By: Becky Beastin, Endless Elevation LLC
The Lone Star State has yielded some major and talented rappers like Paul Wall, Bun B, Lil Flip, Chamillionaire, Slim Thug, Megan Thee Stallion and so many more. Despite lacking the major record labels that the East and West Coasts have, some people might say that Texas makes up for that in sheer talent.
With so many skilled artists on the rise, it’s easy to get lost in the sea of noise on social media, streaming sites and pure volume of releases. However, despite the oversaturation, there are a few artists on the next to blow radar, and one of them has recently been making a comeback. She has collaborated with some Texas heavy hitters like Paul Wall and Lil Flip, and ventured outside of the South with big names like Benny the Butcher, and quite possibly the most impressive: Royce da 5’9. This 5’0 spitfire somehow did the impossible and got not only an amazing track with Royce, but also a full length, captivating music video. That may be a first for a completely independent artist, especially a female, notably a white female rapper. Many people who are familiar with J. Irja’s extensive catalog are curious why Strange Music didn’t sign her when they had the chance, especially after her high powered performances opening up for Tech N9ne. The more serious question many of her devoted followers are wondering and constantly commenting is why J. Irja hasn’t gotten the shine she seems to have earned.
Surprisingly, her failure to get the recognition she seems to deserve hasn’t stopped this Finnish-Canadian gypsy from relentlessly pursuing her passion, even though there has been a recent break from releases, until now, that is. J. Irja’s recent resurgence in social media presence shows her relaunching a new movement that may be her best move yet. As usual, she is coming full force in her new single Hate2SeeMeWin, but this time with an intriguing twist. She is finally pulling back a whole new layer and letting everyone see a deeper set of issues she dealt with throughout her journey.
Avid listeners of J. Irja know how grueling her come up has already been, as she wears her heart on her sleeve and is a self-proclaimed open book on her past. Admitting to struggling with head injuries, severe trauma, PTSD, trafficking, and more she boldly proclaims she isn’t scared to share who she is. J. Irja is a crusader for others who went through horrific experiences like she has, and consistently shares positive uplifting twists on these life-changing experiences to turn pain into motivation. Watching her live streams gives followers the chance to hear how she was supporting a whole team around her with decreasing reciprocation. A classic example of what the hip hop industry calls riding coattails. After her brief hiatus, J. Irja openly gives us insight to the dark period she pulled herself out of and urges others to do that same, drawing strength from shared experiences.
In a daring turn of events, J. Irja dismantled her entire team after dropping one of the hardest singles in her career last year, and began building her new platform not from scratch, but from experience. She has still been pictured with her longtime booking manager Kinfolk the Plug, most recently on stage with Twista at Texas Live during his performance after a recent sporting event. KTP has been pursuing a DJ career with growing success, and it is rumored that there may be a tour brewing for the duo once again. Only time can tell, but with the way Hate2SeeMeWin seems to be capturing both attention and controversy, it could be a strong possibility.
The Hate2SeeMeWin music video is a bold statement, and some are saying it may be an actual diss track. Whether it is or isn’t one thing rings true: this single is laying a strong foundation for the beginning of a push that devoted followers are hoping leads to the big break J. Irja has worked so hard to attain.
Hate2SeeMeWin Music Video: https://youtu.be/LbXRdzzrd90
J. Irja Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thesexypsycho/
J. Irja Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.irja/
J. Irja TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@officialjirja
Published by: Martin De Juan
