Interview: Jai Capone

Jai Capone is a name you won’t forget. This independent rap artist has built his sound and vision from the ground up, blending sharp lyricism with striking visuals and a relentless drive to create. But what fuels his artistry? What moments define his journey?

In this exclusive interview, Jai opens up about his creative process, the challenges he’s faced, and what keeps him pushing forward. Dive in and discover the mind behind the music.

Getting to Know Jai Capone

Q: Hey Jai, Where are you from, How old are you and how has your background shaped your journey as an artist?
A: I’m originally from Wales, UK but currently residing in Mallorca. I’m 35 years old.
Through a lot of trials and tribulations, my background has shaped my journey as an artist by making me resilient to rejection,
creating a delusional amount of self belief. It has made me ambitious, teaching me how to navigate my life as through every song I write I find a piece of myself that I didn’t know existed.

Q: What inspired you to choose the name “Jai Capone,” and what does it signify?
A: When I began to write in my early years, I used the name JayTee, (using my initials in “Creative Way” JT), one day I was writing,
I was maybe 16 or 17 and I wrote a line that ended with “you just pissed off Jaytee Al Capone” metaphorically saying a “monster has been born” as cringe as it is now, that’s where my name was born. Maybe I was 18 when I established the actual stage name “Jai Capone”. The name symbolises Power, Influence, Fearlessness, Resilience, Strategy, loyalty and the duality of darkness and charm. You can check my tracks ‘Psycho’ and ‘Be Who You Want To Be’ to see how the difference in my duality comes into play.

Q: Can you tell us a bit about your upbringing and how it influences your music today?
A: Growing up I was quiet, shy and always recognised as the weird kid. I never really spoke much or had the desire to make friends, making me most comfortable in isolation, however when I wanted to converse with people, I realised that nobody wanted to listen and people spoke over me. This is when I realised people only wanted to talk about themselves. Then I discovered Hip Hop, rappers telling their story, expressing themselves and having a creative outlet. So I made an attempt to write and that’s where I found my outlet to speak. This influences my music today in a major way because I have adapted to this way of speaking my mind
and has also made it easier for me to communicate with people outside of music.

Q: What are some non-musical experiences or aspects of life that inspire your work?
A: Everyday experiences and aspects of life inspire my work, what happens in life happens to my music.

Q: Do you have a personal mantra or philosophy that helps you stay focused and motivated?
A: The thing that keeps me working on music is a reminder that I have the capability to work and follow my dreams where many people aren’t so fortunate,
whether it’s due to health or death. I keep working on what I can do because I feel it is a disrespect to those who cannot.

Q: What do you enjoy doing when you’re not working on music?
A: If I’m not working on music, I’m quite a boring person, If I’m not working on music I feel like I’m a worthless being, just existing. I work a day job at a hotel, as a team leader in room service, I watch TV, go to the pub etc, but I don’t actually enjoy any of those things, it’s just day to day things, so I try to do music related things everyday as that gives me a sense of purpose, expression and fulfilment.

Q: Was there a particular moment in your life that sparked your passion for music or shifted your artistic perspective?
A: The moment that sparked my passion was when I realised the power of transferring my lyrics on paper to music at a recording studio when I was 16, from this point I knew what I bled for and it is why I keep going. If I don’t write I feel like I’m wasting my life away.

Q: How do you handle criticism and negativity, especially in such a public career?
A: I just thank the criticism and the negativity and I will write my response in a song, this is one pathway for my inspiration, so I’m grateful. Actually, my EP series “The Catalyst: Level One” was inspired by negativity, which was released last year and the criticism still continues to fuel my motivation.

Q: How would you describe your sound to someone hearing it for the first time?
A: Dark yet uplifting sound, fused with grit of 90s hip-hop with modern cinematic energy. Homemade, sharp lyricism and haunting rhythms with themes of ambition, struggle, and perseverance, with a message to motivate anyone chasing dreams against all odds.

Q: What makes your music unique compared to others in the independent rap scene?
A: I don’t really know what makes my music unique compared to others in the independent rap scene, I just make the music that I make and write what I feel, think and know.

Q: Who were your biggest musical influences growing up, and how have they shaped your style?
A: My biggest musical influences growing up were Eminem, Dr Dre, 50 Cent, Tech N9ne, Russ. I think Em gave me the rawness and I don’t give a fuck attitude, Dre gave me the synth sound I often use, 50 gave me the inspiration to write my story, tech n9ne gave me the faster style of rapping technique and darker themes of writing, and Russ provided me with the growth mindset approach of not just music but life in general.

Q: What’s the main message you want listeners to take away from your lyrics?
A: No matter how hard life gets, always put yourself first, work on you and be who you want to be and always strive to become a better version of who you currently are.
Become resilient, accept the rejection and use it as fuel to drive you to complete your goals.

Q: Do you see yourself as a voice for a particular community or movement?
A: I do not see myself as a voice for a particular community or movement, I’m just the voice of my inner struggles, desires and dreams.

Q: What was the first song or project you ever released, and how do you feel about it now?
A: The first ever track that I ever recorded was with 2 of my friends back when we were 16, the song was called ‘We Are’ and it was over the instrumental of Tony Yayo’s ‘Live By The Gun’ I don’t really know how I feel about it now because it has been so long since I heard it, I’d probably cringe to death but at the time I felt amazing about it, it gave me confidence to record more songs.

Q: Can you share a breakthrough moment in your career that made you feel like you’d levelled up?
A: Actually, in the middle of 2023 I felt a surge of artistic level up, I was going through a negative time with a divorce and leaving behind the baggage of that relationship sparked something and I birthed the series ‘The Catalyst’ with the release of ‘The Catalyst: Level One’ in January 2024.

Q: What challenges have you faced as an independent artist, and how have you overcome them?
A: As an independent artist, everything is against you. Your biggest tool is money, and if you do not have money you are on your own, which is my case.
You need to pay producers for music, you need to pay for studio sessions, you need to pay for mixing and mastering, you need to pay for videos etc etc, everything is money. So with the money I could spend on these services, I bought the equipment I needed and learned how to do everything myself, am I great at all these things? no, but I’m a better artist for it. So challenges such as not being able to record or buy beats were overcome by working nine to five employment, saving the money needed for equipment and learning everything myself.

Q: What’s been your proudest or most rewarding moment in music so far?
A: My most proudest and most rewarding moment is when I was able to say with confidence, I produce everything myself.

Q: How do you stay authentic to your personal style while experimenting with new sounds?
A: I stay authentic to my personal style by writing my life, my thoughts, my feelings, my views etc.

Q: Are there any life lessons you’ve learned through your musical journey that you’d like to share?
A: One thing I learned through music, is that to get through anything, you have to go through it. Everything is a process, that we have to go through to grow and get better.

Q: What’s your creative process like when writing songs or crafting music videos?
A: My creative process is just a daily energy burst, I decide in the moment, I just follow the urge to create and what you see and hear is the outcome, of course there are parts in the middle of the creativity that are dampened by procrastination, where I find myself watching music videos, making coffee (When it’s not needed) or scrolling through Instagram, but when I realise, I just pick up where I left off.

Q: How do you select a suitable locations for shoots, who helps you to complete them?
A: We follow some Mallorca Instagram pages to find locations suitable for shooting, or when we are out, we are always keeping in mind to scout locations for videos. My girlfriend shoots my videos and I edit them, as of recent my friend has stepped in to shoot some videos.

Q: How has creating music videos elevated your artistry and connection with your audience?
A: I’ve learned that creating music videos is part of the process of completing a song, I produce my own music, as I’m producing I am writing the lyrics as I go, then it’s the recording, mixing and the mastering, then to give the song life, we make the music video, my girlfriend and I, sometimes some friends will get involved to help. By hearing the song complete with the video, connects better with my audience, especially at the stage that I am at now, where I do not have such a cult following.

Q: Where do you find inspiration for your deeply personal lyrics, especially about growth and perseverance?
A: I reflect on where I was before, Where I am now and where I want to go, most of my songs write themselves, meaning I sit at my desk with the instrumental on and my words flow.

Q: How do you decide which stories or messages to share through your music?
A: The mood of the instrumental chooses for me, hearing something in an instrumental will spark an emotion, a memory or a thought and that’s where I feel what to write.

Q: What’s your studio vibe like—any specific rituals or must-haves to get in the zone?
A: Well, after my morning coffee, I’m ready to go, so I guess my must have ritual is that fist morning coffee to get me in the zone.

Q: Do you have a favourite track you’ve made? What inspired it, and how did it come to life?
A: I have a few favourite tracks, but 2 that stand out is ‘Unleash The Dragon’ which was produced by my friend @YoshyBeats in New Zealand, which is about rising from negativity in my life and having the dedication to blow, half way through writing that track my friend and rap partner had died so I wrote his passing in the second verse and put it on his name ‘@Sirius’ that I would succeed, as we worked a lot together to pursue a similar dream. The Other is ‘Broken Shirt’ Produced by my friend @FernyMacProductions in Wales, this song is about letting go of everything and everyone after realising, I don’t need anyone since after reflecting I realised no one was really there to begin with, it’s a dark instrumental and it really allowed my to express, also my girlfriend shot the music video which turned out to be one of my favourite videos we made.

Q: How do collaborations fit into your vision as an artist? Any dream collaborators on your list?
A: For now, I’m not really consistently looking for collaborations as there a millions of independent artists out there but only a select few are actually good on their word and a collaboration never comes into fruition. That being said, what I am looking for is a select few to build a catalogue with, as a prolific artist, I want to be able to create at least 3 to 5 tracks with an artist per year.

Q: Have you ever experimented with genres outside of rap? If so, how has that influenced your work?
A: I recently fused Rap and Metal/Rock with my friend Juano Rock in Mallorca, called Screaming Souls, it was a little difficult at first but we made a decent track, it’s about struggle, resilience and perseverance, we are actually in the process of shooting the video for it.

Q: What can fans expect from you in the next year—any new projects or releases on the horizon?
A: This year, fans can expect ‘The Catalyst: Level Two’ it’s almost complete but I do not have a release date and like last year, every track on the project will come with a music video.

Q: How do you see your music evolving over the next few years?
A: I’m hoping to build not only a following from my music but a community, I want the connection with people who appreciate music, art and growth, I hope the community will be one where people can thrive together. As my music is profoundly written around the themes of growth, self-development and improvement.

Q: What’s your biggest dream as an artist?
A: My biggest dream as an artist is to be able to live independently off my music, no more employment, so that I can give my 1000% on my music.
I also have an ambitious goal, I aim to become one of the most prolific independent artists with one of the longest catalogues ever made. The impossibility of this is what makes me want to do this, but I’m currently sitting at over 200 songs in my catalogue.

Q: What do you hope listeners feel or understand after hearing your music?
A: I hope that it evokes thought about their own life, to inspire and motivate them to work on their dreams,

Q: What advice would you give to up-and-coming independent artists trying to find their path?
A: Learn to do everything yourself to give yourself the knowledge, the experience and the skillset you will need in the future as an independent artist.

Q: Is there anything you want to say or share with us that has not been covered above?
A: First and foremost I’d like to thank my girlfriend for all the work she has put in to help bring visuals to my music, with the total of 20 videos made and put out in 2024, plus the videos that are currently being edited. Also I would like to shout out FernyMac, (@FernyMacProductions on YouTube) for motivating me and putting me on stage to perform 12 years ago, when I was not ready to perform and where I was nervous as hell. From that day on, is when I started taking my music seriously, so effectively I would not be where I am now musically if it wasn’t for that push