HotBlock Jmoe
Chicagoland’s Next Star in Hip-Hop
Jmoe, a native of Dolton, Illinois situated on the outskirts of Southside Chicago, gained recognition in the music industry in 2019 with his popular debut track ‘Pressure’. This success led him to secure a deal with VELCRO RECORDS, an independent music label.
Afterwards, HotBlock kept on putting out music and working together with notable musicians like G-Herbo, a rapper from Chicago, and Tyla Yaweh, a rapper from Florida. HotBlock’s music is influenced by his own hardships while growing up in the South Side of Chicago, as well as the fresh experiences and chances that his blossoming music career has provided him.
HotBlock Jmoe’s career is gaining momentum as his music gains popularity and recognition from the industry. His debut album, Da Hottest, has received positive reviews, and his single “9x Outta 10,” featuring Tory Lanez, has surpassed 3 million views on YouTube. He has also recently released a new single titled “Safe With Me,” featuring Yung Bleu. With a growing fan base and industry attention, HotBlock Jmoe is a rising artist to keep an eye on.
HotBlock Jmoe & Yung Bleu – Safe Wit Me (Official Music Video)
Meet and Get To Know HotBlock Jmoe:
Kulture Vulturez: You are from the city of Dolton, IL. For those who are unaware, can you give a background of growing up there?
HotBlock Jmoe: It’s like any other Chicago neighborhood, really, when you think about it. It’s like 20 minutes from the South Side of Chicago. I had moved out there when I was about 14 years old and I’ve just been out there since.
Kulture Vulturez: Growing up did music have an impact on you, or play any role in your life?
HotBlock Jmoe: Oh, yeah, definitely. I always had a love for music. I really honestly felt like I got it from being in a choir growing up, man. You know, if you’re from Chicago, every everybody grew up in the church. Everybody had a church household, for sure. As I got older, I just wearied away from it. But the love of music was still always there.
It’s crazy, one of my homies, I had brought it up to him that I wanted to rap. But I never really pursued it. Then he had passed away a few years ago, two and a half years ago. That’s what really just made me take it 100% serious, and give it my all. Now, we here today.
Hotblock Jmoe – Role Play Ft Tyla Yaweh (Official Music Video)
Kulture Vulturez: I was going to ask what was your first introduction to rap? Hitting the studio and recording songs.
HotBlock Jmoe: I knew I loved music. Like making music, the first time I recorded a song, it was just the whole process of going in the studio, laying it down, hearing yourself back, and you know, getting the feedback. I was just blown away.
Kulture Vulturez: When you first started, when did you realize that you had something that you can take far?
HotBlock Jmoe: To be honest, I don’t know if this good to do, but I had set a little time limit for myself (laughing out loud). You know, everybody wants to rap nowadays, especially growing up coming from Chicago. So, you have to stand out. I was just like if I do not get any type of recognition, it did not matter who it is, a blog writer, engineer, DJ or anybody, then I am going to hang it up. I am not going to be sitting here trying to rap for 20 years.
And just so it happened, a few [people in the industry reached out]. I was trying to sit and think who was the first person to tap in with me. But it was a few of them, a few DJs, and a few producers like DJ Victorious, DJ Bandz, just a few of them. They just hit me up and like, ‘Hey, you gotta keep going.’ So. That was just real motivation for me.
HotBlock Jmoe & G Herbo – Long Road (Official Video)
Kulture Vulturez: When you had started was there any pressure to fit in with the trends and the stereotypes of being from Chicago?
HotBlock Jmoe: I wouldn’t say pressure. I have always been a type of person to just be me. I’m going to be me regardless. What I will say is I knew [my music] would be different. My sound is different from the typical normal Chicago sound from what we are used to.
I kind of wanted to just show the world that it’s more than just drill rap in Chicago. There’s a lot of different artists with melodic flows, or anything different just hard talent. People shed the light on the drill, but hey don’t really see the other side.
Kulture Vulturez: Initially as you started, you found success. How does that feel from being where you are now to a few years ago you wasn’t rapping?
HotBlock Jmoe: Yeah, for sure, man. It feels great. It’s actually phenomenal. I don’t really get too stagnant. I’m grateful, for sure, for everything I got, everything I accomplished. If you look back further, like you said, I wasn’t rapping two years ago. I was nowhere near where I am today. I just know where I’m going and I know where I see myself going. I always used that as just more fuel to the fire. Like, I just did this, let me see what else I can do.
HotBlock Jmoe & Tory Lanez – 9 X OUTTA 10 (Official Video)
Kulture Vulturez: You just released your latest project, The Hottest. What’s best about this project,and what makes it stand out?
HotBlock Jmoe: I mean, The Hottest it’s crazy. It’s special because it’s my first official project that’s like being released to the world and to the industry. It’s just like, man, I really put my all into my music. Every single song. I got to thank my team too. Everybody over there, my manager, my CEO Velcro.
From day one, we’ve just been pushing it from the start. They just been pushing me to do better because I want better, for sure. We came up with an amazing body of work and I mean, it’s going crazy right now, so.
Kulture Vulturez: What is up next from you, that viewers should be on the lookout for?
HotBlock Jmoe: Our next thing we’re doing, just more music. I’ll be coming out with another project real soon. I’m going to be releasing the dates to that. But we’ve just been pushing. Pushing all the tracks. We have the “Safe With Me” going crazy. We going to release another video after that. And you know, just elevate.