JoiStaRR is a Grammy-nominated singer and songwriter who has worked with all of the greatest talents in the music industry, from Kelly Price to Mary Mary to Mary J. Blige and more. Groomed by her older brother, Warryn Campbell, Joi was able to launch her career as a hand-picked, background vocalist for Kanye West and has grown to develop her talents far beyond the boundaries of just music.
21Ninety caught up with JoiStaRR to discuss her upbringing and the influence of her older brother, how she handles the different challenges that she meets within the spotlight, the biggest lesson that she’s learned from a major R&B star, the release of her latest single “Love Story” and more!
Jadriena Solomon: You are the younger sister of Grammy award-winning producer Warryn Campbell. Can you give us a little insight on what it was like growing up and developing your love of music? In addition to having your brother as such a talented musical influence.
JoiStaRR: Growing up with my brother Warryn was kind of like watching someone turn into some type of musical mastermind and being in school at the same time. He was very much into being in the studio at a young age, and developing his craft and, unbeknownst to me, was teaching me how to record myself and learn how to stack my vocals – all of the things that are the skills that you need to learn to actually be a recording artist. I started out as his demo singer and that’s how I learned how to be a recording artist.
JS: Wow, did you have an interest in music prior to learning all of these things from your brother?
JoiStaRR: Not really, to be honest. It was something that I grew up doing because my mother had us in that space – growing up in church and singing at all of the churches throughout Los Angeles. It just kind of evolved. But I was always most interested in being a pediatrician or a sports therapist. In school, I was [more of a] medical magnet but obviously, it was an interest of mine because it was a natural, God-given talent. But the way that my brother was interested in it? No, that didn’t come until later when I basically chose to follow my brother’s footsteps in order to take a break from college.
JS: During your time of stepping away from college, you were able to accompany rapper Kanye West on his Glow In The Dark Tour. And we’re sure that was an amazing experience, but you’ve also spoken candidly about some of the challenges that accompanied major opportunities like that – such as being his only female background singer and even dealing with the effects of colorism in the industry. Can you talk to us about these struggles and how you were able to navigate them?
JoiStaRR: When it came to being the only girl on tour with Kanye, it felt natural for me. I felt comfortable in that environment because I grew up with one older brother and grew up wanting to hang out with him and his friends. So, really, I grew up around a bunch of guys. So that wasn’t much of an issue. What was a challenge was understanding that I’m a female in an environment with a bunch of guys. You have that dynamic, and sometimes that gets a little uncomfortable because you’re just in an environment that's concentrated with testosterone. The way I was able to deal with it – I’m a foodie anyway – was eating when it was time to eat and being in my dressing room. No one really ever saw me until it was time to do the show or unless they saw me walking down the hall. I’m introverted so that worked for me in that way.
[As far as colorism] I believe that’s a challenge that I’m still trying to navigate. I think it's an ongoing challenge, that more people are now being interested in trying to find the reason behind. The way that I’ve been able to overcome that challenge for myself is not necessarily ignoring that it exists but also not letting it get inside of my thought process and my heart; because the way that people view you is not your fault, and is not your responsibility to figure out. So I embrace it as what it is and make sure I’m not allowing those differences to make me feel insecure or different. We’re all women at the end of the day and we all go through similar, if not the same things, every single day. Just understanding that and that we represent each other, was and is still the best way that I can navigate it.
JS: You’ve been in the studio and a part of the creative process with some of the most talented artists in the music industry like Chris Brown, Mary J. Blige, Kelly Price, Musiq Soulchild, Mary Mary and Brandy. If you had to pick the biggest lesson that you’ve learned from any of these artists, what would that lesson be and who did you learn it from?
JoiStaRR: Wow, there’s so many lessons that I’ve learned in this process of being a songwriter and being around all of these artists. [But the one that I would choose is that] blind focus is the only way to success, and I believe I learned that from Chris Brown. The way you respond to things is so important, and you have to have very thick skin in this business and you have to let things roll off your back. When I met Chris Brown, we were actually in a similar situation and we were discussing it and the way he viewed it was so beyond my pay grade at the time because I was used to responding with emotions. But the way that he explained things to me was that I could respond to things detrimentally or I could respond to things like the mogul that I am, and the business person that I am, and understand that everybody is viewing something from their point of view. You can’t alter it, you can’t change it. All you can do is have your point of view and let them have theirs… [He showed me] that he didn’t let anything stop his forward motion and I think that is the greatest lesson.
JS: You’ve been privileged enough to see the music industry, and the general machine of fame, from different sides. You’re a songwriter, you’ve toured with Kanye West, you’ve acted in various films, and you’ve appeared on your family’s reality show We’re the Campbells. You probably know, better than most, that there are so many challenges to being in these industries and being in the spotlight. What keeps your passion for music, and your creative passions in general, ignited and motivated?
JoiStaRR: What keeps my passion ignited is the idea that at any moment I can create something that changes somebody's life forever. It can be just one line of a song that I wrote that can make a perspective change or make someone decide to call someone else that they had a falling out with. It’s the beauty of that thought alone – that I have that opportunity everyday to create. I’m super grateful to God for the gift of creation, and being able to present that and to have that in my lasting story in the world – that I possibly added something positive to somebody’s life through my art.
JS: We know that some of your previous work, like your single “Wait For It,” have been inspired by real life experiences. Is your new single “Love Story” inspired by a real life experience and what more can you tell us about the song?
JoiStaRR: “Love Story” is actually inspired by a real life idea. I think a lot of people want love, if they're honest, and they want that pure movie kind of love. Not only was the song written about that, but it was also written about how that relates to you as a person and how you allow your environment and the things that you love about yourself to turn you into your walking love story as well. I don’t want people to feel like their only “love story” experience can only be found in a relationship with someone that they fall in love with.
JS: “Love Story” is your first musical release for 2022. What else can fans expect from you this year?
JoiStaRR: This year fans can expect more music and more revelations of who JoiStaRR is as a human being and everything else connected too.
Check out the official music video for JoiStaRR's new single, "Love Story" below!