The east coast/west coast paradigm in rap has been more or less shattered in the age of Spotify. At the moment, Virginia is a hot spot of new talent including yvngxchris, Tommy Richman, and of course, mynameisntjmack. Jmack’s 2023 breakout EP “BOOKMARK” has more than 100 million streams, cementing his name as one of the most inventive rappers going.
His latest single “chase” features fellow Virginia rapper and close personal friend Tommy Richman, and is one of his most introspective songs yet.
“Me and all my friends always say, ‘We’re not shit yet,'” Jmack told PLAYBOY. “We still have much more to do, much more to work towards.” Humility and self-reflection seem to be Jmack’s secret to continued success, especially when it comes to his current approach to writing new music.
Currently, Jmack is setting the stage for a followup to his 2023 hit with 2025’s “BOOKMARK 2,” not to mention a massive European tour. He sat down with us to discuss his new single, his forthcoming album, and his new approach to music production.
PLAYBOY: You’ve said “chase” started as a fleeting thought in a bank lobby—what was that moment, and how did it evolve into a full song?
Jmack: I was working as a barista in Beverly Hills at the time. And I had to leave my shift to go set up an LLC for the business that we’re trying to run for the music. I had to go into the Beverly Hills Chase branch. I was really broke at the time, sweaty, just fresh off of work. And I just started writing the song in there, because the teller who was helping me was coming off a smoke break. It was very in the moment.
PLAYBOY: You and Tommy Richman have a history of collaborating—what makes your creative chemistry work so well?
Jmack: Probably because of the fact that we’re close, close friends. He’s my brother, for real. I definitely spend more time just hanging out and talking with him than I do making music. That’s what makes the music, we when finally choose to do it so special. It feels like there’s a lot of life lived behind it.
PLAYBOY: When you guys aren’t recording, how do you guys most enjoy chilling?
Jmack: We play the EA Sports UFC 5 video game. We’re both big UFC fans, that’s how we met. We followed each other over Instagram over music, but I saw that he was into UFC and mixed martial arts in general. The first time we hung out was just to play the video game and watch a UFC card. But we listen to music, watch a bunch of random documentaries, things like that.
PLAYBOY: Seeing “BUNKER/PREROLL” resurge years after its release must’ve been a surreal moment. Did that change the way you look at past records?
Jmack: No, but it definitely changed my view of the scope of music and the music industry. I feel like as an artist coming up in the generation I came up in, celebrity and artistry are intertwined. All of the rappers back in the day, they had like one or two songs, and they were able to drop an album and live that life, you know what I mean?
But now, looking back on records that I put out, recognizing that it’s a blessing, because people are able to look at the wide array of my music. The internet allows them to do that. “BUNKER/PREROLL” reaching that resurgence is really a justification for the work we put in, not necessarily looking for another viral moment. Understanding that people can go back and find older stuff at any moment, and that really is a blessing.
PLAYBOY: “BOOKMARK 2” feels like a continuation of your story. How does it differ from your debut album, “mynameisnt?”
Jmack: “BOOKMARK 2,” and really the Bookmark series as a whole…it’s meant to be more of like a stopping point, like, “What do you do when you reach a bookmark?” Do you go back to the chapter you just read and reflect, or do you push forward into the next one? That’s what these projects are for me, they’re stopping points for me to reflect on what I’ve just been through. They’re a bit more personal.
PLAYBOY: You describe ‘mynameisnt’ as a nameless/faceless character now placed in the middle of LA. How does that character reflect your own experience adjusting to success and a new environment?
Jmack: I wouldn’t say my experience differs that much more from the typical person that moves out to a larger city, who’s trying to make it. That’s kinda what inspired the project, people who don’t necessarily feel like they have a place in things. But I relate to it heavily, and that’s a large part of my creative journey, not necessarily knowing where I fit into things.
PLAYBOY: You’ve been recognized as a storyteller—how has your storytelling evolved from your earlier work to now?
Jmack: Mainly, just becoming more and more vulnerable. I’ve realized that that’s not only a solace to me, but the key to making better songs, you know? The more life that you live, and the more you’re willing to talk about it, I feel the better the music becomes. And then just doing the thing. Leaving Virginia, where I was comfortable, allowed me to push myself into making music everyday.
I no longer had the luxury of living in my parents’ house, smoking weed everyday, and just not pursuing it in the same way. Consistency and vulnerability made for much better songs.
PLAYBOY: What can listeners expect from your upcoming mixtape, “BOOKMARK 2?”
Jmack: Like I said, increased vulnerability, and its much more recent. The “mynameisnt” project was two years worth of music compiled together. And this is probably the past six to seven months of me really putting stuff together. And then I would say better musicality. There are no samples on the project. We played live, had to camp out in Mountain Center, California where we brought in a bunch of live musicians to really tie it all together.
PLAYBOY: You’re currently on the road touring North America and soon Europe with Tommy. What excites you most about touring internationally? Any cities you’re especially hyped to perform in?
Jmack: I mean, I’ve never left the country. So I’m excited to go out and explore Europe. But I think the thing that most excites me is just experiencing—what I’ve heard as a fan of music all my life—that European audiences have a different affinity for music because they don’t have acts come out as often. I’m also looking forward to connecting with people.
We’re doing something special, between Tommy, myself, my brothers Paco, Jonah Roy, and Max Vossberg. It’s beautiful to see, if you can catch a show, I highly recommend it, it’s the best show out there.
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