How Jenae Inez Remains Authentic as a Hip Hop Artist
- Zondra Victor-Johnson
- Jul 12
- 2 min read
Jenae Inez's artistic endeavors are deeply rooted in a deliberate intention to maintain authenticity, foster optimism, and seamlessly integrate her faith into her music.
Authenticity and Emotional Processing
Jenae uses her music as a profound conduit for personal expression, particularly in addressing difficult experiences. The EP "Serendipity" exemplifies this commitment to authenticity, as it visually represents a "really, really dark place" where she felt isolated.
She chose animation for "No Hellos" intentionally, personifying inanimate objects like a toothbrush. This creative choice aimed to illustrate that "even if you're alone in your addiction, there are things that you don't even know that help you get through."
Jenae's inspiration for this unique visual approach even drew from unexpected sources like her love for "Beauty and the Beast" and its animated, personified objects, as well as the painting of "dogs playing poker," which led to the inclusion of a poker game in the video.
Beyond "Serendipity," Jenae's artistic foundation lies in her personal experience with music as a coping mechanism. She recounts suppressing "internal like anger" from a challenging childhood that, while appearing "picture perfect" on the surface, involved unspoken struggles.
It was Eminem's music that provided a significant relief by articulating feelings she found difficulty in expressing. This profound impact now motivates Jenae to create music that offers a similar catharsis for others. Now, she is producing music for herself, which ultimately has the same powerful, full-circle effect on listeners as Eminem had on her.
Despite the heavy themes of isolation and struggle, Jenae intentionally weaves in optimistic messages into her work. In this interview, she explicitly states the importance of "celebrating the small steps."
Natural Flow of Faith
Jenae's relationship with God has become an integral and organic part of her artistic expression. She notes that since "Serendipity," her faith has "completely coincided" with her music, although this was not always the case. She experienced an "aha moment" after listening to Bob Marley and Filipino reggae music. She observed how these artists seamlessly blended expressions of everyday life.
This observation led to her realization that everything in the way she moves and lives her life can be worship, extending beyond traditional acts like going to church or listening to worship music. Consequently, her faith now "flows naturally" into all aspects of her life and music, including her rapping, how she dresses, showering, and even washing her car, viewing them all as a "consistent flow of worship."
MORE ABOUT JENAE INEZ
FOLLOW US
Comments