The SoulBounce Q&A: Janine And The Mixtape Talks Love, Hip Hop & Being A Role Model

Photo Credit: Karen Ishiguro
Photo Credit: Karen Ishiguro

SB: About your EP you said, 
"The EP is truly a piece of my heart and story. It's about taking something horrible and turning it into something beautiful as way of healing and hopefully inspiring others." Tell us more about these horrible things you’re remixing.

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JATM: These kind of date back to some traumatic experiences from when I was younger, and I guess I’m not only taking those experiences now but learning to see them as almost a blessing because it makes me who I am and I’m actually able to help other people and influence their lives.

SB: Do you have an example you can give us of one of these experiences?

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JATM: Well, I think for me the impact has been pretty amazing. I was actually involved with a support group in Brooklyn and just seeing the transformation and just basically having women that have been through some pretty tough times and just coming together to talk about them. And having those people listen to my music as well and having them say that it saved their lives and having them feel more hopeful, there’s nothing that beats that feeling. And I’ve had the most amazing comments on SoundCloud and one of them from a male perspective he said “I just heard your song and I had to go hold my woman, I can’t let her go through what she’s going through alone." For me that was such a special thing to not only have women affected but also their partners as well.

SB: That is pretty amazing. So you're also in the top 20 US iTunes R&B charts! As well as being on nine Billboard charts. When you started your career did you envision this happening?

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JATM: I mean that’s always been the goal. Fundamentally my goal has been to create music, but I’ve always wanted to get to a place where I could be an influence as well outside of music and that comes with being known. It’s funny because I’ve always believed in myself and known it’s going to happen, but it’s just sinking in like to be on nine Billboard charts and the iTunes charts for the last three weeks and on Spotify is just one of those things that doesn’t seem real. But like I said, it’s just sinking in.  I mean the good thing about it is I’ve been preparing for so long, I’ve been doing this, and producing my stuff, and writing my stuff and playing my songs live since I was 14. So it’s kinda come at the right time where I was prepared and I’m very, very excited.

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