It’s an early afternoon in Los Angeles, and Jaymin is just getting his day started. He is recovering from a late night, where he performed at an invite-only event at The Sunset Room. The South Seattle native appears a bit groggy when he joins our video call, but quickly lights up when asked about last night’s event. “It was a great show,” he shares. “I’m just getting into this performing thing, so I always enjoy the opportunity to get my reps in. I love performing. It’s one of the best parts about the job.”
The R&B newcomer has been generating buzz lately with just a handful of tracks. “Something Real,” released in fall 2025, has already surpassed 2 million streams on Spotify. “There was a group of people in the front that knew a lot of the music. When I sang ‘Something Real,’ they knew it,” Jaymin continues. “But the whole set, I kind of just blanked out. Even though I do feed off the energy, I’m so zoned in. I’m trying to give the best performance I can.”
“Something Real” is lifted from Jaymin’s debut EP, Sweet Nothings, released Feb. 6 via Warner Records. On Sweet Nothings, Jaymin dives headfirst into romance without looking back. The EP is laced with ‘90s-inspired production, while he leads with poetic lyrics that remain tethered to the theme. Although the project’s soundscape feels nostalgic, Jaymin’s pitched-up vocals give it a modern edge. “I wanted to make a project embodying love, uplifting women and encouraging people to love again,” he explains.
On “No Sikes, No Tradesies,” Jaymin cherishes his romantic partner and affirms his devotion to her: “You the one, no if, no maybes / You the one, no sikes, no tradesies.” He pushes deeper on “All I Have,” singing, “Tell me if I gave you my love, would it be enough?”
Ahead of his debut EP release, Jaymin spoke with Rated R&B about his musical foundation, his mission to spread love and what went into creating Sweet Nothings.
Who is Jaymin?
Many things. I’m a lover of music. I’m a poet. I’m a family guy — love all my brothers and sisters, my mom, and my dad. I grew up in church, so a lot of my ethics and moral compass all come from church — that was instilled in me from a young age by my mom. She’s the one who taught us how to sing and harmonize.
How did growing up in church shape who you are as an artist today?
That’s where I get my biggest inspiration. When I was younger, I wasn’t listening to a lot of R&B; I had to sneak and listen. My mom is more chill now, but when we were young, it was strict. A lot of my influence comes from gospel. The first instrument I got on was the drums, then keys, and then I got into singing. It took me a while to find my voice, but I love singing. Even certain vocal choices I make stem from gospel.
Who are some of the gospel and R&B artists you grew up listening to?
Kirk Franklin; I think he’s a really good writer. Fred Hammond was another one. We were allowed to listen to Stevie Wonder. He influenced the way I write now. In the R&B space, D’Angelo, Ginuwine, Jodeci and Lauryn Hill.
You said it took a while to find your voice. When was the moment you felt sure of it?
It’s an ever-evolving thing, and I’m always going to try to perfect it. There was no specific moment where I was like, “Oh, I found it.” I’ve always felt I was a good singer. Even as a kid, I sang in the kids’ choir and led songs. I was confident in my voice, but recording music is a bit different. So, it took time.
In your view, how is it different?
When you’re singing live in church, it’s less about showmanship and more about your offering to God. In that way, people are not judging. Even if it’s not good, they’re not trying to be entertained; they’re worshiping with you. When you’re recording, people are listening to critique. They’re trying to hear and feel something, for sure, but they’re not there with you. You’ve got to be there by yourself and lock in.
For music fans who are just discovering you, what would you say they can expect from you as an artist?
They can expect vulnerability, authenticity and an artist who’s always going to try to push the needle in terms of bending and mixing certain sounds and elements, and a lot of soul. Every line I write is from my heart. I’m not lazy with my pen at all. I don’t hold a lot back. I may not say it right out front, but if you listen hard enough, there’s a lot I’m honest about.
Let’s get into your debut EP, Sweet Nothings. What inspired it?
I’m very emotional; I feel things. When I watch a movie, it makes me feel something. When I read a book, I’m tapped into it. I feel feelings, even as a man who’s very confident in his masculinity. And I don’t think there’s anything wrong with that. As I hear the music today, everything is so “I don’t care about this girl,” and “I’m onto the next person.” In my mind, it’s like, “What about us trying to make this work?” Something needs to be said about finding somebody you rock with and sticking it out.
A lot of music I’m inspired by — we mentioned the Jodeci’s and the D’Angelo’s — was catering towards women. They were yearning and being vulnerable with their emotions. D’Angelo was fly, but he was also singing love songs. I was like, “I want to channel that energy, but I want to do my own thing.” I wanted to make a project embodying love, uplifting women and encouraging people to love again. As I wrote the project, the name came afterwards. I was pretty much spitting game this whole time, so I named it Sweet Nothings.
You previously said you wrote “Something Real” in just 30 minutes. What song on the Sweet Nothings took you the longest to write?
“Smoke and Mirrors.” It’s one of the most vulnerable songs I have on there. I get a little, but not too deep, talking about my family and my upbringing. I’m poetic with it, but definitely in a vulnerable bag. I think that’s my favorite song on the project.
What’s the story behind “No Sikes, No Tradesies”?
That song was recorded to four different beats, and none of them felt right. Finally, I heard [another] beat by the same producer who produced “88” [SusTrapperazzi]. When I heard that, I was like, “Oh, this is hard.” It was written really quickly, too.
Are you the sort of artist who records a lot of songs and then chooses the best ones, or do you go in already knowing exactly what you want to make?
Sweet Nothings, in particular, was very intentional. Once I made two or three [songs], I was like, “This could be something.” And I kept going. But with newer music, I record, piece it together and fill in holes where I can. The project after Sweet Nothings, which hopefully will be my debut album, I’ll probably be back to being intentional and piece it together in a certain way.
When creating Sweet Nothings, what was your biggest takeaway from the process?
It’s a lot of work. Sometimes I would go in the studio at eight o’clock at night, and I wouldn’t go to sleep. It would be seven in the morning, and I would be up finishing what I was doing. I would write quickly, but then recording it, I’m a perfectionist. So, it’s a lot of work, but at the same time, it’s rewarding when you can sit back and look at that body of work. And man, I did that, especially having my hands in so much of it.
Who is Jaymin beyond the music? What are some of your hobbies and interests?
I spend a lot of time with my family. I like sports. I like to work out. I love to read; that’s one of my favorite things.
Are you currently reading a book?
I am. There’s a book called The Pilgrimage. There’s another book in the series called The Alchemist. That’s my favorite book. I wanted to continue to read something along those lines.
What message do you want to leave listeners with on Sweet Nothings?
I want them to feel like they can be vulnerable and love is not as scary as people think. I don’t want them to think it’s easy; that’s not what I’m trying to convey, but I’m trying to create a sense of hope, perseverance and understanding. With anything in life, there’s always going to be some friction and things you’re going to have to do to make it work. Love takes a lot of patience, kindness, gentleness and understanding.
Even after this project, it’s not all just roses. I get vulnerable where I do talk about some things that are like, “No, it’s going to get tough.” It’s not glorifying anything negative, but it is being honest about the negative side of love and things that do happen. But my main thing is never to glorify it, just tell a story. Sweet Nothings is more of a honeymoon phase story. My next project is more of a “we in the thick of it” story.
I know it’s still early but do you already have a vision for your album?
I do. It is a lot of floating thoughts, but I definitely want to tell my story. It’s about my upbringing. I want to have a lot of elements of my childhood, where I grew up and how I grew up. It’s not a fully formed idea, but I definitely know how I want to approach it.
Stream Jaymin’s Sweet Nothings EP here.