Today we’d like to introduce you to Jaidyn Carter.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
I’m from east atlanta, and currently staying closer to stone mountain. I started making beats and dj mixes last year in my room as a way to occupy my mind away from other things. I was posting them daily on my instagram stories and the good homie (Murphy or Pink) had reached out to me asking could I send him some beats or something. I sent a couple and the rest as we know Viva- has been history ever since. I’m super thankful for that guy man, helped me in some really trying times, and eventually even got me to start rapping. I made like two freestyles over some nintendo-esque Kirby beats I’d made, after we dropped “U B Aii”, which was like my mom’s first time hearing me rap, her relating it back to a lot of older neo-soul stuff she had me on during childhood so on and so forth. I never planned on rapping or anything, because I didn’t like to hear myself back- but it’s gotten to a point to where it’s become a necessary substitute for journaling or putting stuff in a diary or something. Currently I’m still doing the same thing. Going to school/work throughout the week and then coming home and making beats in my room.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Definitely not, and not because I feel pressure from anything else to make the music- but just because of myself. When I initially started making dj mixes and whatnot, I would share them with my partner at that time. So, there’s that, that feeling of something else being connected to it but no longer being in reach due to myself at that time. This is why when I say this reoccurring cycle of za, making beats in my room and then rap had become the shadow work I’d been prolonging. I’m thankful for Murph, because of him I realized I gotta live in order to make anything or to see any process in any part of myself. I never felt any struggle with the music itself- since it wasn’t really being made just for the intention of being heard by others, it was quite literally because I needed it. Same as now. There are no restrictions from bs deals or managers, we do everything ourselves and off the strength of our own backs, so the music is the easy part.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
Right now, I work for City Hall in Lilburn, I’m a part of the department in communications/marketing for public events and coordination. At school, I do lots of art stuff, from film fest, art exhibitions and writing pieces. I don’t really know what most people would really know me for honestly, probably just depends on who you ask. If you ask my professors, I’m just the guy with the skateboard that comes to class to engage most of the time, my art profs would probably say I don’t talk much but when I do it’s something worth listening. My mama would just say I’m Junior. I’m not different from anybody else, I take the bus to class and skate back to the station, go home, do homework, call my family (probably not enough) and I make music with sound bites from things I grew up with. Whether it be anime, cartoons, wrestling or Kingdom Hearts, I’m a normal dude man. I do a few things when it comes to art as far as being multimedia, photo, painting, writing and music- but I believe that’s the only distinguishing thing. I’m just proud of myself for not giving up.
Do you have any advice for those just starting out?
No, because I’m still in the same spot as you. Just make the stuff you want to hear/see because you want to, don’t let anybody else’s opinion persuade your own direction. It doesn’t matter if you got one listener or 12 million, if you lose your sense of self- it’s over with. Find like-minded people if you can (you will), the internet can be your biggest help or ailment, just depends on how you choose to use it.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.playbook.com/s/jaidyncarter/welcome
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jaidyncarterart/
- Youtube: https://youtu.be/sg9RZeBxbTU
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/jaidyn-carter
- Other: https://ia600408.us.archive.org/23/items/ensemble_202505/ensemble.pdf
