J.I. makes pain sound beautiful. Combining a sleek tenor with irrepressible style, the New York rapper merges emotional melodies and memories of the trenches for tales of battle scars and broken romance. But there are moments of triumph too, the celebrations of what he's earned and the moments he's transcended the weight of the hard times. It's a relatable sentiment that's connected with listeners around the world, but especially in his hometown—he's the face of New York's new generation.
