trouble for reppin "? JJ : You got us now … Barbarin : So is that where you met Wayne at ? JJ : We all from Hollygrove . Barbarin : You were Madi ’ s ( Moddie ) very first artist under 0017th , tell me about that experience . JJ : He ’ s incarcerated right now , that ’ s my brother … that ’ s my mans , he 00 , we 00 . Free Big bro ! Barbarin : How did you receive the news of being a part of YM , was it a phone call … in person … and after receiving the news … what was your first reaction … who did you tell first … did you see it coming ? JJ : I ’ ve been around the whole situation for a minute but what really made it official , it was probably like a year and a half ago , at South by Southwest , I got a call to get to Austin … boom , that was a day before a show to come perform with Wayne at South by Southwest . That was my first time performing with him , I ’ ve been around in the studio but that was my first time performing and really making it official so when that happened , probably a month or two later we went on tour and that ’ s when everything really started to move and it was really official . Me and big bro ( Lil Wayne ) got records together and he on my single . First person I told was my daddy , first person I called and was excited , it ’ s our dream . He ’ s been recording me since I was rapping . Barbarin : How long have you been rapping ? JJ : Man , I sound old if I say I ’ ve been rapping for like ten years , but it probably been longer than that ... I ain ’ t gonna really count that , I guess they say you don ’ t really be considered a rapper until you start getting paid … that ’ s what Skip said , so bout 4 or 5 years , that ’ s ’ when I got my first paid show . Barbarin : That ’ s a major event , South by Southwest ? JJ : Yeah it ’ s major , in Austin , Texas every year . I had about six shows to do . It includes rappers , country singers , singers , all different music all in one . A music fest the whole weekend . Barbarin : Tell me more about the Chill Society brand and where can we find that ? JJ : Ooh , that ’ s the first thing I really started . That ’ s really like my lil pride and joy … I got that tatted too . When I first started rapping , I was just extra cool and chill , I was still tryna figure myself out … that was my thing , Chill Society , my whole motto so that ’ s what that was . Barbarin : How do you plan on staying grounded in the industry ? JJ : That ’ s just all in how you grew up and with your morals , if it ’ s instilled in you … I ’ ve been around a lot already so if I was gon change I would ’ ve already . So it ’ s just about how you was brought up and how you were raised , which really determines how you will go and see that world and start acting . I believe I ’ ll be good .
Barbarin : Do you realize the magnitude of YM and the previous artist ’ s success … did you ever dream about living like this ? JJ : Big 4 , you know they say the big 3 , Nikki , Drake and Wayne … well I ’ m tryna be the Big 4 . Give me six months and you gonna hear it . I dreamed way pass this , I don ’ t know because I got some wild dreams . This is where it start for me , I need my own Young Money . Wayne got Young Money , that ’ s his situation … I need Jay Jones ’ we gon figure it out . My dreams are sky is the limit right night , shooting for the stars , pass the stars … we working . Barbarin : “ It is my motherfuckin duty to make sure Jay Jones is a successful human being ” Wayne … to hear those words come out of Wayne ’ s mouth , someone that you look up to … how does that make you feel ? JJ : That ’ s hard , like I still have conversations with bro today that still be crazy , because he really respect that I can rap , so a compliment from Wayne goes a long way so because of who he is with music , so I take that in and really appreciate that . It makes me go harder , that ’ s the goat . Still to this day I get messages from bro , therefore I gotta go hard . Barbarin : How does is make you feel to see people from your city , or even from your hood to make it , whether with music , acting etc …? JJ : That ’ s dope , shot out to Jason Mitchell he from the neighborhood , we raising stars back there . ( laughs ) it ’ s always a dope feeling when somebody do something major from the city because it open up doors for the city . So that ’ s what I ’ m tryna do , this is just a platform to do something for the city . Barbarin : Well don ’ t forget about me because I ’ m media and I need my outlet . JJ : We got you , it ’ s cool we got you ! Tell us something that somebody does not know about you . Honestly , I really don ’ t try to be that private though , I ’ m really an open book . Barbarin : Like , what ’ s your favorite food ? JJ : They might not know that , I like pastas , chicken pasta , crawfish pasta , shrimp pasta , oyster pasta , pasta , pasta , whatever pasta ! Barbarin : What ’ s your favorite color ? JJ : Blue , I ’ m a blue dude … blue and red … it don ’ t make sense huh … Crips and Bloods … blue and red , I like blue and red . Barbarin : If you had to tell the people from New Orleans something to encourage them , what will that be ? JJ : Follow your dream , like don ’ t give up on whatever you do … go hard for it every day because only you can make a difference in your life .
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