Rooftop J (born Jari Marain on November 9th , 1997) is a Belgian rapper and songwriter, born and raised in Bruges, Belgium. As of right now, the MC has released 16 tracks as an independent artist and has gained over 430,000 total streams on Spotify. Working with friend and producer Yung Offender.

In this interview spotlight, I chat with Rooftop J about the latest music, challenges, technology and more.

Full Q&A along with links and music below.

Who are you? Where are you from and what style of music do you create? (In your own words, not necessarily in marketing terms or by popular genre classifications.)

Hey guys!, first off, thank you for having me! My name is Rooftop J and I’m an independent Hip Hop artist from Bruges, Belgium. I make old school, alternative, melodious Hip Hop with a touch of Trap. I really just make music that feels right to me so it’s kind of hard for me to label it, because there are no labels.

What led you down this path of music and what motivates you to keep going?

This is a really interesting question! I guess I always felt different than others and knew from early on that I didn’t want a regular nine to five job / a regular life in general. There’s absolutely nothing wrong with that, it’s just not for me. I love being creative and I’ve always loved hearing and playing music. As a kid, I played piano, drums and guitar.

I’m motivated by a lot of things. I strongly believe that you can achieve anything you want in this life. I think passion, persistence and determination can get you anywhere. I feel motivated by seeing successful people around me and I’m inspired by everything around me. I believe everyone’s here for a reason and you just have to find yours. The world is yourz!

How is this new release different than previous ones? Were you trying to accomplish anything specific?

It’s very different because each song I make tells a totally different story. With “Mando”, my upcoming single (releasing on January 29^th) I’m looking back on the year of 2020 and all the madness that came with it. Last year was personally one of the most difficult years I’ve experienced and this single is my way of getting closure. At the same time, it’s also a reference to the newest Star Wars series “The Mandalorian”. I feel very grateful to be able to keep making music during these unprecedented times.

Name one or two challenges you face as an indie musician in this over saturated, digital music age? How has technology helped you (since we know it does help)?

Well, being an artist is a journey filled with challenges. I’ve personally struggled a lot with figuring out how everything works: how to distribute music, how to record, how to properly promote your music, how to network, how to navigate in the music industry, etc.

It’s very true that we’re in a over saturated musical landscape right now. Over 40.000 songs get uploaded on Spotify daily! That’s just insane!! This means the “competition” is enormous. Still I don’t find this a problem at all since everyone is completely different. There is no one who makes the exact same music you make, so to quote Eminem real quick “No matter how many fish in the sea, it’ll be so empty without me”. We as artists are all completely unique and that’s our strength.

Technology has helped me to distribute music, simple as that. Without technology, I wouldn’t have released a single song. Because of this, you do NOT need a label anymore. I’m my own label. I think technology has been super helpful and has saved independent artists like myself so much money, money we don’t have to begin with. Music is more accessible than ever before. All you need is a computer and a mic, that’s it.

What was the last song you listened to?

The last song I listened to is “The Law” by Ab-Soul, Mac Miller & Rapsody. Yes. I’m a huge Mac Miller fan. He’s one of my all time musical influences.

Which do you prefer? Vinyl? CDs? MP3s?

I would say Vinyl just because it looks, feels and sounds so authentic. With everything being digital these days, I feel like people want something they can touch, now more than ever.

How about this one…. Do you prefer Spotify? Apple Music? Bandcamp? Or something else? Why?

1000% Spotify. It’s the leading streaming platform with the most active users worldwide. I think it has the most potential for your music to get heard. Spotify’s also the platform that has accumulated the most streams for me personally, so that’s why I’m sticking to it. My advice: make sure your music is everywhere.

Where is the best place to connect with you online and discover more music?

Definitely Instagram! My Instagram handle is @rooftopj_ . I’m posting daily on there. As for my music, you can find my entire catalog (16 tracks) on all streaming platforms (Spotify, Apple Music, YouTube, SoundCloud, Deezer, Audiomack, etc.) As I said before, Spotify is really my main focus and that’s where I’m building the biggest following right now. I would appreciate it so much if you guys could show me some love on there (Rooftop J).

Anything else before we sign off?

Well, yes! If I may, I want to give some advice to other artists out there:

Be grateful for what you have going on right now! Gratitude/mindset is everything and you need to make sure that you open yourself up so you can receive your blessings. The universe works in mysterious ways. Take a moment to reflect on what you’ve accomplished and never take anything for granted. It’s all about the journey.

Lastly, I’d like to thank you guys so much for having me. I’ve really enjoyed these questions and I wish you guys the best of luck in all future projects. Take care, be safe and stay awesome.