Conversations with Jayla Smalls

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayla Smalls. 

Hi Jayla, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
IndigoYaj which is my stage name came about in the Summer of 2015 after being diagnosed with Type 1 Diabetes. I needed something to distract my mind and make me feel better and Indigo at first was this alter ego who was a perfectly normal kid. A strong girl with no fears for her future. My first song “Wear ‘Em Out” was put on SoundCloud and was just something fun to talk mess and build my confidence in who I was at the age of 14; my friend April helped me make the song as well. So just having fun with the craft was how I started my music career. Performing in churches, showcases, and basements, and finding experience wherever I could. 

3 years later, I won this competition my then-mentor Brandon Smith created for upcoming artists and that opened my eyes to a rebranding of what I wanted “IndigoYaj” to look like. Between those years to graduating high school, IndigoYaj finally had a set foundation and fanbase. I was getting into the comfortability of consistency in performing, being in the studio, and putting out material. In 2019, I went to be on TV performing original lyrics with my choir The Detroit Youth Choir and I put out my first music video with Twon Productions for my 20th birthday. 

During the pandemic is when the maturity of my craft started to form a bit. Throughout my discography, I decided to use my music to talk about my personal issues (mental health, diabetes, relationships, etc.) and speak on the consciousness of today’s social issues (BLM, women’s rights, and more). I collabed in working with my choir as an alumna to do renditions of songs like “Glory” to speak on the racial injustices and “Sweet Child O’ Mine” for a call to action in the recent school shootings of innocent children and staff. 

I can proudly say with IndigoYaj I’ve gained a key to my city, worked with music groups outside of the country, worked paid internships doing what I love in the music field, and more. Without people like my director Anthony White, the friends I’ve made music with, and the constant networking opportunities and more, I wouldn’t be able to bring up the achievements I have today under IndigoYaj. Indigo is a game changer, and every year is on a bigger level than the last. 

I’m sure you wouldn’t say it’s been obstacle free, but so far would you say the journey has been a fairly smooth road?
Being in the music industry is not easy. It’s expensive, time-consuming, and definitely can have you second-guessing yourself if you let it. As a young woman who can rap and sing, it’s always tempting to give in to the trends of how people like Glorilla, Megan Thee Stallion, etc. brand themselves out as artists. I always remind myself that it’s more rewarding to be different than a copy, that’s why there are multiple genres of the art. 

Another thing is marketing and pitching yourself. I’ve always been shy a bit when it came to telling people who I am because I try to stay humble about everything, I’ve done big or small. I’m big on humility but I’ve also learned that confidence in what I do is what gets the gold. There were artists before who fought to even be on a stage so why not show off to the world what I can do, you know? 

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
As a musical artist, I’m big on the creativity of my brand from the songs to the videos. Everyone knows me for being on TV or for certain songs that I’ve put out. What I’m most proud of is the way I’ve represented my city whenever I do something musically. I never forget where I come from. When it comes to creating my music, I try to do a little of everything and I feel that’s what makes me different. You can’t categorize my music because there’s no pattern in my artistry. I’m always doing something new or adding a twist to what I’ve already made. 

Where do you see things going in the next 5-10 years?
I think the industry is definitely gonna have a wave of new indie artists becoming big artists in the next 5-10 years. Mumble rap is cute, but I like real music and real bars. The music that makes people make those faces when they hear a bar, they have to rewind the song to hear it again, music I can dance to that isn’t so secular, or feel and repress emotions that I’ve had for the week. The underground artists are making just that kind of music and being independent, are gonna take over the game while these artists who think they have longevity now, will be stuck in bad contracts and deals. 

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/indigoyaj/?hl=en
• Twitter: https://twitter.com/indigoyaj
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCH0ilctIdo4t1dmwSaszbOw

Image Credits
Twon Productions