We’re excited to introduce you to the always interesting and insightful Jakwellyn Douglas. We hope you’ll enjoy our conversation with Jakwellyn below.

Alright, Jakwellyn thanks for taking the time to share your stories and insights with us today. It’s always helpful to hear about times when someone’s had to take a risk – how did they think through the decision, why did they take the risk, and what ended up happening. We’d love to hear about a risk you’ve taken.

Hello my name is Jakwellyn Douglas and I’m a musical artist that performs under the pseudonym Jay Kwellyn. I was not always a rap artist though. Before I ever did music I was a circus performer, specifically an acrobat. I lifted people above my head and ran and did flips over children. I taught gymnastics at a couple different gyms in the metro Atlanta area. And i was good at what i did. I loved it. But on October 27th, 2017 that all came crashing down (no pun intended) when i had an accident during a performance at KSU’s Owl’oween festival. I was flipping off of a mini trampoline onto a mat and underrotated which caused me to land on my head from a significant height. I immediately lost all feeling below my neck. I had dislocated my spine and partially severed my spinal chord. I was rushed to the hospital and sent into surgery where they put my neck back together and saved my life before a month and a half spent in the hospital relearning how to walk.

Once I was out of the hospital and had gone through a bunch of physical therapy till i could mostly use my body again i started working again doing old jobs I had before. Working kids birthday parties and doing small performances here and there while trying to build up my strength and get back to where i was pre injury. After two years of trying my hardest and hitting a plateau with no change in sight I finally started to wonder “maybe this life just isn’t in the cards for me anymore. maybe its finally time to give up”. It didn’t help that during this time i had also come to the realization that I am transgender and had started going to therapy and completely changing my view of myself and place in life. And then 2020 happened.

When the pandemic started I was still holding onto circus as much as I could but things were slipping. At the time I had already started watching youtube videos on music production and became enamored with the whole process. In March when the lockdown started and it was no longer safe to work kids parties I decided to take the biggest risk I have in my life so far. I gave up on the one thing that had ever brought me true happiness and just jumped right into something new. I Spent as much time as i could learning about production, recording, sound design, anything i could cram into my head I looked into. It really helped to begin using discord as a tool to meet other creatives and people already working in the industry. I Began collaborating with friends and putting out music that year and its made me happier than I ever could have been while doing circus and my life feels so much healthier, happier, and more fulfilled!

So even though I haven’t “made it” yet as an artist I know for a fact that if I could go back I would do it all again. Because everyday i wake up excited to do what I do and it’s all for me.

Jakwellyn, love having you share your insights with us. Before we ask you more questions, maybe you can take a moment to introduce yourself to our readers who might have missed our earlier conversations?

I’m a 27yo producer, rapper, singer, songwriter, amateur photographer and videographer, and I give great hugs. I make music that makes my brain happy and makes me feel fulfilled. I try to speak my truth as well as entertain in the way that makes sense to me and that tends to resonate with people. All of the music I’ve dropped in the last two years has been fully recorded in my bedroom which is something I’m extremely proud of. As well as I have to say that I’m proud to be a trans person making rap music. There’s just not that many of us out there and I feel as though there is a need and desire for it.

My music has been primarily rap focus in the past year but as i have begun to produce more the genres are definitely getting stretched out a bit. We’ll have to wait and see where we end up by the end of the year.

Is there a particular goal or mission driving your creative journey?

My overall goal isn’t actually music oriented. It’s community building, outreach, and the sharing of perspective. Music is a means to an end that also brings me joy. My end goal is to have the resources to help people like me survive to the point that they don’t need help anymore. I want my music to make people feel good and make them think. I want to use the resources and connections that brings to help make more room for Women and Queer poc in the music industry and give them opportunities that aren’t currently readily available. And finally I’d like to own land where people can just exist and be ok. Its all i’ve wanted since the beginning and that plan is the main focus of my career.

In your view, what can society to do to best support artists, creatives and a thriving creative ecosystem?

Let people exist. Everyone and everything is so scrutinized from every aspect these days. You can’t laugh a little weird in public without the fear of some random person recording you and having thousands of people laughing at you on twitter. It’s a very general thing but when it comes to artists who’s faces and personas online IS their career it makes everything you do slightly terrifying. It’s so hard to come up with content/marketing ideas and be sure they aren’t “corny” or too easily picked apart and made fun of to the point that it almost feels better when things you post get no interaction at all. If we could get to the point where people are honest with the content they interact with in a positive way (i.e. if you like something leave a like or share it and if you don’t like something just move on with your day like a normal respectful person) we would ALL be better off. Especially creatives.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jay_kwellyn/?hl=en
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jaykwellyn/
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/JayKwellyn
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCN_1U86O-mkBFQEFHHjvIGw
• Other: Linktree: https://linktr.ee/jaykwellyn

Image Credits
I took these so just me.