Conversations with OJ 2Timez

Today we’d like to introduce you to OJ 2Timez.

Hi OJ, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I was born in Gardena hospital in Los Angeles in the late 90’s. At that time my mom had 1 child already and was living in Hollywood with my dad. My parents were told I would be a girl up until about my mother’s third trimester so my dad wasn’t initially enthused about having a child. That changed drastically after the news that I would be a boy. I made a house of 4 until about 2 years later when they split up, on good terms fortunately. After that I would go on to live in a number of places with my mother and brother throughout inner city Los Angeles with a 2 year stint in Riverside sprinkled in before I eventually moved in with my dad in 7th grade. The early years I spent living in Inner city Los Angeles , mostly in the Inglewood area were really important to the foundation of me as a person. I had a mother and father that believed in being mentally resilient and prepared and taught me to be the same. At the same time I was in an environment where things happened that could encourage youth to grow up faster than they should in certain ways because they’re subject to seeing or being apart of something they shouldn’t. So I believe my childhood experience in Los Angeles is the most important part of my life that shapes the foundation of me as a person because the kind of tests my environment constantly provided to see if I could or even would apply the principles my parents instilled in me, eventually shaped me through how I responded to those tests. I went on to finish middle school, high school, and college living in the Valley with my Father. After college I basically dropped out to chase my dream of working in entertainment and now here we are at VoyageLA doing my first magazine interview.

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?
It hasn’t been a smooth road at all. I started my life with a 2 parent household and that was done by the age of 2. Seven of the next nine years of my life were filled with living situation and school changes plus all the other stories of your average underprivileged kid living in an inner city. Along with living in an early 2000’s economy in Los Angeles with a single mom who was moving places every other year while still getting her college degree. I dealt with the smaller personal struggle of not being able to ask my mom to get simple things you want as a kid like your favorite snack food or a certain toy from the store. And due to my father living in a different city I wasn’t able to ask him to provide any of my wants in any short time period because he worked early and long hours and saw me on designated days. As most kids never really do, I hadn’t had the perspective that I was underprivileged at all throughout my childhood. I thought there were people and kids living differently and more comfortable but it was just different until I lived outside of the city once I moved with my dad. So my road was no more bumpy than most I’m sure, but I will say the beauty in my struggle was that I found a way I could get what I wanted in life through a positive process.

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
My most important job to me is music. I don’t have a staple job necessarily. I have had an array of jobs since the pandemic and I try to make the best of all of them but I don’t see myself having a career in any of them so I still focus on music mostly. I’d say I specialize in communication at work no matter the job. I wouldn’t say I’m known for but definitely recognized as a sufficient communicator within my peers that i’m in contact with and at most of my jobs. I’m most proud of my willingness to work and my ability to keep the main thing the main thing. I think it doesn’t matter the job. If you understand that you have an opportunity to get what you need from doing that job and bring that understanding to the front of your mind constantly it will set you apart from others. I think that’s what sets me apart from others.

Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I am into social media on certain apps. Instagram is what I’m on the most. I have started using tik tok but still I’m still getting into it. The “Million dollars worth of Game” podcast is one I watch often to help me with navigating the music industry and for life tips in general. I also watch the school of hard knocks street interview page on instagram for finance tips and tricks.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/oj2timez?igsh=MTlkMXNiOHZ4bGpzNw%3D%3D&utm_source=qr
• Twitter: https://x.com/oj2timez?s=21&t=t9TQAFdpg07yWrycRmsp7Q
• Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/Q5H5YdsMUAIPhiDCxI

Image Credits
Drew Perlas (sir jru)