EQUATE Introducing: J.I. The Prince of N.Y.
“Our culture is a melting pot, and being from NYC, you can be versatile as you gravitate to personal stories all around the world.”
Photography: George Mercado
J.I. is still becoming a man, and at just 18 years old life has been far from normal. Justin Rivera, the self-dubbed ‘Prince of New York’, has been in rap’s white-hot spotlight since he was a 14-year-old contestant on Jermaine Dupri’s The Rap Game, after being discovered by the music mogul on Instagram. Online virality and unprecedented success have not faltered this young star’s maturity and humble approach to his promising career, however, which was birthed from his upbringing in Brooklyn, New York. “I got exposed to the world very quickly. I was dealing with negative comments and people bashing me for no reason,” he explained. “That made me mature, and my whole lifestyle made me mature because I had to realize I’m different.” Barely out of high school, J.I.’s star power has been evident in his musical offerings, with today marking the release of his latest video to dancehall charged track, ‘Love in the Club’ which follows his label debut EP, ‘Welcome To Gtarr Vol. 1‘ which went on to receive high praise from key industry tastemakers. We spoke with J.I. after what has been a defining year in his career, to discuss his craft, culture and what’s to come for the guy with the world firmly at his feet.
Read the interview below…
Words by Danielle Temeng
EQ: Who is J.I the Prince of N.Y when you’re not creating music? Do you have any other creative outlets?
J.I.: I am pretty much to myself. I love to stay home and watch movies and really like to just have peace before the storm. J.I outside of this is just about family, friends and being within internal gatherings that is full of laughs and good times. I truly love to travel and hopefully soon I can take a vacation after our global situation!
EQ: You started off in the music industry at an age some would consider very young, what inspired you to pursue this path (and stay on it)?
J.I.: My upbringing, my journey as a child and overall leading the narrative of my Latin culture. What inspires me is what is around me positively and negatively, I want to be positive and represent against the negative.
EQ:…and who would you say you’re personally most inspired by?
J.I.: I’m inspired by artists like Big Pun, Tupac, Biggie and so many more. They have all have stayed true to themselves and their cultures, and they were focused on their craft, and that’s me. I want to perfect my craft always and evolve to be more inspirational globally by being me.
YouTube/J.I
EQ: You’ve grown up, and currently reside in Brooklyn where you must be surrounded by a melting pot of cultures (including your own Puerto Rican heritage) how does that all feed into your music and persona?
J.I.: I’m from Brooklyn and continue to represent Brooklyn, so as an artist I represent the overall NYC. Our culture is a melting pot, and being from NYC, you can be versatile as you gravitate to personal stories all around the world.
EQ: Your new project ‘Painless 2’ featuring Lil DURK & Nav is out now as well as visuals for ‘Love In The Club’, I think it’s fair to say you’ve been busy! What was the creative process like creating this track, and also collaborating with two great peers in the industry?
J.I.: My EP is out, and this song was a bonus to my fans for ‘Painless’ that features Lil Durk, and with part 2 it’s more for me to merge all different worlds, and storylines. With this record, it’s relating to all of the essences that we all represent, and the pain we represent.
EQ: …and who would your dream collaboration be and why?
J.I.: My dream is to collab with anyone globally that I connect with, whether in the anglo, Latin or any other market. I am very mentally open to fusing cultures and narratives. That’s the beauty of music!
“…fight against the negative and your own mind, and just go for it. What happens if you just go for it? If it sticks move on and grow, and if you fail, same.”
- J.I.
EQ: You were ‘discovered’ on Instagram, and now boast an impressive following of 1M+. How would you say social media changed the game for you? And do you have a formula for being successful in this digital age?
J.I.: I am blessed that the digital age found me. I have used my voice to lead my craft into this digital age that many probably haven’t taken advantage of. My formula is “get yourself out there” and “don’t be afraid to show your talent to anyone because you don’t know who is watching”.
EQ: You had your headline tour at the beginning of the year, how was that experience for you and where are you looking forward to visiting in the future?
J.I.: The experience was beyond. Seeing people come out and sing your lyrics, connect with your energy and be there for you is everything. An experience that every time I get on the stage, I will never take for granted. For the future, my team and I are working to move with the current times and innovative with new strategies to keep my fans engaged and involved.
EQ: Being in the industry for as long as you have now, can you give any advice to any young rappers and musicians starting up? What do you wish you’d known?
J.I.: My advice is to fight against the negative and your own mind, and just go for it. What happens if you just go for it? If it sticks move on and grow, and if you fail, same. These are things I wish I would have known.
EQ: What else can we expect from you this year? Are there any EQUATE exclusives you can let us in on?
J.I.: This year, you will get more singles, videos, and I am working on more volumes of what I have done already. In addition, I want to continue to grow and push my Latin music roots and work with the right talent that I blend with to continue to represent the culture.
YouTube/J.I.
Stream ‘Love In The Club’ HERE
Follow J.I The Prince of N.Y on socials
Instagram: @iamj.i
Twitter: @i_am_j_i