Today we’d like to introduce you to Joi Giovanni.
Hi Joi, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
Born August 24, 1991 from chocolate city itself, Washington D.C. Although I was born there, I grew up for the majority of my life in Charleston, SC. Charleston really molded my love for entertainment. The entertainment realm has always been a passion of mine. Something about acting and modeling and especially music just lit my world up. I entered the entertainment world under the name Ms. Joi in 2013 starting out with modeling. The seductive images I shot led me into being a video model up until 2016. I used modeling as a tool to build my resume and to network, and by mid-2016 I made my way to the acting world. With the change in avenues, I decided to change my name to what I felt was more fitting for myself. All my life, I heard you look so exotic, so I made the change in name from that day forward from Joi Reddon to Joi Giovanni. I made my first official debut in the acting world in a stage play called Pillow Talk by Rukaiyah Williams playing a character named Kelly. This role pushed me outside my comfort zone because to me my character was the complete opposite of who I was, but that’s the beauty of acting right. That role opened the doors for several stage plays to follow to even include a reprisal in my role as Kelly in Pillow Talk 2: Secrets and Revenge.
Under the wing of Charlton Dews for acting coaching, I was able to tap into some of the deepest pain to present a different dynamic and understanding of my character to the audience. That role changed lives for people who watched and even for myself. By the end of the play, I told the director in the next play give my character a musical role and I promise you I’m going to nail it. Nobody knew that music was the true passion and love of mine, so I don’t think anybody believed me. From there, I made it my business to put things into motion to present the artist to the world. October 16, 2020 I dropped my debut Ep “Intentional Controversy” on all platforms presenting my single Bad Big Daddy as the initial single, and dropped the official video the month after. My ep offered realness and touching on life experiences that so many women and even men could relate to. The EP consisted of works from some heavy hitter producers such as Dempsey on The Beat, Ant Chamberlain, and Baby Breeze. The EP opened the doorway for me to open up for artists like Renni Rucci, Beat King, Rubberband OG and more. I’m on my way. I just have to stay focused, keep grinding, and keep the passion in the music.
I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey have been a fairly smooth road?
Definitely hasn’t been an easy road. I’ve faced obstacles along the way that I didn’t imagine I would. In 2018 my brother, my best friend Jai’von was killed by a drunk driver and for a while, I gave up on everything. Life didn’t seem real anymore or worth sticking around for, but I had to remind myself of conversations we had and what his dreams were for me. With that in mind, I had to get back to it. I just carry his spirit with me everywhere I go. 2021 was looking to be my year. My debut EP was doing well and a lot of connections I made was starting to open some doors, but then in December 2020, my mom was found unresponsive in her room. It took some months for her to recover. By March of 2021, she was diagnosed with a progressed stage of Dementia. It really messed with me because it was like I had to choose whether I was going to keep going hard behind my music and stay on the road or be there for my mom as she’s going through the roughest patch her life. I owed it to her to pause what was happening in my life to be there for her. I’m glad I did. There’s no coming back from dementia but as the year went on she’s healthier and has more life back in her.
Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I’m an all-around entertainer. I sing, I rap, I dance, I model, I act and I’m about my business. I love learning business. I’m the artist that’s an all-around threat because there’s nothing I can’t do. I’m most proud of creating my own lane. I’ve stayed true to myself over the years and by doing so I’ve been blessed to share the stage with people I could never dream of having the ability to be on stage with. What sets me apart from others is that I am the total package and I am different. I’m fine as hell and still can act like one of the fellas. I’m a Virgo so going that extra mile to create perfection is in my DNA. I’m not just about making music people will love but putting on a hell of a show while doing it. I don’t give up and I don’t quit going after what I want. The fight in me isn’t like anything you’ve ever seen.
If we knew you growing up, how would we have described you?
I was always the adventurous kid. I loved to do daredevil activities I had no business doing. I was singing everywhere I went and didn’t matter what it was whether it was a commercial, Disney song, etc., I was going to sing it. I was always the bubbly kid just loved to laugh and smile and have fun. Everything is about having fun. If you’re not enjoying what you are doing then why do it at all.
Contact Info:
- Email: Booking4jg@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/joigiovanni/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/joigiovanni24
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UCn0AAC-_VE2m2M2lPQNWkHA
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/bi4Ld
- Other: https://linktr.ee/Joigiovanni24
Image Credits
Lioness Films & Photography Teflon Behind The Lens LLC Teddy P Photography
