J.J. Carr, born Jaylen Darail Carr, is a Rap recording artist from Houston, Texas. J.J. grew up with passion, creativity, and music all around him. His mother was a lover of R&B and Neo-Soul and sang in the church choir as a child. His father and uncles were Rap fanatics, introducing him to artists such as Jay-Z, Lil Wayne, and DJ Screw, who would inspire him to pick up a microphone at the tender age of 10.

J.J. would continue to hone his skills throughout his school-age years by recording his first song at 13, releasing music on SoundCloud as a sophomore in high school, and playing and winning yearly talent shows. He moved from Houston to the DMV in 2018 to pursue a B.A in Audio Production at the illustrious Howard University.

Juggling his studies and craft, J.J. used his experiences at The Mecca to expand his artistic abilities by performing at local DC open mics, such as Jonate Leak’s Sounds and Spirits and Alex Vaughn Presents AV Sessions among others, hosting events for other artists, and falling in love with mixing and mastering engineering. After purchasing his first set of gear as a freshman, he would self-record and release singles on major streaming platforms throughout his college career.

J.J. graduated from Howard in 2023 and would relocate twice in less than six months, going from DC to Houston to the Tristate Area. During this time, J.J. would get a job in music sync at ESPN, learning the ins and outs of music licensing. In October 2025, he would release his debut project, A Moment In Time… This 8-track mixtape was a way for the young wordsmith to find himself, sifting through five years worth of material that was built up from his college years. It’s an ode to coming of age and stepping into the person you’re becoming in spite of obstacles and limitations.