Meet Envi Jordan

We recently connected with Envi Jordan and have shared our conversation below.

Envi, so excited to have you with us today. So much we can chat about, but one of the questions we are most interested in is how you have managed to keep your creativity alive.

Really, my creativity is what keeps me alive and not the other way around. My mind runs a thousand miles a minute, I’m always coming up with new ideas for songs. I could be walking around the city running errands, or at home cooking. I get a lot of ideas in the gym… I’ll be on the elliptical and a lyrical idea or melody will come to mind. I’ll grab my phone, open the voice memo app while still running and bring the mic close to my mouth to record a quick tape singing the line so I don’t forget it. Sometimes if a friend vents to me about a situation in their life, that story can inspire a song too. There’s a domino effect because the music I make inspires the dances and choreography I create. Inspiration is everywhere.

Great, so let’s take a few minutes and cover your story. What should folks know about you and what you do?

I’m a second-generation Caribbean immigrant, born in New York to an Antiguan father and a Guyanese mother. I fell in love with music and the world of creativity and entertainment at a very young age. That love only grew stronger as I got older. When I was 5 the family moved from Brooklyn to a small town in Georgia. Growing up in the South as a gay and feminine Black boy with very traditional, religious parents came with many challenges. For a number of reasons, I was miserable. Music became my escape from reality, and songwriting was how I expressed myself. I started recording my songs at the age of 16 after an extended family member came in town to visit. She was observant and noticed how much of a shell I was in. She approached me, and tried to get to know me, I eventually opened up. After finding out about my love for music she took me to a local music store to look at microphones and said to choose which one I liked. I chose the AKG C214, and she bought it for me. It was a moment that changed my life and one I will never forget. I was thankful and also shocked to see someone who had only just met me show more support for my dreams than my parents ever had. Growing up I proposed the ideas of joining the school chorus to explore my interest in music, or taking dance classes… my ideas were shut down for being “too gay, too feminine”. Instead I was put in soccer and karate classes. From that day on I was constantly in my room writing and recording songs, finding my voice, improving my skills, and perfecting my craft. I have now recorded hundreds of songs in the 8 years time.

My love for dance came from watching and admiring great entertainers. The first concert I ever went to was a Janet Jackson show at the age of 18. I remember being stunned, impressed, and inspired by her stage presence, the intricacies of her choreography, and her constant stream of seemingly endless energy on stage. My dream of becoming a great entertainer was reinforced. I wanted to make other people feel the same way her performance made me feel. One of the first things I did after moving to Seattle was finally joining the dance classes I always wanted to take growing up. A friend encouraged me to start creating my own choreography… I took his advice, along with what I learned about dance in my classes and began to put together routines to my own songs. Dance and choreography added a whole other layer to how I could express myself with music and be creative.

I moved to Seattle at the age of 22 because I believed it was the city I could launch my dreams and career in. I was starting the “rest of my life”. I was young, very naive and had many life lessons to learn… I’m still learning. I was experiencing a lot for the first time… sex, dating, friendships as an openly gay man… everything was new to me. As always my outlet for expressing how I felt about my new life experiences in a new city was music. Eventually these songs began to form a project. I titled the mixtape “Secrets” because that is truly what the lyrics are; secret thoughts, feelings, and formative events I held close to my chest my entire life. I decided to divide the project into two parts, “Secrets – Volume I”, and “Secrets – Volume II”. The songs on “Secrets – Volume I” tell the story about my life growing up, and my early dating experiences… from a darker perspective. The songs on “Secrets – Volume II” were written from a more optimistic perspective, and tell the story of how I pulled myself out of depression and took control of my life. “Secrets – Volume I” reflects where I was then, “Secrets – Volume II” reflects where I am now. I released “Secrets – Volume I” on October 29th, 2024 and it was a cathartic experience. I felt freed from my past in a way, now that those things were no longer secrets. I could be my smiley, happy self without feeling like a fraud. It was my first time releasing a body of work, my inner-child self felt proud. Creating the music helped and healed me, I hope listening helps someone else. I’ve already been told by friends how much they have connected to the lyrics of the songs, especially “Dark Angel”, “Black Sheep”, and “Open Minded”. As a songwriter, being told that my lyrics have touched someone makes me feel warm, it means the world to me. I have lots of music recorded and ready to release but it was important to me that “Secrets” be my first era. I look forward to releasing “Secrets – Volume II” in January 2025, the brighter half of the “Secrets” story.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

Ambition, persistence, and faith were and still are the most impactful qualities. I moved to Seattle on my own with no roommates, friends, or family to rely on. I didn’t know anyone here. But I knew that if I stayed in Ola, Georgia… (an unincorporated community that doesn’t even have its own zip code), I would never have the life I wanted. I worked two jobs to save up enough to get out of my mother’s house as fast as I could to escape the chaos and sadness that I spoke about on the song “Black Sheep”, and to get closer to my dreams. I only brought what could fit in my suitcase and left everything else behind. When I stepped on the plane I stepped into a new life, and I wasn’t going back. To someone who is also early in their journey, I would say that if you truly believe in yourself and your destiny you will do anything to achieve it. Deep down, you already know what it is that you need to do. You can have whatever you wish for in life but you have to put in the work to make it happen. If you wait around, you’ll be waiting forever.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Of course! I chose Seattle as the city I would move to for two main reasons; it’s walkable, and there is a strong creative community that I wanted to be a part of. Music, dance, art, fashion… you name it, I’d love to work with a variety of creatives. I’ve already done a song with DJ Tony H that should be released sometime next year, and a fashion campaign with Davy Jones Lockers that included modeling and acting in a short film/ad. I’ve also been working virtually on music with some great forward-thinking producers in Europe. So really anyone, anywhere in the world can reach out. You can connect with me by email ([email protected]), or send me a DM on Instagram (@envijordan).

Contact Info:

Image Credits

“Black and White, (Secrets – Volume I)” images self-shot by Envi Jordan.

“Black and Gold, (Secrets – Volume II)” images shot by Alice Espana.

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