J Noa talks almost as fast as she raps. Her words roar off her tongue like machine-gun fire; she pieces passages together in seconds, and her Dominican Spanish is full of rhythm that keeps you glued to the moment. The 18-year-old Latin rapper has attracted fans around the world with her intricate lyrical flow and fierce confidence, a talent she says she has always had.
“It wasn’t intentional,” she says, sitting in an armchair in the reception area of her north London studio. “I’ve always spoken very quickly. I remember the first time I realized I could translate it into music, I was writing a lyric and I deliberately removed the gaps between words to make it speak like a complete sentence. came out. I released it and the fans seemed to really like it, so I started trying to use the skill more.
When the teenage rapper (born Nojelis Jimenez) explained the origins of her style to NME, her translator Marcelo admirably kept pace. J Noa’s limited English skills make her global popularity to date all the more impressive. Last fall, hip-hop fans in the English-speaking world were introduced to the self-proclaimed “la hija del rap” (“the daughter of rap”) through a stunning contribution to NPR’s prestigious Tiny Desk concert series as part of Latin Heritage Month. With the help of her smooth Latin jazz band, she brings the infectious energy of early singles like “No Me Pueden Para” into a new live setting and prompts audiences to dig deeper into her repertoire, a Latin Grammy-winning Nominated debut EP “Autodidacta” ‘.
Released in May 2023, Autodidacta features ferocious bars and thoughtful storytelling. Its title track is filled with frenetic fast beats, beat switches and pointed lyrics, showcasing J Noa’s socio-political views, which are fleshed out in songs like “Qué Fué,” a song about “being treated unfairly and unfairly by the authorities.” Inspiration from social injustice.” Crime that plagues the entire Dominican territory. ” In addition to her rapping abilities, songs like “No Me Pueden Par” and “La Niña” also showcase effortless melodies, and best of all, every harmonization comes from Jiménez herself, making the entire EP feature-free. .
“I am part of the group that now has a say”
J Noa was only 15 years old when Sony Music first contacted her. She was signed to a major label soon after. In the years since, traveling to the US for recording and promotional appearances has become a regular occurrence, but she is determined not to let the hype get to her and insists her creative process has always remained the same.
“Nothing actually changes because if you change the formula, you change the final product,” she said. “From the beginning, the whole process was very organic and I never tried to force creativity. When I go to the studio, I put in the energy, the time, the effort, and I always go to the studio ready, but it still has to be It’s an organic process. I take advantage of every moment of inspiration; it could be on the plane or when I’m getting ready, and I’ll stop everything and start taking notes. That’s the trick to taking advantage of every moment. an idea and then put the effort into it once you get into the studio.
She recalls entering a large recording studio for the first time and having to adapt to the new environment, from observing how different producers worked to learning how other artists created vocal melodies without lyrics. But it’s worth noting that she had been rapping for years at this point.
Jimenez first started spitting when he was eight years old, jamming with local boys on the streets of his San Cristobal neighborhood. Her hometown is 30 kilometers west of Santo Domingo, the capital of the Dominican Republic, and she recently gave fans a glimpse into her region in the video documentary Mi Barrio, which has greatly influenced her storytelling abilities. The poverty and struggles she witnessed firsthand gave her a larger perspective from an early age. As she sang “Betty,” the heartbreaking story of a young, vulnerable teen’s unexpected pregnancy, “a ustedes le sorprende para mí es normal” (“You’re surprised, for me this is It’s normal”) ).
“I saw it all,” she told NME. “I was just telling the story, so there wasn’t really any pressure. But once it came out, I felt that way; I started seeing comments and seeing people realizing what ‘Betty’ meant, and when I felt the pressure, I feel like I have to lead by example. If I’m telling these stories and illuminating these issues, I can be part of the problem. If I say I’m an educated person and in an interview I portray myself as an uneducated person, that’s inconsistent, so I need to be honest and lead by example.
This reflects Jimenez’s belief that rappers are “journalists in the hood.” This is a perspective she has consistently espoused in her music, which explores a wide range of relevant issues related to social inequality, politics, relationships and mental health, all of which she feels a responsibility to document. Her recent single “Era de Cristal” is a perfect example of this. In the film, Jimenez is confined to a private bedroom, tossing and turning, visibly struggling to maintain order. The visuals reflect lyrical content centered on anxiety and insomnia, with lyrics such as “mirando como cae la noche el cielo, una lágrima que adorna mi” cara y rueda y mi cuello” (“Watching the night fall into the sky, a tear adorns my face and rolls down my neck”).
“Everything I do comes from my heart.”
“I’m not afraid to touch on any topic at all,” she explains. “But I’ve never talked about mental health so openly in any of my previous songs. I wanted to give my fans something that showed another side of myself and be a little bit exposed in that sense.
“Rap is history,” she continued. “History needs to be told, and where I come from, in the hood, there’s a lack of voice. There are stories, but no one is telling those stories. I’m part of a hood that has a voice now, and I want to use that voice to tell it These stories. With my style and skills, I have the ability to bring light to these stories.
This attitude is at the core of her upcoming debut album, “Matanse Por La Corona” (“Kill for the Crown”), due out May 23. Produced primarily by Honduran-born, Los Angeles-based producer Trooko—“He’s a master,” Jiménez says—the album relies heavily on reworked jazz and soul melodies, from From the clean double-bass riff that opens “Cenicienta” to the rough Chubby Checker vocal sample, it’s chopped up and scattered throughout the hard-hitting hip-hop anthem “Arrogante.” “Matanse Por La Corona” reflects the symbolic violence of its title as she spits rapidly over a furious, bouncing rhythm centered around a tense, triumphant trumpet blast that recalls the opening credits of a 1960s detective drama ( The clips were sampled from Canadian composer) Dennis Farnon’s 1974 track “Snowmobile”). What was the intention behind this evocative album title?
“The key is to admit that I’m not working toward this goal. [of ‘killing for the crown’]. It’s not important to me to gain recognition or fame,” she said. “I’m doing it because it’s what I love and I’m working with my own agenda, with the goal of growing as an artist. I tell everyone they can kill for the crown, but that’s not my agenda, I will Doing my own thing here!
Perhaps it’s this uniqueness, this disregard for trivial matters, commercial success or reputational trappings, that makes J Noa such a strong candidate for the top. She posed for the NME shoot against a crimson background, with her hair braided into a majestic flower shape on top of her head, exuding star energy. She looked comfortable, staring into the camera and shuffling effortlessly to the brisk reggae beat blaring from the speakers next to the studio.
The next day, she took the stage at the famed Camden venue Electric Ballroom to sing for Venezuelan funk/soul foursome Rawayana, and moved around with the same confidence. For an 18-year-old, Jimenez has formidable stage presence and room control. She strode around with purpose, and the mostly Spanish-speaking crowd responded enthusiastically to bold lyrics like “Piden guerra, pero vienen sin bala no hay quien reseta / A una barra que te deja en coma el tiempo que tú exita” (“They ask about war, but they have no bullets, no one can resist / to a bar that will keep you in a coma for the rest of your life”). You get the feeling she was born for this.
“Rapping is a way of life,” she said. “I’m pure hip-hop. There are many ways to make hip-hop music, but for me, it’s about focusing on the lyrics and also being a little bit aggressive. It comes from my personality; I’m bold, I’m aggressive, I’m Wanting to represent who I am as a strong black woman, everything I do comes from my heart.
J Noa’s debut album “Matanse Por La Corona” will be released on May 23
Listen to J Noa’s exclusive playlist for The Cover on Spotify and Apple Music below
Words: Fred Garrett-Stanley
Photography: Fiona Gardens
Hair: Shamara Roper
Stylist: Vivian Nwanka
Assistant Stylist: Christel Kwapong
MUA: Sheila Kamander
Assistant MUA: Cassandra Scalia
Label: Sony Music
