Artist Profile: kJADE
kJADE, the inscrutable, Phoenix-based rapper, burst onto the scene in 2024 with her debut project, THE SOUND THAT TREES MAKE, showcasing her sharp pen and enamoring flow.
Over a soothing batch of soul loops and bossa patterns, kJADE spits her soul into tightly-packed and conscious rhymes, openly bearing shards of her upbringing and formation. Yet, this bold outpouring is, in a way, a personal development for the hyper-talented artist; in coming out of her comfort zone, she has found peace and purpose in her craft.
kJADE, who was born in Oakland, grew up in the company of her mother and grandmother, both of whom were deeply devoted to the experience of listening to music. Her grandmother collected jazz records while her mother listened to an almost unimaginable variety of genres, yet both of them would listen doggedly, sitting calmly in front of their vinyl and CD set-ups. kJADE eventually internalized this attentive approach, shaping her ability to understand and conceptualize sound.
“The way that [my mother and grandmother] would listen to music directly shaped the way that I listened to it. When you play a record, a vinyl, it's kind of a ritual… They sat in front of whatever it was playing from and they just listened; sometimes they dance and they sing, but they really just focus on the music… I think that’s the point where I started really envisioning things to music and started embracing certain sounds.”
As an adolescent, kJADE pursued every creative avenue she could, taking up sculpture, drawing, singing, and even marching band. She also wrote obsessively, constantly carrying a notebook with her to capture her thoughts. Yet, she was an incredibly shy child; she struggled with speaking, even within her family unit, and her creative development was largely contained within her solitude.
Over time, however, she was ingratiated into an online community of artists who encouraged and aided each other in their musical journeys. She credits this community for much of her initial growth and outpouring as an artist.
Yet, when catastrophe struck and kJADE was forced to move away from her home, she was thrust outward into a real-life community of rappers and producers in the Phoenix-area: a process of maturation and mourning that ultimately resulted in her dynamic debut project.
“I think that was another natural development, where I didn't even really get a chance to take a look at myself and say ‘Damn, I can really do this’. There were a lot of other people saying ‘You're really good and you need to be here’ or, ‘We want you to upload this song’... It was [absolutely] pivotal.”
In the midst of this turmoil, she wound up staying on the couch of a friend from this network. This was esteban: the Phoenix-based producer who ultimately would produce the entirety of THE SOUND THAT TREES MAKE.
On an almost daily basis, kJADE would wake up to esteban making a new beat for her to rap over, and, in a period of about two months, the project formed into a cohesive whole.
Over the project’s 22 minute run-time spilled waves of the trauma that kJADE had faced in the years leading up to her creative breakthrough. It was honest, raw, and utterly infectious, fueled by esteban’s continued motivation of kJADE’s undeniable talent.
“He rose to the occasion, consistently fueling this thing with me, building this thing. He absolutely gave me a place for comfort… but he also gave me a space to create. He gave me space to let my ideas flow. I was essentially mourning in front of him. I feel like I pushed him out of his comfort zone, but he gave me a place to just be comfortable.”
In the wake of her impressive debut, kJADE plans to continue developing her pen and aims to devote herself more closely to smaller works, such as singles, while remaining a project-oriented artist.
She will be performing at the Darkosanti music festival at the famous arcology reserve, Arcosanti, in April, and plans to continue to perform in the coming months.