AJ, the One is an upcoming female rapper from Inglewood. While in college, AJ pursued her music career. She quickly became a favorite as she became the most talked about thing around campus.
Since her college days, AJ has continued creating music and making a lane for herself. The rapper takes pride in herself for being a strong community advocate, especially for women of color. She considers herself to be in a genre of “Goddess Trap”. She says she creates music that make you feel free, sexy and have fun. All while showing her femininity.
We recent caught up the rapper where she talked about a slew of topics. Check out our conversation with AJ, the One below and let us know what you think.
Home Grown Radio : So how did you get started in music?
AJ: “So I’m from Inglewood, California and my mom is from Oakland , so at 17 I moved to Oakland because my mom wanted to keep me on track. From there I went to UC Berkeley and I started writing poetry and doing spoken word at local coffee shops. Then one day a friend of mine asked me to be on his song and the song went viral around campus and that’s how it began.”
Home Grown Radio : Who or what are some of your influences when it comes to creating art?
AJ : When I lived in Inglewood I would only listen to LA artists, mostly Cassey Veggies , Ab Soul , Scheme , Dom Kennedy and really anybody from LA. It wasn’t until I moved to the Bay Area when I started to get exposed to people like Missy Eliot and Ludacris , and to me they were so very eclectic. So now I listen to a lot of Tierra Whack , Tyler the Creator, and Baby Keem.
Home Grown Radio : You just dropped your first album ever, Bussin Out The Box. How was the creative process for that?
AJ: “So for this project I didn’t want it to feel as if I was trying to create a hit. I wanted everything to be organic and real. I really want my music to have real emotions.”
Homegrown Radio : You vibe is fun and real but what can old and new fans expect from your music and this new album?
AJ: “Fans can definitely expect to hear real bars , turn up , and have fun. This album definitely gives a little bit of everything, caters to everyone’s vibe.”
Home Grown Radio: What are some pieces of advice you would give to a new artist?
AJ: “ Be yourself, always have fun,and make sure you are passionate about your craft don’t just do something because it’s trendy.
Article by: Kerrington Dillion