The world first met JT, born Jatavia Johnson, as one half of a whole. In 2018, the now 31-year-old Miami-born rapper rose to fame as the slick, sultry, straight-talking foil to the boisterous and bold Yung Miami, with the two making up the now-split-up rap group City Girls. Known for hits like “Act Up” and “Jobs,” the duo had an outsized impact on pop culture, influencing fans to punctuate their statements with their omnipresent catchphrase, period. In recent interviews, the two one-time best friends are demure when asked what exactly caused their creative break up towards the end of last year, but have generally—and respectfully—claimed that their chemistry just wasn’t the same and that they’d both be more successful focusing on their own projects. Period.
2024 proved to be a fresh start for JT, who has hit the ground running. With two singles (“Sideways” and “No Bars”), a 14-show club tour, and several fashion-forward appearances in advance of her debut mixtape, City Cinderella, she’s quickly established herself as a solo act to watch. The 16-track project, which builds on JT’s Southern swagger, putting a modern twist on a ’90s sound, boasts features from Jeezy, DJ Khaled, Stunna Girl, and CLIP, is accompanied by a documentary and will support a forthcoming 21-city tour kicking off August 20.
The Cinderella folktale is a fitting allegory for the rapper’s first individual effort; much like the story’s titular character, JT has turned difficult circumstances into great fortune, navigating her way out of the obscurity that cloaked her during a nearly two-year prison stint into the beloved female rapper and bona fide fashion plate she is today. Case in point: on the cover of City Cinderella, a half-human, half-glass JT reclines, princess crown held high, in a pair of 2009 Maison Martin Margiela glass slippers.
This project marks a new era for you. How did you distinguish it from the art you’ve put out before?
I’m making sure I’m representing myself in the brightest light that I can as a Black girl. In the past, I did and said a lot of crazy things, and I’m just not in that space anymore. I want to represent us in the best light, and myself in the best light.
Your lyrics are known for their bravado: “Okay” feels like an affirmation every time I hear it. How do you channel that confidence?
I’m just in a great space. I feel good, I look good. Aging is a fear for women, but we look so much better when we know ourselves. Every day I wake up I feel confident. That also comes from surrounding yourself with the right people and being in the right environments.
What was the recording process like?
I had a good ass time. It was a breeze—I didn’t have to check in with anybody but myself. It was just like, “JT, you like this? I like this.” I can trust myself, but I’m still learning and growing. This project is authentically me, but I’m going to experiment more with things outside of trap.
When you were released from prison in March 2020, you immediately had to hop into being a celebrity. Has it been difficult adjusting to fame?
The hardest thing about fame is being perceived all the time. It’s not healthy for thousands of people to talk to you every day. It’s the fucking worst thing ever. I feel so free and relieved when I close those apps. Even when they’re giving me a compliment, it’s a lot! Overstimulation, it’ll make you crazy. I love you, I hate you! Eyes, eyes, eyes.
Your regional sound comes through heavily on the mixtape. How has the sonic environment of the South influenced you?
City Cinderella is very much talking to the younger me and telling her side of the story. In the intro, I say, “B*tch, I’m still mad from 20 years ago.” I feel like we all hold onto trauma. We can’t escape what we’ve been through. City Cinderella is about identity and storytelling and vulnerability. Just giving it to people raw. I know they want to hear some fast, twerking music, but I still gotta tell you who I am first.
How do your fashion choices represent JT? Are you enjoying curating your image?
I’ve been doing this for a few years, even though I had to keep pushing until it was accepted, and it was the norm for me. I play it safe a lot, but sometimes my best looks are when people hate it at first. Those are the ones I remember.
Who are some of your favorite designers?
I want to give a big shoutout to Shayne Oliver. Every day he sends pieces for me. Right now I’m in some Hood by Air from, like, 10 years ago. He keeps me fly.
Fashion ties into your nonprofit work, with your prom dress donations and lending your 2022 BET Awards dress to a Miss Florida pageant competitor.
I love the prom giveaway. Next prom season it’s going to be even bigger and better. Miss Florida reached out to me about the beaded dress I wore to the BET Awards that year. She’s a beautiful girl. If I can help a young Black girl from my city, I will always do that, because I remember the times I didn’t have anybody that would help me.
You have another nonprofit: No Bars Reform. What’s the mission behind it?
I want No Bars Reform to help women with re-entry: helping them find a job, get on their feet for their family, or keep in contact with their children. There’s a lot of things I found out day-to-day inside prison. People haven’t seen their kids in years because they don’t have the money to get them there. When they get out, they do the same thing that got them in there, because they don’t have the resources to find a job, or don’t even know what they’re good at, because they don’t know themselves. Most people are not fortunate enough to just step out and become an artist.