Hushed Noise’s 10: Jay Rhule on Music, Self-Worth, and Chasing Dreams with Resilience
16 Mar 2025
Jay Rhule is a UK-based musician whose work is rooted in personal storytelling, self-worth, and resilience. Drawing inspiration from his Ghanaian heritage and life experiences, Jay creates music that reflects everyday struggles, dreams, and raw emotion. From busking in city centers to building a dedicated following, his journey is one of perseverance and staying true to himself. In this conversation, Jay shares his creative process, thoughts on self-growth, and what it means to pursue music with authenticity and courage.
Hushed Noise: Can you share a bit about your artistic journey? What inspired you to start creating?
Jay Rhule: I believe my interest in music began from the age of 5 when I was watching TV one day. There was a band called McFly and their music video “colours in her hair” was playing. I don’t like McFly but at the time, the song and the simple fact they were playing music and on TV/Successful clearly being themselves is what I knew I wanted as well. From that moment on, I decided that when I grew up, I would be a musician. It came natural to me as I am a creative person and have a passion and interests in film, photography and media.
Hushed Noise: How does your cultural background or personal experiences influence your work?
Jay Rhule: Although born in the UK. Both my parents are from Ghana, and I have been rooted in the culture and traditions/religions from a young age and I am proud to class myself as an African. The upbringing and local music has a massive impact on my life and my music today and I genuinely like west African music/sounds. My favorite artists from my culture are people like Sarkodie, Stonebwoy and more recently Asaka boys and the likes. My songs are usually about my life experience and me expressing my self through sounds, vibrations and inspirations.
Hushed Noise: Can you walk us through your creative process? How do you develop an idea into a finished piece?
Jay Rhule: I personally like my music to be true to myself yet relatable to everyday life. For this reason, I refuse and don’t like to freestyle (rap from the top of my head) . I firstly like to listen to the instrumental a few times to connect with the beat/rhythm/frequencies. I will physically feel a vibration in my chest once I have connected with the beat and melodies/ideas will begin to flow out of me in hums or noise. No words. Once I have and idea of how the song will flow and melodise and what the song should be about based on my current feeling, I write the lyrics accordingly with meaning.
Hushed Noise: What themes or messages do you explore in your art, and why do they resonate with you?
Jay Rhule: Self-development, Perseverance, resilience, self-worth, Love, Heartbreak, Life experiences, philosophies and beliefs. Street wise but not street. Average 9-5 working life while chasing a dream. Being contemptuous, not perfect, God fearing, and raw, uncensored talent. These are all the morals and rules I try to live by and be myself, so this is what comes out in my music. To summarize, Be yourself. No need to pretend.
Hushed Noise: What challenges do you face as an emerging artist, and how do you navigate them?
Jay Rhule: To gain the popularity and the establishment my music has today. I decided to be jobless for 2 years and perform my music on the streets in city centers in various cities across the UK. This was difficult at times yet very rewarding. It’s normal to start how I did and people looked down on me however I got more support and Love than hate. It was a struggle financially as I am already not financially stable yet but this is a risk I’m willing to take to achieve my dreams as the rewards will pay me back tenfold.
Hushed Noise: Are there any artists, movements, or experiences that have deeply influenced your work?
Jay Rhule: Seeing other independent artists that do their own shows, building their own community and running a business.
Success stories from artists like Wiz Khalifa, J.cole, Ed Sheeran, Burna boy, Soulja boy
I would say busking has an impact on my music too as it enforces resilience and gives me the independence I need to just do my own thing to a point where I am contemptuous, striving for growth and anything good that comes from it is a bonus or another milestone.
Hushed Noise: How do you see your art evolving in the next few years?
Jay Rhule: I see myself growing more globally in different countries first before blowing up in my home country England. This is because the scene is saturated here, and real talent goes unnoticed and there’s a lot of pride and not everyone wants to genuinely collaborate/help each other grow. My music resonates on a global scale anyway and I want to create a genuine solid fanbase with all types of people. The real will recognize the real and my music will relate with all. Music is a feeling.
Hushed Noise: What’s a recent project or piece that you’re particularly proud of, and why?
Jay Rhule: I am proud of all my work. Good, bad, success or failure. It’s all part of the Journey but if i was to choose, I would say. “Amigos” “Backseat” and my first installment of the EP series “4 RHOSES” Amigos and backseat were my first two songs to be considered a hit in the underground scene with 1M streams combined across all platforms and 4 RHOSES was a self produced project with trial and errors I overcame to produce it, leading to an ongoing EP series released every valentines day.
Hushed Noise: What role do you think social media and digital platforms play in shaping the opportunities for emerging artists today?
Jay Rhule: Easier to reach new audiences and create a genuine following but same time saturating the industry for genuinely talented artists as anyone at any level can make music relatively easy now compared to before social media and new technology.
Hushed Noise: If you could collaborate with any artist, past or present, who would it be and why?
Jay Rhule: Although I like a lot of artists and have many influences, My choice would have to be Micahel Jackson. Not just because he’s my favourite but for the impact he left on the world and he always spoke the truth and I believe he invented adlibs. Second choice Headie One due to the liking and similarity of flow and cultural background.
Follow Jay Rhule’s work on Instagram at @jayrhule.For inquiries, contact Jay at JAYRHULEOFFICIAL@ICLOUD.COM.
Edited by Xeni R. Quine
Images & Audios by Jay Rhule