Today we’d like to introduce you to Jakai Li.
Hi Jakai, can you start by introducing yourself? We’d love to learn more about how you got to where you are today?
After spending a few confusing, but formative years in China, I made my way back to the States.
I grew up in the Southwest part of Houston, Texas in a city called Sugar Land. Growing up a 90’s baby in this part of town meant spending a lot of time outdoors playing tackle football with kids much older than me. I eventually really got into skateboarding and basically lived on the streets with my skater friends. We lived off stolen donuts from Randalls and ate Subway sandwiches when they were still $5 for a footlong. Around the time Instagram came around, I began to fall in love with photography. I remember buying my first DSLR camera from Best Buy, a Sony a58, and stealing my mother’s car that same day to drive around and take pictures. I drove away from my hometown for hours, in every direction, and took thousands of photographs. Most of these earlier photos captured the still life on country roads, native plants and animals, and architecture in the city. I am eternally grateful for the opportunities as a kid to be free and surrounded by beauty from a culturally-diverse community.
Fast forward to 2015, it was time to leave this city I called home. This little heart of mine brought me to Austin, Texas (for the first time) to pursue a college degree from The University of Texas at Austin. I locked-in for the next 4 years and graduated with a bachelor’s degree and couple minors. Immediately upon graduating, the pandemic hit. I moved back to Sugar Land, and spent a lot of time reflecting on my career and passions. I realized that music was the thing I wanted to pursue the most, and knew moving back to Austin would make the most sense for me. I moved back to Austin in 2021 and lowkey began my journey making music as a singer/songwriter. I spent the next 5 years soul searching. I was searching for my sonic identity, to better understand music production as a language, and how to express myself authentically through words and sounds. I learned a lot about music over these years, but more importantly, I learned a lot about myself as an artist.
I released my debut single, “Slow It Down” earlier this year. A chill contemporary R&B song I wrote when I moved back to Austin 5 years ago. A time that flew by as quickly as those pandemic years took from our lives. This song reminds me of the beauty of having someone, or something you love around to help you slow down. I believe this single embodies my journey as an artist and showcases where it all started for me. I look forward to slowly releasing and sharing more music, deeply felt emotions, and life’s lessons that are directly inspired by these formative years of soul searching.
In the meantime, you can find me bopping around town and supporting my creative community at local events. There’s a good chance you will catch me taking photos, or exhibiting my work as a lowkey photographer. You might even catch me playing percussion for Midnight Navy at a local music venue. If you’re really lucky, you might even run into me modeling for designers in the fashion scene, and walking down fashion shows from Austin to New York Fashion Week. Regardless of where and when you see me, please feel free to stop me and say hi. Don’t let my RBF scare you, I’m lowkey really nice.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way. Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
The biggest struggles have always been the financial ones. Being raised by a single mother who is also a first-generation immigrant made navigating this country very difficult. I spent most of my life identifying the systematic inequalities in place that benefited those around me. Luckily, I found support and leaned on my friends and families when I could. Since a kid, I have always tried my best to aim high, and work really hard to land somewhere near my goals and dreams.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
As a multi-hyphenated artist/creative, I’m always doing something. With that said, music is my biggest creative passion as an artist. I’m in love with singing, songwriting, and expressing myself through music. I make and release music under my name, Jakai.
I’m also a percussionist for a Chicano-soul band called Midnight Navy. I have been playing with them for a couple of years now, and love it. I feel so lucky to have grown up in a state that is surrounded by such a lively and beautiful culture. I’d argue my Latino friends are a big reason why Texas is so fun, beautiful, and delicious.
Outside of music, I’m also a photographer. I am so grateful for photography. I believe photography has led me to appreciate many other forms of art that I am in love with today. It has also introduced me to so many wonderful people. While some people might know me for my event photography, live music photography, or landscape photography, I love working with people who come to me for help with conceptual work, creative direction, and storytelling through photography. There is also a big space in my heart for street photography.
Outside of that, I am a freelance model, producer, and brand ambassador. I have worked with designers on commercial shoots, fashion shows, special events, and even artists like A$AP Rocky as a background dancer for his 2026 Don’t Be Dumb Tour.
Dance and movement are new things i’m gravitating towards. I’m excited to embark on this movement journey and see where it takes me. I’m sure I’ll discover something new about myself along the way and can share more with you guys in the near future.
Ultimately, I believe I am an artist that’s in love with art. I truly believe there’s art in everything that exist in this world. This perspective, for me, is what makes life so beautiful and worth living.
Is there something surprising that you feel even people who know you might not know about?
I am a huge foodie. There is a really good chance you will see a video highlighting recipes, restaurants, and chefs around the world pop up on my YouTube recommendations. When I think about where I want to travel to next, food is one of the biggest motivators. I believe food can bring people together and form connections in ways nothing else can. My ultimate goal in life is traveling around the world and forming meaningful connections with locals through our shared love for food.
Something else most people don’t know about me is that I’m currently back in school pursuing a certification in massage therapy. I want to be a licensed massage therapist for many reasons. I believe there are incredible benefits to therapeutic touch, and everyone can benefit from manual body work. After working in the corporate world for the past 5 years, my heart is gravitating towards a more hands-on career that allows me to make a more positive impact on people’s lives, and do so more directly.
Pricing:
- Please reach me at Lowkeybopstar@gmail.com for any business inquiries!
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/lowkeybopstar
- Instagram: @Lowkeybopstar
- Youtube: @Lowkeybopstar
- Other: Email: Lowkeybopstar@gmail.com
