OK, I admit when I first saw dance/pop singer Jamai at Equality Forum’s SundayOUT!, I assumed he was gay.
With his thigh-high boots, shock of red hair and barely there shirt, I assumed he was “family.” But à la the artist known as Prince, Jamai is a straight boy with flair who embraces, and has been embraced, by the LGBT community. With several CDs under his belt and a slew of music videos, Jamai has been steadily gaining a following from America to Asia, Amsterdam to Africa. At 25, he’s already become a producer, entertainer and philanthropist. Look out, world.
PGN: How did you end up at SundayOUT!? J: My manager and I are always seeking new opportunities for me to get my music out there. I saw a commercial for Equality Forum and thought, That really seems like a good place to play. My manager, Brandon, instantly did his magic and got on the phone and was able to speak to one of the gentlemen who was organizing the event. I went to church, came home and he told me I was on the schedule. It happened that fast. I was amazed and honored that they said yes so quickly.
PGN: Did you know it was an LGBT event? J: Yes; I don’t know if it said it specifically, but it was pretty clear that it was a gay event. Being that I’ve never performed at an LGBT event, I was like, Yo, I want to be a part of that. I want to see what it’s all about.
PGN: Years ago, I did an event and had a celebrity guest host who apparently did not know it was an LGBT event, though he had been told and given information about it, which he obviously hadn’t read. Turned out he was extremely religious and antigay and refused to do the event days before it was scheduled. It all worked out in the end as we wound up getting Don Lemon, now on CNN, to replace him. J: Oh no! I love playing for an LGBT audience. It’s so much fun. I always know it’s going to be a positive experience. This was my second year doing it and I appreciate [Equality Forum executive director] Malcolm [Lazin] giving me the chance. I’ve always felt different from everyone else around me and a little bit of an underdog, so I think the LGBT community picks up on that and it’s one of the reasons we appreciate each other.
PGN: Tell me about yourself. J: I’m 25 years old and I was born and raised in Chester. I was raised on R&B and soul music; however, once I grew up and learned a little more about music, I started getting more into pop and electronic-dance music, house music and rock. I like to mix it up. That’s me!
PGN: So how does a young guy from the mean streets of Chester become so open-minded? J: My parents were definitely open-minded. I lost my mother to murder at the age of 6 and my grandmother and my great-grandmother and grandfather played an important role in my life. They have always been welcoming to everyone, all races or genders or sexual orientations, so I just naturally grew up accepting everybody. Though, the area I grew up in Chester is a very urban setting where being gay or bisexual was not accepted by most people; it was generally mocked if spoken about at all. But I was raised to respect everyone I encountered.
PGN: Are there any LGBT people in your family? J: Not that I’m aware of. The person closest to me is probably one of my background dancers. She’s bisexual; sometimes she has a girlfriend and sometimes she has a boyfriend. We just love her, whoever she’s with.
PGN: You said you lost your mother at a young age. What happened? J: She was brutally murdered at 23 by her boyfriend. I was 6 years old at the time. She was going to school to become a registered nurse and was working with special-needs kids. Unfortunately, she was in a domestic-violence situation that she didn’t seem to be able to get out of. I had to develop a relationship with God to get me through it, to become at peace with it and to be hopeful that I will see her again. There will always be a wound there but it’s begun to heal around the edges. The song “Dead Roses” from my first album was inspired by the pain of losing her. PGN: I understand the family helped you make your first CD. J: After my mother passed, I think we all went into a depression. Christmas wasn’t the same, Thanksgiving definitely wasn’t the same — my mother was murdered on Thanksgiving eve, 1995. Holidays were nonexistent for many years. The family was supportive but always made me aware of what a long shot [a career in music] was; they wanted me to be a realist. But I kept at my music. One year, they asked what I wanted for a Christmas present and I said a recording package, so they all pitched in: my grandma, great-grandma and uncle. They scraped together enough money for me to cut my first CD.
PGN: What were you like as a kid? J: Bad! Syke, I was actually a really good kid, but I was always different from everybody else. I was never into sports; music was always my passion. Because of that, I got teased. People used to call me names and tell me I was gay. I was a pretty good student academically but by the time I got into high school I was like, This ain’t what I’m here for. I’m supposed to be famous. I need to get out and concentrate on my music. I’ve been pursuing it since I was 15.
PGN: I read you were quite the little entrepreneur. J: Yes, at 15 I had the idea to start singing for people on Valentine’s Day. So I made up some fliers and started doing singing telegrams. It worked so well I quickly expanded and started doing Mother’s Day telegrams, proposals, you name it. It’s now a company called J Telegrams and has become a pretty good business for me.
PGN: Do you wear a little Cupid outfit for Valentine’s Day? J: No! I do not. I’ve always wanted my business to support my artistry so I come wearing a nice suit and just sing my little heart out. [Laughs] No bear costumes, no Elmo, no Barney.
PGN: What was your most touching moment? J: Last Mother’s Day, a daughter hired me to sing for her mother, a gift from the kids to mom. There was one brother who had been estranged from the family and just as I was about to sing, he walked in. It was a touching experience because they didn’t know that he was going to come home. After I finished singing everyone was crying and hugging. It was touching because I expressed in song everything that they wanted to say.
PGN: I read that you said, “People send me to their mothers, daughters, lovers and I’m privileged because I get to be the messenger of love.” J: Yes, it’s almost magical — getting to help a boyfriend tell his girlfriend how much he appreciates her, or a mother telling a daughter how much she is loved, or a friend saying “Get better soon” or a family saying how proud they are that you graduated. They are usually crying or laughing and can’t stop, but it’s always a great experience.
PGN: You’re busy helping other people find love; what about Jamai? J: Oh boy. Single!
PGN: Who was your first girlfriend? J: [Laughs] Should I really say her name? Whitney Cannon. We were in kindergarten and we used to get all touchy when the teacher wasn’t looking. We’re still friends. She’s going to be hysterical when she reads this.
PGN: So let’s talk about your music career. I watched several of your videos and you kept it pretty clear of the misogyny that I see in most music videos today. Is that something you’re mindful of? J: To be 100-percent honest, no it isn’t. This is the first time someone’s mentioned it to me, but I’m usually more concerned about being true to myself as an artist. As a black man doing pop music, there are so many expectations … You have to be a sex symbol, cool and aloof, and for me that’s not really who I am. I’m the goofy guy who likes to laugh a lot. I try to stay as true as I can to that with my music because I’m not always interested in talking about sex or “how much money I got.” I try to focus on the overall visual picture: what I wear and how I present myself and what’s going to entertain my audience. But I will try to be more aware of that now to make sure I’m not being exploitive. I don’t think I am, but I will be more aware of it now.
PGN: You did pretty well from what I saw. J: I try, I really do. I want my grandma to be able to watch it.
PGN: So speaking of being a sexy black man, when you’re on stage at something like Equality Forum, how comfortable are you with men screaming over you? J: I’m very comfortable. This is what I tell people all the time: I’mma sing for whoever wants to hear me sing. Anyone taking the time to pay attention or listen to me, I’m humbled by it. If you’re screaming my name, I’m humbled. It’s not any different for me than if you asked what do you think about a bunch of Italian people being into you. It doesn’t make me uncomfortable if you’re from a different background than me; in fact, it makes me more excited to know that I’m able to appeal to a different audience. I appreciate being able to be versatile as an artist. That I can go to an LGBT event one week and a gospel event the next and be welcomed at both is a compliment to me.
PGN: At 25, you’ve already begun doing some philanthropic work. J: I’d always said that when I got rich and famous I was going to give back to the community. Somewhere along the way I heard someone say, “You can always do something now.” So in 2011, I created a “Follow Your Dreams Tour” and traveled to 25 high schools and elementary schools in Pennsylvania, New Jersey and Delaware. It was something I funded and promoted myself because I wanted to entertain and inspire the students to be their best selves. I hoped that I could be an example that you don’t always have to follow the traditional route in order to achieve your dreams. My family wanted me to go to college but I knew that it wasn’t for me. And I know so many people who spent all that time and money and now they are miserable and have accrued student loans that will take them 20 years to pay off. That’s great if it’s your passion but it’s not for everyone. Sometimes you need to just follow your dreams.
PGN: So did that go well in the schools, telling kids not to pursue college? J: [Laughs] Well, I didn’t exactly put it that way. I tried to be more diplomatic. I just emphasized that you need to work really hard and that it wasn’t all peaches and cream. We made a giant banner and had all the kids sign a pledge to follow their dreams, wherever it might take them. Then in 2013, I did a “ThanksGiving Giveaway” and was able to supply 10 families with Thanksgiving meals. I tried to reach out to families who may have fallen through the cracks from regular organizations: people living in hotels, etc. It was sobering to see people living in that state. It made you feel bad about yourself for the times you were ungrateful for the little — make that the lot — that you have. I was also a partner in an antiviolence campaign and concert called “Piece on the Streets.”
PGN: That’s lovely. OK, random question time: What is your favorite fabric and why? J: Ha! Patent leather. It’s fake leather but it gets the job done. It’s stretchy and I can perform in it. It’s sexy!
PGN: You’re so into fashion, would you consider yourself a metrosexual? J: I’m not really sure what that means, but if it’s someone who’s interested in their appearance and how they present themselves then, yeah, I guess that’s what I am. I don’t really like labels, though; it seems like, in order for society to understand something, they have to put it in a category, which leads to misunderstandings: A white guy gets labeled a nerd because of the way he dresses or a black guy gets labeled a thug because he’s wearing a hoodie. I absolutely hate, hate, looking like everyone else; it’s a slow death for me to conform. I just want to be myself, an individual.
PGN: As a straight man, what do you do when you hear someone make a homophobic slur? J: I don’t really know because I tend to surround myself with people who wouldn’t use that kind of language. I get stuff written on my Facebook page and website but I just ignore it. I know who I am, so if someone writes something calling me gay, it just goes in one ear and out the other. I’m not going to object like there’s something wrong with it.
PGN: What’s your go-to karaoke song? J: “Purple Rain”! I love Prince, he’s a big inspiration.
PGN: Best celebrity encounter? J: Singing to Beyoncé. I was at her concert down in the front and she handed over the mic to me. It was surreal. She gave me this look and instead of moving on to the next person she let me finish the song and the crowd went wild. I am inspired by her beyond measure and to have that moment is something I’ll never forget.
PGN: What’s a movie that makes you cry? J: Aw, “Selena,” man. Between the music and the murder, that movie always gets me. It came out in 1996 and my mom was killed in 1995.
PGN: An interesting fact about a family member? J: Had she followed through with it, my grandmom, who I call Mom, would have been the first female firefighter in Pennsylvania.
PGN: If you were undead, would you be a vampire, a zombie or a ghost? J: What? A vampire of course! They are so fly and they have the best fashions.
PGN: What’s your guiltiest pleasure? J: The Strawberry Cheesequake from Dairy Queen. It’s life-changing.
PGN: How do you keep in such good shape with a diet like that? J: It’s all smoke and mirrors. I think I look better in pictures than I do in person. [Laughs] In photos I look cool, but up close you might see that my six-pack is really a four-pack! But I’ve been working towards living up to my pictures! I have to confess that before Equality Forum I dieted for two weeks. It’s hard to sing and dance and breathe and hold in your stomach at the same time, so I wanted to make sure I was in shape for everyone. PGN: By the reaction of the crowd, I think you got the job done!
For more information on Jamai, visit www.jamaimusic.com.
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