Ascending from Chicago’s south side, MC/songwriter Rita J.’s music is rooted in Hip-Hop’s Golden era and influenced by Soul, Jazz, Funk, Gospel, and R&B sounds of the 70’s. Within that particular generation of black music, centered around love, cultural oppression, and spiritual uplifting, Rita J.’s lyrics became thematically entrenched in highlighting the importance of being empowered at the level of identity, economics, and through the African diaspora.
In this interview spotlight, I chat with Rita J. about the new release, challenges, adapting during a lock down and more.
Full Q&A along with links and music below.
Where are you from and how do You describe your style of music?
Chicago, Hip-Hop
How did you get here? As in, what inspired or motivated you to take on this journey through music and the music biz?
I’ve always been involved in the performing arts as a child and hip hop spoke to me in a major way and I started out with writing poetry and it developed into rhyming to beats, also taking a sound engineering course in college propelled my interest.
How does your latest project compare/contrast with your previous release(s)? Were you setting out to accomplish anything specific, follow a specific theme, or explore different styles of creation?
My latest project is the most organized and intentional. I worked with Neak only as the producer which made it easier to work, focus and accomplish my goals. I feel my writing was more potent because I’ve grown as an artist. The way we approached the album was different for me but it worked very well. I had more consistency, control and conversation while piecing the album together.
Name the biggest challenge you faced as a creative during these unprecedented? How did you adapt? How have you kept the creative fires burning during all this?
The pandemic definitely affected the timeline, we started the album in 2019 so we took some time off to socially distance and think about how we should move forward. The lockdown also provided us with more time to work exclusively on the project. Performing can still be challenging for now but I have no doubt that we will figure out a way to perform safely during this time.
What was the last song you listened to?
Oakland Blackouts by Hieroglyphics
Which do you prefer? Vinyl? 8-tracks? Cassettes? CDs? MP3s? Streaming platforms?
I’m rocking with Spotify these days.
Where is the best place to connect with you and follow your journey?
I really appreciate Your time. Anything else before we sign off?
Enjoy the album, check for the videos, come see me when I come to your city to perform! We worked hard to give you great artistry. Thanks!
