From Brooklyn to the Sunshine State, rapper J'lynn Irving, who simply goes by J'lynn, splits his time between New York City and the South Florida suburbs.
Three years ago, J'lynn moved to SoFla with his mom and started working on his rap career. Influenced by fellow New Yorkers like Jay-Z, Nas, and Wu-Tang Clan, dude started sampling beats and spitting rhymes that juxtaposed his big city background with his newfound life in the 'burbs.
Currently, the 18-year-old is holed up at a Pompano studio laying down tracks for his debut mixtape, Lynn and Learn.
"I know it's cliché, but you should expect it by Thanksgiving or Christmas," he says.
You don't, however, have to wait around till the holiday season to download "To the Top," a fresh track off Lynn and Learn.
Growing up in the internet age has allowed artists like J'lynn to reach broader audiences without having label support. In just two months, over 7,000 people have his visited his YouTube Channel, and the dude's racked up over 1,000 followers on Twitter.
"The internet's definitely impacted hip-hop," J'lynn said during a recent phone interview with Crossfade. "It's easier for artists to be heard."
Naturally, the digital era has also influenced J'lynn's tinkering with beat-making and sampling. He says, "I'm trying to get into making beats right now. But I'm a really big fan of the classic style of beats, like sampling."
On the other hand, J'lynn's also a big supporter of rap's new wave, admitting, "I really respect [Odd Future's] style. It's different, but I think that's what hip-hop needs. Hip-hop needs more transition."
Listen and download J'lynn's "Top the Top" here.
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