Ja’King The Divine: «Hip-Hop stands for rebellion, code, hunger and passion».

Peace Ja’King can you tell us about where you live and where you grew up? How old are you and what would you say about your cultural background?

I grew up in Brooklyn by way of Long Island, New York .. Lot of my childhood was spent in the city. I was an athlete growing up but always had a love for the arts on every spectrum of it. My family had me around a lot of hip hop very early.

How is BK changing in recent years in your opinion? What are the aspects that connect you most with your neighborhood and is there anything you would improve?

This goes without saying but the prices to live have been getting out of control due to inflation and gentrification of old neighborhoods that didn’t matter until the people that struggled here made it cool to be from here and make something of yourself without much. The kids are different now too.. sense of community and belonging isn’t as prevalent.

What or who inspired you to start rapping and writing or recording your music seriously?

I was inspired by a lot of jazz growing up .. the Dizzy Gillespie, Herbie Hancocks, Pharoah Sanders, Gil Scott Heron, Sun Ra, Miles D etc. Then I realized how hip hop was sort of like a rebel sub genre of jazz, Soul and Funk. Guys like Rakim, Kool G Rap, Nas, Bootcamp, Black Moon, Poor Righteous Teachers, Smoothe da Hustler, Jay Electronica, Black Thought, Mos Def, Common, MF DOOM, Earl Sweatshirt and Roc Marci just to name a few really influenced me.

And How did your name Ja’King The Divine come about?

My father was a Five percenter back when he was in the military and gave me the name which is now my middle name but was supposed to be my original first name. My mother didn’t see how that would work in my favor in a practical sense when life got real so it was changed lol

Today in Brooklyn, as in the entire New York City, younger generations and streets look up to artists like Lil T’Jay, Fivio Foreign and the whole drill scene… What pushed you to make a more classic, conscious Rap inspired by the glorious past of BK Hip-hop? In what direction the NYC rap scene is going?

Honestly all that stuff is dope for what it is but it’s never resonated with me on a spiritual or purpose driven level. I love the culture of hip hop and what I thought it stood for .. rebellion, code, hunger, passion, taking your power back by using your voice and standing for some shit bigger than you. It’s a sense of pride, fulfillment, and connection to its essence when it’s done a certain way. Also I just know my lane, I sound good when I make the music that I care for and not what “Works” in the current trend. To me doing the opposite would be just attention seeking, being opportunistic and showing your insecurities loud.

We could say your rap is conscious with many cultural aspects and knowledge references and inspirations…Where do they come from? What are your inspirations besides Rap?

My references come from real life. What I’ve been through and what the people around me go through. The more in depth rhymes and lyrics come from the shit I read and study. I have a genuine curiosity to learn and study what ever I’m into. Philosophy, world history, science, psychology, literature, film, painting etc.

You recently released an album called “Children Of The Scorned”. Can you tell us how this album was born, the meaning of the title and how it developed in its realization?

I started to come into a new phase in my own personal development and internal understanding as a young man. So with that my focus creatively began to changed. I enjoyed being known for the super creative world building in my albums, unique flows and references, unusual word phrasing to keep listeners on their toes but I felt like the message I was trying to convey with my music was getting lost in translation because I would put so much around what was being said. I learned less was more and took a different writing approach stemming from the writing sessions of the Fear & Loathing in Long Island collab-album with Javi Darko.

The title Children of the Scorned was a set of words I felt summed up the destruction of the culture and mindset of the youth through years of indoctrination and systematic institutionalization going back as far as colonial colonization in the early America. My generation and those before me are the direct result of what happens to a people whose history and identity has been altered, distorted, and extorted by the powers that be. 

If you had to indicate just 3, what are the most significant albums you have released so far for you and for what reasons?

Delusions of Grandeur/Black Sun Tzu Era would be the first one because that’s when I feel like I found somewhat of a sound and identity and my pen was in its early phases of maturation Not to mention this is also some of my most sought after work from a raw creative standpoint. This era is also what started to help me identify my target fan base.

The second Era would be Fear and loathing in Long Island and Childen of the Scorned for a few reasons. I became more seasoned as a writer, I discovered that there’s a side to me that people really enjoy and connect to and it’s when I’m at my most vulnerable but presenting it on a level to where they can not only understand it more efficiently but also not be so overwhelmed by how I comp the creative aspects of the album together.

How has the underground public reaction been to these albums and have you received support and compliments from bigger names?

The underground has been taking to it well. I would say I’m regarded as one of the up & coming with a different approach. People seem to be really intrigued by my blend of substance, rhyming ability, flows & uncanny or unorthodox story telling & my overall ability to make good bodies of work that can compete with some of the best in the game but with fewer resources . I’d say that I have a sound and style that can potentially resonate with a larger more wide perspective audience with a broader view of what it means to be underground. Think like a Denzel Curry, Mac miller; Larry June, Freddie Gibbs, Joey Badass, Action Bronson etc. I have had some bigger names show love even some legends but there’s still more to be desired.

BK has plenty of graffiti on its walls, on every street corner and block…do you have any link to the BK graff scene? Who are the best out there now or the names that are getting noticed in your opinion?

I’m being honest I just more enjoy what I see from the artist. I wouldn’t say I’m deep into the graffiti culture/scene though I had love for it my whole life. Some real dope guys follow me but none that I can remember names at the moment. Besides some cool tags I’ll take pictures of every so often and dope documentaries I watch from time to time it wouldn’t really be my place to speak on it at all.