Neujack The Demigod of DTLA on Life, Lessons & Legacy

We recently had the chance to connect with Neujack The Demigod and have shared our conversation below.

Neujack, a huge thanks to you for investing the time to share your wisdom with those who are seeking it. We think it’s so important for us to share stories with our neighbors, friends and community because knowledge multiples when we share with each other. Let’s jump in: Are you walking a path—or wandering?
Ouch, starting off strong here, aren’t we? Now that’s a loaded question that I ask myself frequently, especially as an artist. I’ll try to keep this brief and straight to the point as much as possible because I know I can get into extended detail about this. Honestly, I always felt like I’ve been wandering. For a very long time now, I’ve known what I want in life, especially with my artistic goals, and I don’t think there’s a specific path I’m supposed to be taking. Initially, I was concerned about that, but by staying true to myself, I believe it means I’m on the right path. Not all those who wander are lost ya know? I think we discover for ourselves. That being true to oneself will always lead you on the right path. No matter its ups and downs, you’ll know if it’s something you wish to continue or change route. In my studied philosophy, focus only on your art and you’ll end up exactly where you’re supposed to be.

Can you briefly introduce yourself and share what makes you or your brand unique?
Hello everyone! My name is Neujack, and I’m a Music Artist/ DJ/ Digital Artist from Los Angeles. I do creative storytelling with visual art accompanied by music and other creative works. I’ve been doing music production for about 10 years now and DJ’ing for about 5. Been painting and drawing since I was a child, and then one thing led to another, so here I am. The goal has always been to inspire others through music and art. To give people strength and show them they are not alone in their journey, to show that no matter the struggles or hardships, there are others who understand, and maybe in some way that will give them comfort, and to create for their own. Or just take joy in what they do or love, life is full of wonder even through its difficult times.
The demigod term comes from such ideas; it’s a metaphor that no matter how strong you may be (fighting monsters/demons/troubles, etc.), that at the end of the day, you’re just still human. With that comes the anxiety, depression, conflict, and fears we all deal with. A story that is very personal to me, which I wanted to express to others. Not in some way of having a god complex, in fact, far from it. I just always had something harboring inside of me that I needed to express, so I found the tools or skills I needed to comprehend that. Which brings me to my next point, which I’m currently working on a project that will be a staple in my music career, along with elaborating on what I just described previously. It’s something I’ve been working on for a year now with my director and video editor, and having a small group of people join the project to finish it by next year. I have another small project that will be released before this year ends. Also, one more show this year that’s on Halloween in Portland, Oregon, so that’ll be a blast, but besides that, I can’t wait to show you what I have in store.

Great, so let’s dive into your journey a bit more. What did you believe about yourself as a child that you no longer believe?
To tell you the truth, I feel quite the opposite about this one. Coming from a troubled childhood with substantial trauma, I felt like I lost that kid and ran away from what I loved for a long time. There were moments in my life where I was convinced that part of me died off, and I had to grow up. I thought that being responsible meant I couldn’t make art to a certain standard, but something was always off, and my body knew that. I had to dig deep. REALLY deep. I had to discover that inner child and his ideals about love and life to feel at peace with myself. They say the truest artist is the child who survived, and I can’t help but resonate with that to the fullest extent. So all the things that child me believed in are something I’ve always needed to reconnect with to understand who I am and grow.

Was there ever a time you almost gave up?
Multiple times. All the time, actually. This path has not been easy, and there have been numerous times I’ve looked at what’s going on and thought to myself, “Would life just be better if I quit and do a regular job and just live life off that income?” and no hate on people who live life like that because Im sure they vastly enjoy it and i love that for them, but i know deep down in my hearart that if i took that route it would only be a matter of time to realize I gave up on myself and still would do art to help me coupe. Even in those thoughts of quitting, I translate through art and music, and lo and behold, I’m still moving towards my goals. Even when I hit burn out I take the steps back needed to breathe, reassess, and move forward with a new outlook. Keep going, it’ll all work out in the end. Just take care of yourself along the way.

Next, maybe we can discuss some of your foundational philosophies and views? Whom do you admire for their character, not their power?
Easy. Musashi Miyamoto. I’ve already quoted him once in this interview, but the man’s teaching inspires me not just as an artist but as a human being. His story and legacy speak for themselves, not to be the best for fortune and glory, but to master one’s self in his craft. The Dokodo and Book Of The Five Rings may be taught more on the craft of the sword, but the teachings translate to any gift of craft. The sword is just a metaphor, art is depicted in many ways, and his philosophy has helped me look at life from a deeper inner focus of understanding. The man had a lot of power, being the only swordsman in Nihon at the time, to win 60 straight battles and not lose to the greatest masters of samurai, but instead remained humble and sought more inner peace with oneself. Now that’s something I really admire, especially coming from a troubled past as where he was seen as a monster. You can always forgive yourself and grow, have faith in yourself.

Before we go, we’d love to hear your thoughts on some longer-run, legacy type questions. What is the story you hope people tell about you when you’re gone?
I think about this a lot as well. Our mortality, our time, our imprint on the ones we love and the world. I’ve been surrounded by death and ghosts all my life. It’s never been a stranger to me, and I’ve never been afraid of it, but……… I see what death does. Especially to the ones that love you, and I would never want to put my death onto the ones I love. I would like to hope I live till my 90s with a fulfilled life on my deathbed next to my family and loved ones, but who’s to say? I don’t have control of that except to live every day to the fullest. I think what I would like people to talk about is the person I was and the loved memories we shared through the good and bad times. I think my art and music will always be there for reference because, in totality, music is a manipulation of time, and art is a manipulation of space (Dalgia and Palkia), so there’s no need to worry there. But I would love for people to remember me for what I stood for and believed in to inspire others in the future to create a better one. That’s all

Contact Info:

• Website: https://buymeacoffee.com/neujack
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/neujack.the.demigod/
• Linkedin: https://www.linkedin.com/in/nicholas-guerrero-534b48143/
• Twitter: https://x.com/neujackx
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/neujackxla
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@Neujack.The.Demigod
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/neujacktheartist
• Other: TikTok: / @neujack_
  Pinterest: / @Neujack_

Image Credits
@Dumpling.wav
@Cateyeview_
@Kriskuganathan
@logan.ward.films