BIO

Ascending from Chicago’s south side, MC/songwriter Rita J.’s music is rooted in Hip-Hop’s Golden era and influenced by Soul, Jazz, Funk, Gospel, and R&B sounds of the 70's. Within that particular generation of black music, centered around love, cultural oppression, and spiritual uplifting, Rita J.’s lyrics became thematically entrenched in highlighting the importance of being empowered at the level of identity, economics, and through the African diaspora. Further pushing her musical curiosity forward through the realm of 90s Hip-Hop, Rita J. became inspired by the story-telling abilities of Nas, the cadence and vocabulary range of Black Thought, the lyrical edge of MC Lyte, etc. to name a few. By constantly honing her songwriting skills through deliberate study and close observation, Rita J. became a rising talent that landed her on stages next to music notables like Jean Grae, Georgia Ann Muldrow, J-Live, Gift of Gab (Blackalicious), and more. 

Overtime, Rita J. began to expand to a much larger fanbase that catapulted her career through touring internationally. Having the privilege of touring through Europe with well-known French electronica/alternative hip-hop group C2C, Rita J. electrified nearly 25,000 - 50,000k people per show, further highlighting her hard work and dedication to become one of Hip-Hop’s greats through the ages. Expanding beyond Europe, Rita J. continued growing her international fanbase by touring abroad in Brazil, which continued deepening her international connection to fans who tend to seek out and embrace her lyrical prowess. 

Her growth and expansion as an artist continues to land her lucrative opportunities through various sync placements and modeling / acting gigs (most notably with Skullcandy), which constantly helps her reach more daily listeners around the world. After releasing an astonishing amount of well-received singles, music videos, and brilliant musical projects , Rita J.’s upcoming album, “The High Priestess,” is poised to bring full-circle why she is revered as one of our generation’s best upcoming artists.