From Tidewater, Virginia, J Hughes is a musical artist who has been working on his craft since his teenage years. His genres range from rap and R&B to 70’s soul, however he predominately focuses on rap. What sets him apart from other rappers is his mindfulness and respect. J Hughes deeply believes in the greater meaning of life and he sees past the materialistic things that most mainstream rappers tend to focus on in today’s music. He disagrees with objectifying women, glorifying money, power, violence, hate, etc. His music aligns with his beliefs, including his newest release, “Better Woman”. The intro has a bubbly and uplifting beat, then it transitions to J Hughes not only singing, but telling a story. The song is about a girl who unexpectedly breaks his heart.
“Before I knew it, I was on my own, started losing hope, thought about giving up because I’m on my last hope. Finally, I gave up, until a new woman came and made me change it up”.
J Hughes quickly switches the dismal tone of the song to positive when he starts singing about finding a new woman that changes his life and gives him the bliss he was missing due to his last heart break. He goes on to sing about the way she treats him “already proving to be trusting, also got my heartbeat jumping”. The way that he sings about this “Better Woman” is like the magical relationship that everybody dreams about. The song is inspiring and relatable, which makes it the perfect jam to blast this summer!
Listen to "Better Woman" here and get to know more about J Hughes below!
What are a few things that you want your fans to know about yourself?
I'm the type who wants to let his music tell stories of actual experiences. Share with people reality, and not materialism. Want to show that there is one rapper who loves making love songs, whether it be finding love or losing it.
Is “Better Woman” based on your personal experiences with love?
"Better Woman" started off as a song dedicated to a special woman who I really liked. But I learned that she didn't have that interest in me anymore. I was finished with the first verse before she left me alone. So I decided to turn it into a "what if" song. That means its a song for a woman who I would want to be with and hopefully, she's out there.
What was your writing process like for “Better Woman”?
Like I stated earlier, it was for someone I really liked. The first fourteen verses started off with me talking about the relationship I was in before with my ex, who I loved through the good and bad. Then the rest of the song was about the woman who I really liked. I wrote the verses first and then the hook. While writing the song, I was also making the instrumental. Also added some melodic and harmonious vocals in the background.
Where do you see yourself and your career in a few years from now?
To be honest, not really sure, but probably still creating more music, as an artist and producer.
Who are your biggest influences in the music industry?Biggest influences would have to be both younger and older. Older being the old school rappers and soul singers such as The Dells, Stylistics, as well as Eric B and Rakim, Notorious B.I.G., Kanye West (from The College Dropout). Currently, and as far as today's standards, I would have to say Travis Scott.
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