The first lady of T.I.’s Hustle Gang is ready to take on 2020. Tokyo Jetz is definitely taking the music industry by storm as a ground breaking artist, and now you can add mother, and author to her name. In an interview during our #LetsTalk Instagram Live series, Tokyo Jetz opened up about motherhood, mental health, and her new book Mind Over Matter.
Jetz made her presence known by rapping and being one of the best lyricist in the game. What many people don’t know is that she started off writing poetry in high school and had no interest in becoming a rapper. “I didn’t dream of rapping.” said Jetz. When she made her career chance she was inspired by the money that her raw talent could provide for herself and her family. In 2016, rapper, entrepreneur, and family man, T.I. took notice to Jetz through her online presence and the rapping videos she created in her car. “I thought it was a joke (when T.I. reached out her). But he flew me to Atlanta and it was real deal; and we been click tight ever since.” It has been no secret that T.I. has support Jetz through it all from that point forward.
Tokyo Jetz has recently become a new mom to a beautiful baby boy named Amir. Now 7 months in she confesses that motherhood is all about fighting through. “Its a learning experience. I thought that I knew it all from having nieces and nephews and its not the same.” Although a mother would do anything for her child, she did admit that she did too much too soon after having her son. “Take the help! I was so hell bent on doing everything by myself that I kind of ended up messing myself up in the end.”
Jetz had a C-section and ended up splitting her scars open because she was doing so much. This landed her back in the hospital for about 7 days while she recovered. So what is her advice to new mothers? “If there is somebody around you trying to help, let them help you. That don’t mean you don’t love your baby no less.”
With all the highs of her career there has also been some lows. Jetz opened up about her struggle with postpartum anxiety and depression. “When I decided to write my book I had actually been seeing my therapist for about a month and I decided to tell my family that I was doing that. They looked at me like I was crazy and they were so opposed to it.” After trial and error with finding the right therapist, she finally found someone who could help her with working through her issues and starting the process of her book. Her book Mind Over Matter sold over 12,000 copies in one day! T.I. even played a part in the creative process writing the books Forward. “He (T.I.) was supportive from the beginning, he got a few other books in mind that he wants me to write.”
So now here she is, in the prime of her career and in complete grind mode. She is currently dropping new music every Thursday and creates challenges for her fans to interact with her via TikTok. She admits that she originally wanted to release a big project but downsized to an EP in light of the recent coronavirus pandemic. Dropping new music every Thursday is her way of continuing to feed people music, which has been received well by her fans.
In the worlds of Tokyo Jetz, “You got to do what is important for you. You got to live with you at the end of the day and no matter what anyone else say or think you got to go to sleep with yourself at the end of the night.”
To watch the full interview and hear more about her story, motherhood, and her music career by clicking here, or pressing play on the video above.