Today we’d like to introduce you to Jayda Raymond
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
My name is Jayda Marie Raymond, a.k.a BBNERA. I was born on June 25, 2002 in West Covina, CA. I was raised mainly by my mom and my grandma and in part by my two other sets of grandparents. I was raised mostly between Covina, Inglewood, Hawthorne and Pasadena. I started off modeling for print as a baby, danced ballet around the age of five, and then quit ballet to pursue acting at about eight years old. I went to acting classes, was part of my elementary and middle school drama teams and did TV/commercial auditions until I entered High School, where I promptly joined the Police Explorers of Pasadena. I graduated the Police Explorer Academy as Honor Recruit of Class 98 in 2017. At the time, I thought I wanted to become an FBI agent or join the Marines. I continued volunteering in the program until my junior year of High School where I decided I wasn’t sure what I wanted to do. I had a lot of experience with a lot of different avenues, and I ultimately finished High School heavily engaged in Cheerleading and a growing love for travel. After graduating in June of 2020, I moved to Mayaguez, Puerto Rico to attend my first year of University, plena pandemia. During this year in college, with just a few friends to keep me company, I began to write my own lyrics. Through YouTube and practice alone, I learned basic vocal engineering & production, mixing and mastering, music business & above all, I built strength and confidence. When I was younger, I got frustrated over songwriting, and ultimately gave it up. Now, at 18, I elected to try my luck again and this time I kept going. I had my first studio session in San Juan, and I kept writing to YouTube beats all the way up until I moved back to California for Summer vacation, which eventually proved to be the hardest point in my life. Following the sudden loss of my best friend, I began traveling again and soon made my way to Costa Rica (a super random choice that turned out to be one of my best decisions thus far). I told myself that I wasn’t going to make music, I was simply going to exist but if the music came then so be it; and it did. In el corazon de Perez Zeledon, I tried my luck with the only music studio in the area, Craft Studios. From this studio session, I made lifelong friends with amazing tico artists. This gave me a brand new excitement for music that I didn’t have before; it was like the world had opened itself up to me in a whole new way. I am now focused fully on my my music career, with my upcoming single ‘KMP’ releasing on September 20th. I continue acting and look forward to sharing my latest movie in 2025. I have learned so much about myself, the world, music, art and human beings as a whole through what I do, and I couldn’t be more thrilled about where I am headed.
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
There have been many obstacles along the way. The music always sorted itself out; it was going to be created regardless. I struggled more with self-worth, confidence, building & maintaining healthy relationships, and even things like spirituality. I doubted myself and my abilities a lot. I had a lot of moments with $0.00 and a whole lot of creative ideas and dreams that I felt I couldn’t pursue. I lost my best friend and had to become my own biggest supporter. There are so many minor details and struggles that come up, but I always tried my best to put one foot in front of the other and keep moving forward. Sometimes I would stare at the TV all day long, other times I sang my heart out to relax. One day I’d be crying over absolutely everything, the next I would write my new favorite song. I always tried to turn my struggles into art, if nothing else.
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 a singer-songwriter and immersive artist. I genre-bend, songwrite in both English and Spanish, creatively direct my own music videos and visualize concepts for projects. I’m probably best known for my R&B Spanglish single, “Don Nadie”. I am most proud of my ability to pivot and reinvent myself time and time again. What sets me apart from others is my story; in short I am multiracial, multicultural and an avid creative. I gather my inspiration from all across the board, specifically spanning across both the US and Latino America.
If you had to, what characteristic of yours would you give the most credit to?
Clarity and persistence have been essential to my success. More so than that, my spirituality and connection to such.
Pricing:
- 5.00: donations (optional ofc)
- 10.00 – 40.00 : Merchandise
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/bbnera
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/bbnera
- Twitter: https://x.com/bbNeraa
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@BbNera
- Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/bbnera
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/6K4cT52YSl5Fpfkkt7MeIw?si=gaXjav_IRD-xzi0Xzipgiw
Image Credits
Griot
Oliver Ojeil
Chief
Dom
Gion
