#Unsocialaes Profile: Ju Jilla
The #unsocialaesthetics profile series was created to high light artists and innovators that are changing how sound is made and business is being handled not just in Chicago, but the world..
Our next feature is the incredible Ju Jilla..
Ju Jilla is one of those artists that has a very unique & creative steez many just don’t have. He has always been one of those individuals that has effortlessly been putting out art that is really relative to how the city operates. He has had a awesome year performing in some of this year’s most talked about shows. Even more so, he has collaborated with some of the cities very best who are also a part of the new Chicago wave. Jilla’s authentic perspectives are some of the main components that makes up his sound. His ability to also uplift and support his peers is also what is setting Jilla apart from a lot of the artists in the scene right now. He’s never been apart of the crabs in the bucket mentality that can sometimes exist in the city. He really moves how he speaks in his music and that’s something that is helping the very core of the cities music scene/industry grow and development more..
Jilla comes from the south side of the city, he always was able to rap but he started taking his art more seriously in 2013 putting out a project called “Windy City Blues”. From there he has been working diligently to keep perfecting his craft while also being true to who he is. He comes from the trenches but he doesn’t claim anything he isn’t. Jilla comes from many different places that make up the the city but he has always been very witty and honest about it in his bars and music. He has always been big on showmanship and collaboration with those around him and that has helped him truly be one of the best emcees coming from Chicago right now..
Jilla is one of the few artists that has real roots in the streets but has never been focused on the suppose clout that can come with. He’s always been known for holding his own in any neighborhood he was coming up in and he has always been well respected and he doesn’t take that lightly. If you listen to his 2018 album release “Clocks Tickin” his love for the trenches is very evident but Jilla also raps about changing his surroundings by doing what he can in community. He understands the way the music scene/industry has been structured and believes that there is a different way things can be done where everyone can become successful and achieve their goals. That’s just one of the many reasons why Jilla is leading the new Chicago wave. His mentality is set on including everyone that is working hard to be acknowledged for their art and music. This is something many in the city don’t understand just yet but Jilla is hopeful it’ll catch on as he continues to lead by example..
Even in the past three years Jilla has done a lot of work to keep elevating the sound and quality that is coming from the city right now. He has collaborated with many of the artists that are apart of the new Chicago wave and he believes this mentality needs to keep growing throughout the music scene/industry. Artists like Rufus Sims, IAMGAWD, Brittney Carter, Heavy Crownz, Jae Haze, and so many others have been helping do their part with uplifting more unity and collaborative efforts in the scene and it’s been making a lot of waves. Jilla and these artists really believe that more top quality music and knowing your environments history is what will change the city and how we look at things..
Even with all of the artists Jilla has collaborated with he has always teamed up with some that are just on another level bar wise and steez. One of these artists Jilla has already made some timeless records with is the amazing Panamera P. P and Jilla met in 2014 and have been creating amazing moments music wise ever since. Their live performances are just as powerful as the records themselves. These artists connected to work on a record and music video and realized just how well they were locked in. Since then they have released some amazing songs together and released a collab album called “The Wise Pirates” that garnered a lot of reception. When both of these artists come together the level of story telling is truly incredible. You can envision the trenches both of these artists speak on and how they have done what they can to push peace and unity more. They try to team up when they can because they both are busy. But their next body of work is going to show who has been working in the city and who hasn’t..
Ju Jilla has a lot coming up before the end of 2024, with a collab project coming from A.M. Early Morning another project right after that we are excited to get more from the emcee. Take a listen his catalogue and see more images of him below..
