North Carolina-born rapper Jai Jemini has been making waves across social media since the release of her hit single “BLESSINGS” in April. The track is a bold anthem of self-confidence, fueled by raw energy, sharp lyricism, and her entrancing, hypnotic delivery. MadameNoire loved it so much that we gave the viral banger the No. 1 slot on our Sounds Like Summer playlist—and we had to have the musical genius stop by to chat more about the inspiration behind her buzzing single.
On July 10, Jai Jemini dropped in to MadameNoire Live to chat with our social media manager Tiffany Smith about her journey to stardom in the music industry and the ups and downs that led to her breakout track “BLESSINGS.”
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Now based in South Virginia, Jai Jemini revealed that her new single is the result of years of dedication and refining her craft. She began rapping and writing poetry at just six years old and continued to nurture her passion throughout high school. Although she always recognized her talent, she once questioned whether she “had the rapper vibe” needed to truly make it in the industry.
“I never thought that I could really be a rapper. Well, then I started dating someone. And they were rapping. And I was like, ‘I’m a lot better,” Jai Jemini said proudly. Before you know it, she was in the studio, constantly working on her craft. And in 2019, she released her first single called “Real B.”
“From there, it was a very slow and gradual process of just releasing music every once in a while.”
Jai Jemini shared that her inspiration grew even stronger after seeing Megan Thee Stallion break into the rap scene. She connected with Megan’s bold personality and relentless drive, but what stood out most was seeing a successful rapper who didn’t fit the stereotypical “slim” image often expected in the industry. As a naturally curvy woman herself, Jai found it empowering and refreshing. It gave her the confidence to show up authentically as an artist.
“Seeing someone who had this naturally curvy body, someone who was just a real lyricist, made me feel like there might be a lane here for me, and over time, I had to learn to develop my own sound.”
“Blessings” hit a million streams shortly after its debut.
That authenticity paid off when “BLESSINGS” debuted in April, quickly racking up over a million streams and going viral on platforms like TikTok, where fans created videos using the uplifting track. Jai Jemini shared with Smith that the song was born from a personal journal entry she had written as an affirmation to cope with the intense culture shock she experienced after moving from North Carolina to Miami.
“If you’ve ever been to Miami, you know the beauty standards there are a lot different from North Carolina. It took some adapting,” the bubbling artist revealed. “Everybody goes through phases of insecurity, so I’d be lying if I said I didn’t still have that at times, but now I’m rooted in a belief in knowing that my value is not connected to my looks.”
Seeing fans connect with the song on such a deep level helped her stay grounded through moments of doubt. In fact, she admitted to crying when she saw people using the track as their own source of strength and affirmation.
“I didn’t expect it. I really just genuinely did not expect it to gain traction,” the hip-hop star shared. “And my favorite thing that people [are] telling me [is] that it’s getting them through a tough time or it’s just helping them become more confident because I think that’s what music is supposed to be. Hip-hop, at one point in time, I thought it was just so healing. It just held so many stories.”Jai Jemini added, “To see the power of words be able to translate to all these different women, of all walks of life, of all ages and generations—it just feels so powerful and meaningful and I couldn’t ask for anything more.”
Listen to “BLESSINGS” on our Sounds Like Summer playlist and watch our full interview with Jai Jemini above.
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