Drag Is Art
Jr Weise
Jr Weise is an independent artist living in Raleigh, North Carolina but is originally from the cheese state, Madison, WI.
From a young age he knew that art was his calling. Whether in the form of competing in poetry contests in middle and high school, joining drama club and participating in both acting and behind the scenes, stagehand work, or taking part in the legendary lunch time rap battles. This is where he felt most at home.
During his teenage years, he went through a “rebellious” phase and ended up finding himself expelled from school, nowhere to live and on the fast track to nowhere fast. This was the life changing moment for Weise though as his cousin would call him and offer him a place to live in Los Angeles where he could pursue his musical aspirations. Upon arriving in Los Angeles, Weise worked for OVO, Faction-M and KUWTK as a talent agent and sm (social media) marketing assistant for Caroline Burt and Durani Popal.
From there Weise moved to France, studying music history and when he arrived back in the States, began learning the ropes from two of his biggest inspirations, Angel Haze and Bekuh Boom. “My favorite artists and who I take inspiration from tend to be completely different. For example, My Chemical Romance is one of my favorite bands of all time but when it comes to my music I take inspiration primarily from strong, independent, ‘take no shit’ female artists. Bekuh Boom is responsible for writing some of the biggest songs in history, all while being unapologetically herself. Angel Haze created her own style of flow in hip hop that is impossible to replicate and creates everything in house. These are the things that really amp me up and inspire me to create something magical. I think it’s because I come from a matriarchal family and have six sisters.”
Feeling ready to finally step into the spotlight himself, he released “Focused on Me” in October 2021.
“I feel super proud of this song. I created it from scratch with the people closest to me. From the beat to the melody to the music video. It’s the first time I’ve really been able to show people what I hear and see inside my head, all while being able to provide a good mental health message…. Somewhere in there.” Now hoping to elevate and exceed expectations with his follow-up single ‘Nice Guy’, Weise is ready to leave his mark on the industry.
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