Jackson Free Press

Every rapper wants fans to know how skilled he is, but few can back it up as confidently as Ju Ju Swag Shawty of Vicksburg. Whether he's unleashing his own rhymes on beats from popular tracks or performing freestyle with imposing fluidity, he aims to tell authentic stories that acknowledge his past struggles without letting them halt his future.

Ju Ju Swag Shawty, otherwise known as Carl Rumbley, came to the United States from Quezon City in the Philippines as an infant when his mother, Flora, married an American Naval officer. When Rumbley's stepfather walked out in 1997, his mother was left with five children and nowhere to go. Soon after, they moved to the Lakehill Projects in Vicksburg.

"It's rough out there to this day," he says. "Growing up there was basically Section 8. Everybody got food stamps. You know, the whole projects story—gunshots at night, drug-dealing in the morning."

It was in those surroundings that a 6-year-old Rumbley first heard rap on the family radio. Luniz's "I Got Five on It" spilled into the living room, and he felt strangely captivated. It inspired him to learn from other rap musicians. Each artist brought another element to study: Tupac's ability to move people, Biggie Smalls' knack for narrative and Houston underground legend Z Ro's expression of real life.

"I just got hooked on the rhythm of the lyrics, how they put it together, and the story they told," he says. "That's when I really fell in love with it. I'd listen to the beat and try to come up with my own stuff to it, and I actually got pretty good at it."

While Lakehill offered no shortage of problems, it was a natural stage for Rumbley to turn his talent into skill. Throughout middle and high school, he joined every freestyle session he could, rapping over beat-boxing or metallic thuds on the gym bleachers. At age 12, he recorded his first song, "Y'all Don't Want It With Me," at a cousin's home studio in Dallas, and his lyrical ad-libbing became his calling card.

"I don't go into the studio like, 'Oh, I'm going to do this type of song today.' Whatever I feel that day is whatever I do," he says. "Nothing's written down (anymore). It's gotten to the point where if I feel the beat, I've just got a passion for it."

After winning a string of talent competitions in 2011, Rumbley signed with Jackson record label Souf State Connected. The pairing started well, with the release of his first mixtape, "Feed Da Streetz, Vol. 1," but Rumbley's career climb suddenly stopped in early 2012 when CEO Lex Luga was incarcerated.

"It was a lot of pain and frustration," he says. "It's like being a kid, and everyone around you is getting toys, and you don't get sh*t. I had that feeling for two years."

Since Luga's return in July, Rumbley has performed and recorded constantly. Following the release of "Feed Da Streetz, Vol. 2 #SwearToGod" in August, Rumbley entered Jackson's 16 Bar Studio to record and produce beats for his next album, "The Philippine Plug," tracking 19 songs in three studio sessions without writing down a single word. It's set to hit iTunes, Amazon and Spotify on Friday, Jan. 23.

"If you listen to Volume One then Volume Two, you'd be like, 'OK, he's really talking about something now,'" Rumbley says. "I don't want to talk about jewelry or commercial bullsh*t. I learned my craft now. I know who I am."

Ju Ju Swag Shawty performs at 9 p.m. Saturday, Jan. 17, at Martin's After Dark (3417 N. West St.). For more information, find Ju Ju Swag Shawty on Facebook.