Interscope Records

Born Justin Irvin Rivera to a family of Puerto Rican descent, Brooklyn-native, J.I. got his start freestyling with his brothers at the age of 11. Within a few years he began posting his freestyles on Instagram, and soon caught the attention of legendary rapper/producer/executive Jermaine Dupri. Naming iconic artists like Tupac Shakur, Big Pun and DMX among his influences, he dropped his debut single “No Static”in 2016. By the end of that year, the then-15-year-old had garnered more than 500,000 views on his YouTube channel, which now boasts over 392million views and 1.12 millionsubscribers.Now 19-years-old, the rising rapper is known for his melodic flow, infectious charisma, and powerfully honest lyrics –last year he released 3mixtapes, Hood Life Krisis Vol. 1,which features his hit track, “Need Me,” (now at over182million streams, has gone platinum),Hood Life Krisis Vol. 2, which features “Love Scars” (now at over 42million streams), and Hood Life Krisis Vol. 3 EP, which features “Letter 2 U”(now at over 22million streams).HLK1and HLK2bothwent on to land on Billboard’s Heatseekerschart and all three projects have garnered recognition from XXL, Genius, Billboardand more. His music won over artists such as Jadakiss,Cardi B, and Drake, who recently sang along to his track “Used To” on Instagram Live. J.I also went on his first headline tour in support of both projects. He hit major markets including Boston, LA, and Chicago, and became the first artist ever to sell out 3 consecutive nights at New York’s legendary venue, SOB’s. His single“Proud of Me” ledBillboardto recognize that his talent will “forge an unshakable bond that can withstand the test of time”and DJBoothto distinguish him as “another reminder the five boroughs cannot be defeated in sound ingenuity.”Now with over 696million streams in the US his music continues to be shared with his fanbase that includes over 2million followers.