Jordan
Happy to share this new interview with Nashville-based hip-hop artist Jordan. Rapper, producer and multi-instrumentalist, Jordan has just released his latest single “WYA?”. Following the release of his debut EP Good Luck, Have Fun, the artist is now offering a brand new dynamic and personal record.
The hip-hop track introduces a new and different side of Jordan’s artistry. Energetic and empowering, the self-produced single is about having confidence in yourself when no one sees our potential.
“I wanted to make something energetic and spectral. A song that reflects the feeling of knowing you are great and having immense confidence in yourself but also the feeling of being frustrated because no one else sees your drive and potential but you,” says Jordan.
Go stream “WYA?” now !! It’s a banger :)
Photo credit: Maddison Williamson
Introduce yourself - what's your story?
Hey, I’m Jordan Williamson, 24 years old, born and raised in Baltimore, Maryland. I was homeschooled through the 12th grade. Growing up, I was heavily involved in my church’s worship band. I moved to Nashville in 2019 to live with my cousin and focus on music.
What did you grow up listening to?
I grew up listening to all kinds of music. My dad is a musician as well so he had me listening to Funk, Soul, and Classic R&B as a kid. I’m talking Parliament Funkadelic, Ohio Players, Earth Wind & Fire, Mother’s Finest. Bands like that. He would also quiz me on this era of music by playing snippets of songs and asking me which song it was and who it was by. I was pretty good at answering for only being like 10 years old, haha. When I got into middle school, I discovered Punk Rock and Alternative Music, so I was into a lot of Paramore and Fall Out Boy. In high school, I started listening to Jazz and House Music. Ironically, I got into rap much later at around 16. Kendrick Lamar's “good kid, m.A.A.d. city”, Chance the Rapper's “Acid Rap”, and Logic’s “Under Pressure” were super influential to me.
When did you start making music?
Drums were my first instrument. My dad put me behind a kit before I could walk. In late middle school and early high school, I started experimenting with other instruments because most of my friends at the time could play more than one. I picked up a little piano, bass, and guitar. With the little knowledge I had, I started writing songs. I wrote so many that I needed to be able to store them in one place, so I saved my money and bought a laptop. And that’s how it all started.
What gave you the confidence to be an artist and release your original music?
Wow. I think about this question a lot. I honestly think it was knowing I had more to offer. I love being a drummer. That will always have a special place in my heart. But I know God called me to more. Knowing the call gives you the confidence.
"WYA?" is your new single - what's the inspiration behind the song?
I really feel like a lot of people are sleeping on me, haha. It’s a position that I like to be in because it's a challenge but is also frustrating. It's a weird emotion that I wanted to put into the song. Listen to the lyrics carefully. There's a lot of double entendres.
Could you describe the songwriting/production process for this song? When did you start working on it?
This song has been in production for awhile. I found the horns sample on Splice. As soon as I heard it, I was hype. I chopped the sample to get the horn pattern you hear in the song. Then I added the drums and 808. ‘Really wanted the whole song to feel triumphant and to bite.
What made you want to release "WYA?" as a single?
I love the song. I usually default to making full bodies of work. That's always been how I consume music in general, but over the last year I’ve been challenging myself to make songs that are great and that can stand alone independent of an album. “WYA?” feels really new and different. I think it’s a great way to showcase where I am artistically.
What can you tell us about the artwork?
It goes crazy, right?!? I am so proud to say that my wife Maddison shot the artwork! I really wanted it to match how energetic and liberating the song is, so I got on a ladder, played some music, and just started moving around. Maddison started taking pics at an upwards angle to get the shot. She absolutely killed it. Everyone go follow her! @madd143.
What do you want people to feel when listening to your music?
I want people to feel seen and encouraged when listening to my music. More often than not we feel like everything we go through in life is so specific to us and that no one else has dealt with it before or that we have certain thoughts that no one else will understand. When in reality, we’re all living a human experience. We’re all going through things and most of us have a lot of the same struggles, concerns, questions, and dreams. And if me expressing mine is able to help someone feel like they are not alone in this, then I've already won.
As an artist, what is the most challenging part? And what is the best part?
The most challenging part of being an artist is patience. Nothing happens overnight. Everything’s a process whether that's writing a song, making a beat, waiting for an email response, waiting for feedback, ironing out a setlist, whatever it is, you need patience for it.
The best part of being an artist is consistently learning. Every time you create something you learn from it as well. It's a really interesting process. We create to express ourselves but in turn, by expressing ourselves, we learn how to better create so we can more accurately express ourselves. It’s wild.
What are your thoughts on today's music industry? If you could change one thing, what would it be?
The music industry is weird. Everything is revolving around streaming numbers, follower counts, and who's hot at the moment. It's not as much about the talent anymore, which I believe causes a lot of really great artists to be overlooked…It sucks. If I could change one thing, it would be the price per stream. It's honestly crazy how little they pay us. So the number of times people have to listen to my songs for me to be able to make a livable wage is insane. Especially because without us Artist/Creators the DSP’s wouldn't be able to keep their platforms alive. We are the reason people are paying $9.99/mo or more on Apple Music, Spotify, Amazon, etc. We all put so much time into our craft and I feel like we need to get fairly compensated for it.
Why do you make music? What keeps you motivated?
Music is how I process and make sense of all aspects of life. It's very cathartic for me. It's second nature. It's one of those things that's so ingrained in me that I couldn't stop even if I wanted to. It's always going to be a constant whether there are 5 people listening or 5 million. I'm always going to be there in the studio writing songs and cooking up beats.
Besides music, what are you passionate about?
I love fashion. I’ve been buying and selling clothes and shoes for years now. It's another way I can freely express myself and it's important. Your fit is the first vibe people catch from you before you say a word. When my fit matches my mood and personality, I feel very comfortable.
In your opinion, what would make the world a better place?
I think we all need to learn from each other. With conversation comes comprehension and with comprehension comes compassion and with compassion comes love. When you love someone, you want to understand and protect them.
What biggest life lessons have you learned so far?
Always Try. Don't count yourself out before you've given yourself the chance to succeed.
What message do you want to deliver to the world?
You are not alone. We’re all going through this life together. So let's care for each other as much as we can.
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