A Chat with That Kid J The Don (08.12.25)
That Kid J The Don seamlessly fuses the intensity of his wrestling persona with the nuance of a poet in his latest single, ‘Crash Out’. when the beat drops, it hits with a pulse that’s both raw and deliberate, instantly making it clear that this isn’t your typical hip-hop single. He has a track that’s as physically compelling as it is emotionally intricate. The result is an immersive listening experience that commands attention while revealing new layers with every replay. We chat with That Kid J The Don below.
OSR: How has your experience as a professional wrestler influenced your confidence and persona as a rapper?
That Kid J The Don: Honestly, not one bit, luckily I’m tough because in the beginning when I debuted I was told I wouldn’t go far as a wrestler bringing what I brought to the business, I guess to be a successful rapper/wrestler you gotta be John Cena. In my entrance music I have a shout out from the goat Busta Rhymes in it and I was told I couldn’t use it, “you gotta be a star to have a longer entrance, you’re not The Rock” is what I was told and I’m like “YOO WHO GOT BUSTA RHYMES GIVING THEM A SHOUT OUT AS THEY WALK TO THE RING UMM ME NOT THE ROCK”. But at the end of the day, I carry faith, even when promoters told me “you’re a good wrestler, but you look like trash” or when I would let promoters know, I got a track with Cassidy, I got a music video with Big Pun son Chris Rivers, they laughed in my face and said “yeah right”. All of it was more coal thrown into the fire already burning within in my core to grind harder.
OSR: What lessons from martial arts have had the biggest impact on your creative discipline?
That Kid J The Don: GRIND TIME AND CONTROLLED VIOLENCE. Biggest lesson I can remember was from being a teenager having to cut weight for wrestling tournaments. A couple of times, I had to drop 20lbs in a week and then go compete dehydrated. That type of suffering you put your body through, it will make you or break you. I’ve carried that mentality into my art. In the beginning, when I first started to make music, I was homeless, sleeping on the streets with some bands in my bag. There were nights I could’ve easily gotten a hotel, but I said no, I need that money for beats and studio time. That type of sacrifice and strong mentality, Martial arts and wrestling throughout my youth is definitely the foundation.
OSR: You’ve lived between multiple cultures and environments. How does that fusion show up in your sound?
That Kid J The Don: Honestly, it shows up everywhere in my songs, through the words I use and my cadence. The best part, it shows up in my flow patterns. I got a song I’m about to go record after this interview, and I’m playing with that New York talk on the hook and letting that southern swag out on the verses. A lot of people don’t know when it comes to mixing and mastering, you can do a southern mix, a west coast mix, up top mix. I get all my producers to mix it up, going back and forth from up north to down south to the point I know I’m getting on their nerves, cause I want that southern and northern vibe to clash on every track. I feel it gives the listeners that rare breed of hip hop.
OSR: Who were the artists you grew up listening to that shaped your storytelling style?
That Kid J The Don: It’s ironic cause I’m a three-headed beast, cause Atlanta, Miami, and The Bronx run through my blood, but who lyrically made me a three-headed beast. DMX, NAS and EMINEM, just imagine an album with all three of them. It would be the best album of all time. I believe I come with that intensity and passion DMX carried. I remember at my lowest low in life, DMX’s ‘It’s Dark and Hell is Hot’ saved me from giving up. I bring the wisdom, pure genius and guidance that NAS brings; his music helped influence me into a man. Ok, hear me out, so my pops favorite rapper of all time is Eminem, and he will argue with you about it to the day he dies. I remember back in the day when we left The Bronx, he gave me my first album, The Eminem Show. When I didn’t have my father physically, I felt like I had him through Eminem. I spent a huge part of my life studying all of his work, all the way back to Infinite. If anything, Eminem is the pen I used to write with.
OSR: What’s a misconception people often have about you as an artist or performer?
That Kid J The Don: That I’m fake, which is hard to deal with, mainly in wrestling cause people don’t realize I’m not like these other guys. I’m trying to entertain all of you, but at the same time music and wrestling are my therapy. I’m not like these wannabes dressing up, saying this is who I want to be. No, this is who I am and this is the positive way for me to be me, through my art form. I’m a wild dude at heart, I’ll admit it, but I put the energy into the art, not on the people, and if someone who I offended with my art is reading this, be grateful cause it could’ve been worse.
OSR: What does the phrase ‘Crash Out’ mean to you personally?
That Kid J The Don: For me personally, “CRASH OUT” means IT’S TIME TO GO ALL IN, PUT YOUR CHIPS UP, NO LOOKING BACK NOW. For the people that know, there’s moments in life where things get real, and when things get real, it feels like time stops and you need to forget everything and take action! I believe if we can apply that same energy to our goals and dreams, nothing will stop you from getting what you worked for.
OSR: You said this record comes from a raw, emotional space. What emotions fueled it most?
That Kid J The Don: Pain and passion! You gotta understand I’ve been grinding my entire life, and I’ve been going through it to the point I don’t have a chip on my shoulder; if anything, my shoulder is chipped. From being in special ed, to a failed MMA career, to sleeping on the streets trying to survive, to being in an industry filled with snakes who hate you not even for being real, hating you because you have IT. I have refused to give up, time and time again I get up after every fall. People are going through it, and they’re sick and tired of being sick and tired. So I hope they feel my pain and passion so it can help them with theirs.
OSR: How does ‘Crash Out’ represent the current chapter of your evolution?
That Kid J The Don: I feel like I’m right there, I’ve done the heavy lifting, now I’m pushing for that one moment that can change everything, everyone gets a turn and now it’s my turn but I gotta do the work. Remember the meme of the guys mining one is striving and pushing, and the other gave up when he was a couple swings away from reaching the diamonds. I feel like I’m almost there, I just gotta keep going.
OSR: What do you hope fans take away from ‘Crash Out’ after hearing it for the first time?
That Kid J The Don: I hope soon as the track ends, they jump up and go put some work in. Whatever it is you want to be in life, you got to put the work in, even when you’re not seeing results, you gotta keep striving. In this day in age, everyone always talking about manifesting like it’s magic, “I’m gonna manifest a car, I’m gonna manifest a big house, I’m gonna manifest the person of my dreams”. For me, manifesting is I took action, I stayed focused, now look at these results! So soon as ‘Crash Out’ ends I hope it lights that fire in their core that same fire I felt when they told me I wasn’t going anywhere, that same fire I felt when they told me I look like trash. Whatever you want, you can have it, but you got to do the work.
Many thanks to That Kid J The Don for speaking with us. Find out more about That Kid J The Don on his Instagram and Spotify.
