who was in Brooklyn. I'd be the only one in my session. The only time I ever have another artist in my session is if we're working on a song together. So you're not with all the extra people? Nah, I don't like having... Because my thing is like what purpose are you serving just by sitting there going live on Instagram previewing my music to people that I may not want them to have a song writing in there. And then if you're not helping me become a better artist, be like yo bro, I like that but you could have did that better. Or I feel like you need more energy. You just dead on live, like you're not doing nothing for me. Some people have friends that do that. Some do. People have friends that don't. So I guess it just depends on the person. It does. It does. I don't like all the kumbaya in the studio. It's just me. So get into some of your music. Get single, beautiful mess, great title by the way. Thank you, thank you. So like what inspired that song? So the whole project is Obsessions of Diary for Women. I wanted to jump out of being a rapper all the time and do and like divert myself to do something different. So I never did music strictly for women. So I did a whole project just dedicated to women. I felt like I needed to touch the female fan base. And Beautiful Mess was the song that I thought of that I felt like an uplifted females that may have insecurities or low self-esteem. So basically, most of all, the song is about basically me loving you no matter what you wear, who you are. You like underneath the makeup, you still you. You know what I mean? So I think us men need to magnify that. I'm not saying that I don't really hear that in songs much. Yeah, we need to magnify our females a little bit more. It's more than just bitches and hoes. It's like, it's the females that go hold it down. So you feel like it's hard to push like music like that being that it's so in-depth and hard and strong topics like that? Pushing music is hard in general. It really depends on how hard you work in as the artist. You know what I'm saying? It really does depend. I might think that me being the hardcore rapper might blow but then a song like beautiful mess get played on the radio and I get more clout. Yeah, I feel like you don't know what song is going to go viral and I think it's going to be like, yeah, I'm playing that. Right. That's a fact. So what's your take on that? Well, I kind of asked you already. This is like on the hip hop scene currently. Like all the music that's been dropping lately. I feel like we got the Detroit wave coming. We got the down south wave, the Pink or Freddy's and all that. Down south, Bentley. Cali doing their own thing. How do you feel about the music scene? I love it. I love the diversity. You shouldn't know what I'm saying. I think that everybody comes from different struggles. Everybody comes from different backgrounds, different lifestyles and if you want to rap about that in your music, that's music is expressive. Yeah. So you can talk about what you want. Hey, listen, if you woke up this morning and you wanted to talk about getting money, if that's what drove you to write that song, fuck it. Okay, okay, okay. So if you had to put your music in a category, say hip hop, R&B, trap. Hip hop. Straight hip hop. Hip hop. Yeah, straight hip hop. I don't mind touching all the genres. Like little rock and roll, little alternative. You don't do rock and roll. Listen, I feel like you should try anything in this world. You don't not get to, you try it. Nah, you not. Not anything. Think about like Run DMC did the song with Aerosmith, right? Who would have ever saw that coming? At that time. I just feel like you can't just try anything. Nah, you, okay. You try what you comfortable with. How about that? Yes. Because you may not be comfortable with everything, but try with something that you might be comfortable with. Yeah. Okay, so out of all the songs you have that's out right now, what song would you say best describes you and why? I gotta go through five, make six. Hold on. Out of all the songs. That describes the current you, right? The current me. Shit. Could be something you did recently. I would say, I would say Lost in NYC, which was a song off of my third mixtape. Basically me rapping about though, just don't get lost in New York, be careful. You know what I'm saying? I feel like, cause I was talking about the city. So I was basically just, you know, expressing my city and my music. And I love my city. I love where I'm from. So I say Lost in NYC. Beautiful mess most definitely if it comes to the females. Yes. You know what I'm saying? Okay. And when you go about selecting beats, what's your beat selection like? Do you look for a certain type of beat? You know how some people are like, this is your type of beat? Yeah, I look for... Are you kind of taken from what producers or whatever vibe they give you? Like how do you... What's your beat selection like? Cause I feel like it's a little different. It is not, it definitely is. Like when I'm on YouTube, I'll type in like a Vinnie the Butcher type beat, a Meek Mill type beat, a Dark Q type beat, a Kim, a Joelle Santana type beat. So I'll go with like people who I've listened to. Yeah, so you're particular. Got it. Okay, so who's some artist that you want to collab with? Oh man, that's a... Well you gave us just one already. It was like... Yeah, Billy B. Kate Goddess most definitely. Jesus, a lot. I will work with Favio. Favio? Yeah. I will work with Favio. Like Favio's lyrical? I mean I'd be lyrical, but he might have a sound that I might be, you know, listen to, I might kevab with. Cause I'm the kind of person where like I'll get on... Cause I'm like, your name is Jay Lyrical. Yeah, yeah, but that... I would put the song title when I was called, cause like Favio and Jay Lyrical, like how is this... It'd be different. You know, it'd be different because I would still be me in that song. Even if he's saying what he's saying, I might feel the beat. I might feel the vibe and I might just bring what I have to that. I know. I think Favio do bring a different side out of every art that we work with. Definitely do. Pop Smoke, if he was alive, you know, rest in peace, Pop Smoke, I definitely would have wanted to work with Pop. Yeah, mainstream, mainstream. Mainstream? Young and May, Benny the Butcher, West Side Gun. I don't know. I don't know. You ask. I don't know what it was. That's what I said, it's a list. So like, what's one thing that's on your bucket list when it comes to music? Like, do you want to win the game, be a tier one, but you just want to get out the hood? I want to... I want to... I want to put my people in a position, in a better position in life. So like, in a better position? Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship. Entrepreneurship. So like, you got to help people that want to be helped. You do? You do? So you see that they want to be helped? Yeah, you tell you. Of course. If not then, oh well. Oh well. So what's next? Like, what's upcoming features on the way to projects? 2021 got come strong. 2021? Well, we're here today. You know what I'm saying? We're here today. Whenever shows start warming back up, doing more shows, I'm actually working on my sixth project right now called Let's Chat More Rap. Features. Probably still be the home team, people who I got in my camp right now until the doors open up for other people. And just staying positive. You know, taking God that, you know, each day is a new day. You know, we lost a legend today. You know what I'm saying? We lost a legend today. Yeah, so it's like, you know, you got to be thankful for every day that you wake up, that you're still able to do what you do, whether you got a nine-to-five or you making music. So, meaning that you said that, like, a lot of people are saying that being an artist is dangerous. It is. But then again, walking out your crib is dangerous. Straight bullet could come hit you out of nowhere. You get hit by a car down the block on the corner. You might go in the store and get a sandwich from out there. But is being a rapper the most dangerous? Nah, nah. It's your lifestyle. It's really your lifestyle, actually. Because look at Kanye West. Kanye ain't really had no street problems like that. Kanye ain't not a street dude. You know what I'm saying? I mean, when I say dangerous, it don't have to be street shit. It could be like even business shit. Kanye ain't some business man. Fill me though. You know what I feel like, before you really, really sign a deal, learn a business before you jump into it. Because we think just, dropping music, getting signed. It's a whole other umbrella behind that wall. You know what I'm saying? And a lot of us, especially young people who are so eager to get signed, they don't know the business. Where they just quick to sign page 22 and don't even read the 21 pages before it. You don't sign your life away. So you should learn the business. That's my advice to everybody, even people in my camp. Learn the business. Surround yourself with people who are in the industry and who are willing to sit down and take that time to tell you this is what's ABC and D. You know what I'm saying? Knowledge is key. So how do you keep up learning the business while still doing the business while still being a camera man? No, it is a lot though. It is a lot. But I feel like I make the time for just like how I learn how to be a camera man. Yeah, it's time management. I feel like it's time management with everything. Alright, so you said 2021 you plan to do more shows. More shows, more radio, more interviews, more music dropping. Hopefully more features coming from outside people. And it's late. Definitely. So tell people where to find you or where to get to go out where they can reach for them. Instagram, y'all can reach me. Y'all can reach me officialJLiracle, official J-A-Y-L-Y-R-I-C-K-A-L that's my main page for videos Reggie J Films, the letter J on YouTube, YouTube.com slash Reggie J Music that's where all my videos are posted. And SoundCloud is SoundCloud.com backslash officialJLiracle that's where all my projects at.