Who Is JaiiMoni Starr?

CO-CEO/Publisher On The Rise Media

Jordyn Montrice Powell, better known as JaiiMoni Starr, was born in Belleville, Illinois, but raised in East Saint Louis, Illinois. She has four brothers and two nieces, but unfortunately, she is the middle child and the only girl in her immediate family. Her mother’s name is Vera Willis and her father is Jemaugh Powell. “I am very grateful that they created me to become the outstanding young lady I am today”.

Growing up she was always interested in the arts of singing, dancing, design, and craft. These were things she did in her spare time. She began singing in church and praise dancing as a child at the age of five up until the age of eleven. She sang solo songs and did solo praise dances for church and several events outside of the church. She first did a solo rap at East Saint Louis Sr. High school for a black history program to a song called “Glory” by known artists John Legend and Common. This is when she first realized she had rhythm and actually had an interest in rapping. A little after this event she began to write cover raps to certain songs that piqued her interest. She would rap about things that went on in the world around me hoping to get others’ attention and send an uplifting message. She was very good with her vocabulary and articulating words, so over time she just exercised her craft and got better at her skill set.

She was known to be a straight-A student throughout her previous years of school. “I always achieved to excel beyond what was expected of me,” says JaiiMoni. She received a racial harmony award in the 6th grade from Clark Middle school. “I was chosen because I displayed acts of leadership, and kindness and treated everyone with equality in my grade level and or around the school,” says JaiiMoni. She graduated the 8th grade at the top of her class with a 5.0 (honors )grade average In Fairview Heights, Illinois at Pontiac Jr. High. “My parents and family were very proud of me”. She is also a member of the Sigma Gamma Rho Sorority. “ As I entered high school and experienced a little more complex things about life my writing style became deeper and more from a place of positivity, pain, eagerness, and venting,” says Starr. I wrote from what I felt because I wanted people to understand who I was through the songs I wrote. She aspires to teach young women that music doesn’t always have to be portrayed in a negative and degrading way, also that you can get a message across and still sound or appear cool.” I’ve learned that music can have a positive and negative effect on our generation and it is vibrations”. I also like to express myself through singing as well. This lets me know I can do anything I can put my mind to.

“Everything I’ve learned In my previous years will equip me for all my future endeavors and achievements.” Her most viral rap is the beatbox challenge she did her sophomore year, which got over 5 million views. Although she does have other viral videos of her rapping in the car this is the most popular. “After seeing my beatbox challenge, my current producers (Interstellarr Muzik) and managers contacted me to work together. We began to make songs and music videos; basically building my career. Of course, I had to make a name for myself, so I got JaiiMoni which originated from my middle name Montrice.” Throughout all of this, she got a distribution deal with Roc Nation which is not a common thing by any means. She’s currently a junior in high school who is a soon-to-be big-time rapper. Who knows what the future may hold…