As a kid from inner-northeast Portland (locally called the N.E.P.), JT Flowers grew up in a rough area. Spending the last few years in London as a Rhodes Scholar at one of the most prestigious universities in the world, Oxford University, he found himself struggling with the contrast between the two sets of realities. "Eastside #2" is a powerful bridge that connects the life he's always known to the life he is working to establish.
A relatively new artist on the scene, "Eastside #2" marks just his 5th song released; but JT has wasted no time introducing himself with each prior release establishing his foundation. A noticeable flow and tone carriers throughout all of his work thus far, which is refreshing to see an artist stays true to himself rather than taking the "let's see what sticks" approach by mixing tons of different sounds and styles. JT knows who he is and he is sticking to it.
The first and only single off of JT's upcoming debut project, Steel Rose, "Eastside #2" once again highlights his sincerity. Opening with a soft and eerie loop, JT's nonchalant flow starts it off before the drums start to slowly kick in. Lyrically, the subject matter follows JT's journey from the hood to Oxford and back again, giving nods to his Rhodes scholarship and his home neighborhood's way of life along the way. The juxtaposition of the two worlds is emphasized by the following line "I'm a real rider, young Rhodes scholar, yeah a college grad tell the p**sy n**ga holla, grew up round way with the block boys and ballers, now its UK so my times on father."
Tired of the polished and cookie-cutter music, JT takes a different approach by turning his unpolished sound into a strength that plays into his artistic approach. In the days of conformity, it's incredible to not only hear JT highlight his differences but actually lean into that energy and use it as his strength. On his sound, JT shared "I wanna shake up the way people think about rap music for generations to come. And I wanna do it the way the greats that came before me did it – by being original from day 1 and letting the world play catch up."
JT's debut project Steel Rose is due out June 18; expect a truly genuine effort dripping with originality.
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