INTERVIEW WITH J.RILEY

Independent UK rap artist JRiley hails from Luton, north of London. Heavily influenced by his mother’s singing career from a young age, JRiley has grown up surrounded by music with artists such as Michael Jackson and Kanye West to look up to. JRiley became involved in the grime scene that emerged whilst finding his feet in school and he went from spitting bars in the playground to developing a niche sound at the age of 26. His sound can be described as a more melodic form of rap which slots him perfectly into the rapidly evolving UK hip-hop scene.

Q: How long have you been doing music? And what inspired you?

A: I’ve been making music my whole life, main inspiration was my parents but I became influenced by the UK grime scene and after that the hip hop and rap scene.

Q: Where we’re you born? City you live? or rep?

A: “Not many people know, but I was born in Birmingham and when I was around 12 I moved to Luton and spent my teen years there”

Q: Music plans for 2023? What can the people expect? Etc (Album,Mixtape)

A: “ I have a project ‘Roughchild’ dropping April 27th 2023, due to be the most vulnerable open music I ever made testing out my new sense of awareness and tapping into all sides of my emotions.“

Q: Who or what inspires you musically?

A: “my life and my experiences, I try not to look too far externally for inspiration because I feel that the best inspiration comes from within. What you do with your time what you think about those events, and what you feel when they’re happening, that’s where the true inspiration comes from.”

Q: How was your childhood? Was music a big thing in your family?

A: “music was huge in my family. My mother is a singer and my dad plays the drums.”

Q: Have you experienced any obstacles that you have had to overcome within the industry?

A: “Of course, people telling you this isn’t good enough or telling you we think you sound better doing xyz, I think it’s always good to pick sense from the nonsense. Listen to everything but make your own opinion based on what you’ve heard. Nobody is right it’s all just a bunch of opinions, in the end yours is the only one you have to live with.“

Q: where can the fans find you (socials networks)

A: “JRileyRC on everything everywhere“

Q: What do you want the fans to take from you’remusic?

(Youth,day ones, family,the world)

A: “ Im not somebody who speaks on a day to day about how I feel, I would rather put that into the music so I want people to listen and understand how I’m feeling why I’m feeling this way and what I do to deal with this emotions, we’re all human so maybe it will inspire someone to understand it’s normal to feel the way we do and you can make it out of whatever dark zone you might find yourself in.“