Photo Credit: Jamal Osagie Ekhovbiye
In a city long stereotyped as all cowboy boots and country twang, rising alternative hip-hop artist Jyou is making it clear: Nashville has a lot more to say. Today, the genre-blurring rapper, writer, and performer shares his latest single, “HIIT,” a booming, tongue-in-cheek summer anthem that doubles as his debut release under East Music Row Records. With its trunk-rattling bass and whip-smart swagger, “HIIT” signals not just a new chapter for Jyou, but an ambitious reimagining of what Southern rap can sound—and feel—like.
Written by Jyou and produced by Austin Luther, “HIIT” is all sweat and spontaneity, capturing the chaos and charm of a sticky summer night out below the Mason-Dixon line. Booming 808s meet a hyper-visual lyrical style that evokes heat waves, packed dance floors, and decisions that only make sense after dark. “I wanted to make something that felt real and rooted in the South, but flipped on its head,” Jyou tells us. “Nashville truly is a melting pot of culture and musical influences—and ‘HIIT’ is hip-hop through my lens.”
That lens is distinctly his own. Born and raised in North Nashville to two ministers, Jyou (pronounced “J-you”) grew up steeped in church music, Southern storytelling, and live performance—starting out as a child actor before carving out his own lane in the city’s underground hip-hop scene. His early duo work with KON earned him Best Hip-Hop Act from Nashville Scene in 2023, and he went on to found Inner Circle, a collaborative artist collective dedicated to building deeper regional connections.
On his own, Jyou has built a reputation for releases that defy easy categorization. From the blues-drenched, hard rock-laced “Nest” to his visceral, theatrical live shows, he’s become one of the most dynamic performers coming out of the South—gracing stages from Analog to Soho House Nashville, opening for Chief Keef at TSU Homecoming, and co-headlining the five-city Boombox Tour with Inner Circle.
“I’ve never wanted to be boxed in,” he says. “I’m Southern, I’m alternative, I’m hip-hop, I’m theater. I’m visual. I’m visceral. This next chapter is about making music that’s free, that’s felt. That can live on a stage or in a film or in your headphones at 2 a.m.”
With “HIIT,” he delivers just that—a club-ready banger rooted in Southern jazz, soul, and blues, but updated for a new era that’s less about tradition and more about transformation. As he eyes his next moves, Jyou seems poised to become one of the defining voices in the next wave of Southern rap—proving that where you’re from is just the starting point, not the whole story.
Stream “HIIT” now, and stay tuned: the South has never sounded like this before.
Nashville isn’t exactly the first place people associate with bass-heavy hip-hop anthems. What’s it been like building a sound that defies your city’s musical stereotypes?
A: It’s been quite a journey, to sum it up. Nashville has grown so much, in just this decade alone. The influx in population has enlarged the audience for my sound.
“HIIT” feels like sweat, neon, and a little chaos in the best way. What was the spark that lit this track—and did you know right away it was the one to launch this new chapter with East Music Row?
A: Nudies, Friends at Low Places, Acme. All the spots on Broadway in downtown Nashville that keeps the city lively! The tourist, the bachelorette parties in the barn trailers having the time of their lives. When I first made the track, it was just supposed to be something fun as a warm-up to the session I had with my producer. When I played it back after, I fell in love. It had a swag to it, with the bars to match, that reflected and paid homage to the city.
You’ve moved through church choirs, theater stages, and now, into hard-hitting alt-rap. How do those earlier worlds still echo in what you make now?
A: I believe that we are always students in the school that is life. So I’m always pulling from past experiences and teachings to help guide me forward. I’ve learned a lot from performing at a young age, and gained stage presence through repetition. Inflection, tone, and animation that I’ve learned from acting also help me perform in person. I try my best to immerse people in the same feelings that I’m evoking in the track.
The Nashville Scene called you and KON the Best Hip-Hop Act of 2023. What do you think made that project hit the city so hard—and how do you keep that momentum while stepping into your own spotlight?
A : Consistency and execution in my opinion. Kon and I, along with our creative collective Inner Circle, intentionally planned and did a lot of groundwork for ‘The Boombox’. The music is amazing of course, I think our sound got even more refined on that tape. Unfortunately making great music is only half the battle. The real work is getting it in the right spaces, and I believe we moved with that intention and were rewarded for our efforts.
There’s a very physical quality to your music—it doesn’t just sound good, it moves. Is that something intentional, or does it just come with the territory of blending genres and energies the way you do?
A: I’m a very passionate person. I feel everything deeply and I want it to reflect in my music. I’m at the point now where my flow is based on feeling of the sound and how the sound moves. I try to match the energies.
Southern hip-hop has always been about rewriting the rules. Who do you feel like you’re in conversation with—musically or spiritually—when you’re making tracks like “HIIT” or “Nest”?
A : Those are such versatile tracks. “HIIT” being a high-intensity club anthem, and “Nest” being a super vulnerable heavy bass track. Musically I think of a Gambino, mixed with some Wiz Khalifa. Throw a lil Paak in the mix.
You’re part of a new wave of Nashville artists who are shaping an underground that feels urgent and genreless. What’s the vibe on the ground right now? What are people getting right—and what still needs to shift?
A : The people out here feel good. We see the rise of curators in the city creating more for the culture on a large scale. As long as we continue to collaborate and support each other communally, then the sky is the limit!
From the outside, “HIIT” sounds like a party. But what’s the emotion underneath the surface? Is it joy, release, resistance—or something else entirely?
A: For sure joy. I think of the excitement of walking into a party and seeing the most beautiful girl you’ve seen (that night). And it just clicks. The eye contact, the flirting, the dancing, the chemistry is just there. And it feels like this moment is forever because of the impact of the ambiance.
Signing to East Music Row Records is a big move. How are you balancing the pressure of next-level status with the need to stay grounded in your creative gut?
A : There’s always going to be sacrifices and compromises you have made on both ends. The label and I always keep creativity in mind first, so that makes it easier moving with that intentionality.
If someone hears “HIIT” at a party and wants to dive deeper into the world of Jyou, where should they go next—and what do you hope they walk away with?
A: Songs like Hips and mbappé are similar to the vibe for HIIT but in their own ways. I want people to walk away understanding my versatility.
