All Eyes on PR: Jezebiel on the past, present, and future of being a Puertorican artist

“Puerto Rico está bien cabr*n” (Benito Antonio Martínez Ocasio, 2022)

…And the rest of the world has chanted alongside him ever since. However, in this interview, JJ, who you all will come to know as Jezebiel, a budding reggaetón artist coming straight outta Ocala, FL, will talk all about his Puerto Rican heritage and his personal connection to music–food and beverages included.

Do you remember the first time you heard music? Whether that’s an instrument or a song. When was the first time you just like music spawned into your world?

The first time I ever heard music was when I was in the womb, which I know sounds crazy, but my mom told me that she would play classical music to me. And that’s not the first time I heard it, but technically my first time was in the womb. The first time I ever remember hearing it I was around like three. It was at Josie’s party, and there they had brought like a live band. It was in Miami. 

A band? 

A Mariachi band.

Do you remember what instrument captivated you the most? 

It was always the trumpet, always the trumpet. To this day, that is something I would. If there’s one instrument I’d love to learn, learn formally, it would be the trumpet. 

Do you still think classical music or classical instruments are enchanting?

There’s something so beautiful with instruments themselves–I’ve gained an appreciation for instruments after doing music–because I recognized that every sound you hear in modern day songs are only made with a piano.You go into a studio, you use a Midi keyboard. And then since all music is notes, you can use the piano for anything. Since going into the studio, I’ve gained so much more appreciation for people who can actually play instruments. I find that to be much more impressive than anything else really.

Are you from Puerto Rico? 

I was born in Ocala, Florida but my parents are from Puerto Rico. They’re the only ones in my family who left the island.

Did your parents play a lot of music in the house? 

Always, always, always…I’m kind of ashamed to say that I know very little about English music. Very, very little. It was really all like bachata, merengue, reggaeton. Things like that. My parents were on the island back when Reggaeton was invented, back in the early 90s, back when it was illegal. The police could actually confiscate anything you had, pull you over if you were listening to reggaeton. 

Tell me more about that 

It’s because of it’s nature back then, and kinda still is today, very vulgar. There were a lot of obscenity laws. My parents grew up in that counterculture so it’s always had an influence on them. They know big people, because they were in the right place at the right time. It’s crazy to see how a genre that was illegal has turned into the most popular genre in the world.

So your influences are definitely Puertorican artists aren’t they? 

Yeah mostly. Alvaro Diaz is my number one, you would know him as Rauw Alejandro’s writer. My second biggest influence is Mora. He’s the only person that Benito [Bad Bunny] lets write for him.

Outside of your influences, whose music do you enjoy? 

I know it’s gonna sound cliché, but Bad Bunny.

What kind of music do you make? 

Mostly my music falls under the reggaeton genre, right? Urban, more that than anything else, that’s mostly what I listen to, that’s my thing you know. However I’m a big fan of branching out within the genre. I don’t like the traditional “dum da dum da dum, da dum da dum.” I’ve made salsa, bachata, some house, all mostly within the Trap urbano genre.

Who do you make music for? 

I make music for myself. Kind of as a hobby, as a distraction. If I’m bored, if I’m feeling inspired, as a way to communicate my feelings cryptically, I’ll write a song that doesn’t necessarily communicate what I’m feeling, but it’s more of like a cathartic process. For example, I wrote this song called “616 in LA” and it doesn’t say anything about me, but I was going through it last semester and it’s not about my experience at all, but with cryptic words and it’s messaging, I was able to convey what I was feeling.

It’s really not just for you you know, it’s out in the world, it’s on Spotify, it’s in other peoples ears. As you’ve mentioned, reggaeton is global, you’re standing in the midst of Rauw Alejandro and Bad Bunny. What do you add to this scene? What do you want to contribute? 

What I want to add, it’s a genre dominated by people that aren’t exactly role models. It’s the kind of music that has that 90s hip-hop kind of feeling to it [sex, drugs, crime, etc]. For me, what I want to contribute, I wish to share the beauty of reggaeton without its vulgar language, without using bad words, without being derogatory in any way. Like if you’re in the car, and this happens to Latinos all over, if you’re in the car with grandam you don’t play reggaeton. But my grandma can listen to my stuff, so it’s about making it more enjoyable for all people.

Right, like why couldn’t grandma listen to the same album that your little cousins listen to. Exactly, and that’s the beauty of Debí Tirar Más Fotos. My grandma hated reggaeton until that album came out. That was the first time that any mainstream artist did that, to bridge the generational gap. I’m interested in doing more of that. 

I wanna know, for you, what it means to be Puerto Rican, what is means to be Puerto Rican in the face of the world. 

For me it means being close to the culture, as one of the last colonies in the world, the entire essence of being Puerto Rican is retaining an identity outside of the colonial structure. For me, still speaking Spanish is huge, being in touch with the music, the food–which are huge identities. As for the world, we’ve gained this newfound appreciation with one of, if not the biggest artist in the world [Bad Bunny]. It’s just like maintaining this immense cultural pride.

Alright so, favorite Puerto Rican beverage? 

Coquito is good, Coquito is so good. Non-alcoholic though, Kola Champagne.

Favorite meal? 

Mofongo con pernil

Snack or dessert? 

Plantain chips and Trés Leches. Which is not Puertoriccan but yeah.

And what makes it different? 

Nothing, it’s the same. 

Favorite place on the island? 

The west.

That’s a direction! 

Yes, yes, yes–specifically Rincón. It’s right on the water, that’s where the sun sets and it’s always, always beautiful, even though I am from the metro San Juan region.

Do you see yourself making music after college? 

I see myself in the industry after college, my happy place, which I am getting closer to now is to be a writer, a ghostwriter.

And for your last words, what does music mean to you? 

Music is more powerful than any other medium because you can’t see it. A show or movie you have to see, a book you have to read the words and know what the words mean to understand it. If you listen to music alone, without any words, anyone can feel something. Music if the most powerful form because you don’t need any prior knowledge to appreciate it. The barriers to entry are so low with music–there are no barriers. There are barriers to entire with every other form of art.