We went over some questions with Jacksonville rap group “In My Element” which consist of Artist “Bang’em Boi” and “IME Tweezy” for their fans to get a deeper look at their upbringing.
Q: When did you start making music?
BANG’EM BOI: We started making music back in high school. It started out as something we were just doing for fun—freestyling at lunch tables, recording on phones, just experimenting. But over time it turned into something serious. We’ve been locked in ever since.
Q: What city are you from?
IME TWEEZY: Jacksonville, Florida. Duval County all day. The city raised us—it’s in our music, our style, and our energy.
Q: What artists did you grow up listening to that inspired you to make music or shaped your sound?
IME TWEEZY: Growing up we were heavy on OutKast, Field Mob, 8ball & MJG, Jeezy, Lil Wayne, 2Pac, Biggie and Kendrick Lamar. Those artists really taught us about wordplay, storytelling, and pushing creativity. Locally, we also had a few underground Jax artists that made us feel like it was possible to come up from the city.
Q: Tell us about your upbringing / childhood.
BANG’EM BOI: We both come from different parts of Jax, but we had similar experiences—tight-knit families, dealing with real-life struggles, and learning how to hustle early. There was always music around—cookouts, block parties, church, you name it. Life wasn’t easy, but it built character and gave us something real to talk about in our music.
Q: Where was the local hangout spot growing up? And what studios did you record at the most?
IME TWEEZY: Back in the day, we used to be up at the Regency Mall, Avenues Mall and the occasional local pop ups sometimes, but more often than not, we were chilling on the block, just vibin’ or writing. We recorded a lot at the homie’s crib at first—just a mic, a laptop, and a blanket over the closet door. Then we graduated to local spots like Come Correct Studios and The DriipFactory when we started to take it more seriously.
Q: Any other artists you want to shout out that you’ve worked with?
BANG’EM BOI: Shoutout to IME Enterprises and the Brand Builders Network, they have been solid from the start. Also love to our bro Jordan Lee, he killed the hook on one of our tracks. Big ups to everyone who believed in us and jumped on tracks before the buzz.
Q: How would you explain your sound?
IME TWEEZY: Our sound is called SOULSTREET. SoulStreet is a mix of soulful grit and modern bounce. It’s lyrical, but it still knocks. You can feel the message, but it still rides in the whip. We try to keep it raw, relatable, and full of energy—something that hits both the head and the heart.
Q: What’s your most recent release? And is there anything coming soon we should look out for?
BANG’EM BOI: Our latest drop is “Sade Takeoff”—it’s streaming everywhere now. That track is all about pushing through when everything’s against you. And we got a new EP dropping this fall, so stay tapped in—it’s called “The BlackHouse.”, and it’s some of our best work yet.
