Hot on the heels of the brand new album Funny Storm Vol. 1, we caught up with rapper and artist Jaydii, to find out more about the good vibes of the project, the creative process, the power of collaboration, and plenty more. Here’s how it went.
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Jaydii! MASSIVE congrats for the launch of Funny Storm Vol.1 – superb album and perfect timing, in my view, to lift the mood this side of the summer. For those who don’t know, what does the album represent?
Thank you so much! The album was made to show appreciation for the mixtape culture I grew up on. I think a big reason I got into hip-hop is because of some of the projects hosted by DJ Drama.
It feels amazing to finally have something of my own.
What was the main inspiration for the album, and what do you hope people take away from it?
It gave me the opportunity to really have fun in the studio again, to try different things that I probably wouldn’t do on an album.
I think it’s important to make sure music never feels like a job. I really wanted to give people something fun and showcase my versatility. I wanted to create something that was so my own style, that people couldn’t compete with it. For me, I think I proved something to myself.
“If people take one thing from it, I hope they lose the fear of being creative and being their true selves. I hope I at least did that.”
Tell me about the collaborative roots of the project – who was involved in bringing it to life, and how different does it make the creative process when you have a team of likeminded artists on board to elevate things?
I bumped into Miles Hadley when I released Vibrant Summer. He liked the project and he asked me to feature on a collaborative project between him and a variety of artists. He sent me a beat pack and I remember he said there was this one beat he couldn’t picture anybody on because of how hard it is to rap on. I said in my head “challenge accepted”, and Take 5 was born.
Fast forward a few months, maybe a year, and he sent me some beats he picked out from his vault and we started making more and more music. He started producing beats specifically for me, which I will forever appreciate.
It’s very rare I meet a producer who makes me as eager to work as Miles does. The only other person I know whose production is always outstanding is Blvff. This project was truly a blast to record, I wouldn’t trade my team for anybody.
How did you come to choose the two initial singles for the project – Tippy Toe and Take 5 are distinctly different to one-another, what was your thinking with these releases?
To be honest, I really wanted to release Money Drawer as a single. I love Tippy Toe, there’s some raw emotion in it, but I thought Money Drawer could have been easier to market. I’m really glad people get to experience Money Drawer for the first time at release though.
As for Take 5, we really wanted to showcase the different sides of the mixtape, show that it’s chill and relaxed and happy but also has aggressive cuts. And Take 5 was already released about a year ago, so we picked it to avoid spoiling other moments on the project. I also consulted my team on this and I trusted their judgement, as I always do.
What can you tell us about the visual accompaniments for the singles?
The one thing I lack is funding and a visual management team. I’ll be honest, some opportunities are limited due to how small of an audience I have right now.
“My interests are more aligned with enjoying myself and putting out quality music than how large of an artist I become.”
We always push as hard as we can to be heard. We aimed to shoot Tik Tok style videos for every song except Graze Shot. We’re planning a professional music video for Graze Shot and we’re excited for it.
I think regardless of the lack of a budget, it’s difficult for our work ethic and enthusiasm to not be apparent. I hope people can appreciate what we’ve done here.
How did you come to connect with Blvff and Miles, and what was it about their musical approaches that resonated with you?
I grew up with Blvff, he’s like family to me. If it wasn’t for what he’s accomplished I would’ve never started making music. It’s always great working with him because we always genuinely want the best for each other. There’s never any jealousy.
Miles is hard to ignore, his production is indisputably unique. I told him and I’ll say it here too, he could’ve given these beats to anybody. I’m just glad he chose me. He’s been very easy to work with and I’m forever grateful.
Do you have plans to perform live or tour much following release?
I would love to perform this entire project live front to back! It’s less than 14 minutes long. We already made a live version of it with no vocals for that exact reason! I’m sincerely looking forward to the opportunity.
What’s your greatest ambition as an artist right now?
I want to build a following of people who are excited about my new releases. I’ve been taking my time building it. I’ve never wanted to be too large, I always preferred a quiet life. I do work really hard on my music though and I want it to be heard.
Are you still writing new material, or focusing on pushing this album for the foreseeable future?
I have an EP recorded with my friend and local artist Supreme Khay that we are very excited to share. I also have a solo project finished that needs some minor polish. I’m even working on a collaborative album with Blvff that we are extremely excited about.
My favourite thing about all of these projects is how different they sound from each other. I love challenging myself, it keeps it interesting for me.
We’ve been very busy at the studio this year. I can’t wait to show people why I’ve been so quiet!
Is there anything else we should know?
Believe it or not we already almost finished recording Funny Storm Vol. 2! I’m not saying that we’re going to release it soon, I really want to showcase some of my other work first, but it’s nearly done. Miles kept sending beats over that inspired me so much I kept recording over them.
I hope this tells you how much we believe in what we’re doing. I hope we never stop making these.
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Find Jaydii on TikTok, YouTube, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram & Soundcloud.
