Hip-Hop/Rap
JJ Doze Explains His Deeply Intentional Music and Latest Single “Who Am I?”
New York rapper JJ Doze discusses his latest single “Who Am I?” and its powerful music video which further emphasizes the artist’s flood of emotions when searching for his true self.
We’ve been craving music from artists who embrace their truth and use their art to introduce others to a concept that could push them into discovering more about themselves. That’s when music becomes more than just a sound. New York rapper JJ Doze is doing just that with his latest single “Who Am I?” that’s paired with a powerful music video. The video emphasizes Doze’s flood of emotions when searching for his true self.
Above all else, we admire Doze’s attention to detail with every aspect of his music, something that is hard to find in today’s fast-paced industry. JJ Doze recently chatted with us about “Who Am I?” and the intentional actions he took towards accomplishing a solid release.
Congratulations on a killer new single and music video! What made you decide to pair the release with a video?
JJ Doze: “Thank you, I greatly appreciate it! My decision to pair the video with the release is knowing that a music video is like a commercial to a brand since it boosts exposure and engagement. A music video can enhance the song by SHOWING the story, rather than just having the story being told with only the audio being presented.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAWn3bXlOKI
Can you walk us through the creative process of the music video?
“In the music video I wanted each movement to be engaging and each scene to be impactful by strengthening the meaning of the story that’s being told. What I love about doing music videos is that I’m able to artistically express myself, which helps me further understand myself. My intentions while jotting down ideas for this video were to have each scene feel connected while also wanting to make it engaging by using the transitions I’ve used in this video, while also being energetic during my performance shots.”
“Who Am I” has such a moving feel to it. What sparked inside of you to write such a deep message?
“Anger sparked me to write this song. I was overwhelmed with anger that I needed to release my feelings onto a piece of paper. However, I told myself that if I was planning on writing this song, that I would need to be focused if I want to write it with creativity. So, combining anger with creativity ended up making me finish this song in hours, not too sure exactly how long since I took breaks in between because I was freaking starving.
“Then, after it was finished, I actually took a moment to realize what I had written… and it made me believe that this song could potentially help others during their tough time. That’s when it became a goal to me, to positively impact people’s lives with this song.”
You come across as a longtime experienced rapper. Your flow is so smooth and the lyrics pack a bunch with your delivery. What rappers do you pull your inspiration from?
“Thank you for the kind words. I’d say my inspiration is mostly NF. He’s inspired me to express vulnerability in music. With lyrics, I’d say Dax. He is a lyrical genius to the fact that it motivates me to improve on my creative writing.”
The indie rap scene is changing every day. More and more artists are shifting away from the traditional hustle towards a label. Do you have the desire to eventually get signed by a major label or are you aiming to stay independent? Why?
“Honestly, it just depends on my situation. I don’t feel like a label is necessary, as of right now. In that case, I am heavily focused on staying independent because I want to continue growing as an artist before signing to a label. What I mean by ‘growing’ is mainly growing on my own from success and failures as I want to understand how I deal with certain situations. That’s something I want to get better at before signing to a label.”
Thank you so much for taking the time to chat with us today! What should fans expect from you in the coming months?
“No, thank you for giving me this opportunity. To answer your question, I do have something that’s being planned. It shouldn’t take too long but be patient with me, I like to make sure it all makes sense!”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_NvzclkynE
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