justicexavier Interview

modrNation: Where are you originally from?

justicexavier: I’m from North Jersey, I grew up in North Bergen but moved all around.

modrNation: How do you feel Jersey has impacted your music?

justicexavier: It wasn’t necessarily my environment that helped me with my music, it was more so the people I grew up with. My mom was very into 90’s R&B and my step-father listened to so much hip hop so I got that from him. I lived with my grandmother for the majority of my childhood too, so listening to what she listened to as well. 

modrNation: Who are some artists who have inspired you the most?

justicexavier: That’s always such a hard question because I never really know who to say. At certain points in my life it always changed. When I first started writing music Eminem was a big influence for me especially on a technical side, when I started releasing music Earl Sweatshirt, Tyler The Creator and XXXtentacion were big influences for me and now I’ve become a big influence for myself. Seeing the growth I’ve made has inspired me to keep going.

modrNation: What would you say is the intention behind your music?

justicexavier: I want to be a voice for people who feel like they don’t have one. Growing up I always bottled my emotions, I never really knew how to express myself and I never knew how to speak my mind, but now that I’m older and have learned how to do so I want to be that voice for people who are finding theirs. Also just make people feel good and happy as themselves.

modrNation: Is your writing process centered around self-reflection?

justicexavier: A lot of my songs have been made off of real life events, more so off of things that have happened over the course of a couple months. Most of it was self reflection too on things I went through growing up.

modrNation: Where are you in the process of this album you’ve been working on?

justicexavier: The album is done, we’re just doing the last finishing touches on the mixes and ordering the tracks, but it’s basically done. Focusing a lot on how we’re going to promo, pushing on social media so I can have this momentum going towards the album when it is released.

modrNation: Is there a name for the album?

justicexavier: That’s the tricky thing, we’ve had a name or two but it’s most likely going to be self titled. I feel like that would be appropriate as the album is an introduction to who I am for people to get to know me as an individual. 

modrNation: What was the driving inspiration behind the project?

justicexavier: I just want the world to know who I am, that’s my drive for this album. I want people to understand I’m here for the long run, I want the longevity and I want you to come back to my album ten years from now and bump it like it’s the first time you heard it. I love the career arc of Jay-Z, he’s been in the game for thirty years and has managed to stay relevant all this time whether it’s through business or music. 

modrNation: You just started dropping music about a year ago, what are some lessons you’ve learned through this process?

justicexavier: I definitely want to be more consistent next year, I had a couple downfalls this year for my own personal reasons. I want to just be more present and be more consistent this year.

modrNation: With so many new artists dropping music every day, what would you say is the importance of finding your own identity and individuality as an artist?

justicexavier: I feel like finding your own identity is super important, authenticity too brings you fans within itself. Authenticity shows in your music and creative process, that way when people hear your music they’ll know it’s you. Being true will help you stand out, every idea has been thought of but being yourself will keep you standing out. I’ve remained myself my whole career and it’s helped me stand out so much.

modrNation: Where do you see yourself five years from now?

justicexavier: I definitely see myself twenty or thirty times bigger than I am right now, being financially free and making a living off of what I do. Having this huge cult fanbase and having songs that are considered classics. I want to be bringing up underground artists too, being that voice for the underground and I want to be respected and loved.