Flow Jones Jr. is a name that’s been buzzing in the South African hip-hop world, and we were fortunate to link up with the star and learn a little bit more about the young sensation.
The interview: What we learnt about Flow Jones Jr.
Flow Jones Jr. was more than happy to chat with us and reveal to the world what he’s really about.
We got to find out more about his background, his music influences, his style of music, and more.
Where does he actually come from?
After doing some background research on the young artist, we discovered that Flow Jones Jr. may have actually been from Johannesburg, which shook us, seeing that on his social media we always had the impression that he was from the Mother City.
“Yes, I’m from Joburg. I’m from West Rand in Joburg, not really born and bred there, I got here when I was six years old and I’ve been living here ever since,” added the rapper.
With this revelation, we dove deep into the reason why it seemed like he was a Cape Town based artist when he’s originally from Jozi.
“I’ve been to Cape Town two or three times since 2019, since the Lift As You Rise thingy, and I just love it that side, I lowkey wouldn’t live there but I love it that side,” Flow answered.
“The reason why I like Cape Town so much is because a lot of people, my supporters, they’re from that side and they f*ck with me, and it’s so funny because I got more people in Cape Town f*cking with me than people in Joburg, but it’d be like that,” he added.
“So yeah, that’s why it looks like I’m from Cape Town because there’s a lot of people that f*ck with me from Cape Town, but I’m in Joburg chilling, this is where I am you know, grinding,” he concluded.
Who and what inspired Flow to pursue a music career?
We simply wanted to find out from the artist, who was his music influences and what inspired him to follow a career in the world of music.
“It’s crazy, like in primary I used to listen to a lot of house music. Then in Grade 6, I met one of my friends that I’m still super friends with right now, he just came into that school and started freestyling, doing these art/poetry shows,” Flow responded.
“He literally started getting girls bro, and he was making circles during break just rapping and people were going crazy and I was like damn, all you got to do is rhyme and you gon pop like this?” he humorously added.
Flow Jones Jr. continued to express who was most inspired by while growing up.
“That’s where it started, seeing him freestyle, then we went to the same high school together, when Soulja Boy started popping,” shared the rapper.
“I was a huge fan of Soulja Boy, then I got into the lower ends, got into the TI’s and Lil Wayne is my favourite rapper of all time and he’s my idol like sheesh, he’s that n*gga,” Flow stated.
“I’d say I grew up on Wayne, like Soulja Boy was more of a phase and I still f*ck with Soulja, but Wayne has been that dude because he was on every song back then so I’d consume a lot of his music, especially his features and freestyles so I’d say Wayne but I did get on other trends as well whenever new hip-hop songs would pop up,” said Flow.
How would Flow Jones Jr. describe his sound?
Those who have listened to Jones’s music, will know the rapper has a unique style, incorporating what many describe as a ‘baby voice’.
We wanted to know more about why he chose this interesting style of hip-hop as his own sound.
“I’ve always had a squeaky voice, back when I was still underground rapping because my friend in high school used to listen to a whole immortal technique, diabolic, when it comes to the commercial guys, your Jay-Z, Nas, your Raekwon’s, and he was that dude and he put me on a lot of that music and we were making music back then,” he started answering.
“It was so hard for me because back then, rappers used to put on a bassy vibe and I was rapping like that and that was hard for me because I always had a lighter, squeaky voice which they’d always make fun of, but as time went on, obviously Thugger (Young Thug) was the one who started experimenting with it,” claimed the rapper.
“I actually didn’t like Thugger back then but I f*ck with him now and yeah, a lot of people think of me as SA Thugger and I get it, but I’m really not trying to imitate or do anything like that and I feel like I got my own sh*t right now,” Flow added.
Flow Jones Jr. went on to describe his influences behind his music.
“The encouragement for me to go on and use my ‘baby voice’ really came from that whole new generation, from the Uzi’s and the Playboi Carti’s,” Flow stated.
“A lot of these new artists really be having lighter, squeakier voices and that’s where I got the encouragement like I’ve been with this voice so let’s go. I definitely got encouraged to go with it but also if we keeping it one more than phillip, Thugger, Playboi Carti, and Uzi were the guys who influenced my sound,” Flow concluded.
We learn more about his new song alongside Lookatups and Tembipowers
Just recently, Jones teased his new sing titled IDC featuring Cape Town rappers Lookatups and Tembipowers and we wanted a little more details about the anticipated single.
“I’ve been quiet for a bit, life really took its toll on a young slime like me, meaning you can expect an old 2019 Jones as well as the newer Jones,” he started.
“Back then I was also saying something, even though people enjoyed the flow and vibe of the verse like now I really want to say sh*t. I don’t want to just make bangers,” Flow added.
The rapper continued to give us a little more information on his creative process for the song and explain what we could expect from it.
“With this song, it’s not me spitting and saying the realist sh*t, I’m just having fun with it and Tembi and Lookatups are my brothers. They came in and made the song even harder but you could just expect a hard vibe with a new twist to it,” he revealed.
“Definitely, I feel like even on the hook, I feel like it’s a hook that hasn’t been done before so yeah, just good vibes and a fire song. I never know how to explain this sh*t and vibes of songs,” he humbly concluded.
Who would Flow’s Jones Jr. dream collaboration be with?
The rapper has been spotted hanging with some of the biggest names in the hip-hop worldlike Hanna, Rowlene, Tellaman, Gemini Major, and even Nasty C.
Having been surrounded by all these names, we wanted to find out who Flow would want in his dream collaboration with any artist in the game.
“That was a good time, believe it or not, that was my first time in Cape Town when we did the Lift As You Rise thing so that’s how I got to meet them,” he started.
“My dream collaboration would definitely be with Nasty, but I don’t want it right now, and I’ve already had a song with Nasty through the Lift As You Rise thing but it didn’t hit the same and I need him putting me as a feature or me having him as a feature,” he finally answered.
Flow continued to state why he’d choose Nasty, however, he went on to reveal his reasoning behind not wanting any big names on his music right now.
“The competition was cool because that’s how I got to meet a lot of Cape Town cats so I’m truly grateful for that but my dream collaboration would definitely be with Nasty. Tellaman too, I feel like we could make a fire song,” he continued.
“I don’t really want any big acts on my music right now, it does nothing and if anything it feels like it kills the momentum of artists,” Flow added.
The rapper finished off naming which producer he’d love to work with in the rap game.
“Which producer would I work with? Honestly, the Ukiyo guys are killing it already, Gemini is hard, I actually don’t know many big producers in the SA, no disrespect, but those are the ones I f*ck with personally, but my dream producer right now is Zooci (Zooci Coke Dope) and he’s one I’d love to work with.
“But for me and my gang, everything is there, like I don’t have that itch to need beats from this or that guy and I feel I’m good in that department,” he concluded.
We concluded the interview having felt we had a great discussion about the rappers’ life, however, Flow left us with a little announcement letting us know he also has new music releasing with the talented lyricist, Hanna.
“I already have two tracks in the can with Hanna,” Flow revealed.
“We just really waiting for the right time to release them because there were kind of early for their time, but yeah I got two songs with her and I can’t wait to put them out.
We can’t wait to hear those two songs and his upcoming single IDC from Flow, however, for now, go check out his music available on every streaming platform.