Get Out! GAY Magazine – Issue 437 September 25, 2019

BY EILEEN SHAPIRO
CELEBRITY CORRESPONDENT
JIPSTA
‘SWAGGERIFIC’
Jipsta is a very talented, passionate and
message-oriented out rapper living and
breathing in New York. He has been present
in and around the nightlife scene for a while,
and although facing certain challenges in the
music business (as most do), he sticks to it. He
has recently recorded some new music, titled
“Swaggerific.” The lead song was influenced
by his “sexy, man-crazed alter ego,” and after
hearing it I know why. The album is fun!
I shared some questions and answers with
Jipsta and found him to be a blast.
INTERVIEW > > > > > >
As a white, gay rapper,
what’s life like, and how
did you begin rapping?
Interestingly, the story
of how I first began
rapping is detailed on a
song called “7th Grade,”
which appears on my new
album, “Swaggerific.” The
response to it has been
overwhelmingly positive,
and I suppose that is
because it is the first truly
autobiographical song
I’ve written and released
thus far. The short version
of the story is that I had a
rough elementary school
experience (i.e., being
teased for being gay, not
having many friends),
so my mother decided
to send me to a private
school for junior high on
Long Island. It took over
two hours to get there
by bus, but the best part
about the experience
was that the older kids
on the bus would bring a
boombox every day and
just play all this incredible
old-school rap and hiphop
music. I was blown
away and immediately
obsessed. Eventually,
I started jotting down
simple rap songs/lyrics
in my notebook on the
bus ride, then started
rapping in the hallways
and cafeteria incessantly,
and ultimately made my
debut as “LL Cool JP” (I
go by the name “JP” in
real life) and actually won
the contest! This was a
big deal, because I was
12 years old, and there
were 17- and 18-year-old
seniors in this contest.