We caught up with the brilliant and insightful Saint Jayp a few weeks ago and have shared our conversation below.

Saint, appreciate you joining us today. When did you first know you wanted to pursue a creative/artistic path professionally?

Ever since I was young, I kept a journal to write down my feelings. It was a way for me to understand my thoughts and finally make sense of it. Some of the entries turned into songs that are tucked away in my voice memos and the others were written, just to be thrown away for my own peace of mind. I’ve always known that I’ve wanted to pursue singing/songwriting, but the real reason didn’t strike me until I was about 19 years old. After going through the experiences that I did and being in the mindset that I was in, I found myself journaling a lot, which led me to write the songs for my EP, TOXIC $AINT. I convinced myself to book a studio session by my house in Hayward, CA— all because I wanted to hear how it would sound put together. Pouring my entire heart out onto those songs, I felt such an overwhelming sense of relief. It was like I could finally speak my truth and people would hear me, even if it was just going to be posted on SoundCloud. A year or so later, I connect with my manager, Kaylene Bondoc, who advised me to post them on all platforms. Soon after that, people were commenting and/or DM’ing me about how much they can relate to the music I make— and still to this day. Because of that, I want to keep striving in creating songs for people to relate to. To pour their heart out to. To help make sense of their own thoughts. To encourage speaking their truth.

Great, appreciate you sharing that with us. Before we ask you to share more of your insights, can you take a moment to introduce yourself and how you got to where you are today to our readers.

Oh, man. My love and appreciation for music goes far beyond reach and I think it’s safe to say that it’s what defines me. For me, I love the storytelling aspect in songs; to feel and hear the emotions in every word, every beat, and every note— which is one of the reasons why I got into making music. Majority of the songs I write are experiences that I’ve gone through and some of them are from putting myself in other people’s shoes. From growing up, listening to other artists tell their story, inspired me to want to tell mine in a way that made sense. Music is a fluid form of expression and it’s such a beautiful thing because it doesn’t have to be one genre. I, religiously, try to be as versatile as I can when it comes to my craft, which helps me grow as an artist. I do believe that I’ve grown a lot, not only as an artist/performer, but as a person— and I’m proud of that. I’ve realized that, only after surrounding myself with genuine people. Not only am I a part of a roster full of talented artists and creatives called Still In Motion, but I get to do what I’m passionate about, which is making music, alongside people that I call family and with the support from my loved ones.

Is there something you think non-creatives will struggle to understand about your journey as a creative? Maybe you can provide some insight – you never know who might benefit from the enlightenment.

Coming from a perfectionist, I’ve definitely struggled with the competition within myself to do better than the last, which led me to get imposter syndrome that I’ve only heard a select few talk about. I never understood it until a few months back and to be honest, it comes and goes. If you are not familiar with imposter syndrome, it’s basically when you feel like you don’t belong in your line of work and/or you’re not as worthy or skillful as others say/think you are. To be completely transparent, I’ve dismissed a lot of my work and achievements because I compared myself to others, and because of that, I have a hard time celebrating my accomplishments. I’m in the process but I’ve learned to give myself grace and to give myself my flowers— because I am not in the same position that I was in 3 years ago, let alone a year ago, and I think everyone needs that reminder sometimes.

What’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative in your experience?

The feeling of being on stage. As I grow as an artist, I can tell you, that performing was not one of my strongest suits and I definitely do still get nervous before going on stage. Though, I think it’s the anticipation along with the excitement that gets mistaken for nervousness. Regardless, it’s a rewarding feeling when I’m able to go on stage, perform songs, and just have fun with the audience! Another rewarding aspect for me is when I finish a project that I’ve been working on for months. I recently just released my first album, PHASE II. It took me months to complete, but after putting it together, it was more than worth it and I’m beyond happy that people are enjoying it!

Contact Info:

• Instagram: @saintjayp
• Youtube: @saintjayp

Image Credits

instagrams:
@miiinked
@ikvriiii
@rickysparrowvisuals
@chenstah
@ily2ej