Behind The Bars: Behind The Bars Interviews Jai Smoove

Fresh on the scene, Brooklyn native, Jai Smoove has quickly made a name for herself. With just a few battles under her belt, the rookie has top tier battlers looking to take a jab at her. But with her swift and slick word play and energy, do they really want to step in the ring and catch that lyrical uppercut?

Behind The Bars: Where are you from?

Jai Smoove: This is a question I’ve been getting a lot lately because people always hear me say “BK to PK, 718 to that 845,” before my battles and they don’t seem to understand. I was born in Brooklyn lived there for a little while then I moved to Poughkeepsie until I graduated high school. My heart is in Brooklyn but Poughkeepsie was always where home was. Don’t get it twisted, I represent both. Plus, I’m back in Brooklyn now so it is what it is. Shout out to the murder capitol AND the power kingdom !

Behind The Bars: What was your 1st encounter with battle rap?

Jai Smoove: Im going to keep it so real. Most people probably won’t believe this but I’ve never ever followed battle rap until a couple of months ago. I didn’t know anything about any of these battle rappers. For example, two summers ago, im guessing before the first summer madness, I was in BBQs on 42nd Street with Quastar (yes we’ve been associates before battle rap) and a couple other friends and we ran into Hitman Holla and his entourage. I didn’t know who the hell he was. The only person I could say I knew of before then honestly was Murda Mook and that’s only because my brother is a Ruff Ryder. Shout out to my older brother Jae Hood and the whole Ruff Ryder VA Chapter. So my first official encounter with battle rap had to be the March 2012 QOTR sparring session where QuaStar battled Ms.Tash. That introduced me to the culture and QOTR at the same damn time.

Behind The Bars: How did you get into battle rap?

Jai Smoove: At that sparring session I was just watching all the ladies do their thing. That inspired me to step up and do my thing. I knew my creativity and talents with the pen could carry me a long way in battle rap and get me the exposure I’m looking for.

Behind The Bars: How do you prepare for your battles?

Jai Smoove: I do a couple of different things. It depends on my motivation for that specific opponent. One thing I don’t do is dig for dirt. I feel that’s unnecessary when you have the capabilities of being creative and building bars based on different varieties of themes. But one thing I will say is if the dirt falls in my lap trust I won’t dust it off.

Behind The Bars: Is it harder for you to write for a battle or for a song?

Jai Smoove: Not that I’m saying it’s hard but preparing rounds for a battle is 10x harder than writing a song.

Behind The Bars: You have quickly become a fan favorite does that put alot of pressure on you?

Jai Smoove: Yes and No. Being a college athlete, I’m used to pressure. But I do know one thing for sure, within these 4months that I’ve been on the scene, a lot of fans and supporters are already expecting me to be perfect with everything I do so I’m taking that and using that as motivation to get my bars, “performance” and delivery flawless. The fact that they are already expecting this from me out of most of the girls, I’m humbled.

Behind The Bars: Chayna Ashley recently said she would kill you in that ring.. How does that make you feel being that you are fairly new on the battle rap scene?

Jai Smoove: Chayna’s little shenanigans are cute, real cute. Chayna will get the problem she is asking for though, in due time. I saw her “hitlist” and she probably won’t even make it to me. I hope Hart, Bonnie and 40 save a little piece of her for me. But how does it make me feel? It makes me feel like she likes to die. Nah, seriously, I respect Chayna because I know she wouldn’t ever choose anyone to battle that didn’t have bars. I’m on a “hitlist” of heavy weights, so I’m flattered.

Behind The Bars: Who is your favorite battle rapper male & Female?

Jai Smoove: Well I just started watching but I do have a couple of favorites in the male category. Without thinking I have to say my favorites are two of the most underrated guys doing it: Chilla Jones and B Magic. The female side, umm me. Anymore questions?

Behind The Bars: If you could battle a male who would it be?

Jai Smoove: Chilla Jones just to challenge myself to see if I could outsmart him. I’m pretty confident I could or even just reach his level.

Behind The Bars: Who is in your top 5 in QOTR?

Jai Smoove: I don’t have or believe in a “top 5”. Either you’re dope or not to me. I feel a “top 5” is irrelevant in my book because we‘re all hungry for the same throne. Nobody’s made it yet.

Behind The Bars: What do you think about some emcees getting by with a great performance with not many bars?

Jai Smoove: I think it’s entertaining but I can’t respect it. Anybody can do that. I thought battle rap was about the pen. I don’t think back in the days on the block they went home like “oh yo her performance was dope” it was more like “that girl can spit”. We seem to be slowly easing away from the blueprint battle rap was built on.

Behind The Bars: What elements of battling are important to you?

Jai Smoove: Bars, Delivery and Crowd Interactions..

Behind The Bars: Have any of the vets taken you under their wing and/or given you any advice/guidance??

Jai Smoove: A couple of ladies have given me some pointers on how to improve on a couple things. Shout out to them.

Behind The Bars: What are some of your goals inside and outside of the ring?

Jai Smoove: My main goal is to be successful with my music. My initial objective coming into this was marketing and exposure.

Behind The Bars: How important is Queen of the ring and what does it mean to you?

Jai Smoove: Queen of the Ring is very important to me. This whole organization is doing exactly what I wanted it to do for me. I’ll continue to ‘Rep The Brand’ faithfully. Shout out to Debo, Babs and Vague for giving me this opportunity to do me.

Behind The Bars: How would you describe your style of rhyming?

Jai Smoove: My style of rhyming is Jai. I just try to sound like myself. One thing I don’t want to ever do is sound like the next chick or dude. I want people to here a verse and say, “Yupp that’s Jai”.

Behind The Bars: Who do you want to battle? Do you have a hit list?

Jai Smoove: Of course I have a “hitlist”. Anybody that’s smart and coming to take over should. I’ll keep that list to myself though for now. Just know they all have 100K battles, except Young Gattas. Wait I don’t know if she has a 100K battle. Who cares though? But anyways, shout out to Gattas, she’s dope.

Behind The Bars: Since you have been on Queen of the Ring, have you gotten recognized??

Jai Smoove: I have definitely gotten recognize in the streets on two occasions. There was one time in the grocery store around my way and once on my way to a ring event. Also the lesbian community is definitely acknowledging me a whole lot more than normal now.

Behind The Bars: What are some of the ways you think female battle rap can improve?

Jai Smoove: If all the ladies stop trying to kill each other and just come together. Of course we are going to argue and bicker but if we all come together when we have to and go take over all these male dominant events, then the battle rap culture will have no choice but to respect us. Like why can’t we all team up and go 40 deep into a SMACK event? Or why can’t we take our show on the road and do events in other cities? It’s because females rather be sensitive than to focus on the bigger picture. I mean I know QOTR will do this in the future but that’s just my opinion on improving female battle rap.

Behind The Bars: How important is style/swag in the ring?

Jai Smoove: I mean it’s how you represent and market yourself. All artists have to understand that every time you get on camera you are representing yourself. I hate when people get on camera looking a whole hot mess, I just hate it so much. Style is very important. At least be clean, whiten your teeth and brush your weave.

Behind The Bars: How important was your sparring session battles?

Jai Smoove: Very important. I can always look back and see what I did wrong to improve my next performance. They also helped me transition into hostility of battling. Coming in I thought it would be just like performing on a stage. I was more than wrong. Battling is 10x more intense than being on stage entertaining a couple hundred or thousand fans.

Behind The Bars: Was there anyone that you would have liked to battle in sparring session before they went to the ring?

Jai Smoove: Nope.

Behind The Bars: I see alot of chicks saying they have a girl crush on you...is all the ladies attention overwhelming? Do you think it was the stuff crust pizza bar that got them open?

Jai Smoove: *laughs* Oh boy. Overwhelming? I’ve been going through this way before QOTR. I’m used to it. And unfortunately, the stuffed crust pizza line has the MEN open; the women already knew the deal.

Behind The Bars: Does Pizza Hut Still make Stuff Crust Pizza???

Jai Smoove: Yes and I LOVE it. *looks around*

Behind The Bars: Any shout outs?

Jai Smoove: First and foremost, shout out to Queen Of The Ring. Shout out to my family Most Hated. Shout out to Brooklyn, the murder capitol. Shout out to Poughkeepsie, the Power Kingdom. Shout out to the Ruff Ryders. Shout out to all the ladies in college, battling and doing music, it is NOT easy. Shout out to everybody that supports me especially #teamSMOOVE. Shout out to Behind the Bars. But last and definitely not least shout out to my ASC family. I love yall and yall will never be s*** so be proud.