We were lucky to catch up with Jhawani Smalls recently and have shared our conversation below.

Hi Jhawani , thanks for joining us today. Coming up with the idea is so exciting, but then comes the hard part – executing. Too often the media ignores the execution part and goes from idea to success, skipping over the nitty, gritty details of executing in the early days. We think that’s a disservice both to the entrepreneurs who built something amazing as well as the public who isn’t getting a realistic picture of what it takes to succeed. So, we’d really appreciate if you could open up about your execution story – how did you go from idea to execution?

I don’t remember what made me first fall in love with Hip-Hop, but I definitely remember the overwhelming feeling that THIS is where my life belongs. I can tell you that it was early adolescence for me. As a kid my favorite rap artists were those with incredible lyrical ability. I remember the first rapper that made me want to rap was Kid from Kid-n-Play. At the time, I didn’t think I was allowed yet, as it wasn’t a child’s place… until Another Badd Creation & Kris Kross were released. That was the beginning of my pursuit.
As a resident of a HUD housing project, options & opportunities were extremely limited. During these years there was no internet or social media so word-of-mouth & leg work were everything. I would perform in school, in the streets, playgrounds, the bus stop or anywhere I could, which grew to performing in parties & eventually talent shows. My first shows were talent shows at Elizabeth City State University, a historically black institution, though I was only 11 or 12. I never could get production for my ambitions so I began to make beats myself. I could never get my music recorded so I purchased recording & DJ equipment myself. I never could get my music on the radio so I got a job as a DJ at WRVS FM at Elizabeth City State University before I was old enough to even go to college just so I could sneak my records on the air. I am a product of not waiting or begging but doing it myself.
As I got older & more exposed to the world I picked up a lot. I could never get even consideration for a record deal (not for lack of trying) so I was an independent rapper before “independent rappers” were a popular thing. Self taught. Self operated. Self funded. I’ve researched & still learned the best lessons the hardest ways. Finding out how important ownership is for an artist of any field or genre, I established Ghettocratic Publishing, later rebranded to UndahDhaHood Publishing & Die-Hardz Productions for music.
My brand is myself. So after many many years I eventually found a management team to represent me. Though the business relationship didn’t last very long, one thing they did was shop all possibilities to all their artists, no matter how absurd it may have sounded. One opportunity was when my then-manager shared a casting call for an independent 6-episode series on the streaming service Tubi. None of us were actors, looking to be actors, have ever acted or even considered acting, & out of about 9 artist I was the only one to take a leap of faith & audition. Surprisingly I got the role & my actor career had began. The series, unfortunately fell through before it began, but because of my work I was cast that same year in a feature-length film with a starring protagonist role. “The Only Life I Know” was released on Tubi & got extremely positive reviews. I landed another role in another production just off of my performance alone. This made me seriously pursue more roles to build a catalogue & gain experience. I’ve since built an acting reel of past works, had photos taken & have been casted in 4 films. Like I said earlier, I’m a product of “do it yourself”
If I only had one reflection in life, it’s definitely that if I don’t do it, it won’t get done

Jhawani , before we move on to more of these sorts of questions, can you take some time to bring our readers up to speed on you and what you do?

I’m an Emcee. I say that purposely separate from saying I’m a rap artist. There is a difference. Most people today are enamored by rap pop culture. I am a person who lives Hip-Hop culture. There is a difference. The product, craft, skill & quality will always ALWAYS come first with me. I’m relentless about subject matter with substance, delivery & the ability to tell that an actual effort is made. Seriously lacking all of that today.
Hip-Hop is a culture, rap is an element of that overall culture. And we’ve got to realize that it is a young culture, not meaning only for the youth, but that some of its forefathers & pioneers are still alive. I’ve recognized that we’re in a new era where grown folks rap have got genres now. Hip-Hop music is literally growing old with it’s audience. When I was young, if the youth couldn’t identify with it it held no value. It was wack. Now, the best rap music arguably comes from the older artists, while the youth still have their own counter-culture in Hip-Hop. It’s an excitingly scary time because as an aspiring or independent artist it’s something new to experiment, but as an older person you have a lot more to lose. A younger artist might hang the mic up one day, get a job or three & live his or her day-to-day. An older artist held back on a career or even may have passed on or quit jobs for this. Going back ain’t gonna be easy for them, but there is a market for them so it’s a weird era for Hip-Hop but a perfect time for me to capitalize

Any stories or insights that might help us understand how you’ve built such a strong reputation?

Loyalty & consistency. Whether it’s a conversation, my music, digital art, fashion, working for a paycheck or performing I’m always me. I can very well work against you, though. Stubbornness leads to stagnicity. I’m never afraid to grow. To learn. But with any product I give to the public, I give my all in it. EVERYtime. I’m not afraid to be myself in places that find it uncomfortable & most importantly I don’t chase approval. The work is genuine & so am I.

We often hear about learning lessons – but just as important is unlearning lessons. Have you ever had to unlearn a lesson?

The lesson(s) come from the street honestly. I’ll say there are situations that make a person learn to be cold & stand-offish. A person can unconsciously learn to look at certain types of people in a certain way or expect the worst out of certain places or scenarios. I’ll say a person will learn to be protective in what can become a destructive way. I may have had to unlearn some of these qualities in order to conduct business. I had to learn to like people again. Learn not to be so jaded. Learn how to be protective of my brand as opposed to my reputation. Those attributes could come in handy, but you have to learn to separate the two & incorporate what’s necessary when necessary.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialjhawanismalls
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/jhawanismalls
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/jhawani-smalls-11802162
• Twitter: https://x.com/jhawanismalls
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/channel/UCiRzRTRna8PpLo1oT-eBQVQ