An Interview With Rapper “J. Anomaly”

Interviewer: Hello, please introduce yourself.

J. Anomaly: My name is J. Anomaly and I am a rapper from New Haven, CT.

Interviewer: Tell us more. What made you get into music?

J. Anomaly: Outside of my family, music has probably taught me the most about life. Even more than school. It’s honest. Artists like J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, and Kanye West detail the highs and lows of life. The importance of family. The importance of moving forward. The importance of having a relationship with God. These are narratives I want to push forward in my own music.

Interviewer: Amazing. You mention J. Cole, Kendrick, and Kanye. Are there any other artists that you are influenced by?

J. Anomaly: For sure. Childish Gambino, XXXTENTACION, Andre 3000, Chance the Rapper, Logic, Mac Miller, and Frank Ocean are a few that come to mind. I don’t necessarily incorporate all of their styles into my music, but I definitely try to channel the spirit they all embody: one that questions the reality imposed on us. Just by listening to their music you can tell they all pay very close attention to detail. That’s what I’m all about.

Interviewer: That’s a really interesting group of influences. You mention that you pay close attention to detail. What other aspects of your music make it unique?

J. Anomaly: I’m a pretty quiet and low-key dude. The music is where it all comes out. I think that is a pretty interesting dynamic. I think God drew me to music so that I could have a place to share my ideas, to share my story.

Interviewer: What is that story?

J. Anomaly: Emerging from darkness. Both in a literal and spiritual sense. My neighborhood growing up wasn’t always the safest, and it still isn’t. Not everybody has the opportunity or the resources to make things better for themselves. I’m lucky enough to have two older brothers who are on the right path. A mother who used to be a teacher and pushes us to do good in school. A father that is an honest and hardworking man. In that sense, I am an anomaly compared to a lot of the people in my neighborhood. Not everybody is so lucky. Any success I achieve in life is a reflection of the foundation God gave me. I view it as my responsibility to take things as far as possible and to be a voice for the people that don’t have the ability to be one for themselves. I want to redefine what success is. My previous definitions were too based on worldly things. That’ll leave you stuck.

Interviewer: What about school? How did that influence you growing up?

J. Anomaly: I went to a Catholic school for kindergarten through 8th Grade. St. Aedan-St. Brendan’s. I was only supposed to go there for preschool. The reason we could afford the tuition for K-8 was because I got chosen for a scholarship. They thought I was bright and had a lot of potential. Though my household was Christian, not Catholic, my parents thought it would be good to be in a private school and to be in an environment where they teach about God. Looking back, the education I got there was miles ahead of what I probably would’ve gotten if I didn’t get that scholarship. It trips me out sometimes how life works. A lot of the things early on are out of your control, yet they play a huge role on how you turn out. Who would I be if things didn’t work out this way?

Interviewer: What have you done so far and what do you plan to do moving forward?

J. Anomaly: I dropped my first album, A Moment Shared, in 2019. I’m currently working on its follow-up, A Moment Lost. The “Moment” series is a reflection of my outlook on life. We are given a short time on planet earth. We have to make the most of it. Cherish the moments. Seek the beautiful ones over the ugly ones. Life is a moment made up of moments. After A Moment Lost comes the conclusion to the series, A Moment Found.

Interviewer: Are you signed?

J. Anomaly: Everything has been independent so far. I release everything under my own label, Elm to Ivy Records.

Interview: Very impressive. Any other future plans?

J. Anomaly: After I build up my own career, it would be great to bring on other artists to my label. I also would love to grow my website, https://janomaly.com/. I want to start a blog section and feature artists and music videos I like. Finally, I also design clothing and sell it through my website. I would love to increase the reach of my movement across the board.

Interviewer: Excellent. Well, I wish you the best in your journey. Any final words for your fans?

J. Anomaly: Remember one thing: life is a journey. And there is no one way to walk this journey. You have to follow your own path and be comfortable in your own shoes. There’s no one way to do it. And that’s the beauty of it.

Interviewer: Can you share your social media profiles?

J. Anomaly:

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/j.anomaly/

Twitter: https://twitter.com/j_anomaly

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/J-Anomaly-113707210419155

Website: https://janomaly.com/