Q: I love the storytelling in “Paradise”, what was your creative process like?
JAI WINTER: I actually had a crush on a coworker at the time and I knew it wasn’t going anywhere so I thought to myself “let me write a song about her”. The lyrics just came naturally as I wrote. There’s so many great things about her and she’s genuinely an amazing person. Even though we never became a thing, we ended up becoming really good friends. She even got in the music video too.
Q: What stimulated the release of this single?
WINTER: I mainly make hip-hop music so this was my first attempt at making pop music. I just went straight for it. I listen to pop music on a basis as I love varieties of music so I picked up on the genre pretty quickly and ran with it.
Q: When did you start pursuing music in the first place?
WINTER: I started in 2019 around August after moving in with my grandparents back in Philly. Since I finally had the space and equipment to record I took advantage of the opportunity. By December I dropped my first song “Woah”. It wasn’t the best but many people loved the song and it gave me the confidence to continue creating and learning.
Q: Who are some of your biggest influences?
WINTER: Kendrick Lamar & Nipsey Hussle. I learned how to do a lot with my vocals because of Kendrick and his many different voices throughout his music, like “Swimming Pools” for example. With Nipsey I learned how to mix and master. When Nipsey would record he’d have the engineer put the vocals just a bit louder than the beat to allow his vocals to cut through the beat instead of being drowned out in the instrumental. From both artists I learned to develop different flows so I can be as versatile in my music as I need to. I’m never afraid to go outside the box when I create.
Q: What is coming up next for you?
WINTER: 2022 I have a lot planned, I’ve started marketing more and learning my way around running a label so I can sign and lift other artists at some point in the future. I like to have everything in line ahead of time so it’s always caught up. My biggest goal right now is to land sync deals with TV shows, movies, games, etc. With the pandemic going on and the new variant that’s spreading rapidly, I’m not too thrilled about performing just yet so I’m taking things slow but also at a quick pace. Music is always changing so it’s best to always keep up and stay on your toes.
Q: What would you like to tell your supporters out there?
WINTER: I love everyone who’s been here from day one up to now. Without my supporters I wouldn’t even be where I’m at right now or making music in general. The immense amount of support and love they give is so genuine. It pushes me everyday to continue what I do because I know my music is making a difference in someone else’s life.
Interviewed by Katrina Yang
FOLLOW JAI WINTER
