A positive of the current situation we all find ourselves in is an overwhelming need for solidarity. This is not a situation any of us can avoid or deny. We are all in this together. What we do during this time is the question. When presented with an unprecedented crisis, an artist can either turn inwards or reach toward the world with open arms. Joshua Virtue has chosen the latter. He has created a work to raise funds to support those closest to him: his mother, sister, and grandmother. The newest work from the unparalleled Chicago hip hop collective Why? Records, Jackie’s House is a snapshot of now. Written and recorded in the first two weeks of the shelter in place era, it is a vital piece of art that captures this moment.
We talked to Virtue through email about the project and are featuring some photos of his mother and her artwork. All proceeds from the record will go to help Virtue’s family though these times. Go to bandcamp. Pay for this record. Help support this local artist's family. Solidarity is the only way we all make it through. 

Stay safe, seek support, stay healthy. 

JV: Joshua Virtue

You recorded Jackie's House in a matter of weeks to help raise funds for your Mother and family in this time of need, and it may serve as a spiritual balm to some of your friends, family, and fans. How has this current crisis shifted your perspective toward your art?

JV: It's definitely reinvigorated a sense of purpose. It's always been difficult for me to release shit if I don’t have a focused reason for releasing it. Art feels like a weapon for me a lot of the time and right now I feel like I’m at war. All the scrambling and fretting and panic during the early days of this pandemic forced me to utilize my creativity in such a way that it could actually put food on a plate. My mom, like most people, has a severely limited income right now so it was literally out of necessity. As far as the actual content of the album, if my perspective has shifted, it’s just shifted more deeply into using art to help others mentally, emotionally, and physically on a grassroots level. My reach is relatively limited compared to some bigger artists, but I know my voice can be uplifting when people happen to stumble across it. For Post Faith Dialogues the idea was to empathize with others in regards to addiction, abuse, and depression. For Jackie’s House the idea is to empathize in regards to activism and indignation. People are sick and dying for no fucking reason so its not exactly hard to be mad right now. I don’t even have to tell you we SHOULD be fucking mad. I’m just trying to fuel that energy so it maintains beyond quarantine.

Creating quickly is not a new process for Why? Records; if memory serves, the first Free Snacks record was written and recorded very fast as well?

JV: Oh yeah, super fast. Up to this point it was the fastest I’ve ever made anything. But with Free Snacks, Ruby makes most of the beats and comes with like half of the lyrical content so it’s not as heavy a load for me. This is easily the fastest I’ve ever crafted a solo project.

There is an overarching element of necessity in these tracks, that if you didn't put these out there they would eat at you?

JV: It definitely felt like that when I was making it. Normally there’s this idea of: “Well, there’s no reason to rush things. It’ll be ready when it’s ready;” but this time it felt like I was going up against a clock. I’ve been fundraising for my mom pretty much since this thing began, sending her money, requesting money on her behalf, etc. But ma takes care of my grandmother and sister and there’s the car payment, the mortgage, debt, utilities, the list goes fucking on and on. One thing I know about older black folks is, they have an unending list of shit to pay for and worry about. Even before the pandemic income was dicey, so its hard for me to put my faith entirely into mutual aid funds, and IMPOSSIBLE for me to put faith into a stimulus check we may or may not receive depending on whatever bureaucratic surprises rear their ugly heads.

Your Mother was clearly an influence on your political and social perspective, what was the most important lesson she bestowed?

JV: Ask questions. Proof is in the pudding, right? I didn’t name the label on my own, but it’s not called Why? Records for nothing. Half the time you have to ask “why” something exists in America, the answer is going to lead back to white supremacy. So much of the world around us has been constructed to serve the needs of the rich and powerful. It’s in the physical infrastructure, the law, even how people socialize. But if I just took everything at face value I might have never come to that conclusion. People say I’m difficult or I ask annoying tedious questions, and they’re right. Everyone should be difficult. The more difficult you are, the more of an opportunity you have to learn.

Was there any recorded material for a new record that got pushed to the side for this project to get out there?  

JV: In a way. I’m working on something like 3 albums in the long term right now, and there’s some stuff I’m involved with that’s already finished. But if you’ve been paying attention over the last month, no one has any fucking clue when and if they should release art right now. So much stuff is getting pushed back, and for Why? Records it's no exception. A lot of the stuff we have in the vault, hell a lot of the stuff ANYONE has in their vault just seems meaningless in the current situation. As far as lyrical content, I don’t even know how to talk about anything that isn’t relevant right now, let alone feel pressed to release it. Like, who wants to hear me flex about being a sick rapper right now? Let’s talk about a fucking rent strike.

Did you produce the majority of the beats or did some of your label mates have a hand in helping out?

JV: I produced every track but “Fenti Face” which was produced by Malci. He did produce that beat with me in mind though, which is why it blends in with the rest pretty well.

There are a few features: your Why? Records collaborators Ruby Watson and Malci and the Uncle himself Rahim Salaam. Were these recorded through email files or another shared program?

JV: We emailed them. The pandemic fucking sucks but, yo, everyone is so bored and mad right now it’s really easy to get a feature from anyone with a simple bedroom recording set up (except for Davis unfortunately, which is the only reason he wasn't also on "12 Billion Wulong!".) Call that a blessing, I guess. I also know from working with those guys that they're always itching to record, so they were the obvious choices as far as speed was concerned.

Which track are you most looking forward to playing live when we can all finally come together for shows again?

JV: Holy shit, fucking AAAAAALLL of them. But I’m very much excited to play “12 Billion Wulong!” in particular. Just rapping with my homies on stage. That song is designed to channel frenetic restless energy into activism. It’s also an unorthodox ass beat, one I’m really proud of, and I always get psyched to play the weirder songs live cause I can usually find one nigga in the audience who’s never heard my music before make a face like “What the fuck is this??!!” Bonus points if they go home and throw a brick through a bank window later. Hahahaha! JUST KIDDING AMERICA.