Inside Lil JJ World: The Rise of a Young Artist Finding His Voice

Tedfuel May 18, 2025 0

Let’s start at the beginning—what first sparked your interest in music?

At a young age, I always wanted to do music, but my older cousin inspired my journey.

When did you realize you wanted to pursue music seriously as a career?

I felt like I wanted to pursue music seriously after my first song. I saw the reaction of people and it made me feel good.

What was the first song you ever recorded, and what do you remember about that experience?

“Yea Yea” was the first song I recorded and I remember being in the studio making the song and it took about 4 hours.

Who were some of your biggest influences growing up, musically or personally?

My biggest influences were J. Cole, Lil Baby, and Lil Durk.

How did you come up with the name “Lil JJ World”?

Originally, it was Lil JJ. That name was taken; so, I decided to add the word “World” to make it like everyone was in my world.

Was there a moment early on that made you think, “Yeah, I can really do this”?

When I first saw my face on a NYC bill board, I felt like I could do this!

Did you face any major challenges when starting out in music? How did you overcome them?

I haven’t faced in major challenges. The only challenges have been self-doubt because of the constructive criticism that I received from my team. Looking back, those criticisms shaped the artist I am now.

What role did your community, friends, or family play in your journey?

My family and friends played a huge role in my journey-and I don’t take that support lightly. Their encouragement gave me the strength to push through and they also helped by promoting my music on their platforms.