Today we’d like to introduce you to Jha’mai.
Hi Jha’mai, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
I have been immersed in the arts since a child. I loved reading because I could explore so many worlds, so many stories. Eventually, I began writing my own stories to music. I was 14 years old the first time I recorded in a professional studio. Through high school, I participated in chorus, theatre, and orchestra, further expanding my artistic toolkit. On January 8, 2016, I was invited by The Artist Bloc and Darlene McClinton to headline my first show for Thinking Out Loud Open Mic. By 2018, I partnered with Virginia Holmes and The Collective GSO to curate showcases, open mics, and community events. For the last 10 years, my cultivation as a performer, vocalist, and host is due largely in part to the creatives around me seeing a potential in me I had not yet discovered. Their invitations to do things I never imagined has led me to continue betting on myself and my abilities. I recently collaborated with PoeticLee and PoeticRNB for the Jill Scott & Erykah Badu Tribute concert, The AltShift Collective for the Queer Women Showcase, and became an official brand ambassador for the 2026 Alkaline Festival powered by Heavy Energy University. I am proud to return as the host of The B Side Open Mic in August 2026. I started this journey just wanting to sing, and my gifts have made room for that and so much more.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
I have struggled with overextending and overworking myself leading to tremendous burnout. I have made myself small in rooms with people that weren’t going to take up the space anyway. Over the last 3 years, I’ve transitioned to a wife and mother while still pursuing my personal goals and dreams. My mental and physical health was significantly impacted after my second daughter and I am often lost inside myself. Yet, these were and are the moments where I am most reminded that God hasn’t forgotten me. These moments I am tested in challenge my character to rise to the occasion, with the knowledge I am already triumphant in the end. Just because you know who is in control of the storm, doesn’t mean you won’t get a little wet. I have grown to appreciate the rain, the storm, the struggle, because how marvelous it is when you begin to see the light that was always there behind the clouds.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am THEE ULTIMATE HOST WITH THE MOST. Hosting allows me to utilize my full skillset including singing, poetry, crowd work, and public speaking. I engage my audiences from beginning to end because I aim to provide an experience, not just move the program along. I am proud of the joy I bring to those around me, the excitement they feel knowing I’m going to be navigating the event. There is only ONE Jha’mai, and no one comes close to commanding the room like I do.
Can you talk to us a bit about happiness and what makes you happy?
A quiet corner and a good book on a rainy day will always hold a special place in my heart, but I’ve found profound happiness in other areas as well. Raising my daughters with the same women I’ve performed and partnered with for the last 10 years. We are breaking generation cycles and creating generational excellence through love, education, art, wellness, and community. Navigating motherhood and womanhood, encouraging our children to dream by continuing to chase our own, is incomparable to anything I’ve done in my life. More than that, marrying my husband and best friend, Isaiah aka Zay NaZty, has brought such insurmountable joy to my life. He inspires and encourages me daily to be the best version of myself, FOR myself.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/officialjhamai
- Instagram: https://instagram.com/officialjhamai
- Facebook: https://facebook.com/officialjhamai
