Salt N’ Peppa’, Changing Faces, Nina Sky have all set musical milestones, yet none of them have done it with the flavor, energy, and natural comradery of Prima J. Raised on family rituals and strong cultural values, Jessica, 20 and Janelle, 19 have been perfecting their craft and honing their voices for as long as they can remember, now with fate, a little Latina spice, and the full support of Geffen Records, this duo is quickly establishing their name and music. We set down with the close knit cousins to get to the bottom of their success, music, and culture; and to find out just what Prima J actually means!

Jamaur: Well Jessica and Janelle, we would first like to say, thank you so much for chatting it up with us today, I’m more than sure that two emerging beauties like yourself probably have plenty of autographs to sign, appearances, and fans to greet, but you chose to spend a little time with us.

Prima J: O’ no problem!

Jamaur: So Janelle, tell us where are the both of you from?

Janelle: We’re from Rosemead; it’s a little suburb in California.

Jamaur: So Jessica, tell us how did Prima J get its start?

Jessica: Well (Laughs), I’ll give you the short version. We’ve been performing since we were little; we performed and did a lot of background dancing for other artists, and one day we decided that we could do the same thing that the artist were doing, and that we could be in front of the mic too. We met a few producers, and in no time we met Stefanie Ridel, whose is married to Ron Fair, and within a day of meeting her, she told us that we had a meeting with him the next day, and we were like, “Really?” We sang the only song that we had on our demo, and he signed us, and that was over two years ago, and we’ve been on this journey since.

Jamaur: So Janelle, tell us just what does the name Prima J mean, and how did you two come about such a sassy and catchy namesake?

Janelle: Prima means cousin (in Spanish), and we decided on the letter J, because it represents both of our first names and we thought that it was clever (Both laugh). We were originally just ‘Prima,’ then our family suggested that we add the J, and that’s how we became ‘Prima J.’

Jamaur: So Prima J are among some of the freshest and newest talents to emerge in the industry, tell us Jessica, what is it like being new comers on the scene, have you two learned any valuable lessons that have had an impact on your careers and musical decisions?

Jessica: Ya’ know, I don’t feel like were new comers. We don’t get into competitions with other artists; we’ve learned so much about music and life, and were so happy and blessed to be here.

Jamaur: After seeing the catchy and well choreographed videos for your singles, “Rock Star,” and “Corazon (You’re Not Alone),” it looks like you guys are having nothing but fun and enjoying your craft, tell us Janelle, how would you describe the catchy sound that you two present to your listeners?

Janelle: I would describe our sound as Urban Pop, (our sound) it’s just us, it’s our personalities. Growing up we came up with our own sound, in addition to that, our personalities just flow together, and that is a major part of our sound.

Jamaur: Not only is Prima J unique in that you two are resurrecting the idea of the musical “dynamic duo,” but you two are also setting a strong cultural example for young ladies of Mexican and Latin backgrounds, talk about your influence in your cultural communities.

Jessica: It’s an honor to be an influence. Were third generation Latinas, so growing up we didn’t have anyone to look up to because we didn’t speak Spanish, and were just like the girls next door, so it’s good that young girls who are like we were can look at us and see that even though we don’t speak Spanish, we still live the culture.

Jamaur: So Janelle, what’s the best thing about being in Prima J?

Janelle: There are so many great things about being in Prima J…

Jessica: I’m the best thing, duh (Laughs)!

Janelle: It’s cool having your best friend by your side so that you don’t have to be alone.

Jamaur: So Jessica, tell us about your debut album, what should your fans expect to hear from Prima J?

Jessica: There is something for everyone on the album, we took experiences from everyone that we knew, and it’s a real album. There are so many different tracks on the album, from dance to mid temp. We also worked with a lot of producers from Ron Fair, who is our executive producer, Bo Dozier, and Jim Science.

Jamaur: So tell us Janelle, what is it about Prima J that sets you two apart from other acts before you, and assures that you guys are going to be around for a while?

Janelle: We are so real, Jessica and I have the rest of our lives ahead of us, and we want to live them out in the industry.

Jessica: Our support system is another thing that will keep us in the industry, as well as the fact that we are doing what we love, and with us standing by each other, there is nothing we can’t get through.

Jamaur: So Jessica, with the promise of a new album soon to emerge, tell us where we can catch Prima J performing and showcasing the hits from the album?

Jessica: Right now we are set to open for Danity Kane at various Six Flags locations for the next few months, so if anyone is looking to catch us, we’ll be there.

Jamaur: Well Jessica, MCP is all about the exclusive, so tell us and the fans something about you that no one outside of Prima J knows?

Jessica: Hmmm… (Thinks), answer for me Janelle.

Janelle: Others might not know that she always has to be on time for everything, and when she’s not, she stresses and breaks into hives; and she stresses a lot (Laughs)!

Jamaur: So Janelle, what advice might you offer to young ladies who are looking to break into the music industry and aspire to the success of Prima J?

Janelle: I would tell them to stay in their zone, don’t let anyone bring you down, and stay true to yourself.

Jamaur: Well ladies, we admire your originality and the fact that Prima J is 100% real about 100% of everything, and we think that the example that you two are setting for those in and out of your culture is ground breaking and a true aspiration!

Prima J: Aww, thank you!

Jamaur: We wish you much success on the up coming album and look forward to speaking with you in the future!