Born and raised in Berkeley, California, India Jai grew up with a strong foundation despite facing a major loss at an early age. Her childhood was stable until her mother was killed when India was just six years old. Her father was present in stretches, but much of her upbringing came through her grandparents, who became an important part of the foundation that shaped her.
Sports quickly became a major part of India’s life. Football was her first love, but her grandmother wouldn’t let her play because she was a girl. Looking back now, with women’s and girls’ flag football continuing to grow, India can laugh at the irony.
Basketball eventually became her path.
She started playing in first grade at six years old and continued all the way through Berkeley High School, where she became an All-Division player. Her talent on the court earned her a Division I scholarship to Weber State University in Utah. She played all four seasons while earning her degree in Exercise and Sports Science, essentially kinesiology.
After college, India continued her basketball career overseas for seven seasons, playing in several countries across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. Those years gave her the opportunity to experience different cultures while continuing to compete at a high level.
Music entered her life at 24.
It started with an idea from a friend, and India decided to keep going with it. Even while playing basketball overseas, she continued making music and developing her sound. What began almost casually eventually became another serious part of her life.
Her musical influences come from a wide range of places. Growing up, her grandmother introduced her to different generations of music, while India continued discovering artists on her own. Her personal playlist stretches from the 1960s to the present. Meek Mill and YG were among the artists she gravitated toward, but the artists who truly made her want to rap included Rio Da Yung OG, Cash Kidd, YN Jay, and Daboii.
That range of influence can be heard in India Jai’s approach to music.
Her sound is diverse, allowing her to experiment with different styles and subject matter, but she naturally gravitates toward music that is upbeat, energetic, melodic, and rooted in the West Coast.
A large portion of the music she has recorded so far was made in Los Angeles, working out of several different studios. She gives a special shoutout to her guy DG, who she considers the best. She has also recorded at home in the Bay Area, and since returning home from Los Angeles, she has taken more control over the process by recording herself.
Berkeley remains a major part of who India is. Growing up, she spent much of her free time at local parks, usually with a basketball in her hands. James Kenney, San Pablo Park, YAP, and BYA were among the places where she spent time. She also found herself in Oakland at spots like Dogtown and Mosswood Park.
Outside of sports, there was plenty to do around the Bay. India remembers spending time at Bay Street in Emeryville, going to Jack London for movies, hitting Downtown Oakland for Club Live, and making trips to Hilltop Mall, Bayfair Mall, Southland Mall, and even the Great Mall in Milpitas.
Her journey has now taken her from Berkeley basketball courts to recording studios around the world.
India Jai’s most recent release, “Bluetunes” featuring Kushton Dior, was recorded while she was in Egypt. After returning home, she linked back up with Kushton to shoot a video for the record. The visual is now available on YouTube.
Now, she is preparing for her next move with her upcoming single “Santana Papi” (Shake), which is set to drop October 23rd.
For India, the music journey is still relatively new, but the foundation behind it is anything but. Years of competition, travel, discipline, loss, family, and life experiences have all played a role in shaping the woman and artist she is becoming.
She also makes sure to recognize the people who have supported her along the way.
India gives a special shoutout to her family for being a supportive foundation. She knows starting something completely new in music can be difficult, especially when the people closest to you may not believe in it at first. But as more producers, artists, media platforms, sponsors, management, and supporters began believing in what she was doing, that support became another reason to keep moving forward.
“It takes more than me to believe,” India Jai says.
And with more people believing, the journey becomes harder to stop.
