On The Rise: J.I. the Prince of N.Y

“I gave the fans three verses on that record and the last verse if you really listen, I speak about my friend getting laced,” explains Rivera, better known as J.I the Prince of N.Y, from his manager’s office via Zoom. “That’s something that happened and it’s true. I speak on just me selling books and CDs so I could eat. I spoke on personal things I’ve gone through just so the fans could really hear that.”

Talking before the release of Hood Life Krisis Vol. 3, and off the back of a year that’s seen his profile rapidly rise with streams in the millions, a record deal with G.Starr Entertainment, and even a shout out from Drake, Rivera seems surprisingly self-assured and at peace with it all.

Still just eighteen, Rivera has spent the last four years of his life in and out of the spotlight. Raised in Crown Heights, Brooklyn, he was always aware of the divide between the gentrified blocks of bars and restaurants and the ones the police cars used to circle. “I grew up just around kids being outside every day, doing all types of kid shit,” he smiles. “I used to do crazy things and I used to do regular things that kids did and honestly, I loved where I grew up at.”

He got into music with his brothers, rapping and playing on their guitar and a Yamaha keyboard. Then in 2016 he shared a video of himself freestyling to MadeinTYO’s “Uber Everywhere” and began sharing it on social media, winning himself a spot on the second series of Jermaine Dupri’s The Rap Game.

While he didn’t win, he did make an impression, leaving the show with a following, new connections in the industry, and some valuable experiences. “I would say social media definitely played a main part, but I try and stay off of social media because you see what happens,” he explains. “I feel like too much drama and too much bullshit goes on where artists get caught up in certain situations where everybody’s talking about it now. It’s gossip for the media outlets, it’s just more drama for people to talk about and I try to keep my personal life and my music and entertainment on two different separate levels.”

After the show, he dropped the track “Quiet Storm”, a dark and honest narrative about the realities of growing up in New York. Eloquent and impactful, the track picked up more attention for Rivera who was still in his mid-teens. He began playing shows, however, after being booed off stage one night, he sunk into a two year hiatus. “That was kind of the start of just me shutting down but I’m not sure that was the main reason because there were other reasons behind that. But that was definitely the main thing that kind of sparked it,” he says.

However, Rivera took that energy and turned it into motivation. “I’d gotten booed on a bigger stage in front of a bigger audience on TV, so I don’t know. That type of stuff makes or breaks a child,” he explains. “I was fourteen when I got booed on the bigger stage and it’s weird because I feel like a regular fourteen year old wouldn’t be able to handle that. I feel like a regular fourteen year old wouldn’t even be able to get on stage and perform in front of people so now imagine getting booed by people. I got off that stage and that shit made me want to go harder. Like I had something to prove. So those little trials and tribulations I went through, it was supposed to make or break me, and I’m here now so I’m thankful for those moments in my life because they needed to happen.”

Rivera started 2020 with a record-breaking three sold out shows at Manhattan's Sounds of Brazil. “I mean, first of all that moment was amazing. That was definitely an overwhelming moment for me because we made history that night at that venue,” he smiles.

As the pandemic set in, Rivera saw his plans abruptly change, and he learned to adjust, creating more music and giving his fans more time to live with it, releasing the Welcome to GStarr Vol. 1 EP this summer. However, for this new project he’s returned to his Hood Life Krisis series. “I just feel like it’s a classic body of work for my fanbase,” he nods. “The first volume changed my life. I have my biggest record “Need Me” on it, and I just feel like the body of work I put together for that main Hood Life Krisis, it kind of developed my sound and who I was as an artist. So with this next project, with this third project, I wanna make it like a trilogy where you could go back to volume one, volume two, listen to them and then you could go to volume three and just be like, oh shit this is a year later.”

The record is a slick and fluid ride of synthesized RnB, woozy rap, and syncopated production. Opening track “Calling Out 2 You” is full of personal storytelling and poetic honesty, while the A Boogie Wit Da Hoodie featuring “R&B Shit” is fresh and crisp, both artist's deliveries smooth and honeyed with A Boogie’s verse complementary in its arresting richness. Lead single “Excuse My Pain” is a direct headspin, while the luscious reggaeton “Suficiente” is sultry and driving, a hot rush of intricate dynamism and production.

“Suficiente” also acts as a nod to Rivera’s heritage as a man of Puerto Rican descent. “I mean, I was always known as that Latin kid growing up, or that Spanish kid, so I feel like it’s important because there’s not a lot of Spanish artists getting the spotlight on them coming out of New York, so for me to be one of the first ones of the younger generation, the new generation, and to be the main pioneer, that’s important for me. To open up my arms for any other artist coming out, I just feel like nobody was really doing it for us.

"So if I could do it, I’ma do it, and whoever else wants to do it, continue to do it too!”