Rhythm of Love: In conversation with YNJ

Twenty-one-year-old Walumar Jamir, known professionally as YNJ (Young Naga Jamir), is an emerging rapper and songwriter from Nagaland, currently based in Kohima.

Despite being new to the music industry, he has already released several original tracks. Fans can look forward to his upcoming collaborations with Guru Gee from Mizoram and Ningdangri and Niloka Wotsa from Nagaland.

Read to learn more about him…

Eastern Mirror: How would you like to introduce yourself to our readers?

YNJ: I go by the name Walumar Jamir, aka young Naga Jamir. I am from Kohima and am a student currently pursuing graduation from Don Bosco College, Kohima. I belong to the Ao tribe and am from Chuchuyimpang village in Mokokchung district.

Eastern Mirror: Why did you choose rap over other genres?

YNJ: I chose rap over other genres of music because rap helps me outline my thoughts and express my emotions. Being a young person in this generation, which draws heavily from American hip-hop culture, I believed that rap would help me establish a name for myself. Rap has also helped me in so many ways, both mentally and emotionally, like through writing songs, rhyming words, playing with words, trying to hop in different types of music beats, and bursting out my emotions in written form. In all that struggle, I have developed myself completely.

Eastern Mirror: Any interesting story behind how and when you started your connection with music?

YNJ: I started rapping three years ago. I was not that gifted in the field of rap but I tried really hard and crafted myself to the best I could, yet I have so much to learn. The force that really pulled me towards rap was rappers such as Jelo from Mizoram, Big Dane, Juztino and Niloka Wotsa from Nagaland. Their music really helped me get closer to the rap game, and their music inspired and connected me more to the rap genre.

Eastern Mirror: When was the first time you performed on stage and what was the experience like?

YNJ: My first performance on a big stage was during the Euphoria concert, which was hosted by Don Bosco College Kohima. It was one of the toughest moments of my life, and I was nervous as many of the big artistes from Nagaland were on the line to perform as well. I tried overcoming the fear and performed. Though I stuttered a couple of times and missed out on some lines, it was a great experience. I thank God for helping me overcome the fear, the college for providing the stage and my friends for helping me boost my confidence during my first performance.

Eastern Mirror: Can you tell us about your latest MV, Tribal Shawty ft. YNJ Drade and Veezy?

YNJ: Tribal Shawty is one of my favourite projects. It’s a love song featuring myself, YNG Drade from Mizoram, a young genius, and Veezy, one of Nagaland’s best producers, singers, and songwriters. Through this project, we attempted to introduce new flavours and experiences.

The goal of this song was to represent the hills and tribals of the northeast, as well as to showcase the talents of the northeast and show people that the Northeast stands united.

Eastern Mirror: Any interesting story behind your stage name?

YNJ: At first, I was just using Walu Jamir as my stage name, but a day came when I felt that I needed myself a stage name. Many names came to my mind but I wanted a name that could fit in with any music beats and a name that was short, so I discussed it with one of my friends and came to the conclusion of calling myself YNJ (Young Naga Jamir). The name has its inspiration from YNW Melly, a prominent rapper from the US.

Eastern Mirror: What are your main inspirations while writing lyrics?

YNJ: To be honest, I am not that conscious type of rapper; I make commercial music, and I focus primarily on melody and easy lyrics that people can sing along with and understand. My inspiration while writing comes from a single motive: to be the best and have people love my music; the rest is up to God.

Eastern Mirror: What is your greatest strength? How does it help you as a rap artiste?

YNJ: My greatest source of strength is God, my supportive family, and my friends, all of whom help me greatly.

My family, despite being Don William fans who have no room for rap, listens to my music, corrects it, and supports me further. My friends and cousins support me in a variety of ways, including promoting my music, providing me with shows to perform at, listening to my songs, correcting my melodies, and so on. Skalet, Niloka, Veezy, Juztino, and Asian Trooper have all helped me in various ways.

Eastern Mirror: What is the biggest challenge you face as an artiste and how do you overcome it?

YNJ: The biggest challenge I face as an artiste is the lack of promotion, and this is not just for me but for many local artistes trying to make themselves a name. There is a lack of opportunity and support for local artistes. Nevertheless, the hip-hop scene is growing in Nagaland and I hope for the best. Also, I’d like to thank Eastern Mirror for highlighting such great local young, talented artistes and bringing their struggles to light. I consider myself extremely fortunate to be featured in one of Nagaland’s largest news outlets. Thank you, Eastern Mirror.

I try to overcome my challenges as an artiste by never giving up, giving my all to every new song I release, and, most importantly, praying to the Almighty for strength.

Eastern Mirror: Any upcoming projects that you want to share with your fans?

YNJ: I haven’t reached the point where I have a fan base, but I do have two new songs coming out; the first is Naute-meim, a love song of mine featuring Guru Gee from Mizoram, a singer-songwriter with a diverse style of making music, and Ningdangri, an artiste from Mokokchung who, with his unique form of rapping in traditional dialect, brings something new to the table every time he drops a song. The second song, 001, was produced by Veezy and features Niloka Wotsa, a great artiste from Nagaland, who has a diverse style of new school melody. The song is about Kohima and the new wave scene.

Eastern Mirror: Any message for the readers?

YNJ: All I have to say is that you should never give up, trust the process, believe in God, seize every opportunity that comes your way, start small, and everything will work out.

Also read: Rhythm of Love: In conversation with Vikhietuonuo Rutsa