You can’t call yourself the Prince of New York without being able to back up your claim on that title. 19-year-old Brooklyn rapper, J.I. is proving his worth and his latest single “Letter 2 U” shows that he isn’t afraid to share his emotions. 

He moodily laments:

“You know I don’t love you how I wish I could / You know I don’t treat you how I wish I could / But it’s you I want, uh-uh / It’s you I want, huh”

J.I. goes on to describe the failure of his relationship and his regret over how that relationship ended. He drives the point home over a piano-driven melody and seamlessly flows over the beats as he states:

“I wish me and you could’ve had fell in love better / I’ma call it how you are / You was flawless from the start / You think I’m a piece a sh*t / I wasn’t cautious with your heart.”

“Letter 2 U” was produced by Byrd and DOC and the video was directed by Kid Art. It references Greek mythology with symbols that represent pain and heartbreak. It also features scenes of J.I. hanging with his friends in his neighbourhood of Crown Heights.

The young rapper has been gaining momentum in his hometown with a consistent stream of tunes and released his EP Welcome To GStarr Vol. 1 in July 2020. On the EP, he manages to infuse his hop-hop singing style with reggaeton beats, paying tribute to his roots and influences.

The EP didn’t go unnoticed by Spotify who selected him to be the second artist on their RADAR program which helps share stories of new emerging global artists with Spotify users. This is a massive accomplishment and an excellent launching pad for J.I. Moreover, this inclusion by Spotify lead to recognition from Billboard, Complex, XXL, ABC News, Pitchfork and others.

Young, driven, talented and hungry for success, J.I. will be around for a while and is definitely one to watch especially with more material coming out this year. Keep up with him by following him on his socials:

Instagram / Facebook / Twitter / Website