Today we’d like to introduce you to Jet G.
Hi Jet G, we appreciate you taking the time to share your story with us today. Where does your story begin?
When I was around 5, my dad would take me to see Jackie Chan and Will Smith movies. At the end of the movie, I felt invincible. Will Smith’s hit rap song played during the credits and Jackie Chan’s multiple roles scrolled across the screen: director, writer, stunt choreographer. Seeing men of color with complete control of the creative process inspired me. Not long after that, I made a crowd of adults roar with laughter at a church talent show. My dreams became real once I saw I could make people feel the way Jackie and Will made me feel.
I started rocking leather jackets, and sunglasses and recording my own songs and stories on cassette. By the time I finished 7th grade, I had talked myself into my own segment sharing fictional adventures on XM Kids Radio and had earned a near-black belt in martial arts. I went on to earn a Sundance Institute Screenwriting fellowship and perform regularly at clubs like The Comedy Store. Now I’m in Austin, using everything I’ve learned to create a multimedia experience called STRUGGLE BUS.
Can you talk to us about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned? Looking back, has it been easy or smooth in retrospect?
My dad taught me how to navigate a world where race, class, and business intersect. He died right before I moved to LA. Growing up, people often praised my dad’s journey – a young man from a low-income household who transformed into a trail-blazing chief executive in the automotive industry with a double master’s from Stanford. I watched him combine music, video, and charisma to lead thousands of men as a pastor. In a world celebrating toxic masculinity, I witnessed my dad inspire men of all races to protect, defend, and celebrate their communities. When my dad stopped breathing, I lost more than a father. I lost a guide through a world that I still struggle to understand.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I love going from performing stand-up at The Sunset Strip to doing a grunge song with my friend Bentley to screening my wacky web series at Hotel Vegas and having it feel like one world. I make content for outsiders who feel like they’re a walking contradiction—people who identify with the discipline of martial arts and the reckless braggadocio of rap music. What I’m most proud of is that when I want something, I do what I need to make it happen. If I don’t know how to do it, I’ll figure it out. For example, I’d never worked with animation or cloud rap soundtracks, but I had a satirical web series idea (Wallace + Tex) that featured both. I got so excited by the idea that I created a vision document to pull in other creatives. To my surprise, the community became so passionate about the idea that the idea expanded beyond my wildest imagination. My community expanded as well, resulting in support from a Hollywood showrunner. What could have cost $20k with help from skeptical gatekeepers cost $5k with people I now call friends. We were intensely energized by creating something punk and excited to share it with an underserved audience. I’m currently working on STRUGGLE BUS, a collection of content, stand-ups, memes, and songs built for those same outsiders. I’m on a quest to make those people feel the way Jackie and Will made me feel when I was 5.
Can you talk to us about how you think about risk?
I don’t consider myself a risk-taker. I have an internal compass so loud that what others call risk seems like a divine opportunity. The last time I took a “risk,” I earned a million hits by appearing on the comedy podcast Kill Tony. Some say I ‘manifest’ things; others call me “resourceful.” I get clarity on what I want and then go after it, even if my journey bucks the traditional narrative.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/_jetg/
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@_JetG
Image Credits
Kara Wachsmann
