" I guess they say you really don't
be considered a rapper until you
start getting paid"
Barbarin: Who is Jay Jones?
JJ: I am New Orleans, I am Hollygrove, So when you
hear my music, you gon hear all that…You gonna hear
the Hollygrove but you gonna get the real too…I’m
myself, like Jay Jones is what you hear in the music, what
you gon get in the streets, so I’m me.
Barbarin: Is that your government name?
JJ: No (laughs hard) but yeah… it’s my last name though
Barbarin: You are not new to the rap game, because your
dad was an artist as well right?
JJ: Yeah, so he used to do music back in day with Big Boy
records, Cash Money and No limit…so I was around
music since a kid and that’s how I really get the “Jay”
because his name was Jay Dawg and I was always lil jay,
so I took that and put my last name with it…that’s where
Jay Jones comes from.
Summer 2018
Barbarin: Where is your dad now?
JJ: Well he just suffered an aneurism, he shook back and is
going through the treatments and therapy. He is on his way
back and we’re blessed to still have him here.
Barbarin: How does he feel about you doing music?
JJ: Oh he’s happy every day, I’m his first child…I got a
brother and sister that are twins…but they don’t do music.
Barbarin: I see that you rep 0017…so is that how you met
Wayne?
JJ: That’s the gang, that’s where we started. That’s really
where it started at…at first it was Me, Mikey and Reem
and BTY Youngin’ came … R.I.P. to my brother…but me ,
Keem and Youngin’ really started running with it and that’s
when it went through the roof…So I’m 00 for life. It’s tatted
on my arm… (shows tattoos), that’s the hood, that’s the
neighborhood.
Barbarin: I’m not from up there so I’m not going to get in