Published on May 8th, 2020 | by Dr. Jerry Doby

Who Is Jufu?

Jufu is a new find for us but he’s making HUGE inroads into the industry and kicked it all off using the incredibly powerful tik tok platform. I never thought social media would be able to take someone so far so fast! This young lion is just getting started with is career but he’s en route to being one of the most popular upstarts in the biz and his music is incredible as anyone who hears his debut mixtape “Get Used To Me” can attest!

Here’s the official line on Jufu

Jufu, one of the most-watched, 19-year-old viral, tik tok stars from Brooklyn is setting the tone for the new wave of artists breaking off the platform. The rapper who also sings and writes his own music is the next break out star off the platform after acts such as Lil Nas X who has captured the attention and support (through reposts) of figures such as Will Smith, Steve Harvey, Charlotte’s Fox News46 Nick Kosir and now Democratic presidential candidate Julian Castro. After coming across the talented MC with 25M+ Impressions on his viral “Who R U” video, they decided to jump on board and make their own videos.

If it’s Will Smith promoting his movie, Steve Harvey having some fun or a presidential candidate, “Who R U” has started to take shape as the soundtrack to being who you are, comfortable in your skin. Designed to make you feel good, Lil Jufu is setting the tone for artists coming from Tic Tok and plans to use this as a springing board to launch his career. While that’s already exciting, Lil Jufu sets himself apart by using the app that now counts 104 million American downloads (1.2 billion worldwide) to reach everyone from Gen Z and older to fight social negativity by staying positive and true to themselves.

The Hype Magazine got Jufu to weigh in on a few things!

From the outside looking in, who is Jufu?

Inspired sonically by artists like XXXTENTACION & Kanye West, JUFU is a very loving individual that spreads love to the world and his audience through direct engagement with his supporters. His music and influence brings people from all around the world together and inspires them all to support one another. His primary goal, and motivation is to positively impact as many lives as possible.

What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?

I’ve been around music my whole life. And played guitar since age 9, but that’s not exactly what brought me here. I have a long history on social media dating back to the vine days. When I started, it was just a hobby for fun. Through 2013-2019 i made content on Vine, Musically, TikTok while trying to figure out the next step for me. In 2016 a music technology program opened in my high school where I learned music production and basic recording skills. As an artist I gained some buzz from my first TikTok song release “Woahh”. The song was associated with the “Woah” dance trend and allowed it to go viral across all social media platforms. Despite the song going viral, I was not being credited by anyone posting @theshaderoom, @blacchyna, @mrs_savannahjr, and more. This prevented me from growing at a significant rate. After the Woahh release I followed up with a stronger record known as “WHO R U”. WHO R U changed everything for me as it grew major buzz on tiktok. Many labels began to reach out and 3 months later my team and I officially signed to Island Records.

What do you want people to get from your music?

I make music for people to enjoy. Whether the story is based on my experiences, someone else’s experiences, or complete fiction, I like to create a sound thats sonically pleasing to hear. Due to my extreme versatility there isn’t necessarily a specific feel people should get from my music but there are messages that people can choose to take from certain songs.

Tell us about your current project and what’s on your plate for 2020

My current project is a mix of songs that I’ve done throughout 2019 and early 2020. Each song is very different from each other in terms of my sound, and the topics in each song. I’m very proud of the project and seeing the growth I’ve made as an artist. For the rest of 2020, I’d like to spend time in LA to create and collaborate with others. Then take the entire month of July somewhere away from home to work on my album.

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

The first song I’d listen to is What’s The Vibe. Mainly because it shows the variation/capability of my voice all in one song.

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

Outside of music, my passion is film and photography. I absolutely love being behind the camera and making a vision come to life. Prior to the success of my WHO R U, record I was shooting music videos and building a catalog for a production company I plan to revive in 2022. Other than that, I really enjoy bettering myself as a human and growing spiritually through meditation, and other everyday practices.

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

Someone made me an unlisted 5minute fully edited powerpoint-like youtube video to tell me Goodmorning and the importance of sleep, breakfast, why they like me, a complete basic rundown of where they’re from, and who they are. The funny part is that she included “I’m sorry if this seems creepy” multiple times! Overall it was a WTF moment, but I loved it, appreciated it, and love her.

Connect with Jufu

IG: @LilJufu

Tik Tok: @Jufu

SHARE ON FACEBOOK SHARE ON TWITTER

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.