“Hey, huh, baow.” If that idiosyncratic synthesis of scatting and the Milwaukee lowend fashion isn’t already on loop in your head, it definitely might be by the point the summer season of 2024 involves a detailed.
Taken from the ridiculously catchy hook in “Dangerous Bitty,” the rump-shaking breakout single from rising Milwaukee rapper J.P., these onomatopoeias are emblematic of each the 19-year-old’s laid-back method to music making and the storied historical past of vocal efficiency that informs his singing-rapping fashion.
Earlier this spring (March 20), Billboard highlighted “Dangerous Bitty” in our weekly “Trending Up” column, which takes a have a look at songs which might be on the verge of actually exploding. Predictably, the love for “Dangerous Bitty” shortly surpassed flash-in-the-pan TikTok standing, with the danceable monitor accumulating over 21 million official on-demand U.S. streams by means of Might 2, in accordance with Luminate, and spending six weeks on the TikTok Billboard Prime 50, peaking at No. 27. Not solely did the tune’s viral success considerably broaden J.P.’s viewers, he additionally proved to himself that he was able to making one other hit on his personal.
In 2022, J.P. had a smaller viral second with “Juicey Ahhh,” one other lowend-rooted monitor that has pulled over 3.8 million official on-demand U.S. streams by means of Might 2. For J.P., born Josiah Gillie, the sound and success of his songs replicate the way in which he strikes based mostly on feeling.
“I don’t write any of my music, it’s extra of a feeling-type factor,” he tells Billboard. “No matter songs you hear from me, if it makes you are feeling some kind of manner, you’ll be able to robotically put two and two collectively, and that’s how I used to be feeling after I made the tune.”
One factor about J.P. — who’s additionally balancing a student-athlete profession (he’s an influence ahead for the College of Wisconsin–Stevens Level Pointers) with finishing his musical efficiency main (with a vocal emphasis) — he’s all the time having enjoyable. Simply take a look at the numerous TikToks he makes, leaning into his innate goofiness whereas nonetheless selflessly selling his music at each flip. His effervescent data are undoubtedly celebration tracks, however his distinctive mix of soulful jazz, gospel-informed vocals and Milwaukee’s high-octane bass-heavy fashion have resulted in a sound that’s on the quick monitor to dominate the summer season and shine a extra nationwide highlight on Cream Metropolis’s long-bubbling rap scene.
In a energetic dialog with Billboard, J.P. opens up about his favourite “turnt” church songs, remaining self-made and unbiased, and his plans past “Dangerous Bitty.”
The place are you proper now? How’s the day going?
I’m doing good. I simply arrived at my resort in LA, I’m strolling into my resort proper now. I’ve a gathering with the CEO of Warner Data and [I’m gonna] go see PinkPantheress.
We’re principally one month away from this being the summer season of “Dangerous Bitty.” How has it been for you watching this tune develop so shortly over the previous few weeks?
I actually been locking in on stamping myself and stamping the second, and ensuring that it’s not only a viral tune that simply dies down within the subsequent two months. [I want to make] it a family tune and put extra of a personality on the market – properly, not the character, as a result of it’s truly me. Individuals are beginning to truly fall in love with the particular person behind the music and never simply the tune “Dangerous Bitty.”
[Over] the previous few weeks, there’s been lots of ups and lots of good issues happening. I’m simply extraordinarily grateful and humble to undergo this and determine it out as we go.
The place did you chop “Dangerous Bitty?”
“Dangerous Bitty” wasn’t created within the studio. I made “Dangerous Bitty” on my telephone and headphones… similar to all the remainder of my different music. It’s an app referred to as BandLab, so I did that within the dorm room on my own. There wasn’t anyone within the room. My brother [Myles Gillie], who’s additionally my supervisor, was within the different room. Not too long ago, I’ve moved to the studio.
Speak to me a bit concerning the Milwaukee lowend sound. How would you describe that fashion to these unfamiliar with it?
Milwaukee lowend, man, it’s positively one thing completely different, but it surely makes you need to transfer. You bought the quick faucets and the quick hits that’s coming your manner, so it has this bouncy feeling that makes you need to transfer in some kind of manner. I took [that sound] and I added myself to it and created a complete new style of music as a result of it’s not like common lowend rap. I put it in there as a result of I’ve all the time been a singer, however everyone doesn’t actually need to hear that off the rip. There are many R&B artists, so in case you’re not Chris Brown or Usher, folks don’t actually need to hear you proper now. I simply took the R&B and I introduced it to the lowend. It simply created a contagious feeling, and now we’re right here.
The place do you hope the lowend sound goes from right here? Do you intend to proceed utilizing it in your individual music?
Lowend music is kind of about rapping about driving quick vehicles and stealing vehicles and issues of that nature. That’s not likely my jig, I don’t do this. To start with, I’m huge as a b—h, I’m the primary goal! So, stealing vehicles was by no means actually my factor. So, I simply took it and flipped it. I simply stored the beat-type s—t. If there’s something lowend about my music, it’s the beat.
So far as how I’m delivering the music, that has nothing to do with lowend in any respect. That’s simply me. It’s my fashion on the lowend beat, and anyone from Milwaukee would say the identical.
There’s lots of momentum within the Milwaukee rap scene proper now. How is the scene to working collectively to place one another on? What does that group appear to be?
The group is nice proper now. In each metropolis there’s lots of hate, there’s so much love, however the metropolis is town, and there’s much more love than hate. The artists which might be blowing up from town, it’s well-deserved for them.
It’s only a testomony [to the fact] that there’s truly expertise in Milwaukee, as a result of the artists that blow up are all completely different. All of them have completely different sounds. They rap about various things, however they’re all from Milwaukee. You gained’t activate Rooster P and activate considered one of my songs and listen to a correlation, however we’re each from Milwaukee.
Have you ever ever felt like Milwaukee has a sort of underdog standing compared to different scenes throughout the nation?
One factor that I like to see on the market [in New York] and that I discover about them is [that] all of them present like to whoever bought the recent hand. Regardless in case you from Queens, the Bronx, uptown, it don’t matter. If you happen to bought the recent hand, they gonna get behind you — as a result of on the finish of the day, you’re New York.
In Milwaukee, it’s not like that every one the way in which. It’s a crab-in-a-barrel metropolis. All people don’t need to see you win. A few of them wanna say, ‘Oh yeah, he bought there, however he tousled.’ Like I stated, each metropolis has that. And Milwaukee isn’t like a New York Metropolis, the place there’s so many individuals you will get rattling close to the entire nation behind you.
It’s already a small metropolis, and you’d suppose that by being a small metropolis that everyone would come collectively, but it surely’s not like that on a regular basis. However it’s okay, as a result of the lovers and the haters will get you there.
When and the way did you compromise in your stage title?
My actual title is Josiah. My nickname for Josiah is Jody. In Milwaukee, it’s widespread so as to add the letter P to the tip of your title — as a result of it’s like a Milwaukee factor. This was manner earlier than all that “Pushin P” s—t. Even in case you have a look at a few of the artists from Milwaukee, like Rooster P, Myaap, and many others. “P” is like “participant,” however everyone participant, so everyone simply provides P to the tip of their title.
My title was all the time Jody P so far as [an] artist title, however I made a decision to shorten it up and simply put J.P. as a result of it was a bit simpler. It had extra of a lil ring to it.
You’re presently in faculty majoring in music. Why did you select that main? What are your earliest musical recollections?
I don’t have a loopy musical background, however I’ve all the time been a musical baby. I all the time thought it was regular for me, however apparently, it isn’t regular for everyone. Issues that needed to do with music, I all the time caught on to. It was all the time very straightforward for me to do. I’m actual good at one thing and listening to it and mimicking all of it the way in which right down to the place it’s in my arsenal. Once I went to varsity, I knew I didn’t need to cease singing, so I’m like, Okay, I’m gonna audition for the voice space music. I went and auditioned and I made it.
I unintentionally auditioned for the vocal jazz scholarship; I used to be pondering it was part of the precise music space audition. I ended up doing that too, and I bought a vocal jazz scholarship. That was kinda my deal.
Who do you keep in mind listening to rising up round the home?
I grew up and spent lots of time round my grandmama. As a child, I used to observe lots of musicals. I used to be watching lots of Mary Poppins, Sound of Music, The Wizard of Oz, The Wiz. That flowed over into artists like Sam Cooke, Otis Redding, Luther Vandross, Quincy Jones, all of these folks. I bought my vibrato from listening to [classic pop] singers like Frank Sinatra, Dean Martin, Jackie Wilson, Ella Fitzgerald – I don’t know why, however everyone from that period all the time had hella vibrato. Simply listening to [them] over and again and again, I subconsciously realized how one can grasp vibrato.
I didn’t understand all of that stuff wasn’t regular to have in your arsenal till I bought to varsity. [I saw] lots of youngsters which have been doing music their complete life, get into their vocal classes and battle to do that or battle to carry this word or battle to activate their vibrato. And I’m like, Simply do it like this. However I’m in my head like, I’ve been doing this since I used to be seven.
It’s humorous you point out that you just grew up together with your grandma as a result of lots of people on-line clocked that out of your mannerisms. Do you embrace having an outdated soul?
Folks been saying I’ve an outdated soul since I used to be like 5 years outdated, particularly the older folks. They all the time welcome me like, You’ve been right here earlier than. [Laughs.] It was positively one thing I used to be already used to, and I do know I bought an outdated soul, however that’s simply how I’m maneuvering and grooving. That’s simply me.
What’s your favourite class you’ve taken to your music main thus far?
In all probability precise vocal classes with Professor Susan Bender. She simply retired my sophomore 12 months, which is that this 12 months, however she has a tremendous, lovely voice. I’ve by no means had vocal classes, so I auditioned after the basketball season of my freshman 12 months. I didn’t turn out to be an precise voice space scholar till the start of my sophomore 12 months. I set to work along with her and she or he was superb.
You’re additionally a student-athlete. Have basketball and music all the time coexisted in your life like this?
I didn’t actually begin taking basketball critical till my eighth grade 12 months [when I got] added to my first AAU workforce referred to as Sports activities Academy. They paid for my jerseys and all that different good things. Then my freshman 12 months of highschool, when considered one of my assistant varsity coaches was part of the Operating Rebels, [I joined through] this factor referred to as Be the Change program that was additionally based in Milwaukee. That was after I began truly enjoying and taking basketball critical.
So far as music, I used to all the time make music, however I’d maintain it on my telephone. My assistant coach, he was one of many day ones that all the time needed to hearken to the bulls—t that I used to be placing out. I used to be horrible high quality and s—t, however I had simply began making music, so he would inform me if that s—t was a—or to not what I wanted to repair. So, shoutout to him.
You’re balancing a rising profession, athletic commitments, educational commitments, your individual private life, and many others. How are you retaining every part collectively proper now?
Right now proper now, you positively study to lock in and key in to the folks that truly are there for you, as a result of now you’ll be able to’t actually be associates with everyone like the way you was once. As a lot as you need to be, you’ll be able to’t. You possibly can’t be a daily particular person no extra. You gotta transfer a bit completely different, as a result of everyone has a hidden agenda now.
I’m praying, man, actually retaining myself sane and ensuring I’m not letting what’s happening run my life. I’m not letting that management and eat me. The largest factor proper now, is staying utterly humble, as a result of that’s what bought us right here within the face.
You’ve had a few viral media clips not too long ago, together with a No Jumper look, wherein the hosts tried to clown you for standing in your fact relating to your previous sexual experiences. What’s it like navigating the hip-hop trade contemplating how traditionally inhospitable the area has been for many who fall exterior of the heterosexual norm?
I’ve by no means actually been the person who cares what anyone else has to say. I personally really feel like no matter I bought to say is legislation, so regardless of the hell come out of my mouth, if I stated it, then that’s what the hell means one thing. If you happen to heard about one thing that’s happening, you’re like, That’s some Jody s—t. It’s like Damon from Friday [After Next]. You’re not gonna stroll as much as Damon and be like, Oh, you homosexual, cuz. You allow him alone kind s—t.
I positively know that it’s not a traditional factor [in hip-hop], but it surely takes a sure kind of particular person to embark on this journey the way in which I do. I do know lots of people, [had they] been in my seat, would have been on suicide watch. All people can’t take that, particularly on the diploma that I’m [getting it.] The entire world bought one thing to say, but it surely don’t matter — as a result of on the finish of the day, no person with a mind goes to stroll up and say one thing to me about it. And in the event that they do, I’m a younger man that is aware of how one can communicate and speak by means of conditions. If you happen to want readability, I can provide you readability, however I actually don’t owe you something. I can provide it to you, if that’s what you’re in search of.
You gotta know how one can take you on the chin, boss. Why would you need to turn out to be a detriment to your self over one thing that I did 5 years in the past? That doesn’t make sense. You gonna have the folks that be humorous, however you gotta know that that it comes with that. You’re gonna have folks that’s gonna giggle about you. You’re gonna have folks that’s going to repost and say this and say that, but it surely’s alright, bro. That’s the secret.
That lil head-bobbing dance additionally helped “Dangerous Bitty” go viral. The place did that come from?
That’s one thing that I truly do, that’s not one thing that I made-up. If I’m within the membership and any individual enjoying a tune that I like, I’m gonna bob my head like that too. What occurred was, after I first made the video to that “Dangerous Bitty,” it was any individual within the feedback that was like, “Oh, the top bob is contagious.” So what I did was, I took the remark and made a video to the remark and simply did it once more.
As soon as I seen that that was the pickup, I simply took it and ran with it. I’ve been doing that very same s—t since I used to be 9, in church listening to church music.
Talking of, what’s your favourite church tune?
All of it is dependent upon in case you attempting to be on some calm s—t or in case you attempting to get turnt!
I’m tryna get turnt, what’s in your reward and worship bag?
Okay so Byron Cage, “The Presence of the Lord is Right here,” that s—t crack. “The Blood Nonetheless Works,” that s—t will get you going. “I’m Bought Out,” “Nice God” by Deitrick Haddon, “Reward Him In Advance” by Marvin Sapp, “Finest In Me” by Marvin Sapp, “Pay attention” by Marvin Sapp, “They That Wait” by Fred Hammond!
You’ve beforehand spoken about how a few of the vocal parts of “Dangerous Bitty” are sort of like your model of scatting. Who’re your favourite singers in the case of scatting?
I [don’t] actually have a favourite scatter. I simply knew it was a factor. I do know Ella Fitzgerald is chilly at scatting, Lalah Hathaway is a chilly ass scatter. That’s rattling close to all I do know, however I do know they good at it. [Laughs.]
Are you pondering of signing to a label? Have you ever gotten any gives but?
I’m not in a rush to do something. We’ve got some gives on the desk, however I’m not likely in a rush. All the pieces happening with me proper now [is] natural. Nearly all of issues that I’ve carried out all the way in which up thus far, lots of labels are paying for his or her artists to do this stuff. I did this simply off of pure networking and organicness, if that’s the phrase.
Are there any careers you’d prefer to emulate?
I don’t suppose there’s anyone I wish to emulate off the rip, however I do have some inspirations. I believe Jay-Z is likely one of the greatest ones, as a result of I observed how he stored his group tight-knit and gave them jobs. He may have gotten the perfect particular person in [each] space, however he gave alternatives to the folks that was round him and stored his circle tight. Lil Child retains lots of identical folks round too.
I’ve been listening to whispers of a possible “Dangerous Bitty” remix or two. What’s up?
I ain’t gonna say an excessive amount of, but it surely’s up within the air. It’d come two weeks from now, may come tomorrow. It’s positively gonna be [fire] when [it] do come out. Since we’re all right here speaking about remixes and who’s gonna be on there, I simply need to put out into the universe: If I may get Coi Leray on there, that might be nice. Let’s put that on the market to the universe tenfold, and hope that comes again.
You possibly can positively expect a mission coming in direction of the tip of Might or early June, proper in that candy spot of summer season. I bought music movies on the way in which. I bought one other single that’s going to be on the way in which as properly with the music video following up behind that. We shifting and grooving. We’re right here and we stamping our title.
When was the final time you made a bitty hit her knees?
No remark. You tried to slip that in there easy! [Laughs.]