Jazz From The Valley Discusses New Anthem ‘Shake That’
Jazz From The Valley is rebranding the “valley girl” subculture into a lifestyle of pure dedication and hustle while still approaching life with an optimistic outlook. Fully immersed in the music scene from an early age, she moved around between girl groups as a singer and rapper but knew her talents would shine the brightest as a solo act. She picked up the stage name Jazz From The Valley to pay homage to her roots in the San Fernando Valley and started writing infectious pop/hip-hop hits that showcased her fiery nature. Her style is a blend of modern favorites – including snappy flows like Megan Thee Stallion, the artistic vision of Teyana Taylor, and the bubbly melodies of Gwen Stefani – while still bringing something fresh and unique to the scene. Jazz From The Valley is a truly mesmerizing act to follow as she continues to grow her discography and master her creative craft.
Jazz From The Valley makes it known that the valley is all about the classy lifestyle, but that doesn’t mean they don’t know how to have fun! “Shake That” is all about letting loose with your homegirls and enjoying good company. The bouncy beat and spitfire rap bars keep the energy high to get listeners to the dance floors, making it a party-starting hit. Inspired by early 2000s music videos but with a raunchier twist, “Shake That” has the artist cruising around town with her girls, hanging by the phone gossiping, and running a sexy carwash. It’s playful and captures the essence of the song… to “Shake That”! Take a dip into Jazz From The Valley’s exceptional lyricism and artistic creativity with this club banger.
Why is it important to represent San Fernando Valley and the “Valley girl” lifestyle in your artist name and musical creations?
Living in the San Fernando Valley is a life unlike no other place in the world, to live here we have our own way of living and definitely have our own way of Like…., “Talking” and I wanted people to know that it’s (“Like totally cool to be from the Valley”).
When most people think of LA and the LA Rap scene they immediately think of either the city of Compton or Long Beach which is where a lot of the great LA Rappers have come from. But with that being said most people outside of LA don’t even know that the San Fernando Valley even exists. Yes, there are a few that know about The City of Calabasas, But the Valley is so much more than just Calabasas. This is why I wanted to shine a light on the San Fernando Valley, to showcase a different part of LA that a lot of people have been unfamiliar with since the 1980s when the world was introduced to “The Valley Girl”.
When I thought about a name for myself I didn’t want to be just Jazz I thought about all the Great Rappers that talk about the cities they are from in their music, and I thought why not instead of talking about it, why don’t I pay homage to my city and make it a part of my stage name. So that I can rep my city in the most amazing way. From that day forward Jazz From The Valley was born.
How has your upbringing prepared you for a music career?
I’m so very Grateful to have such a supportive family, who have always been very supportive of my dreams. They have always encouraged me and told me that I can do anything l set my mind to, and when I started to really get serious about making music when I was around 15 years old, My family made sure I had the proper foundation to be able to survive in the music business by having me take voice lessons, music writing classes, going through artist development and PR training so l can really learning the music business. Once I felt I was ready I went on to start my own Girl Group. But don’t get me wrong even today I’m still learning.
How would you describe your experience being a member of various girl groups?
I loved being a part of a Girl Group, I loved the comradery along with what it stands for as women and supporting each other in sisterhood. But as you know Girl Groups are so hard, and my hat goes off to all the Girls Groups that have made it. But as I have grown in the business I have come to realize that being in a Girl Group just wasn’t the path for me.
Do you believe that experience was necessary for success as a solo artist?
Absolutely, the lessons I learned from being in a Girl Group helped shape and mold the person that I am today, and for that, I am extremely grateful and I wouldn’t change that path for anything. And shout out to all of them, I wish them the best of luck.
What impact do you want your music to have on the public and your community?
I want people to dance again and I want them to embrace the fun and lightheartedness of music. We have had some pretty dark days lately in rap music and I feel that music should be something that brings people together as opposed to keeping us apart. I want any and every person of any age, race, or background to be able to listen to my music, enjoy it, sing along, and most of all Dance.
Can you describe both the experience forming the concept for the “Shake That” music video and the process of filming for it?
When we started thinking about a concept for the music video we did tons of research on what I wanted to showcase to the world in terms of “The Valley Girl”. As I started researching we came across a video from the 1980s where a newscaster was covering a story about “The Valley Girls” and how it was becoming this new phenomenon. When watching that story we had an aha moment and wanted to recreate that concept for the music video, to let people know that Jazz From The Valley is here and that she had something to say “That is breaking the news.” From there we started building more on the concept, from the Driving scenes, the Car wash, and even the Motorcycle scene was inspired by wanting to showcase having fun in the summer, hanging out with friends, and being adventurous. All while paying homage to old-school music videos that showcased hanging out with your friends.
Do you have any favorite behind-the-scenes moments?
Absolutely for starters the motorcycle scene, with me trying to get the hang of it and to act like I’m riding and not fall, to the hilarious moments of our receptionist while she’s trying to get the lines right, our amazing newscaster, and even the person who was in the opening scene, that was a last minute idea we came up with, that really tied it all together. My hat goes off to all of the cast and crew as each and every one of them made the process so awesome to work with.
What tends to be your source of inspiration when writing and producing your tracks?
My inspiration is drawn from everywhere and from all genres of music and artistry. I’m always inspired, from driving down the street to everyday conversations with friends, to what happens in everyday life. If it inspires me I can make it into a song, I can take a piece here and a piece there and make it into a song and you would never know where it came from.
Personal experiences, whether artists or other elements?
I love mixing the old and the new, and a few of my favorites are Gwen Stefani, Teyana Taylor, Megan The Stallion, Missy Elliot, and Left Eye just to name a few.
Take a moment to manifest parts of your future. What do you envision for Jazz From The Valley’s future in music?
I would love for Jazz to be a household name with my own Valley Girls & Boys from around the world. To be able to inspire my generation while incorporating music that is fun and relatable. I want to showcase to the world that it’s cool to be proud of where you come from and that you should embrace who you are no matter what. Always believe in your dreams, and Never give up!
Are there any plans you’d like to share with your fans?
I’m currently in the studio right now, working on my EP that’s set to come out at the top of 2023.
And remember that no matter how rough your day is you should always find time in it to Shake That!
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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.
