Jaxs grew up in Currie, North Carolina, a small town near Wilmington where everybody seemed to know everybody. She attended Pender High School, an environment she describes as rough at times, but one that helped shape the person and artist she would become. Growing up in a place where authenticity mattered and people quickly noticed when you were being anything other than yourself taught Jaxs how to stand on her own and develop the thick skin needed to pursue her goals.
Music was already part of her life at home. Her parents were major hip-hop fans, filling the house with records from artists like DMX, Busta Rhymes, Eminem and Missy Elliott. Those sounds became part of her childhood and sparked an early connection to hip-hop.
Before she ever considered herself a rapper, Jaxs was a writer. She started with what she describes as “super dark poems,” which were concerning enough at the time to make her mother wonder what was going on with her daughter. Eventually, those poems turned into something else.
In sixth grade, Jaxs wrote her first rap. Performing under the name Jazzy J, she still remembers the feeling of being that young and putting her words together. She jokes about how hard she thought that first piece was, but looking back, it marked the beginning of something that would eventually become a serious part of her life.
As she grew older, Jaxs began discovering artists who helped shape her perspective on music. J. Cole was one of the first North Carolina artists she recognized, while Petey Pablo became another important connection to her home state. She would eventually open for Petey Pablo. Her influences also expanded throughout the South, with artists like Andre 3000, Missy Elliott and Ludacris leaving an impact on her.
Missy Elliott, in particular, became an unexpected influence. As a child, Jaxs was actually scared of some of Missy’s music videos. As she got older, that fear turned into appreciation. She began recognizing the creativity, visuals and originality behind Missy’s work, eventually allowing those ideas to influence how she thinks about her own artistry.
But Jaxs’ journey was never simply about wanting to make music. It was about understanding why she needed to make it.
For 10 years, she balanced her music with working as both a teacher and a server. Even when life was difficult, she continued writing, recording and developing her craft. She didn’t wait for the perfect opportunity or the perfect circumstances. There were periods when she was between jobs and even without a car, but she still made getting to the studio a priority.
That persistence eventually led her to one of the biggest opportunities of her career: Netflix’s Rhythm + Flow.
Her journey to the show started with something as simple as submitting a video of herself rapping while at a pool. After multiple rounds of interviews, she learned that the project was actually for Rhythm + Flow. The audition process took roughly eight months before filming began in January 2024.
Once she stepped onto the show, everything moved quickly.
The experience was intense, demanding and unlike anything she had experienced before. Contestants were often given only 24 to 48 hours to write, memorize and perform original material. Sleep was limited, the pressure was constant and every performance carried the possibility of being eliminated.
For Jaxs, the pressure was even heavier because she was performing in front of a live audience and judges who included Eminem, one of her biggest inspirations. The competition also became emotional when she had to battle a close friend, LG, forcing her to separate the personal connection from the competitive side of the experience.
Despite the pressure, Jaxs walked away from Rhythm + Flow with more than exposure. She gained experience, confidence and a clearer understanding of herself as an artist. She also appreciated that the show allowed the artists to remain authentic instead of forcing them into the typical reality television storyline.
Her journey has continued through records like “2 Cool,” “Out Of Character,” “5Guyz,” “What They Know,” “Tomato Tomato” and “DOX MRTNS,” each adding another piece to her story and showing the different sides of her artistry.
Now, Jaxs is continuing to build on everything that brought her here. Her latest release, “Chopstix,” is currently available on all streaming platforms.
