Michael Newman, professionally known as JerseyStyle, is a recording artist and record producer from Neptune, NJ.
His debut EP is titled “The Master” and is set to drop sometime within the year. With such singles as “Be Strong” and “The Porch,” JerseyStyle has established himself as a musician willing to blend and defy genres—combining eastern hip-hop, pop, and rock elements.
His style garnered the attention of rappers, producers, and labels. In 2022, he signed with Trizzy’s Ruby Recordings. His full body of work is available on all platforms, including Apple Music, Amazon Music, Tidal, Deezer, Revohloo, and YouTube. His latest single, entitled “The Kitchen,” is a trippy vibe but introspective.
24HipHop got JerseyStyle to weigh in on a few things!
From the outside looking in, Who Is JerseyStyle?
From the outside looking in, I’m a rock star. My music is dope. I get to do things that normal people don’t do, and my life is a crazy ass movie. I’ve flown airplanes, kicked it with celebrities, and I continue to generate more and more fans of my music weekly. I’m a man of many words and perspectives, and many people in my past never expected me to be doing what I’m doing. I’m humble, but I know what’s next for me. My goals are insane.
What brought you to the entertainment industry, music specifically?
I’m from Neptune, NJ. I was born with music in my blood. What fascinates me the most about music is how an artist can capture a moment in time and make it live forever. It took a while for me to pursue what I’ve always wanted, but I’ll make up for it with quality hip hop. However, hip hop was always just the beginning. I’ve always been a songwriter who enjoys creating other music genres. That is what sets me apart from the rest of my peers in this industry. I hope to become one of the greatest because of it.
How has being signed to Ruby Recordings changed your life?
As an artist, I wouldn’t have been featured in any online magazines for promotion with my singles. Ruby Recordings is dope, especially with marketing and promoting.
Tell us about your current project?
Honestly, I have so many projects that I want to work on, but I like to keep my focus and prioritize them accordingly. I have so many ideas that it’s sometimes hard to decide if I should work on something old or new because it will be new to the world. Currently, Trizzy got me working on The Master, an EP that’s dropping sometime this year. I got some heat I’m ready to let the world hear. I got Sho-Time on the project and a few others. AB Tazz is one of the artists I’ve been vibing with lately. Moeschino and I got one on there as well. I’m ready, I can’t wait!
What inspires you to make a song?
I trust the vibes every time. I never force a concept as I used to when I was younger. When a situation in life arises, music usually just comes to me. By then, I simply just hold the pen, and the song writes itself. Sometimes, I’ll write to an imaginary metronome and arrange it as it comes. Usually, when I do that, I dig up the title by accident, then I build off that. Sometimes, I know exactly what I want to write about. I make a brainstorm web and just play with words and snowball it in a fun direction. I see through the cracks in life, so it’s pretty easy for me to stay inspired. Writing raps and writing songs to me are two different things. If I write a rap, I can go on for 200 bars and talk about nothing all day long, and it still goes hard. On the other hand, songs take a much higher level of consideration and concentration. What inspires me to continue making music is that my voice and lyrics live on forever when I die. If that’s not badass, I don’t know what is.
As a songwriter and artist you hear a lot of music, are you still able to listen to it for pure pleasure or do you find yourself analysing everything you hear?
I vibe to some songs. I love all types of music. I pay my respects to hip hop but don’t analyze it. Not since Pac and Wayne, at least. If anything, I usually turn it off. It distracts me from the music I could be making. I never felt that way until my feet sank deeper into the music industry. I think the less music of my peers I hear, the more unique and original I sound. Plus, it saves me from all the trend-tripping bullshit. I already write the future, and that freaks me out enough. I have a distinct accent, a deep southern hip hop flow, and a large vocabulary. I can flip my delivery to different styles of hip hop. If I ever get frustrated with a song or appear to be bothered, it’s because I’m confident I can do better. But instead of being all analytical and sounding like a hater, I don’t speak on it and just use it as fuel to sharpen my sword. I love listening to older music. It’s there. And it’s not going anywhere. Certain songs bring back memories of bonfires, blue eyes, and beer. I’d like to pay homage to all of the music that inspires me. It’ll get done.
Who’s on your bucket list to create with?
I want to put Lil Wayne and Juicy J on a record. I want to take some of the ’90s bands and flip some of them into a cross-genre hip-hop style. Think Evanescence and Korn meet Post Malone and Taylor Swift. Or a Pink Floyd vibe with someone like Travis Scott or Kid Cudi on it. I’d like to work with Joyner Lucas, Beyoncé, Kanye West, and Blackbear. I have some good ideas up my sleeve I’ll just have to freight train my way into those conversations.
Anything special on your playlist?
JerseyStyle: Be Strong, The Porch, The Kitchen. If I can’t be a fan of my own sh*t, I have no business doing music.
Connect with JerseyStyle on social media and keep up with his music by clicking below
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KqUgznVLYpQ
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/realjerseystyle
Instagram:
http://instagram.com/jerseystyle
Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/JerseyStyleLeRisque
Apple Music:
https://music.apple.com/us/artist/jerseystyle/1624641693
Spotify:
https://open.spotify.com/artist/2zCCqkcNCensCkvTk48iaJ
YouTube:
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCuR1lKwlOS8FKZEUjgt0Kbw
Deezer: