Spanish artist Recycled J, who has been around the urban music scene for more than thirteen years now and has numerous successful works, presents the first two singles from his upcoming album: 150 Canciones and Casanova. With the distinguishing feature of mixing various genres in his work, from underground and independent rap sounds to more contemporary and popular ones, Jorge, the man behind the stage name, fluctuates between rap, trap, pop, R&B, and anything he feels open to. With the freshly presented singles, he opens up to a delicate and broad subject like love and shows it through different facets. Adding his personal aroma, in 150 Canciones, J shows his most romantic side and takes a very different perspective in Casanova, reflecting on his previous relationships and deconstructing the term. The singles set the hopes high for Recycled J’s next album, which promises to be a total success.

YOU HAVE BEEN AROUND THE URBAN MUSIC SCENE FOR MORE THAN 13 YEARS NOW, WITH SIX EPs, TWO ALBUMS, AND A LOT MORE. FIRST OF ALL, WHAT MADE YOU START THIS INCREDIBLE JOURNEY THAT HAS TAKEN YOU SO FAR? WHAT PUSHED YOU TO PURSUE A CAREER IN MUSIC?

My creation engine when I started in this industry was passion and relief. It was my way of getting out certain things that I had inside and I didn’t know how to channel them in any other way. Since I was a child, I’ve been very interested in the art world and it finally became the path that led me to get here.

I LOVE THAT YOU SOMEHOW FLUCTUATE BETWEEN INDEPENDENT AND UNDERGROUND RAP TO MORE CONTEMPORARY AND POPULAR SOUNDS, DEFINING YOURSELF AS DISRUPTIVE AND ECLECTIC. WHAT DO YOU THINK MAKES YOU SO VERSATILE IN TERMS OF BEING ABLE TO DO EVERYTHING YOU LIKE?

An important factor when doing something new is not to get carried away by trends, but to look inside of you and find what makes you different from others. When I started in this industry, my sound came purely from rap and as I was inspired by more disruptive and different sounds, I started including them little by little in my creations.

I BELIVE IT’S HARD TO CLASSIFY YOUR GENRE, AS YOU YOURSELF STATE IN YOUR MUSIC AND ITS VERSATILITY. WHY DO YOU FIND THAT NEED OF BEING SO DISRUPTIVE AND TOUCH DIFFERENT GENRES?

I don’t like to pigeonhole myself. If one day I want to write a few lyrics, I work on a rap verse, and if the next day I’ve listened to an electronic song and there’s something that has had an influence on me, I start an electronic demo. Many ideas die along the way, and those that finally see the light do so in the order in which I want the public to receive them and the story to be understood. When I lock myself in the studio unpretentiously, with the sole mission of exploring and having fun, the most unique and brilliant ideas come out.

ALL THE WAY TO THE PRESENT, YOU’VE JUST RELEASED YOUR NEW SINGLE 150 CANCIONES, WHICH LITERALLY MEANS “150 SONGS” IN ENGLISH. COULD YOU TELL US ABOUT THIS NEW SINGLE, WHAT IS IT ABOUT AND HOW DID IT COME TO LIFE?

The first idea for the song was a beat that Selecta presented to me and I loved it. I recorded a demo and months later, I found what I wanted to say and transmit. 150 Canciones is the first single from my upcoming album, and it talks about the love I have for my partner from a close and palpable perspective.

WITH 150 CANCIONES YOU’RE ALSO BRINGING A SHOW IN WHICH YOU PROMISE TO SHOW YOUR MOST ROMANTIC SIDE ON STAGE. WHAT WILL THIS SHOW BE ABOUT AND WHAT WILL BE ROMANTIC ABOUT IT? WHAT DOES YOUR ROMANTIC SIDE LOOK LIKE?

My songs have always been denoted by having a very personal aroma, and both in this song and in this work, I have tried to open myself up to such a broad subject, which is love, and show it through different facets. As a good Cancer, I’m a very sentimental and passionate person in all respects.

IF THIS WASN’T ENOUGH, YOU’RE ALSO PRESENTING YOUR NEW ALBUM. WHAT WILL IT BE ABOUT AND HOW WILL IT BE DIFFERENT FROM EVERYTHING YOU’VE DONE SO FAR? CAN YOU UNVEIL SOMETHING ABOUT IT?

I hope the audience will be able to see themselves—how different it is from my past projects. I’d say this is the most ambitious project I’ve been involved in so far, and the one I have dedicated the most hours and effort to, both myself and my team. Fingers are crossed that it’s welcomed with the same love that it was made.

THE SECOND SINGLE, WHICH IS ALSO PART OF THIS NEW ALBUM, IS NAMED CASANOVA AND WE SEE A MORE INTROSPECTIVE VISION OF YOU REFLECTING ON PREVIOUS RELATIONSHIPS, AND IN SOME WAY, DECONSTRUCTING THE TERM “CASANOVA”. WHAT WAS THE EMOTIONAL JOURNEY BEHIND THIS SINGLE LIKE FOR YOU? WHAT WERE THE CREATIVE AND WRITING PROCESSES BEHIND IT?

I wrote the song along with Spread LOF and Agus —one of the producers of Livinlargeinvenus—, both good friends. I was about to finish the album and I was missing a couple of feelings to deal with, including that introspective vision of my past relationships. I listened to the beat in the morning, and at night we locked ourselves in the studio and wrote the whole thing. The next day we recorded and produced it with Pablo Rouss. I keep a very good memory of the creative process. In the video, the term Casanova is deconstructed, leaving behind that concept of a womanizing man who is known for his numerous love affairs, and reinterpreting him as a gentleman who is aware of the consequences of his past relationships and who thinks being a Casanova is bullshit. The knight’s sword is the one that has made the wounds, both to himself and others.

FROM ALL THE PROJECTS YOU’VE WORKED ON AND ALL THE MUSIC, YOU’VE PUT OUT THROUGHOUT THESE 13 YEARS, WHICH ONE HOLDS A SPECIAL PLACE IN YOUR HEART OR HAS A SPECIAL MEANING TO YOU?

At the end of the day, all my projects are like my little children. If I think about the results that have yielded us over time, we never expected that Hijos de la Ruina, with the first musical model back in 2012, would become what it is today. The process of Oro Rosa, City Pop, and Superpoderes with Selecta, is something that also influenced me a lot.

FORWARD-LOOKING, AND BEARING IN MIND ALL YOU’VE BEEN THOUGH AND ALL THE SUCCESS YOU’VE HAD SO FAR, HOW DO YOU SEE YOUR EVOLUTION, BOTH AS AN ARTIST AND AS AN INDIVIDUAL?

For better or worse, I don’t think too much about where I'll be in a few years. I believe that I’m now in a very good moment in my career, both personally and artistically, and I’m looking forward to the release of everything I have been working on in recent years.

LASTLY, HAVE YOU EVER RECEIVED ANY ADVICE FROM SOMEONE IMPORTANT IN YOUR LIFE THAT HAS CHANGED YOU AS A PERSON OR AS AN ARTIST? IF YOU COULD GIVE SOME ADVICE IN RETURN, WHAT WOULD YOU SAY? 

I’ve received a lot of good and bad advice, and in the music industry, you have to be careful and know how to differentiate when the opinions of others are pure or not. A good piece of advice that someone gave me and that I always defend is that there is nothing more important than being true to oneself and fighting for your dreams, no matter what people say.