“Filter Art into a Product:” Interview with Jah Harris
By Angie Nova
Forever intriguing, there seems to be no end to Jah Harris’s depth. Jah Harris is a rapper, model and secret poet, but what truly captivates those around him is his ability to provide constant awe. Join us and experience the intensity that drives Jah Harris, learn about his creative process and what is next for Jah Harris!
What do you like to do in art & media?
Photo of Jah Harris for Contagion Media, Captured by KBR, Assisting by Angie Nova
I wanna say that the first thing I started with was poetry. It was always very deep, very emotional. I used to try and draw, but I’m not gonna lie to you, I just traced, right? I always liked sharp images, or supernatural and otherworldly backgrounds. As far as my music, I don’t know, it’s always been thoughtful, kind of like my poetry. With modeling, I like to try everything at least once - I put wings on one time, haha.
That’s awesome! How did you come to find each of these things?
How I got started, at least with music, was a group of my friends were rapping after school and they were getting pretty popular with it at the time. I tried it, was bad at it, but then it kind of made me want to try it by myself and write stuff down instead of freestyling, and that’s how I got into rap. Modeling just came out of nowhere. A friend of mine told me that I should get into it. I got started off of instagram and the rest was history.
And you started music how many years ago?
2011, actually 11 years ago and modeling about a year and a half ago.
When did you decide that you wanted to continue doing both modeling and rap?
I realized that modeling made me relevant in other groups of entertainment, and I realized that the broader you are in entertainment, the better chance you have of being able to pursue your interests and getting your art out there. So, that’s when I realized I should just do both, plus hosting parties, events, and shows as well.
How did you get involved in that?
I did it once at a really young age and realized that I have one of those voices, so I want to get into broadcasting as well. I feel like hosting is just like that in its live form… and I’m pretty entertaining. I try to be.
So, what kind of music did you grow up with?
That’s a good question. As far as music that I grew up with, it’d have to be a lot of 90s rap and RnB, obviously. I actually grew up with a whole lot of gospel music too. After that, I’d have to say some reggae.
Was it partly inspired by what your parents listened to or did you find those genres on your own?
Photo of Jah Harris for Contagion Media, Captured by KBR, Assisting by Angie Nova
No, all of that was completely inspired by what my parents listened to. As far as rap, I would hear that at school. Rnb, you have music video shows back in the day and stuff like that, so it made it a lot easier to be exposed to new stuff.
Are your parents supportive of your art/musical journey?
I would say whenever you start something new - that’s creative - they understand it but it’s like, they want to see you be able to monetize it or make it professional. As I’ve been able to progress with other avenues in my life outside of entertainment, they saw that it’s just one component in my life, then they found themselves more supportive.
Describe your process for creating music.
Typically, I’ll start by finding a sound, then I’ll find whatever emotions that sound is bringing out, and I’ll try to put it in a way that makes me feel like… I’m venting. I’ll take whatever issues, whatever I’m thinking about, and put it in those feelings through that sound. Then just filter it into a product from that point.
How long does it usually take?
The shortest amount of time would be like 30 minutes for a whole song. Sometimes I realize I’m not dealing with enough, I don’t have enough that I want to get off my chest, or I’m just burnt out, and I’ll drop it for maybe a week, two days or two months. Then I’ll pick it back up. I think the longest I’ve taken to write one song was maybe most of the year.
Is there a favorite song of yours that you like to perform the most?
This is going to sound weird, but no. I think my favorite song to perform is usually going to be whatever my latest song is. I can’t really describe it any other way than that. I’m just always excited and intrigued about where I’m taking my music, so that’s always what I want to get out.
That makes sense, because it’s kind of like, you’re not that person you were when you wrote it anymore.
Yeah! So when people tell me, you know, “I love this song!” I’ll immediately be like, “Oh, yeah thank you… but man it was so long ago. I got new stuff. That song is like 2 years old.” But obviously, I’m always so proud of my catalog and where it was. There’s no song that I’m not proud of or I won’t put it out.
If you could collaborate with anyone - living or dead, modeling or music - who would it be?
2021 Boos & Booze Live Performance by Jah Harris, Video by Michael Schuette, DJing by Silent Jay, Lighting/Sound by Face Melter AZ
Off the top of my head, I have absolutely no idea. Like if I had to sit and critique modeling or music, it’d take me a really long time because it wouldn’t be based on what anybody did or who they were, it’d be based on their sound. But I like to be versatile so I don’t know what type of sound I would like to collaborate with. I don’t know. That’s probably the only one I don’t have any substance for is who I’d like to collaborate with. I’ll get on with anybody's song though. One of the first songs I ever wrote when I started rapping was a Britney Spears song. It was Top of the World or End of the World - something like that. So, I do a lot of those. At Contagion Media’s 2021 Boos & Booze Art & Music Festival, I did a Beyonce song.
I remember that one! A similar question, is there a dream stadium or location you’d like to perform at?
That is a really good and thought provoking question… and I absolutely have no idea because it wouldn’t be about the venue, it wouldn’t be about how many seats. I know this probably sounds corny or artificial, but it’d be just how people feel in the building. I don’t care if it’s 30 people or 30,000 people - as long as I’m really entertaining everybody, everybody is having a great time, and I can tell they’re really understanding what I’m putting through my music, then that’s the venue I want to be at. I’ve never thought about that before until now.
If you weren’t in the creative or music field, what would you be doing?
I do insurance sales right now. If I didn’t do any entertainment as an art, it’d probably be hospitality, customer service, sales, and foreign and stock exchange - I think. I can’t really think of anything else that I’m really into.
Photo of Jah Harris for Contagion Media, Captured by KBR, Assisting by Angie Nova
Finding a place for myself and what I like. Knowing that I have the ability, or comfortability, to create. You know, as any artist, there comes a point when you have to foster your own support, which is important for growth. Then really finding a way to take critique, right? Because art is something you created purely from your essence or how you feel. Being able to take critique in the pursuit of making it marketable.
How are you able to get through that?
It’s definitely a lot of faith building, first and foremost. For me, one way to get around it is just knowing that I’m here for a purpose. Knowing that I have a talent that can be beneficial to where I want to be and who I want to be. Just knowing that everything that I’m given is what I need to construct what I want to make. I got to take the good and the bad. Knowing that really takes you far deal versus just hoping that everything goes right. If you’re serious about it, then you gotta be serious, you know? Sometimes it is just work. I’ve gone over a song 30 times and I’m tired or I don’t want to do this song anymore, but I know somebody’s going to enjoy it and I know I started it for a reason, so I gotta finish it.
Do you ever experience performance anxiety?
I think, in my own words, there is no performance without anxiety. It just depends on the level of what you can deal with, you know what I’m saying? Get to a point where you could put it to the side. When I first started, I found myself shaking all the time, and I wouldn’t be afraid to perform or record, it’d just be more so, getting ready to put this emotion in its most perfect form that I can orchestrate. Doing that on stage is just making sure I’m relatable, entertaining, and making sure that I don’t forget the words. It’s always there, every single time.
Has that ever happened, where you forgot the words on stage?
I want to say yes. I know there’s been plenty of times where I performed in front of people and that’s happened. Sometimes it’s little things that only I notice. I’d be like, “No, I messed up!” and they’d say, “Well, I didn’t hear it.”
“Oh…but still.”
Then there’d be times where I would forget the whole line and I’d just start doing echoes. There are little things that I’ve learned from past entertainers that you do to keep the vibe going, or at least keep the rhythm going and letting people mull over the fact that you forgot some words. But yeah, it definitely happens. I’ve started the second verse first before, and just had to do the whole verse, then flip it around and hopefully the song makes sense.
What’s the best piece of advice/lesson/experience that you’ve learned from?
I think something that’s very prevalent on any level of professional music and entertainment is that it’s a business. Art can be art. You can express your art with as many people as you want to, but in order to make it beneficial for your life and where you want to be, or make it profitable or marketable, you have to look at it business-minded as well. You can create whatever you want to, but then you have to look at that as a product, if you want to be a professional artist of any genre/any form of art. Secondly, knowing yourself enough. That means when it just needs to be you talking to you, when you need to get some critique, when you’re in your way. Knowing yourself enough to operate.
Behind the Scenes from Angie Nova’s Interview with Jah Harris, Captured by KBR
You’re like a motivational speaker!
Yeah, that’s one more thing I was thinking about getting into. I forgot about that! Broadcasting and motivational speaking.
What’s next for Jah Harris?
Business. As far as my art is concerned, the next thing for me is going to be my contract building, my capital, my crew, my business partners and venues. Basically, I wanted to take all this time to just create what I wanted my art to be and create myself into an artist. With the things that I learned in business, I want those to be the vessel or the vehicle that I use to move forward. So, all the boring stuff. Oh, and publishing too - well, illustration, then publishing.
For my final question, would you offer the same advice to others?
Of course, I wouldn’t want anybody to take any less of the advice that I’ve been given because it made what I was trying to do pivotal towards where I wanted to be You have to look at it as a business because you’ll find a lot of personal relationships with people, but those still have to keep a level of professionalism. And knowing yourself is going to keep you from giving up on yourself, from undervaluing yourself, and it’s going to tell you when you may need to alter your art towards something unique so that it looks like you.
