INTERVIEW: J.I the Prince of N.Y on Drake Placement, "Hood Life Krisis Vol. 3"

John Cotter
Dec 30, 2021
5 min read

(Originally Published in THE KNOWN)

Garnering success as an artist is an undeniably rewarding feeling every step of the way. From that first break-out tape to a viral single or two, it seems that a fresh rapper or singer springs up and gets signed every day. Separating yourself from the

competition is an understandable route to traverse, but also one that can drive an

artist away from what makes them worth a record label’s investment.

Comparing yourself to the status of, say, Eminem or Juice Wrld at the get-go is simply setting the bar too high with these artists’ sales and accolades. But, being a newcomer in any field

means trials and tribulations and having to hurdle these mental barriers one step at a

time. This is a lesson that J.I the Prince of N.Y, real name Justin Rivera, walked me

through during a recent press conference in promotion for his upcoming album, “Hood

Life Krisis, Vol. 3.”

J.I is from Crown Heights, New York, with this central Brooklyn borough also being

home to handfuls of fabled rap legends. He was also thrown into public view during

the second season of Lifetime’s “The Rap Game,” maintaining this attention through

some impressive Instagram freestyles, winning him contests and plastering him on the

front page of “Hip Hop Weekly” magazine.

The notoriety eventually snowballed into Drake hurdling J.I even further with a

placement on his Instagram story, with this having similar rising effects for other

artists and producers like Blocboy J.B and Drakeo The Ruler.

But, for J.I, this is in the past, and he has been accumulating even greater success

since then, with his 2019 single “Need Me” breaching past 100 million streams on

Spotify alone.

Having the confidence to live up to whatever hype the mainstream audiences have for

you is maybe the most integral part of an artist’s journey, making sure all confidence

boosts are pushing towards the right direction. The Prince of N.Y discussed this topic

in length with me when I asked how he ensures that these cosigns and placements are

beneficial towards his creative process, and not a distraction.

J.I the Prince of N.Y:

Honestly, the funny thing is I felt more overwhelmed when I signed my

deal than when I had artists like Roddy Rich DM’ing me, or Drake listening

to my song on live. I kinda' saw that as a reward, like I stressed

myself out everyday trying to put together these records, and I got artists like Drake and Roddy Rich, who are already on Billboard, giving me credit! Already showing me love.

That type of shit, me being who I am, it can’t mess with my ego or put me in a direction that will damage me and my character, you feel me? I feel like when I signed that deal it overwhelmed me and I let it overwhelm me. Like, holy shit. My label believes in me, they gave me a big ass bag, and now they expect me to become a superstar, and they believe in me more than I almost believe in myself at this moment. I put that in my head and for awhile I was nervous. I wanted to be the biggest artist at my label.

That’s how crazy I am when it comes to this music shit. I wanna’ be the best at what I do. I don’t wanna’ be the second best, I don’t wanna’ be top5, I wanna’ be the best. So when I signed that deal, I was like ‘I gotta compete with Eminem, Juice Wrld, Billie Eilish.' It’s not about what they’re doing, it’s about what you’re doing. Stop trying to put on other people’s sneakers, especially if it’s not your shoe size and they don’t fi t you. Worry about what you got on your feet, worry about what’s on your body, and move how you need to move to benefit yourself. I’m in my own lane.

So, let me create my story. That’s what it’s all about, I’m constantly battling myself mentally. Trying to level myself out, cuz I don’t wanna’ lose what I got. This is a blessing but at the same time it’s a race, everybody comin’ out fast. Who’s the most consistent? Who’s the most genuine? That’s all it is, just trying to stay true to myself.”

Staying true to yourself while navigating the world of rap stardom is a challenge that many think they can handle, especially when packaged with fame, money, and all the glamour that makes being a rapper such a sought-after dream for many.

It can be easy for J.I to compare himself to others in his record deal’s camp, but for the rap game, it goes further than that. Especially when you’re from New York, where microcosms of musical influence spur within the multitude of communities and neighborhoods within.

He’s from Crown Heights, which resides in Brooklyn, which then finds itself as just one part of the most prominent cities in the world. It feels like levels in a video game; having to prove yourself in one spot to then have to further prove yourself in the next.

The Prince of N.Y has cleared more levels than most, but is still adamant on balancing the strives for commercial success while staying true to the styles and sounds that propelled him through the New York rap scene. I asked J.I about how he maintains his Crown Heights roots while navigating experimentation and the hardened expectations that come with being a signed artist.

J.I the Prince of N.Y:

That’s where I feel like I fucked up on my last project (Welcome to G-Starr Vol. 1 EP). I did too much, tried to be commercial and stuff, and I forgot that I have a core. I have a fanbase that listens to me for a reason. For example, when I listen to Fabolous or Jadakiss, when they come on the track, I expect them to rap in certain ways and shit, same with someone like J. Cole or Kendrick Lamar. When they don’t say those certain things, you hear the backlash from the fans. That’s where I feel like I messed up. I went too hard at trying to be different without giving fans that core J.I.

With this project, I’m doing that. I’m not perfect as an artist. I’m gonna mess up, make mistakes. As long as I can get back on track and keep my foot on that gas while my other foot is up the ass, I’m good and doing what I need to do. Even with new music coming out, I got a New York record, a Reggaeton record. I’m trying to have different music that spreads out to everywhere but still sticking to my core.

J.I the Prince of N.Y released his latest album, “Hood Life Krisis Vol. 3”, at the end of 2020. He’s amassed over 2 million Instagram followers and has over 3 million monthly listens on Spotify.