3,969 Miles separates Brooklyn from Berlin. With a 6 hour time difference and a language barrier most would find difficult at best, one thing resonates despite it all. Jay Boogie’s music, glamour, and undeniable panache.
Breaking the mold is important in today’s musical landscape. A unique sound, presentation, and personality are what carries artist into the limelight. Jay Boogie’s latest EP ‘Jesus Loves Me Too’ is a reflection of his life, experiences, and beliefs which personifies that very formula.
After a successful set at Europool in Berlin, Brooklyn-born Jay Boogie caught up with The Source to chop it up about his sound and his unique journey in music.
Q: Let’s talk about your influences! How did the sound for Jesus Loves Me Too come about?
My influences come from my day to day experiences. This project was my attempt at “growing up”. All of my projects are almost a re-cap of my year so on this JLMT I just granted myself the time to reflect and search for sounds that complimented my feelings and experiences. I try to talk about what I know and what I go through, I don’t like being a slave to a concept when creating. The vibes and the sounds I put out are an extension of me, you can see my sound in my demeanor and my aesthetics.
Q: ‘Jesus Loves Me Too’ is a loaded album title, what did you want your audience and people who aren’t familiar with J Boogie to know?
A: I thought to myself if this is the title, as I repeat it I’m putting it into existence and it becomes a part of my reality. As someone reads it, it becomes a part of their reality. It’s a fact, I believed we’re all loved in that sense. It’s not meant to be super duper religious. If it’s not Jesus they can plug their religion or whoever into that title.
I also want to be challenged by the title. To redefine the idea of my identity being a sin or a disgrace.
Q:In today’s times we are ruled by labels so I have to ask, do you identify as an LGBT artist?
A: No.
Q: Why?
A: I identify as an artist but I am an activist in the LGBT community. I feel like it all goes hand in hand. I feel like labels like that are unfair. Everyone has their own perspective on the community from the outside, and as long as you are not disrupting my peace I’m fine. When it comes to the music, I feel like the moving forces in hip-hop are men who don’t culturally accept LGBT people. However, every single person in the community has their own journey. I feel like artist who identify as LGBT have to rely on their resilience and their individuality because unfortunately hip-hop still does not understand us.
Q: Your message to 20 somethings is loud and clear throughout the album. ‘Venti’ for instance has a message that is loud and clear, “Live your life, love/lust who you want, be who you want and don’t forget to stack your coin. What experiences in life inspired these sentiments on the album?
A: The people around me, my travels, my friends who have died or are incarcerated. The pressure on us to define a time in our life by age. There’s really no right age to receive something in life that’s a part of your journey. I see my 20’s as the formative years to take advantage and use as as a reference for the years to come.
Q: Do you aim to be liberated through music or do you aim to liberate others?
A: I aim to liberate others. I’m conscious of what I say and the weight it holds so it can never be taken out of context. My goal is to encourage people say what they are thinking without being embarrassed or afraid of being judged. For men to find ways to use their masculinity in a more constructive way instead of projecting their phobias.
Q: Why?
A: I identify as an artist. I represent and reinforce agendas within any community that has embraced me in return. That goes for my neighborhood, fellow artist, and definitely the LGBT community.
Q:When did you know you wanted to be an artist and a performer?
A: I’ve always felt like a performer. I’ve always had sass and I have always expressed myself without reluctance, and unfortunately to society that is considered “out of the ordinary”. At some point in everyone’s life, you had a vision of yourself doing what it is that you’ve dreamed of doing. Usually something free and without inhibitions. In that same token you always have elders or piers leading you to the more conventional ways of life. My performance is my my existence so everyday is a performance and every block is a stage.
Q: Who would you like to work with in the future?
A:Princess Nokia, Foxy Brown, Grace Jones and any other strong and resilient black woman who have the courage to be transparent.
Get into Jay Boogie aka The Body aka The Boogie Woogie for more!
‘Jesus Loves Me Too’ is streaming on Soundcloud and can be found here. Keep up with Jay Boogie on Instagram here.
