Born in Oakland and based in Phoenix arrives KJADE (the ‘k’ is silent), the artistic alias of ​​Kendall Jade Thompson. Jade, who uses any pronouns, crafts meticulous raps over fluttering, jazzy beats. They released their second album “On Everything I Love” on February 23rd, 2026, and the project is a culmination of years of growth and exploration for a poet whose lyrics are equal parts optimistic and devastating. 

“Music is the only place where my thoughts, my life, and my experience make sense. I enter a genuine flow state when I write.”

Growing up in the Bay, Jade absorbed the musical influence of their family, and radical politics of the Black Panther Party. They were raised by their grandmother and mother, and their earliest memories are in the church, hearing the hum of the organ. Jade learned by example, taking in the sights and sounds of the American West as they were shuffled between states by aunties and uncles. Despite finding joy in drawing and painting, they struggled to communicate, writing notes to people and spending large swatches of time scouring the internet to learn more about their ultimate fixation, music. Jade looked up to their cousin, who produced music in Oakland with some heavy hitters in Hip-Hop, and early on they were drawn to the records of Jay-Z, Kanye West, and John Legend.

Jade moved to Phoenix, AZ at 9 years old, and continued to be captivated by the arts. They recall leaving school early to listen to music and scan the liner notes of their favorite artists’ albums, in between marching band practice, where they played bass and snare. Jade was always certain they wanted to rap, and when they turned 17, they really started to really take it seriously. They started to perform at house shows, while diving deeper into the works of artists such as Octavia Butler, Navy Blue, Anis Nin, Earl Wangechi Mutu, Ka, bell hooks, and Alice Coltrane (a notable favorite). Jade began to channel the experience of being a Black American and the accompanying generational trauma into recorded rap songs, and their first release was 2022’s “MONEY MANTRA”, a song that displays the ease in which Jade locks in to their breezy flows. 2 years later would come “THE SOUND THAT TREES MAKE,” a 10 song, 22 minute album that served as an instant indication of their artistic ambition. Production was handled entirely by the producer Esteban, whose plucked strings and stuttering drums laid the groundwork for Jade’s calm, meditative raps. You can hear Jade working through their relationships, grief, anger, and ambitions on the project. EveryDejaVu described it as “a masterclass in self-assurance, integral to KJADE’s performance artist roots.” Unofficially, it was the first of 2 inextricably linked bodies of work. 

“I hope I can offer a space to reflect, grieve. A really full wholesome account of what it means to be resilient in the space of hardship and adversity, whether internal or external.”

It takes a certain conviction to create such intentional bodies of work while being fully independent and self managed. After TREES, Jade started traveling a lot, touring and finding inspiration from the stillness in motion. Work soon began on their next 

project, and behind the boards, they enlisted Esteban, Pink Contrails, fellow Oakland native Ovrkast., and Grandfather. They expanded on the lyrical content of TREES, penning soliloquies that touch on topics like grief, struggle, afrofuturism, love, and trust. Ever the eager collaborator, Jade joined forces with SALIMATA, Marcel Allen, and Ovrkast., 3 prolific alternative Hip-Hop artists. There’s no doubt that Jade’s point of view is front and center on the project, named “On Everything I Love”. The album is symmetrically aligned with TREES, down to the stark contrast in covers. While the TREES art is black and white, partially obscuring their figure, “On Everything I Love” is a stunningly vulnerable portrait, as an unclothed KJADE is framed against a vivid orange and pink horizon. It’s a fitting testament to the lengths the poet on the album to expose their innermost thoughts, feelings, and belief for the sake of their art.

“I live and die for everything I love. Love, the memory of love, the love of memory. That’s what grief is.”