I went to jail at 17. While I was there, I discovered that I could write. Once I started making some songs, other inmates wanted to know a little bit more about what I was doing, and they asked me to rap for them. They really liked it, and I made it a goal to come out and try to make something out of the music.
Jay IDK
I really like the Gorillaz and Arctic Monkeys.
'Robot Chicken' was one of my favorite shows.
There's peer pressure of not being respected of having a certain amount of money, but if you know who you are, then you see that and look past it.
My first year of high school, I attended Duval High, home of the Duval Tigers. It's located in one of most notorious neighborhoods in the Prince George's County, Maryland, area.
People have compared me to Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Eminem, and J. Cole. They bring substance and largely are all good storytellers, and those are two of my biggest strengths. It's dope to be compared to people who have longevity in the game because that's the most important thing for me: I want my name to live forever.
Growing up, I wouldn't say I was poor. But my parents, although we lived in a nice, middle-class home, they had their struggles.
I do music that makes me happy by challenging myself to go the extra mile and not do what everyone else is doing.
'The Empty Bank' talks about really specific instances where I kind of make the wrong moves based off of money, and it also details instances where I was acting like I had money when I really didn't have that much money.
I wanna be the most successful socially aware artist: Grammys, number one singles, albums, overseas and internationally-known household name, all that.
I'm from the DMV, which is D.C.-Maryland-Virginia - Prince George's County in Maryland, to be specific.
I try to take the foundations of what music is and add some type of twist to it.
I think the best artists find ways to reinvent themselves. They find new ways to tell their stories, or they find new stories to tell.
I'm going to be the first rapper to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I don't know exactly what it would be for, specifically, but I want it to be a change I make in the world with my music.
Working with BJ The Chicago Kid was amazing.
Everyone who watches Adult Swim knows there's a sound to it, a feeling that's nostalgic sometimes, but then it's also different and outside the box.
I think the best rappers practice concept albums in their work.
I want people to understand balance. I might make a banger, and that's the way that I feel, and then I may want to make a song that's really deep.
In 2010, I attended Prince George's Community College in hopes of transferring to The University of Maryland. My major was computer science, and the goal was to one day work as an I.T.
When I started my writing process for 'Empty Bank,' everything had to do with money. It was at a time in my life where I started to see money differently.
I'm definitely trying to be Number One.
There are a lot of things that money can't buy, and once you realize that is how you break free.
Financially, people always assume you're good when you're a rapper.
A lot of rappers lie about who and what they are.
I always like to vent and tell the truth in my music.
At times, I can be a slave to money.
At first, I thought I could go to school and do music on the side and be successful, but the more I began to understand the industry, the more I fell in love with it.
The reason I can achieve so many different feelings is because the people I listen to have always been so diverse.
I always had a thing for writing. Even when I was in school, I was always good at writing.
I like to try and be outside of the box or do things that other people aren't doing.
If you asked me why I went to jail, the easiest explanation would be to say, 'Because I'm black.'
I always went for the girls that liked the bad guys.
