PAINTING LIFE ON WAX: Get To Know MannyJR
MannyJR. is a Queens raised Hip-Hop artist. Manny is deeply influenced by New York’s style to be lyrical versed, pulling from influences such as Nas, Q-Tip, LLCoolJ & Lauryn Hill. Manny flows his view of the world into his music. Manny is 1/3 and Co-Founder of ThiiirdDivision. (@td.nyc on Instagram)
Gulie Carrington: Thanks for joining me today. I’m coming to you live from South Florida, where do you come from?
MannyJR: I am from South Jamaica, Queens. I grew up in Far Rockaway, I moved to the south side when I was around 13. After that, I went further south to South Carolina. After high school, I moved back to NY… but despite ALL that, I’m born and bred in Queens.
GC: I was born in New York but didn’t get a chance to live there very long, to my dismay because I love the city. I’m a Manhattanite in my heart.
MJ: If you ever feel homesick, let’s switch places!
GC: Well, if you’ve never been... post-pandemic, I encourage you to come check it out!
MJ: There are a few places I’m looking to go after the pandemic! This pandemic has opened a lot of people’s eyes, mine included, to a lot of things I’m trying to do. That’s exactly why I’m doing the music the way I do it now, so I can experience my life in the way I choose to. Plus, of course it’s a passion of mine.
GC: Speaking of, we’ve been in a pandemic for over a year now. How has it changed the way you go about the industry & market yourself?
MJ: Pre-pandemic, my main marketing format was going to shows and gaining fans organically. It was the best way for me to market, especially in New York with open mics everywhere. During the pandemic, I actually learned the digital marketing side of the game. In 2019, I started a brand with my brother called ThiiirdDivision and got into the nitty-gritty of digital marketing- optimizing platforms like Instagram, SEO, streaming, blogging and everything in between.
GC: The pandemic has given people so many chances to change course, to put a positive spin on it! I’m glad you got ahead of it, that’s what’s up!
MJ: It helped some and showed the flaws of others. You have to find other methods and means to live your dream- it’s make or break. It’s time to make moves!
GC: As a New Yorker, I’m sure you have a few influences from previous eras of the NY rap scene-- who helped you hone in on your sound and who did you listen to growing up?
MJ: I grew up around a lot of music, but being African, my dad didn’t like me listening to rap or hip-hop, but I was actually exposed to those genres through my stepmom. She showed me LLCoolJ, the Bobby Browns’ and Luther Vandross’, but the most impactful was honestly Lauryn Hill. The first ever full-length album I ever listened to was The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill. (Shout out to Lauryn Hill!) If it wasn’t for her and Maya Angelou, I probably wouldn’t even be doing music today!
Additional influences on MannyJRs sound:
· Nas (Queensbridge, stand up!)
· Big L
· AZ
· Run DMC
· KRS One
I heard Hiiipower by Kendrick Lamar and that’s when it hit me. That’s when I knew I wanted to do music. I started looking into artists like J Cole, Wale, Kanye, Wayne, Drake, Rick Ross, Jay-Z etc. and teaching myself to create. There are so many artists that fit into what I like- but what I love are artists that bring realism of life into their music and make it relatable. These artists paint a picture of real life and they’ve been able to reach that upper echelon of success from creating art as their authentic selves.
GC: Agreed! Having your personality and life experiences do the talking is nothing short of a talent. By the way, while we’re on the subject of being yourself, your recent track “Ghetto Flower” is a freestyle and speaks to your love of the women in your life. I love that one, it’s been on repeat for a minute. I’d love for you to talk a bit about your creative process and your influences for production.
MJ: Everything I put in my music is my life. My life is my biggest muse. Whether it’s a female I’m with (or NOT with), or a situation I’m going through with family and friends, I write about wherever my mind goes. I paint on wax; is how I say it. I write about what I’m going through at that very moment.
As far as production, I love samples. I’m very New York traditional- ATL has bass hitters, LA artists have synths and piano melodies, but New York is known for sampling vocals, beat patterns, etc. As far as how I wish to sound, old school Drake is what I aim to emulate, he’s a storyteller, coupled with the aggressiveness of Kendrick, with a little bit of J Cole poeticism, with a Wale je ne sais qua. I basically take the qualities I can from those 4 and create my own unique sound that I’ve developed this year. I am getting more into incorporating R&B into my sound.
GC: I appreciate the thoughtfulness in your response. Let’s step away from music for a moment- tell me what your perfect day would be.
MJ: I’m a simplistic person. My perfect day is waking up to rain outside and having my coffee and a big breakfast, then watching a great movie and making some quality beats that I can chill & write to. By the end of this day, I made a 5-song EP. That’s perfect.
GC: If you could open a show for any artist, who would it be? Who would you most like to collaborate with?
MJ: If I could collab with anybody, it would be-
GC: Dead or alive!
MJ: It’s a toss-up between Tory Lanez and SZA!
GC: Great picks!
MJ: I like Tory as an artist because he’s able to tell you where he’s at in his life very well, and I love his beat selection. I’ve had the biggest crush on SZA since Teen Spirit, and I would love to be able to say I’ve done a song with SZA. She has a raw, and natural voice that doesn’t need to be altered, it just sounds GOOD. Those two would be ideal features.
I’d love to open for J. Cole. I would love to be able to rock a stage with him or open. I feel that our music is so similar, and it would be a really smooth transition.
GC: I can definitely see that! You both are similar not only in style, but in substance. You have something to say in your music. I also am curious to know what you’d be doing right now if it wasn’t for music.
MJ: Culinary arts! I wanted to be a chef.
GC: What’s your favorite thing to make?!
MJ: Honestly, anything with pasta, rice or bread. Before I went into music I went to school for Culinary Arts. During that process, everything in the universe was pointing me toward music. School was too expensive, and I would’ve had to leave New York, so I ended up switching my major to music! I let the universe tell me what to do, and I did it.
GC: Before we wrap up, I want to go over your past, present and future. Tell me about your favorite past project, tell me what you’re working on now, and what you’ve got coming down the pipeline.
MJ: My favorite project is actually something very recent. Shout out to my girl Sohana V., it’s a project called Heart to Heart. It was originally her project by herself, but I jumped on it immediately because she’s such a great vocalist and she has a penchant for writing lyrics and an ear for beat selection. It was her first project ever, a 3-song EP and it is about a man and woman having a heart to heart during their relationship. I felt like that was the first time I’ve connected with an artist on a song where it felt incredibly in tune and the connection was so natural.
What I’m working on now should be released by the wintertime, and it will be based on how 2020 was for me. It is me talking to the fans, sharing my inner thoughts, where I am physically and mentally. I needed to do this because I feel like my fans think of me as a “trap/soul” artist, and I’m not on social media much, so I feel like there’s a lot more to me than I put out, so I wanted the music to serve as a way for fans to get to know me on a deeper level. Other than that, I’ve got singles on the way. We’re going to make movies this year!
GC: My Spotify playlist needs more Manny! Thank you so much.
MJ: My latest, Ghetto Flower Freestyle, is out on all platforms! It was released during Women’s History Month to show appreciation for all women, go stream that and run those numbers up.
Interact with me, I interact back!
@MannyJRMusic
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