Exclusive: Jaafar Jackson Talks Following in his Famous Father’s Footsteps, His New Music and Kendrick Lamar

Son of Jermaine, Nephew of the King of Pop Michael and Queen Janet, Jaafar Jackson has a global legacy to follow and the intestinal fortitude to carve out his own lane of excellence. Not that being a Jackson hasn’t helped, but the young lion admits he had to earn his stripes as a singer and songwriter; nothing was handed to him on a platinum platter.

What’s the official line on Jaafar?

Nephew of Michael Jackson and son of Jermaine Jackson, music has always been in Jaafar’s genes but hadn’t always been his passion. Growing up, Jaafar was into golf and wanted to become a professional golfer. He began competing in tournaments when he was just 9. It wasn’t until he was 13, when his father, Jermaine Jackson, gave him the Jackson 5 song “Touch” to learn and perform in front of him. That fateful debut lead to time in the studio with his father, soaking up the process of creating a song from scratch, a process he fell in love with. “From then on I started to put all my focus into music,” says the now 23-year old Jaafar, “I taught myself how to play piano, started taking vocal lessons, dancing, and studying other great artists.” Jaafar started collaborating with different writers and producers at the age of 15. “I was going to a lot of different sessions just to be able to create and see where it leads,” recalls Jackson, “It doesn’t happen overnight where you find a sound for yourself. It took awhile until I felt comfortable with what I was creating and being proud of it.”

Jackson met Hardy Indiigo through a mutual friend. They worked on a song together and then 4 years passed. He reached back out and they completed 2 new songs. These songs were the catalyst to booking the 3-month studio lockout which resulted in the creation of his upcoming album. Recording the Famous album was not even the goal of his 3-month studio lockout rather, the goal was simply to create as much as he, and producer / friend Hardy Indiigo, could come up with. The chemistry, energy and creativity of Jaafar’s Afro-Latin heritage (he is half Colombian), and Hardy’s African French musical influences, birthed 20 records, and amongst those, the body of work that would become Famous.“Being in the studio for 3 months everyday was an amazing experience for me. If I’m not comfortable or if the energy feels off, it’s hard for me to create and be my complete self. The chemistry we all had in the studio was great.”

Jackson credits his father as being a tremendous help with advice to better himself and taking the music to another level. “I would send him copies of the songs and he’d send back his honest opinion and notes on how it could be better” says Jackson, “I’m beyond thankful I have that great support from him.” But Jaafar isn’t riding anyone’s coattails. He knows his name may open some doors, but his talent has to measure up. “‘Famous’ is one of my favorite songs on the album because it’s the most in depth song that speaks about the things I’ve had to go through growing up with my last name.”

His US debut joint “Got Me Singing” maintains an up-tempo beat infused with South American elements such as Brazilian’s Baile Funk and 90s house chords. The music video from the Vidigal Favelas of Rio de Janeiro has been viewed more than 2.5 million times in the first month of its upload.

As one would expect from someone destined for a stellar career as an artist and entertainer, Jaafar has a great appreciation for those that left their mark before him and has a healthy respect for current greats as well. Among his name drops during our conversation the likes of Bruno Mars and Kendrick Lamar came up. Kendrick happens to top the young lion’s list of great rappers for his lyrical ability and storytelling acumen.

I guess I could recite the entire conversation here in black and white but then you would not get to experience the graciousness of this young man as well as his heartfelt desire to bring something great to music and humanity…the apple did not fall from the tree at all, he’s very connected to all the things that make the Jackson name one that will be synonymous amazing music and entertainment. Tune in to the full conversation below!

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Tags: entertainer, Jaafar Jackson, Janet Jackson, Jermaine Jackson, Michael Jackson, Singer, Songwriter

About the Author

Dr. Jerry Doby Editor-in-Chief of The Hype Magazine, Media and SEO Consultant, Journalist, Ph.D. and retired combat vet. 2023 recipient of The President's Lifetime Achievement Award. Partner at THM Media Group. Member of the U.S. Department of Arts and Culture, the United States Press Agency and ForbesBLK.