Harlem musician JK knew she wanted to be in entertainment when she was a child. She had auditioned for Disney, acted while she was in school, and even had a stint doing drag.
It was during her drag performances that JK realized that she wanted to pursue singing more seriously.
“Lyricism is one of my favorite things that I do. I love speaking about what I have in my mind and making it catch you,” JK told amNewYork.
JK began performing at open mics under the JK name back around 2020, performing her own original music. She developed a sound that blends together pop and hip-hop, often covering topics including overcoming adversity and promoting LGBTQI+ rights.
“I kind of jumped in with no expectations. I just wanted to find community and it just went from there. I didn’t have many expectations for it, but things have been tricky along the way, but also very rewarding,” said JK. “I’ve collaborated with a lot of artists in New York City and just having an open ear to all types of music has helped me form what I have got going on. I can’t put my finger on what it is, but it feels great when I sing and when I rock.”
This past August, JK released her debut studio album “No Kidding,” featuring 16 original tracks. When creating the album, JK wanted to make an album that could resonate with a lot of people.
“If you feel like there isn’t something in there for you, there probably is,” said JK.
The album channels all of the years that JK has put into honing her craft.
“‘No Kidding’ is a bunch of years of music that I said I was going to put out, or I was told it wasn’t good enough or I shouldn’t put it out. I put it all out on this album,” said JK. “I’m not joking, this is my craft, this is my thing.”
To promote the new album, JK hosted the JK:NO KIDDING Borough Tour, performing across New York City this past summer. She recently performed at The Bronx Brewery in the Bronx, 3 Dollar Bill in Brooklyn, Processa in Queens, and Manhattan’s Pinky Swear and Harlem Nights.
“It’s been a blessing. A lot of people that I didn’t assume would take a listen or care about it [are], it’s hitting people now,” said JK. “I actually had people saying my words back to me, which is insane because I didn’t even put the lyrics up. I usually do, but to have people reciting it to me, I was gobsmacked. I couldn’t believe it was happening.”
JK says that a deluxe version of “No Kidding” is in the works, and plans to host a show to present it to the world once it’s ready. In the meantime, JK hopes that listeners can continue to open themselves up to her and her music.
“Open your heart to everything. I feel like people have expectations and judgments right off for a lot of things, but when you let go of that and you listen to my album, I feel like you can understand me,” said JK.
You can follow JK on Instagram @jkmusic.duh. You can stream “No Kidding” on Apple Music and Spotify.
