Heartbreak and Hope: Jamai's Story and the Power of Music

interview with JAMAI
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[00:00:00] Welcome and Introduction
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[00:00:10] Bruce Anthony: Welcome. First of all, welcome. This is unsolicited perspectives. I'm your host Bruce Anthony here to lead the conversation and important events and topics that are shaping today's society. Join the conversation and follow us wherever you get your audio podcasts, subscribe to our YouTube channel to watch our video podcast, rate review, like [00:00:30] comment, share, share with your friends, share with your family, hell, even share with your enemies.

[00:00:34] Bruce Anthony: On today's episode, I'll be interviewing Jamai. That's a one word artist. He's a singer, producer, entrepreneur. He's been on the voice on Alicia Keys. His team. He's doing a docuseries. He's released an album called 23. We're gonna be talking about all of that. His life, him growing up and his work. But that's enough of the intro.

[00:00:57] Bruce Anthony: Let's get to the show. 

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[00:01:05] Meet Jamai: The Multi-Talented Artist
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[00:01:05] Bruce Anthony: Like I said at the top, I'm here with an artist, a singer, producer, director, entrepreneur, Jamai. Thank you for coming on the show and telling us your story. I'm excited to, to, to have this conversation with you.

[00:01:23] Jamai: Hey man, thank you for, for having me. Thank you for having me. Thank you for just, just [00:01:30] letting me be a part of such an amazing platform. I've been a fan of you. I'm recently a new fan of the show

[00:01:35] Jamai: and, uh, I love all the topics y'all dig into, especially in a time like this. So I'm just honored to be a part of the conversation, man.

[00:01:43] Jamai: Thank

[00:01:43] Bruce Anthony: Well, I'm honored to have you here. And as I 

[00:01:46] Bruce Anthony: say, with all of my guests to give the audience just a little bit of an understanding, let's start from the beginning. 

[00:01:53] Jamai's Early Life and Tragic Loss
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[00:01:53] Bruce Anthony: Can you tell me a little bit about your early life?

[00:01:57] Jamai: Whoa. I was born and raised in Chester, PA, [00:02:00] which is like right outside of Philly. Um, Always been into music always loved music and when I was very young about six years old. My mom was murdered My dad was in jail. He had been in jail since before I was born and I just was raised by like a community village of grandparents and aunts and uncles and cousins that just always kind of held me down and I fell in love with music at a very Young age and I honestly been pursuing it since I was about 14. So [00:02:30] Here I am, man, 20 years later.

[00:02:32] Bruce Anthony: So that was a quick synopsis of everything that we're going to be talking about and during this conversation, but let's go, to, let's take the audience on a rollercoaster. Okay. All right. This, this conversation is going to be dark. It's going to be light. It's going to be pain is going to be hopeful.

[00:02:49] Bruce Anthony: Let's start you at six years old. You brought up that your mother was murdered. I 

[00:02:56] Bruce Anthony: know that this is a big part of [00:03:00] a lot of the work that you're doing right now. I know it's painful, but if we could go back to that time and tell us a little bit about how this is. situation shaped you for the rest of your life.

[00:03:17] Jamai: Well, I think, um, the biggest thing is anybody knows if anybody knows anything about grief. One of the one of the interesting things is it takes on different phases. Um, I think when I was young and my [00:03:30] mom was murdered, I wasn't really able to process it all. I wasn't able to really put it all and accept it for what it was. I knew she was in heaven. I knew she was wasn't around. I knew kind of knew. Everything, but I wasn't able to really understand the processes. So I think for the most part, uh, I didn't, uh, I had sad moments, but, uh, it didn't really affect me. I think until I became an adult, uh, I talk about a story. [00:04:00] How I remember my mom, she would come to my school and she would help my teacher teach and help out with the students.

[00:04:06] Jamai: And then I remember a time where she wasn't able to do that. So like in my own little adolescent. Six year old way it was translated, but I didn't understand the severity until until well until adulthood of like how permanent and how tragic it was. 

[00:04:22] The Healing Power of Music
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[00:04:22] Jamai: So, um, but I think, uh, maybe around 12, 13 is when I really fell in love with [00:04:30] music.

[00:04:30] Jamai: I mean, or I really started to pursue music and I think that has kind of saved my life. In so many, so many ways. Like early on, I was singing with church choirs. I was singing with community choirs. Um, I was writing songs and, and I started performing around like 15. So that kind of always kept me grounded.

[00:04:48] Jamai: It was always. Something that I was fully invested in. So, you know,

[00:04:54] Bruce Anthony: So the love for music, is there any connection? Cause your mother [00:05:00] passed away very, very young in your life. Is there any connection between their love of music and your mother? Was your mother a musical person? Do you remember that? Is music a part of your family? Where did 

[00:05:11] Bruce Anthony: this love come from?

[00:05:14] Jamai: uh, I think I used to like, I remember her, she used to love Tina Marie. Like I remember, I remember, uh, Portuguese love, like while I'm in the tub, it's, you know, black folks be cleaning a

[00:05:25] Jamai: house, you know, and they, they clean their music. So I remember her singing [00:05:30] and I think I was, uh, you know, I glibberized. Uh, her memory a lot. And I think when I was younger, I was like, I always thought she could sing because I love to sing and nobody in my immediate family sings, but, but she could sing. She sang all the time, but I don't think she was a singer.

[00:05:52] Jamai: And, uh, I think, uh, what's interesting is I have like different, you know, not in my [00:06:00] immediate family, but like some of my great grandparents or distant uncles were singers or, you know, had records out. Um, but I had no direct. influenced musically in my home, but I just was never, uh, discouraged. I was never, uh, like, you know, I was never told to turn the music

[00:06:19] Jamai: down. So it was like, this is what keeps them entertained is that this is what he loves. You know, my grandmother, she always like pushed me for it.

[00:06:27] Jamai: You know what I'm saying? So I guess [00:06:30] it's a yes and a no answer.

[00:06:31] Jamai: you, know what so yeah. 

[00:06:37] Bruce Anthony: or 13 years old. And I know music is therapeutic to the soul. Do you think? Because now you're now as an adult, you're really dealing with the grief of the loss of your mother. Do you think that the music helped you directly or indirectly, consciously, subconsciously, deal [00:07:00] with the grief Of a lost mother, because you were raised by 

[00:07:04] Bruce Anthony: a village, as you, as you said, you know, you had family members that were pitching in and helping out, but your father's not there, your mother's not there. 

[00:07:14] Jamai: Okay.

[00:07:25] Bruce Anthony: way to cope with the world that was on your shoulders?[00:07:30] 

[00:07:30] Jamai: For sure, for sure. Music was, was definitely, and, and has been a way to cope. 

[00:07:36] Creating the Album '23'
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[00:07:36] Jamai: I think, uh, she was murdered when she was 23, and so if anybody has ha has ever had a parent die, a lot of times, you know, I found that whenever, that whatever age that parent was, sometimes when you get to that age, you think you're going to die at that time too. And I know a lot of people that have expressed and felt [00:08:00] that way. And so I remember approaching 23 and feeling like, wow, I wonder if I'll live. You know, past this age. And so once I did it, it, it, um, another, another different type of grief came because it was like, wow, I'm living longer than she did. And then in fact, when her 23rd anniversary was approaching, you know, I grieved the fact that she would be gone for as long as she was alive.

[00:08:27] Jamai: And so, uh, with that, I was [00:08:30] inspired to create the album. Basically of like 23 songs, whereas I was basically telling her story and I was experimenting and I was trying new things. And so I produced the album of about 23 songs, um, about my relationships, about just the effects of growing up without my mom. And I think, I didn't realize until after I released the album of how my grief evolved and I say evolved because [00:09:00] You know you have you know, I don't know if you ever lost anybody close to you, but holidays anniversaries

[00:09:06] Jamai: birthdays, any milestones can be, can almost have a, a dark overtone to it because it's like bittersweet.

[00:09:15] Jamai: You, you happy that you're in a holiday season, but you really experiencing depression because you missed this loved one. And so I noticed, um, not immediately, but I noticed that once I released my album, it wasn't [00:09:30] until maybe months later that I started experiencing. My grief wasn't as traumatic as normal.

[00:09:36] Jamai: It wasn't as, uh, it had took a page. It took a turn. And I think for me, music has been, uh, my form of therapy in terms of just not only, uh, being creative and busy, but telling her story because her story was so tragic. And I think when I finally got to have adult conversations with my family members and adult [00:10:00] conversations with her friends and people that was with her that night and people that were close to her at the time, it kind of helped me process things.

[00:10:08] Jamai: And by putting it in a music, I think it was therapeutic for me. So to answer your question, music has definitely been a big part of my healing and a part of me just coping. Before when I was younger, I think that music is what kept me busy.

[00:10:26] Jamai: But I think now it's really what is, what is a part of my sanity [00:10:30] in a lot of ways, you know,

[00:10:32] Bruce Anthony: I want to touch on your album, but I also want to rewind a little bit because you just said something that family members were with your mom that night. What happened that night? You know, where were you? How did you find out, how did your family members take it? How, how, what was it like losing your mom?

[00:10:59] Bruce Anthony: And then [00:11:00] also your father not being there.

[00:11:02] A Mother's Tragic Story
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[00:11:02] Jamai: I think for me, uh, in a short, I guess, Quick way to say is she was in a domestic violence situation. And if anybody knows anything about, uh, my mom's case was not isolated in any way. She was experiencing all of the things that women often experience in domestic violence, stalking, uh, uh, physical abuse, mental abuse. And, uh, for a lot of [00:11:30] people in domestic violence situations, it's, it's a cycle of business as usual. And, uh, for most women, Go to authorities or when they speak about speak, uh, about their, um, abuse. A lot of time the abuse heightens. And in, in my, in my mom's case, that's exactly what happened. She, uh, Thanksgiving week, she put in a police, uh, a restraining order. And, uh, [00:12:00] this gentleman, this dude, her ex-boyfriend was, uh, already on probation for a drug charge. And so he had been threatening and stalking her. And so basically he was found out in front of our apartment with a gun and they arrested this man because he was He was a stalking her. Uh, he was on probation.

[00:12:25] Jamai: He was arrested at this time. They had not served him with the papers [00:12:30] for the restraining order. And this is still something to that camp that we don't know why. Uh, but he was arrested and this was, uh, the day after Thanksgiving in 1995 on a Friday and, uh, the judge arraigned him and let him out within maybe, uh, Three or four hours from him, from him being arrested and he killed my mom that night. And so, uh, what, what I realized now is [00:13:00] that my mom actually went to him. Uh, she went to him. He did, he, he did stalk her and follow her because she went out, like went out at night with her friends and he came to the club and. You know, they, they fleed and you know, they got away from him or whatever, but he called her and she still eventually ended up coming to him. And, uh, for many years I was angry about that. I didn't understand it. Um, I thought maybe he threatened to, you know, do something to the family. Like nobody knows what he said [00:13:30] to her, but when she went to him, ultimately that's when, uh, she was stabbed to death. And, uh, basis of it is that's what happened.

[00:13:39] Jamai: And so for years, my family has been angry and, uh, created this project. I was able to have conversations to really confront people. Why did y'all let her go? Why did you, you know, I had a conversation with the Justice recently, which was very powerful for me. You know, uh, so [00:14:00] having those conversations is what really, uh, assisted in my healing. So, uh, I just really want people to know how common it is of, of what the, what the common behaviors are of domestic abuse. And women do go back because. Stockholm syndrome is a real thing. So yeah.

[00:14:20] Bruce Anthony: Okay. 

[00:14:21] Confronting the Past: Conversations and Healing
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[00:14:21] Bruce Anthony: So let's get to the album because you, you just mentioned that it was therapeutic in the standpoint where you [00:14:30] are talking to family members and even the justice to get some clarity of what happened, what was that process like in the, addressing it with. Friends and family and the justice, and then creating the music behind that.

[00:14:49] Bruce Anthony: 'cause that seems like that's a, a really, really emotional process.

[00:14:54] Jamai: Yeah. Well, I, well, uh, the, the song was probably the first, [00:15:00] the first part of the process. It was a, it was a song. Uh, the song is titled, uh, 23 Shannon's last words. Um, her cause of death was exsanguination, which is basically the loss of blood. And so in the song, I am imagining where her last words could have been, where her last thoughts. Uh, maybe work and, um, I ended up having conversations with, uh, one of her friends who was with her or two [00:15:30] of her friends who was with her, uh, when they went out that night and what, what their accounts were, um, what, what they knew and didn't know about the situation, which they, a lot of barely nobody knew that my mom was being abused.

[00:15:44] Jamai: You know, she was. Isolated in a lot of ways. Um, and so just her vibrant personality, you kind of just went with whatever she said and you went with the flow and nobody really questioned it. Uh, but I had a [00:16:00] conversation with her friends. I had a conversation with, uh, There was actually a victim, I mean, a witness who actually witnessed her being murdered. Um, I had a conversation with this witness. Um, and so just, just those kinds of conversations can, can be re traumatizing and healing at the same time. And, um, eventually I had a conversation with the justice. [00:16:30] He was just about to retire. And this case in my area was a really big, um,

[00:16:36] Bruce Anthony: Mm-Hmm.

[00:16:37] Jamai: so, uh, some other politicians in the area have always been supportive of me and was willing to, you know, help my family and say, if you ever want to have a conversation with this judge, I can arrange it.

[00:16:48] Jamai: And I kind of took that opportunity on. And so when I had the conversation, uh, I didn't get much accountability. I got a lot of, [00:17:00] a lot of, uh, Uh, indirect answers. Um, I got a lot of just, it was, it was disappointing, but my main question was why would you let him out? Right?

[00:17:13] Jamai: Why would you let this man out of jail that's on probation? And to cut it short, his response was in a three hour conversation, his response was, um, he didn't know that he was on probation. So that was, that was, uh, his [00:17:30] response. And so trying to get under that. You know, once you grow to a place of maturity, you kind of like I'm giving this man an opportunity to be accountable and he chose not to be so. Um, and so I can't do nothing after that, but I did have the conversation. I was able to sit face to face with this man and, um, right. I mean, this was maybe a couple of weeks after he retired. I was able to have this conversation with him at his [00:18:00] office and, uh, him. This is another crazy thing. So the judge. And my grandmother went to high school together, right?

[00:18:09] Jamai: Cause we from small town.

[00:18:11] Jamai: It's like a movie, bro. It's like a movie. It's like, it's so, it's so tragic that it's like, you got to laugh. Like

[00:18:19] Jamai: it's it's so, it's so insane. Cause it's, it's an unbelievable story. And so this judge, With the high school of my grandparents, cause it's a small [00:18:30] town, you know, and they have, they happen to be good friends, you know, throughout the years.

[00:18:35] Jamai: And, um, ever since that happened, my grandma, my calling mom, my mom has just never been able to speak to him again. It's all part of him accepting this meeting was because he knew that my mom would be there and he has been trying to. Get in touch with her trying to apologize to her for decades, you know, so only to have this [00:19:00] conversation and still not be accountable or, you know, not give a genuine apology.

[00:19:06] Jamai: And so it is what it is. It was what it was. And, uh, I'm just in a space now of healing and, uh, keeping my mom's legacy alive and spreading awareness, man, because I realized how common and prevalent it is, especially in our community,

[00:19:26] Bruce Anthony: Mm-Hmm. [00:19:30] So I'm curious. You said that, um, this case was a big case in your area and you had a lot of politicians who said that they would give you direct access to this judge. What was it now in this moment? Was it the creation of the album, the working on the album and the conversations that you were having with other people that you that you decided now is the moment that [00:20:00] I can have this conversation with the judge?

[00:20:01] Bruce Anthony: Mm 

[00:20:02] Jamai: yeah, I think for me, uh, because of my longstanding relationship with grief. I have always been very cautious or present when it comes to time, when it comes to, uh, appreciating the family members that I do have, when it comes to making sure I take a lot of pictures and videos, and I've been always like really passionate about that.

[00:20:28] Jamai: And so for [00:20:30] years, I knew I wanted to talk to the judge. I knew I wanted to talk to some of her friends. I knew I wanted to talk to my grandfather. Um, I knew I wanted to speak with the, uh, the officer because we have small town, so the officer who actually was the first on the scene was a friend of the family. You know, he was the last person to see her alive. He, the person who told my family, uh, I still haven't had that conversation, but for years, [00:21:00] I know I've been wanting to have these conversations and I just wasn't ready. I just, The scariest thing for me, you know, having a conversation with a judge, which I kind of know all of the circumstances.

[00:21:12] Jamai: So I can't imagine what his answer could be.

[00:21:15] Jamai: So will I be ready when his answer is a crock of bull? You know what I'm saying? Um, well, I'll be ready to hear, uh, details from The killer's sister who happened to wake up and witness what she [00:21:30] witnessed. Well, I'll be ready to have those conversations, you know, and it wasn't until the album was just about done and I knew that I was getting, I was getting ready to move forward with the promo for the album that I said, I need to have these conversations because, um, the story of my mom was, uh, was put out as a double murder.

[00:21:54] Jamai: Um, because the murderer, he, he also died as well as my mom was protecting herself. [00:22:00] Um, but the public at large, I don't think knew about the domestic violence the way that my family and I knew because I witnessed it and I was a part of it.

[00:22:11] Jamai: So I knew that I had a passion to tell the truth about what happened to mom and defend her as, as a true victim. Um, with that being said, his family. I was still, uh, maybe expressing a different narrative. And so I knew that, uh, [00:22:30] I needed to have conversations for the sake of being ready for whatever backlash it may, may get from his family who doesn't know nothing about the scenario. So I had to be prepared to take on all of that just by telling my mom's story. And I know it's kind of complex. I'm sorry for rambling, but

[00:22:50] Bruce Anthony: No, no. Cause you just said something and, uh, the audience that's watching it on the video saw my face drop. Um, wait a minute. [00:23:00] It's a double murder.

[00:23:03] Jamai: Yeah,

[00:23:04] Bruce Anthony: So 

[00:23:06] Bruce Anthony: in she would she's being attacked your mother's being attacked She's defending herself and in that defense not only does she die, but he also dies

[00:23:17] Jamai: yes, he died. I think about 10 days later, she died on the scene. He died about 10 days later. Uh, now the other thing

[00:23:27] Bruce Anthony: from the attack 

[00:23:29] Jamai: from the [00:23:30] attack. Yes, he was, he was, he was. He was. Now, I do not know his technical cause of death, but I know he was in a coma for about 10 days after the attack. And for context, my mom was 115 pounds, maybe five, six.

[00:23:46] Jamai: He was about 250 pounds, six four. And, um, the, the witness, uh, she said that she, she know that they were attacking each other, that they were, that, uh, she saw them. [00:24:00] She heard my mom screaming and she saw, you know, them attacking each other. Uh, but I mean, I already, I already know what it is. I have things that I witnessed. I mean, uh, my mom, it's so much to unpack. I'm sorry, but my mom was actually suffering from, uh, seizures because of the hair trauma prior to her murder.

[00:24:28] Bruce Anthony: She was suffering [00:24:30] from seizures from the abuse prior to the murder. Okay.

[00:24:35] Jamai: correct. So she had been, uh, having seizures and because nobody knew she was being abused, she, uh, was lying to even the doctors. She had went to the doctors with my grandmother Of course, because she was, I guess, because my grandmother was present, the doctor was asking her, like, the only time people get seizures like this is normally from head trauma. And so what they [00:25:00] were doing were currently monitoring her. And I just found this out. She was wearing, like, uh, some kind of, uh, thing that would connect to the head or whatever. And she would wear a hat because they was monitoring her brain activity. Uh, but she was not telling people that she was getting knocked out cold, you know, into seizures.

[00:25:19] Jamai: She would have seizures. So, So, the fatal night that happened. You know, I'm thankful that she protect herself.

[00:25:28] Jamai: I can't imagine her [00:25:30] not being here and him being here. And after 20 years coming home or 10 years, you know, I can't even imagine,

[00:25:37] Jamai: um, you know, uh, so, but, but ultimately the story was, it was a double murder.

[00:25:45] Jamai: It was tit for tat, which was truly not fair. To be my mom and her family, you know, I was just here to set the set the record straight and, uh, just, just keep her legacy on [00:26:00] and spread awareness, man. Spread awareness.

[00:26:02] Bruce Anthony: So you definitely doing that not only with the album But like I told the audience is that we're going to take a rollercoaster ride. There's going to be some pain. There's going to be some light and hope. 

[00:26:15] Jamai's Journey on The Voice
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[00:26:15] Bruce Anthony: And part of the hope is you were on the voice.

[00:26:18] Jamai: Yeah,

[00:26:19] Bruce Anthony: Not only were you on the voice, but you met my boo, Alicia Keys.

[00:26:24] Jamai: a book. 

[00:26:25] Bruce Anthony: That's my, she don't know it yet. She don't know it. I know she, I know she's still [00:26:30] married, but 

[00:26:31] Bruce Anthony: come on now. Like,

[00:26:32] Jamai: They figure it out.

[00:26:33] Bruce Anthony: yeah, 

[00:26:33] Bruce Anthony: you know, I, I can, I can, Hey, people out there doing polygamy relationships all the time. I'm willing, Alicia, just let you know, baby. Hey, I'm here, but no, seriously. So you're on The Voice. Tell me about that entire process, how you get on The Voice, what it was like being on The Voice, what it was like being and meeting and working on Alicia Keys team.

[00:26:55] Bruce Anthony: Hey,

[00:26:59] Jamai: experience, [00:27:00] man. It was, it was truly, uh, something that I can't even put into words, man. I, I was, uh, I actually didn't audition like how you usually audition. Uh, they have a thing because it's TV called additional casting. And so what they do is, you know, they need so, so many country singers, so many this to have a certain demographic.

[00:27:25] Jamai: And so it's what the irony and the reason I'm telling this [00:27:30] part of the story is because I had auditioned for the voice in American Idol, maybe for like 10 years, every year, waiting hours in the line. to the one year that I did an audition, they actually called me. And so, uh, it's just funny how time and opportunities work, but, uh, uh, casting director reached out to me. They flew me out, auditioned maybe three rounds of auditions and, uh, I made it to the actual taping and, uh, It was, it was a great [00:28:00] experience. I met, this was the first year that Kelly Clarkson was a judge. And this happened to be lat the last year that Alicia Keys judge. And, um, it was just like, of course I'm gonna pick Alicia Keys.

[00:28:15] Jamai: Like Kelly turned her chair around and like, and, uh, Alicia turned the chair, but it's like, it's Alicia Keys. And, uh, the, the first thing I can think of is, uh, just strikingly beautiful. I think, uh, I [00:28:30] can honestly say that, you know, whenever you see Alicia Keys on TV, it really does no justice to how beautiful she looks in person.

[00:28:39] Jamai: Like, she is, like, you don't see somebody that beautiful just on the street, like, you

[00:28:45] Jamai: just, it's just, just strikingly beautiful. So that was my first impression. My first thing, uh, but she was cool. She was, she was, uh, I'm a, I'm an analytical person. So when I was on a team, you know, I was looking at [00:29:00] how the machine works.

[00:29:01] Jamai: I was looking at. The audio team and the camera crew and the production and the script writers and you know, that's just how I experienced life Um, so I learned a lot about how tv works and uh, that was probably The most I took away from this show. I think uh When I was eliminated, I asked Alicia, like, what was it?

[00:29:27] Jamai: Like, what could I have done better? What do you think I need to work [00:29:30] on? Because I was looking for, I was looking to grow. I was there to try to like, you Alicia Keys, what's up?

[00:29:37] Jamai: Like, put me on, like, tell me, tell me what I need to get better at, you

[00:29:41] Jamai: know? And her response was, was, merely, uh, you're already good enough, you know, her response was, and I'll be honest.

[00:29:53] Jamai: I was, I was a little dissatisfied with that. Uh, when I,

[00:29:56] Bruce Anthony: You wanted a little bit more and you're like, okay, all right, but just give [00:30:00] me a little bit more detail.

[00:30:01] Jamai: yeah, like give me something to go home with to, to work on, you know, and she was like, honestly, she said, Uh, my partner, the person I was battling at the time, she was like, she needs this more than you. And she was like, you already got it. She was like, I don't have no pointers for you. 

[00:30:19] Reflecting on a Compliment
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[00:30:19] Jamai: She says, you already there.

[00:30:21] Jamai: You could, I could just tell that you've done this for years. She was like, and, uh, she talked about my business, uh, my singing telegram business. She was like, I [00:30:30] just can tell that you love to help and serve others. She was like, so I'm, so I know that. This is just the right decision for me, she said, because you already what it is.

[00:30:41] Jamai: I, it's nothing I could do. It's nothing I could, it's, I don't have no pointers for you. You already polished, you already put together. So it was like, it was a compliment. It was, and I appreciate it now just for her to affirm me and validate me in that way. But at the time I was just kind of like, Like, [00:31:00] I need something

[00:31:00] Jamai: else.

[00:31:01] Jamai: Like, what you going, I need what I need to work on.

[00:31:03] Jamai: Like, am I pitchy? Am I this, you know what I'm

[00:31:05] Jamai: saying? So it was, it was, it was, uh, bittersweet for me, if, I'll be honest

[00:31:10] Jamai: in hindsight. But, uh, I, I was glad that, uh, I'm glad now and I agree with her at this point,

[00:31:17] Jamai: you know, looking back on it, I, I agree with her and, uh, I'm just thankful that she was able to see that in me and kind of, kind of affirm, affirm me with that.

[00:31:27] Jamai: So I think that was. That was cool.

[00:31:29] Bruce Anthony: [00:31:30] That's dope. 

[00:31:30] Choosing to Share My Business Story
---

[00:31:30] Bruce Anthony: So you brought up your business, J Telegrams. I want to 

[00:31:36] Bruce Anthony: get into that, but now we got to go back to that roller coaster. We got to Go 

[00:31:41] Jamai: Go back now, .Okay. Okay.

[00:31:43] Bruce Anthony: the show, The Voice, you chose to tell the story of your business, As opposed to telling the backstory of everything that you told the audience in the first segment about your mother.

[00:31:55] Bruce Anthony: Why did you choose to talk about the telegram and [00:32:00] not talk about the history of your youth?

[00:32:05] Jamai: I think, uh, ultimately I was paranoid. I was paranoid, uh, being exploited.

[00:32:12] Jamai: I was paranoid. Uh uh, you know, I have a thing about being genuine. And authentic and, uh, and it's, and it's TV. And so like the truth for the matter is like in order for people to watch, you gotta give them, you have [00:32:30] to pull people in emotionally for them to root for you or to stay tuned. And I understand that now, but at the time I was not in this. Based to what I look like what I felt at the time was exploiting my mother story For y'all to pick me to go to the next level And so, you know, I look at it now as it would have been a great story to tell Because I was on a platform that could [00:33:00] really help people even just being a black man Talking about grief in that way, uh, could have helped a lot of people. And so I won't say I regret it, but, uh, if I had, I had that opportunity, I may have made a different decision, but, um, but I just wasn't ready. I wasn't, I knew that I didn't control the edit. I didn't control what parts of the story that, that got, got aired. I didn't get control if it got aired, you know, I didn't have control of anything. And I was just like, [00:33:30] If y'all going to pick me, it's going to be cause I'm a hell of a singer.

[00:33:34] Bruce Anthony: Right. You wanted to be based on your talent and not your 

[00:33:37] Bruce Anthony: story. I 

[00:33:38] The Birth of J Telegrams
---

[00:33:38] Jamai: for so tell the audience about your business. All

[00:33:54] Jamai: It's a luxury singer telegram service. I travel throughout the U. S., [00:34:00] primarily the East Coast, and I sing to people, man. I, uh, show up. When your wife got you sleeping on the couch, and you want to get back on the bed, you call me. And I show up with some roses, I got a florist, beautiful bouquet of roses, some bottle of wine, some chocolates, and I'm gonna sing y'all favorite song that makes you think of when y'all first started dating, or y'all wedding song, or you know, the song that [00:34:30] y'all What was on y'all first date?

[00:34:31] Jamai: Whatever. And then, she calls you, and then y'all have a wonderful night, and you thank me, and then everything is amazing. So, that's, that is the, the beauty of JTelegrams. Uh, it was a business, it was something I did in high school just to get girls, cause I could sing. And, uh, Mother's Day, and Valentine's Day came around, and dudes would give me 20, 30 to go sign an 8 girl or girls, [00:35:00] you know, that was, that was my hustle in

[00:35:04] Jamai: high school. I got a little, you know, I was an artist. I kind of felt like, you know, that's beneath me. I grew out of that. I ain't a little kid no more. And then I, in my early twenties, I kind of like, I got my business hat on and I was like, this is an amazing thing. Nobody really does it. So I'm gonna, I'm gonna put my best foot forward and I've been doing it. I have clients, [00:35:30] uh, from as South as Atlanta to as up North as Connecticut and, um, I'm located in the Philly area. So I travel constantly, uh, singing to people and, um, it's really a gift for me. Because I get to see people's marriage get re, uh, that fire reignited. I get to be a part of families that haven't spoken to each other in a while or, you know, certain family members might be [00:36:00] bedridden or, you know, in a cancer center where they can't celebrate their birthday and I get to show up and be a part of like these magical, you know, memorable moments.

[00:36:11] Jamai: So it's truly a gift for me as much as it is for other people, you know?

[00:36:15] Bruce Anthony: Yeah. That's dope. You get, once again, I told the audience, we're going to take them on a ride of pain and then hope 

[00:36:22] Bruce Anthony: that is essentially giving people hope 

[00:36:25] Bruce Anthony: and 

[00:36:25] Bruce Anthony: and it has a bring. So much [00:36:30] warmth to your heart to know you're genuinely helping people.

[00:36:36] Jamai: definitely. I, sometimes I feel like, sometimes I really do feel like I was given the gift. Like I was given a bigger gift. Anybody knows, I'm sure you know like giving it really does better for you to get like receiving like it is the best feeling in the world and nothing traps that like just doing something for somebody that maybe you know they [00:37:00] can't do something back or you would just really love to see that how it helped or benefited them it's such a blessing man so like the fact that People actually pay me to do it.

[00:37:10] Jamai: Like what? You paying me and you giving me a gift? Like that's how I feel sometimes. It's really, really a blessing man, because you get to see the effects of it. You get, it's all, nobody is never not shocked. Nobody is never like not blushing or not like appreciate it. [00:37:30] It's all, it always is a good, you know, it's always a great response.

[00:37:34] Jamai: You know,

[00:37:35] Bruce Anthony: That's dope. All right. 

[00:37:36] Musical Talents and Inspirations
---

[00:37:36] Bruce Anthony: So not only are you a singer producer, cause you produced the album 23, you produced that album. Okay. So not only your singer producer, you also play a multitude of instruments. Which instruments do you play again?

[00:37:52] Jamai: uh, I play piano. 

[00:37:53] Bruce Anthony: So you play the guitar and the piano.

[00:37:56] Jamai: Yeah, I play guitar and piano. I, uh, self [00:38:00] taught, uh, as an adult actually. I was never, uh, instrumentally inclined as a kid. But uh, I kind of just got tired of dealing with musicians that that are flaky like anybody know musicians Musicians are like can be very

[00:38:16] Jamai: flaky 

[00:38:17] Bruce Anthony: artists can be flaky.

[00:38:20] Jamai: that's true. That's very true.

[00:38:22] Jamai: That's actually that's actually very very true Yeah, so shout out to the musicians and the artists out here, man I get it y'all [00:38:30] trying we all trying to try to make it but uh My experience was I can't afford to keep putting shows together with musicians that flake or musicians that I'm in, I'm in the Philly area.

[00:38:42] Jamai: So somebody that played for me today because the musicians are so good here, they could be on tour with Jay Z next week. And then my little check is like, yo, I know, I know what you said, but I'm, I'm, uh, Boy, Lauryn Hill this week. 

[00:38:58] Bruce Anthony: I mean, And [00:39:00] realistically, you can't be mad at that. I mean, 

[00:39:03] Bruce Anthony: you, you, you mad in the fact that they're not honoring their word, but at the same 

[00:39:07] Bruce Anthony: time, it's like, uh, 

[00:39:10] Bruce Anthony: the roots just asked me to go on tour.

[00:39:14] Jamai: it happens so often, you know, it happens so often. And I was like, man, I'm gonna give myself a year to learn this guitar. And if I can't figure it out, then I give up. And so a year turned into four. You know, it's been, uh, 10 years now [00:39:30] and, uh, uh, and then I picked up piano because I was just like, if I could learn guitar. I got into this high of like that self confidence of like, dang. So if I really just discipline myself, I could do anything. Oh, all right. Well, I'm going to play piano now.

[00:39:45] Jamai: You know, it was initially guitar because Prince played guitar. I wanted to look fly on stage with a solo, like nobody's flyer than Prince.

[00:39:54] Jamai: So that was my initial inspiration. Um, and then I found out he played piano too. So I was [00:40:00] like. Prince and Stevie, let me see if I can, you know, see if I can see if I can touch on the keys. And so,

[00:40:07] Bruce Anthony: I think he played it. I think in the movie Purple Rain he was playing the piano.

[00:40:11] Jamai: Prince was a, Prince is a beast, was a beast on piano,

[00:40:14] Jamai: like. 

[00:40:15] Bruce Anthony: and my sister getting into it because that's my sister's favorite artist. And I like Prince too. I, I love 

[00:40:22] Bruce Anthony: Prince, but back in the day you had to choose between MJ or Prince. Just like 

[00:40:27] Bruce Anthony: Jay Z and Nas. Sometimes you 

[00:40:29] Bruce Anthony: just, [00:40:30] just like Kendrick and Drake.

[00:40:31] Jamai: true.

[00:40:32] Bruce Anthony: Sometimes you just got to 

[00:40:33] Bruce Anthony: choose. Yeah, Yeah, you guys just choose.

[00:40:36] Jamai: Yeah, you did, you did have to pick, and um, you know, I, I, I love it because Mike was, was, Mike was the king, number one, and, but Prince was always a little off the center, like, he was

[00:40:48] Jamai: always like, uh, you know what I mean, so like, I love that, that, the, the rebellious, you know, image of, uh, Prince, so, I'm, I'm gonna go with [00:41:00] Prince.

[00:41:00] Creating a Docuseries
---

[00:41:00] Bruce Anthony: So not only did you teach yourself how to play instruments You definitely picked up something from your from your run on the voice because you said you were looking at audio and stuff Because now you're directing a docu series based on Everything around you and your mother's story. Can you tell me how that process developed and how it's developing?

[00:41:26] Bruce Anthony: Because you sent me a clip of it and it looks good. I [00:41:30] can't wait for the entire thing. Cause I definitely want to watch it. So can you tell my audience a little bit about how you got there, the details of what it's about and just what made you do this?

[00:41:44] Jamai: Uh, thank you, man. Uh, well, initially, this documentary was scheduled to come out with the album. Uh, when I had those conversations that we talked about in a segment earlier, um, all of that [00:42:00] was a part, was, was, was planned to be a part of this documentary because I felt like it was time to tell her story. The docu the documentary was scheduled to come out with the album. And I had those conversations that we talked about in the first segment. And all of that was, you know, supposed to be a part of it. And then, uh, Uh, specifically after I spoke with the witness and after I spoke with the judge, it just was so heavy for me and I needed [00:42:30] time to process it. And, um, it's other conversations that I still want to have. And I just wasn't in a space to continue creating a doc, the documentary. I just was, uh, at the time my grandfather had just passed

[00:42:46] Jamai: and like the album was. supposed to come out, uh, like within a month span of my grandfather passing. And it was just like a lot.

[00:42:55] Jamai: And so I just decided to focus on putting a project out, putting an album out, [00:43:00] you know, promoting an album. And at a later date, at another time, you know, I'll be able to tell this story. And so, uh, just a few months ago, a few weeks ago, uh, I ran across what is considered like, would be like the first, uh, Act of the documentary. Um, and I was just so inspired. I thought it was so good. I thought I told such a great story. I thought that, um, Even in a time like this, that it was just a good story to tell. [00:43:30] And more importantly, from the album being out, my healing had evolved so much that I felt strong enough to tell the story that I'm in a place now that I could talk about it in interviews like this.

[00:43:45] Jamai: And, uh, you know, just, just in a different space. And so a lot of people don't realize that we're artists. Sometimes we are passionate about projects and if we don't put them out, we move on [00:44:00] to different things. And so I wanted to put this out because I said it's something I started. And even though I didn't completely finish the way that I planned, uh, I want to put out what I have.

[00:44:13] Jamai: And so that's why I call it a docu series because that first act is what I decided to divide it to two episodes. Um, Um, I don't get into every single detail that we talked about, but I tell the story and I, [00:44:30] more importantly, I introduced the world to my mom, you know, um, I'm singing about her. I'll talk about it, but I never shared footage of her.

[00:44:39] Jamai: I never, uh, have shown my fans who my mom is. And I think. On one end, the world will be blessed by being able to see just the magical, special, beautiful woman she was. Um, and then it'll start a conversation that I'm willing to be a catalyst [00:45:00] or, or to face her. And so that's kind of where, where I was. And me directing it is simply when people, when people, uh, when you can't find people to do things, You get it done yourself,

[00:45:13] Jamai: man.

[00:45:13] Jamai: I'm sure, you know, entrepreneur as a businessman, you figure it out.

[00:45:17] Jamai: And as an artist, you just figure it out until it was good enough to your likey to put it out. And so that's what I did. And that's what I'm doing. So, um, Here we are.

[00:45:29] Bruce Anthony: All [00:45:30] right, man. I'd like to hear that. Okay. 

[00:45:32] Future Projects and Creative Ventures
---

[00:45:32] Bruce Anthony: So aside from the docuseries and the album that you released, what's next? What's the future hold?

[00:45:40] Jamai: Well, the future holds is, uh, what the future holds is, uh, aside from people's lives being changed and new opportunities from this docu series, uh, I have a bunch of things stocked up already that, uh, the summer and the fall is going to be crazy. [00:46:00] Uh, what I've been doing is I have, uh, the song, my album has 23 songs on the project. And so, you know, we live in a day and age where the consumption is. It's almost immediate. People always want more. People don't really listen to a whole album, especially not an album of 23 songs. It's a singles industry. And so I decided to create my own version of Tidy Desk. create my own live in studio performances.

[00:46:29] Jamai: [00:46:30] So for a lot of my songs, I have started, uh, doing live versions, acoustic versions, cause I play guitar. So you about to hear this song acoustically. I play piano. So I'm going to play it acoustically. And, um, I've been building sets. If y'all check out any of my. On my YouTube channel, I have a show called My Life, My Looks, My Music, where I talk about my creative process, building my sets, I'm hanging stuff, I'm styling [00:47:00] myself, I'm uh, painting and spray painting, and

[00:47:03] Jamai: I'm doing all the things, building my sets, you know, I got a song called Weed Man, it's about, you know, a girl cheating on me wearing weed man.

[00:47:13] Bruce Anthony: Wait, wait, wait a minute. 

[00:47:15] Bruce Anthony: I'm sorry. I didn't mean to laugh. 

[00:47:17] Bruce Anthony: Uh, 

[00:47:17] Jamai: it out. 

[00:47:18] Bruce Anthony: um, 

[00:47:18] Jamai: funny. It's hilarious.

[00:47:20] Bruce Anthony: it's funny, it's painful, but it's funny, it's funny and painful at the same time. Yeah.

[00:47:25] Jamai: Yo,

[00:47:26] Bruce Anthony: Okay. 

[00:47:27] Jamai: bro.

[00:47:27] Jamai: It's real Don't don't let that [00:47:30] girl get the weed herself You get the weed sometimes because who that who is he?

[00:47:35] Bruce Anthony: Or, or, she shows you who you, who she was and you can 

[00:47:41] Bruce Anthony: move on to the next one. Mm hmm.

[00:47:42] Jamai: Facts the song you gotta check it out, man So the song starts with me waking her up because I got something I need to say And then i'll be like is you gonna weave it and that's literally the hook. Are you gonna weave it? So, uh, Check it out, but I brought that song up to say that I have [00:48:00] a live version in studio version of it.

[00:48:02] Jamai: Uh where I built the set and I have like Blood's hanging from the ceiling and it's like acoustic and I'm playing the guitar and I got like my shirt is like a weed shirt. It's, it's pretty

[00:48:13] Jamai: dope. So like I just, you know, I'm directing. I do have a videographer, uh, shout out to Jew that helps me out. Uh, but I direct and edit and color and do all of that.

[00:48:25] Jamai: Um, because I'm an artist, I'm a creative and I got to get it out. [00:48:30] My, my way through life is just to create. That's my form of worship. That's my form of, uh, uh, my livelihood. So I'm going to always be creating something. I'm always be adding something to my catalog and, uh, when people get it, they get it. And if they don't get it, they'll get it soon. You

[00:48:48] Bruce Anthony: Okay. Yeah, that's that's what I want to hear. All right. 

[00:48:51] Final Thoughts and Gratitude
---

[00:48:51] Bruce Anthony: So is there anything that you would like to leave my audience with? Because all the information, [00:49:00] ladies and gentlemen, y'all already know, as I said at the top, all of the information is In the bio of the descriptions of the, of the podcast, both the audio and video, if you go on a website, there's a direct link that has a guest profile of all the information.

[00:49:17] Bruce Anthony: But what would you like to leave the audience with? Before we get out of here.

[00:49:22] Jamai: I would like to leave the audience with, uh, first of all, man, thank you again, bro. I really appreciate you, man, for just allowing me to [00:49:30] have this platform. I can't wait to hear. What you going to say about Trump picking his vice president? Because you know, it's a lot of crazy

[00:49:36] Bruce Anthony: That, 

[00:49:37] Jamai: on. So 

[00:49:38] Bruce Anthony: that, 

[00:49:38] Jamai: for the next episode.

[00:49:39] Bruce Anthony: episode, it literally dropped 

[00:49:41] Bruce Anthony: today. Yeah. we literally dropped today. 

[00:49:45] Jamai: Yeah. yeah, yeah, I need to hear about that. Uh, so I'm definitely just thankful to be, uh, uh, on a platform where it's, uh, Like you got your ear to the streets and you know what's going on and you just so [00:50:00] intelligent. You and Jay are just accurate about what y'all talking about.

[00:50:03] Jamai: So thankful just to be here. But I want to tell people, uh, that domestic violence is really, really, prevalent among us. And, um, people, are not able to leave situations as easily as we think they can. And I think if I could lead anybody with anything is to truly be supportive of somebody, if you have an inkling, If you are intuitive [00:50:30] about somebody being abused, don't just tell them you need to leave, but when they ready, just give them a space to be ready.

[00:50:38] Jamai: Give them a space to, okay, you're not leaving, but you can't, they going to make this step. Maybe they, maybe they want to pack their bags slowly, or maybe they want to wait till the kids get out. It could be all different kinds of things. Um, but give people space to be comfortable when it's time to talk about it. Um, and then the other thing [00:51:00] is, I got a docu series coming out. It premieres on, it may already be premiered, but premiering July 24th and July 31st. Uh, telling the story of my time on The Voice and my experience with, uh, sorry, losing my mother at such a young age to domestic violence. And I have an album titled 23, it's 23, songs.

[00:51:21] Jamai: It has a variety of genres from doo wop, reggae, afro beat. R& B or baby making R& [00:51:30] B like that real baby making R& B like all that like it's it's really really really a treat I got a little opera on

[00:51:36] Jamai: there. I got some duop on there. I have christian like ccm worship. It's it's really uh, a plethora of genres and uh, so check me out.

[00:51:47] Jamai: I'm on all platforms And uh, holla at your boy.

[00:51:52] Bruce Anthony: I want to 

[00:51:52] Bruce Anthony: thank you once again for coming on the show, telling your story. I know my audience has, has [00:52:00] learned something and maybe they're going to be out here making more babies to your music,

[00:52:06] Jamai: I I think so. I think so. I I think I think they will

[00:52:10] Bruce Anthony: but thank you once again for coming on the show.

[00:52:14] Jamai: man. I enjoyed, I enjoyed the show and tell your sister I said, keep it up and uh, just thank you for having me, bro. I appreciate it.

[00:52:22] Bruce Anthony: No problem.

[00:52:23] Bruce Anthony: I want to thank Jamai once again for coming on the show. I really appreciate it. Like I said before, all of [00:52:30] his information is in the description section of both the audio and the video platforms. You go on our website, you can see his guest profile that has links to all of his stuff. Go check out his album y'all because this sounds amazing.

[00:52:43] Bruce Anthony: Fantastic. His docuseries will be releasing on the 24th and the 31st. There'll be a link in the descriptions to click and to watch that as well. I fully, fully support this brother. I wish that you guys would go and support him as well. He's a really good artist. [00:53:00] He's really talented and the boy can sing and I'm not saying all this just because he might hook me up with Alicia Keys because I know that's completely unrealistic.

[00:53:08] Bruce Anthony: I'm saying it because he really is a good artist and he bared his soul to us telling us a very heart warming, heart wrenching and hopeful story. So like I said, go follow him, go listen to him, go watch him. Thank you for listening. Thank you for watching.

[00:53:27] Bruce Anthony: And until next time, as always, [00:53:30] I'll holla. 

[00:53:31] Bruce Anthony: Ooh, that was a hell of a show. Thank you for rocking with us here on unsolicited perspectives with Bruce Anthony. Now, before you go, don't forget to follow subscribe, like. Comment and share our podcasts wherever you're listening or watching it to it. Pass it along to your friends. If you enjoy it, that means the people that you rock will enjoy it also.

[00:53:51] Bruce Anthony: So share the wealth, share the knowledge, share the noise. And for all those people that say, well, I don't have a YouTube. If you have a Gmail account and [00:54:00] you have a YouTube, subscribe to our YouTube channel where you can actually watch our video podcast. But the real party is on our Patreon page. After I was uncensored and talking straight ish after I was uncensored is another show with my sister.

[00:54:12] Bruce Anthony: And once again, the key word there is uncensored. Those are exclusively on our Patreon page. Jump onto our website at unsolicitedperspective. com for all things us. That's where you can get all of our audio video, our blogs, and even by our merch. And if you really feel ingenuous. and want to [00:54:30] help us out, you can donate on our donations page.

[00:54:33] Bruce Anthony: Donations go strictly to improving our software and hardware so we can keep giving you guys good content that you can clearly listen to and that you can clearly see. So any donation would be appreciative. Most importantly, I want to say thank you. Thank you. Thank you for listening and watching and supporting us and I'll catch you next time.

[00:54:54] Bruce Anthony: Audi 5000. Peace.

[00:54:57] [00:55:00]