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

Jimmy, appreciate you joining us today. We’d love to hear about when you first realized that you wanted to pursue a creative path professionally.

The moment I realized I wanted to pursue music as my career is a moment that will never escape my memory.

To provide some backstory, I grew up in Stamford, Connecticut, where the arts were a big part of the school system. Furthermore, while my parents were very successful business executives, they believed in exposing me and my siblings to the arts, as they saw it as instrumental in creating a well rounded and worldly perspective. From elementary school through high school, I was always part of the performing arts. That being said, while my parents pushed us to participate in arts, they never believed that music or arts could be considered as a potential career for their children.

After graduating high school, I moved to Atlanta to attend Morehouse College. This is where my entire world changed. I met five men that would change my perspective on life in more ways than one. The five of us started a group called Jaspects during our freshman year. Being a part of a musical group made me realize then that music was much more than a hobby, it was an all consuming passion.

The moment I truly realized my purpose was during my sophomore year of college. As I sat in my dorm room, doing my business finance homework, I began to ask myself if I really wanted to do this for the rest of my life. In that moment, I turned to stare at my trumpet, and the longing desire for music that never went away, rose inside me. This confirmed to me that music was what I wanted to do. I decided then, I would rather fail at something I loved than succeed at something I disliked.

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.

I got my start in the music industry when a group of my close friends and I formed a band called Jaspects. We formed this group together in my dorm room while attending Morehouse College. We created our own original music and began to make a name for ourselves as we toured through the eastern US. This really created opportunities for me to be a part of the artist scene in Atlanta during the early 2000’s. At the time, I didn’t realize how unique it was to be surrounded by so many talented people and creatives. The Atlanta music scene connected me to amazing artists such as Pj Morton, Janelle Monae, Algebra, and Anthony David, among others. Being in rooms with other artists really allowed me to learn about myself, the music business, and my unique place in it.

In building a brand, I believe one of the most important parts for me was investing in myself and committing to the journey of growth. I realized early on that spending time finding your unique voice and honing your best traits will set you apart. Additionally, it has always been important to be mindful of how to add positively to the mix of people you are around. I feel it is important for anyone building their own brand and voice to trust what has been given to them to add to whatever situation you may find yourself in. My parents taught me to always remember that I don’t know everything, to be open to the unseen possibilities, and to remain kind and true to myself, because being yourself is your best super power.

In all, my advice for others is, whatever industry or part of the journey you’re in, being true to yourself and pursuing the best version of yourself is key.

For you, what’s the most rewarding aspect of being a creative?

For me, the most rewarding aspect of being a creative is being able to share with people. Truly, the greatest gift for me is seeing people smile and enjoy themselves when I am performing. To be able to mentally transport a person to a place where they feel that freedom and bliss, in the midst of whatever they may be experiencing in their life, is an amazing and inspiring feeling. It truly has shown me that the most significant aspect of humanity is that we all need each other. I can’t express how deeply that touches my spirit.

What do you think is the goal or mission that drives your creative journey?

The goal has always remained the same from the moment I decided to pursue music: continue to grow and never fear being uncomfortable. I have come to find that as hard as it is to hear about my weaknesses, it is in those spaces where I grow the most, because I am committed to investing in those areas. With that growth my goal has always been to give the person I am performing in front of the best version of myself. That’s what keeps driving me and I still always feel there is so much more to experience and accomplish.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.itsjimmyking.com
• Instagram: https://instagram.com/itsjimmyking
• Facebook: https://facebook.com/itsjimmyking

Image Credits

Daniel Ramos, Moses Brown and Florent Dechard