The definite and distinct verism is almost palpable through the bars JDiggs Tha Prodigy is delivering in his newest release, Stand Down, “Always been the nice guy/ But right now I’m pissed/ ‘Cause how I live/ Won’t let me find a f*ck to give”. All the way from Fort Worth, Texas, with severely practical rhymes and life knowledge that drips continuously from his lyrics, JDiggs Tha Prodigy is one of those rappers whose music you want to repeatedly go back to.
JDiggs Tha Prodigy’s songs are always loaded with tons of genuine energy that touch the listener and connect with you within the first seconds. In Stand Down, the last song of his newest EP, 4700, it becomes obvious after a couple of bars that he’s sticking to this fast-paced flow, which in all honesty, is a rarity these days. When asked if this is his comfortable area, JDiggs shares: “That flow is difficult for me to deliver live, but it’s hella fun. I first tried it last year for a TV freestyle competition. I actually modeled it after one of my homies, Phazarellie Bambino” – it takes a real self-confident person and a grown man to give credit to someone else for his inspiration. We like that.
When you pay attention to the lyrics, which are rather easy to follow, a particular line takes the spotlight ”Only thing I really need is my sleep back”, Just how much sleep did JDiggs lose on improving himself over the years? “Let’s just say if I had a dollar for every hour I’ve lost, I could afford the getaway I need to recover from it lol” – well damn. At just one dollar per hour, that amounts to a whole lot of invested work. JDiggs is showing signs of a future star, an artist that is not afraid to pay the full price upfront for his success: “I used to make music that I thought would impress other artists. Every time I sat down to write something, I was constantly thinking about how I could be better than them, but still get them to like me. That was a HUGE mistake. I took some time off ’cause I felt my music wasn’t going anywhere and when I decided to give it another try, I promised myself I’d make the music I wanted to hear and if others liked it – great, if not – then oh well” only a lyricist that is not anxious to oblige has the mental capability of stepping back and reassess the progress. The definition of self-awareness.
“Who produced the beat?” I have to ask as the entire EP is giving off Top 40 production quality. “MikeyB Beats produced Stand Down. He also produced Solo and LuvU2Death as well. I have a beat pack from him and I was going through it and these particular instrumentals stood out. He also produced a song from my last project, called Run It Up” shares JDiggs with us. He also goes to expand on what exactly he brought new to the table with 4700: “I’d say the singing was the biggest new thing I brought. One of my personal favorites is the chorus for Cornerstore. I feel like I delivered all the harmonies on that song as close to perfect as a non-singer could get. I also got a little more personal with the lyrical content”, and the truth he has spoken. He actually sang so good on the hook of Cornerstone that initially we weren’t sure that was him. Our apologies JDiggs. You truly are, a prodigy 😉
When asked what’s his own favorite off 4700, JDiggs Tha Prodigy goes to answer without holding back, which we very much appreciate as most artists usually go for the cliché ”all my songs are good” *insert eye roll emoji*: “My top favorite song is definitely Solo. By far the most personal song I’ve ever written. They way Chico, my engineer over at MusicInFocus in Fort Worth, mixed the vocals and beat together, just gets to me every time. When I start playing 4700 and that hook comes in, I wanna hop in my car and just make a circle around the city to that song. I will be releasing a video to that and stand down.” that’s what we call enthusiasm!!! and an infectious one too as now we’re replaying Solo and are looking forward to the video of Stand Down. Taking a moment here to dissect Solo. It has a catchy hook, a laid back flow, and gut-wrenching real lyrics that hit you hard and make you grateful for all your blessings. It’s also a golden moment for the soul as many artists take time to share their feelings for their brothers, sisters, mothers, fathers, but not so much for their grandparents. What a wonderful tribute.
Now let’s get to know the man himself: “I started out freestyling at house parties. My buddy Ali got me into club promoting out in Dallas and that’s how I met my late friend Sam. He was an up and coming rapper. He invited me to a studio session one night and threw me in the booth. I rapped a verse I had memorized over a Drake beat. I took that recording and shared it with ppl ’cause I was so proud of it. Everyone kept telling me I should actually give it a shot so I did.” That’s how you know you’re good. When everyone else is pushing you to do it. Smart move taking the path that was most naturally inclined to fit his talents.
If you’re new here, then you should know we ask things no one else has the guts to. “Most artists, Beyoncé included, got on the mumble rap bandwagon in the last few years, but not you. Why?” And with that, we get the most entertaining answer so far from JDiggs Tha Prodigy: “The only time you’ll hear me mumble is if I’m hella drunk lol. I listen to that kind of music occasionally but that’s not my style. A lot of my influence comes from ’90s hip-hop, mostly from the West coast. Artists like Ice Cube and E40 never mumbled in their raps. Hell, most of them over-pronounced words. I want people to be able to sing along as much as possible without always having to look up the lyrics.” you see? THIS is what we were talking about in the title! JDiggs Tha Prodigy only cares to please HIMSELF musically. Yes, it took him time and a longer break as he stated before, but he got to the point of that self-certitude when not even the biggest stars in the world can influence him. To all artists out there, let this be the words of wisdom you take out of this interview. There’s something that attracts the audience when you’re being unapologetic.
When we did a little research we noted his bio details his beginnings to more than 11 years ago. By consequence, we have to ask: “What keeps that fire burning inside you? Why keep pushing for so long?”, to which JDiggs Tha Prodigy shares an enlightening answer: “My love of music. There have been times in my life where I felt like everyone had abandoned me but I still had my music. Making music is as close to a journal or diary as I’ve ever gotten except I make it public. I know I’m no Kendrick or J.Cole but I like to think that my music will reach someone, somewhere, and they will relate to it and understand that they’re not the only one going through it. Or, they may use my music to help them temporarily get away from what they’re going through. Yeah, most would’ve quit by now, and believe me I have publicly committed to quitting but I just can’t. It’s like every time I think I’m gonna hang up the mic, I end up progressing somehow and it keeps me going.” it’s becoming increasingly plain that JDiggs Tha Prodigy could not, and will not ever give up because he has that spirit calling of writing, rapping, singing, and sharing it with the world. Incredible as it may appear, one’s music can and WILL reach many more than he/she thinks. And we’re grateful for artists like JDiggs Tha Prodigy who keep pushing, who keep improving, and keep giving without expecting anything in return. He has done more charity through his music than he’ll ever know.
We will conclude this inspiring interview with the special thanks from JDiggs Tha Prodigy: “Can I do this like an acceptance speech lol? First and foremost I want to thank God because without Him I wouldn’t be where I am. I want to thank my dad, Pastor Patrick J Diggs, for always being a huge supporter, friend, and father to me. My entire family for always sharing my posts and hyping me up. My manager, Huck, for keeping me on task over this last year ’cause that’s where I’ve seen the greatest amount of growth. My wife and kids for being ok with me being gone do all the shows and interviews I’ve done. Jose “Chico” Santiago and MusicInFocus studios for always making me feel and sound like an artist. Ian Wilson, Phaze, Calli Dee, Rob C, Dougless Elliot at Next Level Internet Radio for all taking a shot on me with shows and events last year. Everyday Tony, Floetic Desire, Lou Charle$, Marka, Soul Native, Produkt Inc Clothing, Blurry Vision Films, Rellek Beats, MikeyB Beats and the whole Young Gods team, Karmaa, Ryan my shoe plug lol, My boss April for always making sure my work schedule allowed for me to make it to shows and competitions etc. Most importantly my fans. If I missed anyone, charge it to my mind, not my heart ’cause it takes more than a village to make a successful artist”
They’ll never let you do an acceptance speech this long JDiggs! 😀 but thankfully we’re online and no one is rushing us, so props to you for being so considerate and so keen on mentioning everybody you could possibly remember.
We urge you to stay in touch DIRECTLY with JDiggs Tha Prodigy by following him on Instagram HERE, on Facebook HERE, on Twitter HERE, on SoundCloud HERE.
Also, an absolute MUST, add his quality music on Amazon HERE, on Apple Music HERE, on Google Play HERE, on Deezer HERE, and on Spotify below:
Interview conducted by Mariana Berdianu
Blue Rhymez Entertainment ©2020
Blue Rhymez Entertainment 