New York Hip-Hop has been lost in the wilderness for many years now. We can pretty much admit that the birthplace of the culture is kinda wayward when stalwart NYC emcees are constantly seeking Future features, and trying to mimic the flows of southern rappers on Trap-sounding beats. Whatever happened to the grittiness of M.O.P., the sheer creativity and bombast of the Wu, the melodic eccentricity of A Tribe Called Quest? Where did all that go? It’s not all bad though. There are still some pockets of dopeness lurking in the metropolis, and we unearthed a promising new Brooklyn emcee to present for your listening pleasure. He goes by the alias Jimi Tents, and he’s an able & complex spitter who can rap with the best of them. He also knows the exact type of sonic experience he wants to deliver to his growing fan base, and honestly, we think it’s just a matter of time before he scoops all the props. Without further ado, read our Q & A with young Jimi below …
“My main goal is to inspire and takeover as much of the game as I can. Power moves only …”
First of all, let’s talk about your rap name Jimi Tents – it’s not the most common Hip-Hop moniker – how did you get it?
[Laughs] Growing up my family gave me the nickname Jimi since me and my pops had the same name and it would get confusing. And the Tents came later, because I thought the shit would be funny since I’m a part of Sleepercamp.When did you first start rapping and fall in love with the Hip-Hop culture?
This was back in like 3rd grade, I started with poems then I heard 50 & Ye albums and I became infatuated with it.
You just got back from SXSW. How was the entire experience and what kind of response did you get from the fans over there?
I couldn’t ask for a better first SXSW, It was all love I killed every show & the people definitely turned up with me. It really gave me a wider scope of what my fan base is like outside of the east coast
Your single “Landslide” from the 5 O’Clock Shadow EP is really starting to catch fire – did you know you had a heater on your hands after you recorded it?
For sure. I knew from the moment I heard the beat it was gonna be special, I didn’t know exactly how or to what magnitude but I had that feeling.
