But as City Girls’ star was about to rise — propelled by a feature on Drake’s 2018 single “In My Feelings” — JT would soon face a big obstacle. On June 29, 2018, the same day “In My Feelings” dropped, JT turned herself in for the charges of aggravated identity theft on fraudulent credit cards, and was sentenced to 24 months in federal prison.
During her sentence, Yung Miami held down the band, handling shows and festival appearances, and filming music videos solo for their City Girls songs. She kept the momentum going as fans waited for JT’s release.
JT ultimately served 15 months of her sentence before being released into a halfway house. She wasted no time upon her return, and dropped her freestyle “JT First Day Out” within hours. She and Yung Miami also have dropped two City Girls albums, 2020’s City On Lock and 2023’s RAW, since JT’s release. The rap duo were also producers on the Max original series Rap Sh!t, which is often thought to be inspired by their career trajectory.
The Caged Bird Raps
Nearly five years since her return, JT is ready to pay it forward.Though JT hails from Miami, she has mad love for Texas, where she will be kicking off her solo tour on March 23 in Houston and March 24 in Dallas at The Garden. She officially launched her solo era last July with the release of her single “No Bars,” on which she delivers scorching lines over a chilling beat, putting her opps on notice that she’s not letting up anytime soon. On the same day, she launched her No Bars Reform project, designed to match formerly incarcerated women with job and housing opportunities and health resources.
We chatted with JT via Zoom shortly before her tour, where she was visibly excited to meet fans across the country and to begin the next chapter of her career.
Why did you choose Texas to kick off your tour?
"Texas, for me, is always a good time. Houston and Dallas are always two lit cities, and I want to feel the energy. I don't want to feel discouraged, and I know Texas is going to show me love. I know they fuck with the music heavy, so I'm like, ’Let's start there. Let's set the tone for the rest of the tour.’"
What are you most looking forward to while in Dallas?
"Well, to eat [laughs]."
I want to talk about your No Bars Reform movement. Why is re-entry so close to your heart?
"I've been in and out of the system since I was like 18 years old. I went to prison for like 15 months, and when I was in prison, I saw women of all ages, and a lot of people give up on women who are in jail for whatever reason. A lot of women go to jail for men, and then the men give up on them. My mom’s been in prison, my sister’s been in prison, my brother, my whole family’s been to prison. I was able to come out with an amazing career, but a lot of people don't. And with the economy, it's just very, very bad. So having the resources on my site is amazing. I still talk to all of my friends from prison, and one of my friends is coming to one of my Texas shows. I definitely want to do more. I want to start visiting halfway houses and meet the women, up close and personal."
After serving your time, how would you say society sets people up for failure when they get out?
"Fortunately, I was set up nicely when I got out of prison. And so, the only thing I can say is with the drug programs, a lot of people relapse, and they end up going back. They'll get this opportunity to get out a year early. And then you make one mistake, you have to give the year back. And I feel like with society, there’s a lot of pressure to do drugs. It's all around us — alcohol and drugs — it's everywhere we turn, and it's being promoted everywhere. So, of course, people are going to relapse and get sent back to prison for a year, when there are people doing way worse things."
How do you envision the No Bars Reform program growing five to 10 years from now?
"I see us finding jobs, I see us building careers and building housing. I want to do this program with women [in which] they are able to get funding for their kids to come and see them, because a lot of women are in prisons far away from home, and they don't see their kids for a long time. So I would like to fund trips for kids to be able to go and see their parents. Me and my mom’s relationship kind of got messed up in the system. And it's very expensive to be able to travel to these other states, so I would want to be able to fund children and families to go and see their loved ones in prison. It's not cheap to travel."
And that’s something a lot of people don’t consider, how costly it is to keep up with incarcerated loved ones.
"Yeah, it’s very expensive. The commissary is very expensive. You have to fly or drive [to see loved ones], and gas and hotels aren't cheap. There are a lot of things I want to do when it comes to prison reform, and that is one of those specific things. So we can keep these families together."
You've mentioned that while you were locked up, you listened to Ariana Grande as comfort music. Have you listened to her new album, Eternal Sunshine?
"Of course. I’m such an Ariana Grande fan. I wasn’t before I went to jail. I always knew her from her collabs with Nicki Minaj. But when I went to jail, my bunky — she was from Texas — and she was such a fucking Ariana Grande fan. We would go download music, and one day, she's like, 'Hey, do you want to listen to Sweetener?' I listened to it, and I found comfort in her voice and in her music. And I've been a fan ever since. And now, I actually know her, so that’s a plus!"
You have two new solo tracks out right now, “No Bars” and “Sideways,” both of which are fire. Are you currently working on a new album, EP, or mixtape?
"Yes, I am. I'm actually almost done. I think I want to add one more rap song that sounds like it can top “No Bars.” But other than that, the project is pretty much done. I've worked with some great producers, and the project sounds sonically amazing. I don't think anybody doubts me, they always gave me my flowers — but I will say that this project will be a classic project."
So will this be a pure rap album, or will there be some R&B and melodic tracks as well?
"It’s very custom to me. In every way, shape or form. When you look at me or look at my evolution over the years, you're gonna hear that in the project. Everybody's going to have a song that they can make their own."
Fans were devastated after Rap Sh!t was canceled. So much so, they even created an online petition for it to move to a new platform. Do you have hopes that it might get a third season?
"I hope so. I love what Issa Rae did with Rap Sh!t. KaMillion, she's a great actress, I love seeing her on screen. And she's from where I'm from, so that opportunity for her was amazing. I would love a third season for everybody from the cast. It was a dope show, I don't even know why it got canceled. So many shows are getting canceled nowadays. I don't know what the fuck is going on."
Would you like to continue to venture into television and film?
"Baby, let me tell you something right now. I am so focused on being the greatest artist I can be. And of course, television and producing will come after. I am actually working on something. I want to give you the name of it, but it's just too exclusive. But it's going to be really good and different from what anybody is doing. It’s very meaningful — it's a platform that's going to be able to highlight women in ways that nobody has ever seen. I'm about to shake it up."
What can fans expect from your tour and your new solo era?
"It's about to be a fun karaoke night at the club. They're gonna get to know the side of me that I feel like I only want to show when it has something to do with my music. I want to leave this tour having built an amazing bond with my fans.".
JT performs at The Garden, 111 Oak Lawn Ave., on Sunday, March 24.
