Southern California rapper and Season 2 runner-up of Netflix’s music competition “Rhythm + Flow,” Jay Taj, received a major honor from his hometown of Santa Ana.
During Tuesday night’s city council meeting, Councilmember Thai Viet Phan gave the certificate of recognition to the rapper after a short presentation about his accomplishments.
“I am so honored to recognize Taj, not just for his achievements on stage, but for how he continues to represent Santa Ana with pride, honesty, and soul,” Phan said.
Taj grew up in the Orange County seat and told those in the chambers that before the world knew his name, it was his community that really built him up.
“The pride that I have for my city is reciprocated. The city has always shown me love… I’m not who I am without Santa Ana,” he explained.
The rapper, who is of Chamorro (Guamanian) descent, spoke to KTLA 5 about the experience.
“For me to be up there and have my name on a certificate was cathartic. For me and my family to be recognized in a positive way was healing. I never thought I’d be in front of the Santa Ana City Council being recognized,” he said.
The impact of the moment isn’t lost on Taj, in fact he noticed some irony about being in the city council chambers.
“It looks a lot like a courtroom,” he joked. “The aesthetic of the space looks a lot like a courtroom, and I made a joke to the mayor, saying this was the first time I had been in a room that looks like this where the ethos of the moment was joy and celebration.”
He noted one of his friends who attended the ceremony had just been released from jail.
“Just like a few weeks ago, [he] was getting discharged across the street, and here we are celebrating, this moment where [the city] is celebrating us for who we are in our own culture.”
Taj grew up with humble beginnings, crediting his family members for encouraging his love of music and rap.
“I’m committed to the idea that you have to see yourself to be yourself,” he explained. “When I was 13, my uncles put me in the studio when they could have put me on the block. I was able to form a more direct relationship with music because I saw myself in them in this environment. [That] allowed my imagination to draw a picture of myself as an adult, and then I was able to fulfill that image.”
The musician is also a mentee for young people who see themselves in him, but being a role model isn’t something he set out to become.
“Being a role model is not something I ever anticipated, but it is certainly something I think was inherently instilled in me. It feels like an extended version of being what my role models taught me and continue to teach me even in my adulthood.”
His hometown influences his artistry, and he’s proud to represent his neighborhood, which he pridefully refers to as the “west side of the riverbed.”
“You should be proud of where you come from. If you’re not, it’s kind of weird. That’s weird behavior,” he said. “I’m blessed enough to be part of an art form that champions roots and heritage. The regionalization and the pride of your home are already built into the ethos of Hip Hop. It’s hard for me to write a single lyric without mentioning something about my neighborhood.”
Late last year, Taj took home the second-place prize on “Rhythm + Flow.” He competed against more than 30 rappers from around the country who were judged by music heavy-hitters like Ludacris, DJ Khaled, and Latto.
During the show’s airing, the rapper released his latest EP, “Little Jerry Demos,” which is streaming on all platforms.
