Today we’d like to introduce you to JERI.
Hi JERI, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
Born and raised in St. Louis, JERI began writing and rapping in 2014, heavily inspired by Chicago artists like Dreezy, Chance the Rapper, and Childish Gambino he thought to himself why cant that be me with a Story to express through Rap, Growing up, hip-hop was always playing in the house thanks to his stepfather, giving him a natural ear and passion for music from an early age.
As a kid who loved anime and creativity, he often felt like an outsider in school and was made fun of for being different. Instead of letting the negativity break him, he turned that pain into poetry and self-expression. During high school, while dealing with the struggles of growing up and finding himself, he created an anime club that grew to over 40 students. He also became active in poetry club, surrounding himself with friends and fellow artists who shared the same passion for creativity.
After meeting his favorite artist, Dreezy, in 2016, JERI found even more motivation to chase music seriously. In 2017, a year after graduating high school, he released his mixtape “IN PIECES,” dedicated to Dreezy’s project “No Hard Feelings.” One quote from her stayed with him deeply: “You can’t break what’s in pieces.” That message became fuel for his journey.
From 2017 to 2022, he performed at shows across Kansas City and built connections within the music industry. Along the way, he received opportunities involving artists such as Fat Joe and Young Thug. He also worked alongside Bam Keith and Max Marvel at 825 Studios, helping shape and develop his sound. After the studio tragically burned down, finding the right environment to continue creating became difficult.
Over the years, life struggles, creative setbacks, and writer’s block pushed him into a hiatus, causing him to lose sight of his vision for music. But even during the silence, the passion never truly disappeared. In recent years, he returned to writing nonstop, rebuilding his confidence and artistic direction.
In May 2026, life came full circle when he met Dreezy again while celebrating her Drip Magazine cover. That moment reignited his hunger and reminded him why he started creating music in the first place. Now, JERI is stepping back into his purpose — determined to find the right studio, release the music he’s been holding onto, and inspire others chasing dreams through adversity.
His message is simple:
#NeverTooLate
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As you get older, you change ,you change, who you are as an individual, the way you think about things change you just have to learn how to roll with the punches cause just like we changed things around us do as well, when you get put into something that feels oversaturated it makes you feel like you’re not standing out and that’s something that I had to really deal with
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As I’ve been working these jobs in the past few years, I just drive to be positive smile and to always think the best, I’ve always had a management position and always have been able to maneuver and plan and get the job done, what sets me apart from others is the energy I have towards what I want the most, it’s unbreakable
So, before we go, how can our readers or others connect or collaborate with you? How can they support you?
Simply just DM me or comment under my posts or just follow me on Instagram_tru13_
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_tru13_
- Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/Kis5iNN88A2CHl9MMK
