Artist Select Winner Snt Jms Speaks About His First Performance, Overcoming Self-Doubt And The Meaning Behind His Name

“Life is the greatest experience to have [with creating]. You have to believe with the sure intent to move.” SNT△ JMS, Artist Select Winner  

Snt Jms, who also goes by Jimmy, hails from Pomona, CA, where he was known for his outgoing personality. At an early age, he first started performing in his school plays, where his teachers told him that he had that “it” factor to perform in front of many. He also comes from a musical family, where they would sing and play different instruments and had an eclectic music taste that would inspire Snt Jms to make his own incredible music. “My auntie can sing, my uncle plays drums, my pops can sing and play bass and my brothers a producer,” he said, citing Nas, Jay-Z, Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole as influences.

As he continued to grow as a performer, writer, and producer, Snt Jams’ motivation never stopped. Prior to his solo career, he started in a group called Diverse Link, where they sold out a show at the House Of Blues.

Balancing a job as a registered nurse while also making his music, Snt Jms continues to be the walking graffiti art that he is today. With thousands of streams on Spotify and thousands of views on Youtube, he has expanded his brand even more, even developing his own brand, Nbdyville, which derives from the concepts that nobody lives forever and that it takes a village to do anything great. The brand launched in October 2022 and will continue to expand in the future. 

Snt Jms is a carefully crafted anti-hero who kills the narrative of drug/gang culture that was rooted in Hip-Hop. Growing up, he was always told he wasn’t “street” enough to be Black. This stems off the effects of what mainstream cultivated Hip-Hop to be. However, Snt Jms saw another way. 

“Nobody can see the vision, but you,” he explained. “Its an operation of choice. As a service… Snt Jms was created for people to understand and reach their dreams.”  

Music is subjective and it is always important to push the boundaries on what the mainstream narrative seem to be, Snt Jms explained. This is the purpose of one of Snt Jms EPs, “Salt and Light.” He describes this project as being a gem in his arsenal. Released on 2020, “Salt and Light” promotes the narrative of hunger for a greater purpose. 

With three EPs under his belt, Snt Jms wants to continue to kill the narrative that gang violence has be a criteria to produce Hip-Hop. Hip-Hop has always been made up of the five elements: emceeing, deejaying, breakin’, graffiti, and beatboxing. As long as those ingredients are met, the creations of Snt Jms will be here to stay.