Published on April 28th, 2020 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Who Is Jwalt?

Photo credit – Ryan Corr

Jwalt is a new find for us however he’s been navigating the music industry maze for a little while now and even has the attention of the legendary Sway Calloway who he speaks of as a mentor and supporter of the first order. Hailing from Oakland, Jwalt has graced the stages of some impressive events such as Sway Fest alongside G-Eazy and Kamaiyah; the 7th annual Hiero Day Music Festival with Freddie Gibbs, Black Thought, The Pharcyde; and NBA superstar Stephen Curry’s ’10th year in Oakland’ concert at the legendary Fox Theater. He also found himself featured on Sway In The Morning’s Friday Fire Cypher + Bedroom Bars. Not a bad start to a career in Hip Hop!

The Hype Magazine got Jwalt to weigh in on a few things

From the outside looking in, who is Jwalt?

Jwalt is a 18-year-old creative from Oakland, California, who loves to express himself through music and lyricism. He is a truly caring individual who is passionate about bringing awareness to social justice issues through his music and poetry. He is a normal teenage guy who likes to chill with his homies, hang out with his girlfriend, play basketball and have a good time.

What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?

Ever since I was little I always had a passion for entertaining and making people happy. Whether it was learning magic tricks, teaching myself how to play the guitar, or reciting poetry, I always loved to amaze people and see other people smile. It wasn’t until I was in 6th grade when I started getting into making music. One of my older homies at my middle school was a hip-hop artist and at that time I was just doing poetry, and I saw him perform at an assembly at my school and I was blown away. He found out that I was a poet and said, “If you are a poet then you can definitely get into hip-hop you should start making music.” From there I started writing songs, freestyling, performing, and have been doing it ever since.

Tell us about the absolutely brilliant idea of creating a mini-doc to lead up to the release of your impending EP?

It was actually my videographers idea (Ryan Corr). I originally just wanted to shoot a recap video of my performance at the Oakland Arena opening up for Nas, Wu-tang, and Too $hort but we got so much footage of the night we decided to make it into a mini doc. We incorporated videos from when I first started rapping, interviews from myself and family members, and captured the night from beginning to end to create what it is now. I Couldn’t be happier with the end result.

Tell us about your current project and where it stands for you in the grand scheme of things?

Yours Truly is my debut project and is some of my best work yet. It gives insight to who “Jwalt” really is and paints a picture about my life. The tracks on Yours Truly touch on vulnerable and relatable topics such as anxiety, love, relationships, family, hope, the music industry, and where I see my career going in a few years. I’m really excited for my fans to take in and truly listen to the project top to bottom to get a better insight to who I am as a musician but also person at large.

You’ve got a pretty interesting relationship with the legendary Sway, tell us about it?

Sway has known me since birth and it’s been a blessing to have him in my corner. When it comes to my music he truly gives me honest feedback, critiques my work, and holds me to high standards which has helped me become the MC I am today.

For new listeners, what song of yours would you pick as an introduction to you as an artist?

My newest song “Where You Been” for sure.

Tell us a bit about your work and passions OUTSIDE of music…

I’m still in school and will be attending the Clive Davis institute of Recorded Music at New York University studying recorded music with a focus in performing and business. When I’m not in school or making music I like to hang out with my family, kick it with friends, play 2K, watch movies, or play basketball.

Last but not least, HYPE wants to know…What’s your CRAZIEST “Where they do that at?!” aka WTF?! moment…

Opening up for Nas and Wu-tang at the Oakland Arena for sure. That was crazy and such a surreal moment.

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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.