Jay IDK

At first, I thought I could go to school and do music on the side and be successful, but the more I began to understand the industry, the more I fell in love with it.

In 2010, I attended Prince George's Community College in hopes of transferring to The University of Maryland. My major was computer science, and the goal was to one day work as an I.T.

My first year of high school, I attended Duval High, home of the Duval Tigers. It's located in one of most notorious neighborhoods in the Prince George's County, Maryland, area.

If you asked me why I went to jail, the easiest explanation would be to say, 'Because I'm black.'

A lot of rappers lie about who and what they are.

When I started my writing process for 'Empty Bank,' everything had to do with money. It was at a time in my life where I started to see money differently.

I think the best rappers practice concept albums in their work.

I do music that makes me happy by challenging myself to go the extra mile and not do what everyone else is doing.

I like to try and be outside of the box or do things that other people aren't doing.

I try to take the foundations of what music is and add some type of twist to it.

I really like the Gorillaz and Arctic Monkeys.

I always had a thing for writing. Even when I was in school, I was always good at writing.

I'm going to be the first rapper to win the Nobel Peace Prize. I don't know exactly what it would be for, specifically, but I want it to be a change I make in the world with my music.

People have compared me to Lupe Fiasco, Kanye West, Eminem, and J. Cole. They bring substance and largely are all good storytellers, and those are two of my biggest strengths. It's dope to be compared to people who have longevity in the game because that's the most important thing for me: I want my name to live forever.

The reason I can achieve so many different feelings is because the people I listen to have always been so diverse.

Working with BJ The Chicago Kid was amazing.

At times, I can be a slave to money.

There are a lot of things that money can't buy, and once you realize that is how you break free.

There's peer pressure of not being respected of having a certain amount of money, but if you know who you are, then you see that and look past it.

'The Empty Bank' talks about really specific instances where I kind of make the wrong moves based off of money, and it also details instances where I was acting like I had money when I really didn't have that much money.

I'm definitely trying to be Number One.

I think the best artists find ways to reinvent themselves. They find new ways to tell their stories, or they find new stories to tell.

Financially, people always assume you're good when you're a rapper.

Growing up, I wouldn't say I was poor. But my parents, although we lived in a nice, middle-class home, they had their struggles.

I always like to vent and tell the truth in my music.