Kid Jay Interview with The Morning Bounce
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00:00It's me, Gene, and Shannon Renee on 105.1 The Bounce.
00:02We've got a big show coming to town on Saturday night.
00:05Slick Rick is going to be at the Diamondback Music Hall.
00:08And we've got a local artist in the studio.
00:10He's actually opening up for the show.
00:12Yes, Ypsilanti's own, right?
00:14Yes, ma'am.
00:15Oh, yes, yes, yes.
00:16Hey, Jay, welcome to the show.
00:18Appreciate y'all having me.
00:19You're going to be opening up for Slick Rick, right?
00:21Yep.
00:21What's that experience like going to be for you?
00:24It's going to be great.
00:25I've opened up for Legends before, so it's just another one to add to the list.
00:29Oh, nice.
00:30I'm like, that's all right.
00:31He's like, I know what I'm doing.
00:33I'm a professional.
00:35Exactly.
00:36So talk to us a little bit about your journey.
00:37You know, it says that you started making music when you were 14.
00:40Did you think that when you were 14 and you started recording,
00:43probably in your bedroom, that you'd be opening up for
00:45Redman and Method Man, Slick Rick, and all these different hip-hop legends?
00:49No, I had no idea, you know, because so, like, people know Pops is my manager.
00:55So at first, you know, Pops didn't think I was really good at music.
00:58So honestly, with, like, no help, I didn't think it was going nowhere.
01:02But I just knew if I, you know, trusted my talent and stayed consistent
01:07that eventually it could lead me to somewhere.
01:10So honestly, I had no idea.
01:12Yeah.
01:12I just threw everything in there just hoping it was going nowhere, and it did.
01:17That's awesome, man.
01:18Good stuff.
01:19So we were checking out some of your songs and everything,
01:21and what is your message of most of your, you know, songs?
01:25So my message of my songs is pretty much positivity.
01:28You know, I try to preach to the youth that you don't have to make music
01:31a certain type of way, like, you don't have to cuss like everybody else
01:34and use the violence.
01:35Like, you can make good music with that type of substance.
01:38Yeah.
01:38So that's what I try to preach to the youth in my music.
01:41Okay.
01:41Because they're, that's my main audience.
01:43Mm-hmm.
01:43So, yeah.
01:44So that...
01:45Yeah, go ahead.
01:45So you, you know, you mentioned kind of talking to the youth.
01:48Now that you're a little bit older, do you use that as, like,
01:51a way to kind of connect with younger artists of, like,
01:54kind of telling them about your story, your journey,
01:56and then helping them understand that they don't have to do it
01:57the way that everybody else does?
01:59Yeah, I do.
02:00But then at the end of the day, no matter who you come in contact with
02:03or work with, they're going to make the kind of content
02:05that they want to make.
02:06You know, I try to preach to them that they don't have to do it.
02:10But, I mean, when it gets to that point,
02:13they already have a certain fan base laid out.
02:15So what type of advice can I give them
02:18when they've already built a fan base off the content
02:20that they already put out there?
02:22Yeah.
02:22So I try to preach it to them.
02:25Sometimes they understand.
02:26Sometimes they don't.
02:27But it's good to still throw the message out there.
02:30For sure.
02:31Well, speaking of youth,
02:32you have a song with the Detroit Youth Choir,
02:33which I absolutely love their organization.
02:35I work with them in the best.
02:36Yeah, Glory, right?
02:37And you guys performed that on America's Got Talent?
02:41Actually, no.
02:41I actually went on America's Got Talent separately.
02:43Separately, okay.
02:44It was a separate season.
02:45All right.
02:45Awesome.
02:46Yeah.
02:46So what was that experience like?
02:48Obviously, that's people from all over the country
02:50that are trying to get on this show.
02:52And for you to be from Ypsilanti,
02:54which is not like this big city,
02:56and to get that far, what was that like?
02:58So it was my first time being out in Pasadena with my dad.
03:02So it was good, you know, as far as having the experience,
03:06but it was bad as far as the environment because we couldn't leave the hotel.
03:10We couldn't leave the hotel for five days.
03:12Wow.
03:13They were bringing, like, you know, box lunches to, like, the door.
03:15And this was during the quarantine.
03:18Got you, got you, got you.
03:19So besides that, it was great.
03:23You know, I went down there.
03:24I got the four yeses.
03:26It was crazy to see Simon stand up and actually clap for me.
03:30Because usually he's known for ripping people.
03:32Of course.
03:33Yeah.
03:33So, yeah, it gave me the validation that I didn't need,
03:39but it was still good to have.
03:40That's dope.
03:40All right.
03:41You have some other aspirations in your future.
03:44I hear you want to build a school.
03:45Mm-hmm.
03:45I want to build an all-autistic high school.
03:47So I want to name it after my deceased grandmother, Shirley Copeland.
03:52So it would be Shirley C. High.
03:54Mm-hmm.
03:54And I want to – so it came from the idea after my little brother was born.
03:59My brother has autism.
04:02Mm-hmm.
04:02He's on, like, the lower – the higher part of the spectrum.
04:07So he's verbal and stuff.
04:09Okay.
04:10So growing up, we had to learn him or how to work around kids with the spectrum.
04:15That's why me and my pops work with kids.
04:16So I got the idea pretty much from him.
04:20Mm-hmm.
04:20So, yeah, I think I want him to go to school where he can be comfortable with himself.
04:25You know, he doesn't have to worry about the extra stuff like bullying
04:27because growing up, I had a huge stuttering problem like y'all right here now.
04:31Mm-hmm.
04:31And I got bullied for it growing up.
04:33So I just want him to, you know, be able to go to school with people that's just like him.
04:37Mm-hmm.
04:37You know, to where he can be himself.
04:39Yeah.
04:39That's amazing.
04:40That's dope.
04:41And you mentioned that, you know, you stuttered when you were younger
04:43and that music kind of helped you, you know, kind of get out of that.
04:47We heard a similar story a couple months back where Ed Sheeran said
04:50that actually rapping Eminem's songs is what made him, you know,
04:54lose his stutter that he had when he was younger.
04:56See, now that's my favorite rapper.
04:57Yeah.
04:58Will him or Wayne.
05:00Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:00So what was it like?
05:01How did music kind of, you know, help you with that?
05:05Well, I didn't really try to correlate with them.
05:08So I didn't try to use music to get past my stuttering.
05:12It kind of just happened.
05:13Okay.
05:13You know what I mean?
05:14I noticed that I didn't stutter while I rapped, you know,
05:18because how would that work from when?
05:22But it definitely helped without me consciously paying attention to it.
05:28Yeah, okay.
05:29So you're like, I'm just in the music mode and it's like,
05:31I'm not even thinking about it.
05:32I'm just going.
05:32So as I got older, people started noticing, like, you know,
05:36you don't stutter as much as you used to, but, like,
05:38when I get real nervous, you know, it pops out like crazy.
05:43Well, it's nice to see that you have overcome that
05:45and that you're such a success with your music.
05:47And you are currently signed with Trick Trick.
05:50We had him in here a little while ago.
05:53Yeah, yeah, yeah.
05:53I've worked with him in the past before, too.
05:55So what is that like?
05:56What is your relationship like with him and being signed with him?
06:00Well, it's amazing.
06:02Yeah.
06:02You know, it's not every day you get to call or work with a legend.
06:08You know what I mean?
06:09The way it came about was crazy because we hit him up last year
06:13just to try and, you know, see if we can get on shows
06:17or if he had any beats for us or something.
06:20And he was just like, you know, come in the studio.
06:22So as soon as we came in the studio, he was like,
06:24all right, nephew, I got these three songs for you.
06:27You get me the beats.
06:29And then he was like, all right, as soon as you finish them,
06:31call me, then we're going to get them done immediately.
06:34So now I have one of those songs coming out.
06:36It's called Deep in Love.
06:38It got a sample on it.
06:39I can't talk about it right now.
06:40Okay.
06:41But it got a sample on it that's never been used before.
06:44Oh, wow.
06:44And I'm really excited for y'all to hear it.
06:46That's dope, man.
06:47So obviously tomorrow night you're opening up for Slick Rick.
06:50And, you know, someone's never seen you at a show before.
06:53What can they expect?
06:54Oh, man, they can expect a lot of energy.
06:57I like to do live performances, you know,
07:00with like no background, no background vocals,
07:03because I feel like you're more in tune with the crowd.
07:08You know what I mean?
07:09A lot of people like live performances
07:11because not too many people do them, you know,
07:13because all you see is people jumping on stage nowadays
07:15and just having their vocals in the back
07:18and they're trying to hype themselves up.
07:20I like to actually put on the show.
07:22So, you know, I like people leaving me
07:24and being like, wow, you know, I love that.
07:27That's dope.
07:29You know, we talked about a lot of the legends
07:31that you've opened up for
07:32and a bunch of shows in the area.
07:34What do you pick up from them
07:36when you see them at their show
07:37and then you get to interact with them like backstage?
07:40Do you pick up little tips and tricks
07:42whether it comes to recording or performing?
07:44I pick up their crowd control.
07:46Okay.
07:48Because it's not easy to control a crowd,
07:50especially a crowd where you could be at an event
07:54where there's a lot of drinks and stuff.
07:57And, you know, certain people are at the bar
07:59and like not paying attention.
08:01You know, I pay attention to how they bring the crowd
08:03and like, hey, come front to the stage.
08:05You know what I mean?
08:06So that's pretty much what I take from them.
08:09And they all do it.
08:10Like all the people that I've seen
08:11who I consider icons do that.
08:13So, yeah.
08:14What are you looking forward to
08:15most about the show this weekend?
08:17The venue.
08:19It's the Diamondback Music Hall.
08:22Yeah.
08:22In Belleville.
08:23Brand new.
08:24My dad has been in there
08:25when it was like the old Diamondback.
08:26The country place?
08:28It was like a country line dancing place.
08:30Now they have completely renovated it.
08:31Right.
08:32So he always talks about how there,
08:35how it's like a bowl, you know,
08:36how if you're on stage,
08:38you're like looking down at the crowd.
08:40And so they renovated it.
08:43It's like the part where like the crowd is standing
08:47is lifted, lifted up a little bit.
08:48Okay.
08:49It's kind of closer to the stage.
08:50Yeah.
08:51So I'm pretty much excited.
08:52A lot of people say it looked like a stadium.
08:55Yeah.
08:56I heard.
08:56It's nice.
08:57I haven't been in there yet,
08:58but I heard it is nice.
08:59Top of the line, everything.
09:00So it'll be an awesome opportunity
09:03for you to play there for sure.
09:04Very cool.
09:05Somebody wants to get tickets.
09:06How can they get them?
09:07Ooh.
09:08So I have a ticket link
09:09that's actually on all my socials.
09:12You know, my Facebook, Instagram.
09:15Y'all can hit me at Kid J or Official Kid J.
09:18I should be the first thing to pop up.
09:19But my dad handles all that
09:21as far as like pushing out the links.
09:23I post it too.
09:24Yeah.
09:24So we have a ticket link out there
09:27and that's pretty much
09:28how you access the tickets right now.
09:29Okay.
09:30I'm pretty sure.
09:30Okay.
09:31I'm sure you can probably buy them day of
09:33at the box office.
09:33Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
09:35Absolutely.
09:36Very cool.
09:36Awesome.
09:37Jay, we appreciate you coming through, man.
09:39I appreciate you.
09:40Continued success, man.
09:41We're really excited to kind of see
09:43how you grow
09:43and the secret sample
09:45that you can't tell us about.
09:46You're ready to hear that song.
09:48It's coming.
09:49I can't wait for you to hear it
09:51because I know you're going to want to play it too.
09:54All right.
09:55All right, brother.
09:56Thank you so much.