San Antonio-Texas based duo, MJ38, recently released “Death To Self,” a three-song EP designed to inspire and motivate listeners—all while adding a fresh spin to radio-ready hip hop.
“It’s different but it’s the same,” shares Justin of the EP. “A lot of our influences are Top 40, like Drake and Chance The Rapper. We’re not trying to reinvent the wheel, just revamp it. Old and new at the same time.”
When creating the EP, the duo chose to drop a three-song project instead of releasing the individual singles, “Mr. Jefferson,” “Room,” and “God’s Favorite (Amazing).” “We decided to do three songs instead because they encompass the maturation in our artistry. We honed our sound over 5-6 years, and the EP represents the evolution of our sound over the years.”
The EP is more than a debut project to MJ38—it’s a reflection of life. “Our lives turned upside down when we realized we were willing to die for this. Not literally, but there are more reasons to die than to quit. Whatever your personal legacy is, put everything in it. Just keep going.”
Being the new kid at school was something Justin and Matthew had in common growing up—Justin was born in California and Matthew in India, and both moved to Texas around 2001 when they were young kids. It was then that their friendship began, based on a shared experience, feeling alone in the same place.
“We didn’t decide to pursue music until we were in our early 20s, around 2017 or so. In early high school and in our college years, we fell in love with freestyle rapping to pass the time instead of watching TV. We’d put on instrumentals and freestyle. The more we practiced, the better we got. That led to the decision to pursue music full time. We didn’t want to reach the end of life and wonder, “what if?” What if we had pursued music seriously?”
The duo’s songwriting process is equal parts spontaneity and thoughtfulness. Justin has been dabbling in production recently, and the pair frequently works with two producers in San Antonio. “We’ll come to them with ideas in mind or they’ll bring us beats,” shares Justin.
“Our producers are amazing. As for lyrics, I love organic humanism,” adds Matthew. “When I’m going through something or someone I love is going through it, it’s easy to draw from those experience in the studio. Then there’s spontaneity—it has to be right. I get being willing to perfect a song but over 2-3 years? I don’t get writing a song for that long.”
“We balance each other out in that regard,” explains Justin. “I couldn’t do the freestyling. My method is to play the beat over and over while I’m driving or doing dishes or at the gym. I freestyle less formally then put sounds/melodies together, then words in sequence for the final delivery. I try to fit in the syllables, mumbling, then the lyrics present themselves to me and I’m able to identify them.”
In the past month since its release, “Death To Self” has garnered attention on the scene. “The general feedback we’ve received has been positive. We’ve done a couple of interviews and podcasts, and it’s all been positive, constructive feedback across the board. But we only want to keep doing better and better.”
Following the release of “Death To Self,” MJ38 is looking forward to finalizing more songs that are in progress and releasing them in the near future. They also have an ongoing podcast that posts weekly on YouTube. “We’re always making music. If we get the right song that makes us feel the right way, we’ll get it out right away.”
Make sure to stay connected to MJ38 on all platforms for new music, videos, and social posts.
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