JT Talks Solo Career, Fan Growth, and Her Impact on Hip-Hop

After years of making waves as one-half of the rap duo City Girls, JT is now creating her own story through her solo career. When the group took a hiatus in 2023, she saw the perfect opportunity to bet on herself, proving she could be a successful act on her own.

In a recent interview with Harper’s Bazaar, JT opened up about her solo journey after releasing her debut mixtape, City Cinderella, last year. The project featured heavy-hitting tracks like “JT Coming” and “Okay” featuring Jeezy.

“City Cinderella is basically me reintroducing myself and telling my story—which is that no matter where you come from, it’s all about where you’re going,” JT said. “A lot of people will try to count you out, and if you’ve had a rough start in life, they think it’s supposed to stay rough. City Cinderella is me being a girl from South Florida who had a rough beginning but is blooming and showing a beautiful side of life.”

Transitioning from a group member to a solo artist was filled with uncertainty, but JT remained focused on her rap dreams. One of the most rewarding aspects of releasing her mixtape has been watching her fanbase grow.

“The past year has been a lot of me just taking a step and not knowing what the fck the reaction would be,”* JT admitted. “But I’ve believed in myself. I’ve learned to trust myself. I don’t want to get too comfortable. I want to go harder.”

She continued, “I’ve been rapping for a long time, and [City Girls] always had fans, but they were mostly people who wanted to emulate the lifestyle we portrayed. With City Cinderella, I feel like people are getting to know me. It’s been amazing to build more of a fandom and a safe space for my fans.”

Despite her success, JT has been open about the challenges she’s faced in the industry. However, she remains proud of her contributions to hip-hop and the lasting influence City Girls has had on the culture.

“When City Girls first came out, we brought real authenticity back. Real personality and real lingo—that’s what we brought,” she said.