Photo: J Roy
J Roy is a 21 year-old word-smith hailing from Detroit, MI. He’s not your ordinary Midwest street rapper, in fact, J Roy comes from the cloth of old soul, smooth lyricism, thought-provoking articulation, and this gives the ‘313’ artist that balance greats like Eminem & D-12, Royce Da 5’9, and J Dilla established prior to the contemporary acts.
Having been on Netflix’s premium rap competition show Rhythm & Flow in 2019 where he had a brief stint and an infamous tiff on stage with judge and rapper, Chance The Rapper, he mentions that experience came with harsh but necessary lessons.
Since then, he has been able to re-invent himself and conjure up a crafty album that places lyrical rap on funky and tightly-knit boombap instrumentals titled J Roy. The self-titled sophomore LP reflects a hungry J Roy with his finger on the pulse of the rap scene, and finally he finds time to introduce himself to the world officially.
He’s definitely someone to be on the lookout for.
Check out his Remixd Magazine Interview below:
What city are you from/ Where are you based now?
I’m from Detroit, MI and I’m currently based in East Lansing for college (Michigan State University).
What is your artist name? What is your real name? How did you get your artist name?
J Roy. My real name is Joseph Roy. I originally went as JoeTheRapper until I got on Netflix’s Rhythm & Flow and rebranded. J Roy is just my first initial and last name.
How would you describe your sound to readers who may not be familiar with you? Conscious, relative, creative, thought provoking.
What’s one reason you are passionate about music and what inspires you?
The feelings they bring, I can let go of so many things while making music and listeners can let go of many things once they hear it. I’m inspired by my love for creating.
Who are some of your main musical influences?
Kanye & J Cole. Kanye inspired me to rap and to believe in myself. J. Cole showed me you can be conscious and grab a fan base. To stay true to myself.
Tell us the name of the project you are currently promoting? What inspired this project?
It’s my self titled album ‘J Roy.’ After my short time on the Netflix show, I was very discouraged to make music again. I took some time away and decided to recreate myself. I ended up making an entire body of work to show I’m more than the guy you saw on Rhythm & Flow arguing with Chance over our names.
Date that this project dropped or is set to drop?
It dropped April 2nd, 2021. I’m currently working on more music and aiming to release music weekly.
What is this project about in your own words?
This project is about recreating yourself, not letting anything stop you from doing what you want. You might get discouraged, but don’t quit. You can’t.
What’s next for you? Are you working on any upcoming projects we should be on the lookout for? Include some dates if you have them.
No dates yet but I am working on more music. I want to release a song every week, so right now I’m in the recording phase.
What message do you hope fans take away from your music and from this project?
I want fans to take away that I can relate to all of them and I want to win over their hearts haha. I make music for them, whether it’s the fears they face, the toxic relationships they deal with, or the everyday struggles, I’m a representation of them.
Where can we follow you on social media? Include links.
ig: officialjroy
twitter: _officialjroy
https://www.instagram.com/officialjroy/
