Some artists arrive with a sound. Others arrive with a story.
Jenn Em has both.
Long before Death Row Records, Los Angeles, West Coast hip-hop and the next chapter of her career, there was a young girl in Chevy Chase, Maryland, sitting at a piano at four years old, picking up a violin at seven and discovering that music could become much more than something you learned—it could become a language of its own.
The stages got bigger. The Kennedy Center. The White House. The possibilities.
Then came the records.
A 2008 remix of Wale’s “Nike Boots” helped introduce Jenn to the D.C. music scene. Eventually, Los Angeles called, and with it came collaborations and creative relationships involving Chief Keef, Xzibit, FredWreck and Mount Westmore. Each chapter added another color to an artist who never seemed particularly interested in staying inside the lines.
And maybe that’s the real thread running through Jenn Em’s story.
She has classical roots, but she isn’t confined by them. She understands pop, soul, R&B and hip-hop, but she doesn’t wear any one genre like a uniform. She’s a songwriter, singer, violinist and creative spirit who has continued to evolve by following the music rather than chasing a label for herself.
Now comes perhaps her most fascinating chapter yet.
Jenn Em is the first female pop artist signed to Death Row Records, working under the mentorship of Snoop Dogg and stepping into a legendary musical institution with a history that reaches far beyond records and record sales. It’s a name that helped shape the sound and culture of an era—and now Jenn gets to help write what comes next.
Her latest release, “Don’t Be Afraid of Love,” produced by Grammy-nominated Charlie Bereal, takes another unexpected turn. Smooth, soulful and steeped in the warmth of a ’70s-inspired roller-rink atmosphere, the song feels like a memory you haven’t lived yet. Jenn even learned how to roller skate for the video, discovering an entire community and culture along the way.
That willingness to step somewhere unfamiliar may be one of the most telling things about her.
Because Jenn Em isn’t simply moving from one chapter to another.
She’s continuing to expand the definition of what the Jenn Em story can be.
And that story—from classical beginnings to D.C., from D.C. to L.A., from songwriting rooms to Death Row—deserves to be heard in her own words.
Here’s Jenn Em.
Parlé Mag: You came up with a violin in your hands, performing at places like the White House and Kennedy Center, before finding your voice as a songwriter and recording artist. When did you realize the girl holding the violin had something bigger to say?
Jenn Em: I think it was the natural progression of my curiosity for music. I started with piano around the age of 3 or 4, and I actually asked for a violin for Christmas a few years later, and then a flute a few years after that (although that one didn’t stick; I was a scrawny kid and didn’t have the lung power).
In elementary school, I remember being fascinated with pop songwriting specifically. I would write little chorus ideas and sing them to my relatives and friends. When I got to middle school and started struggling with my mental health, songwriting became an emotional outlet in a more meaningful way. I would say that’s when I really started finding my voice.
Parlé Mag: There’s a pretty beautiful full-circle story in going from classical training to hip-hop, R&B and pop. Did you ever feel like you were breaking away from your original musical identity, or were you really just adding more chapters to it?
Jenn Em: I’ve always loved listening to diverse genres. I will forever consider myself a student of music, and when you really want to learn something, you can’t be afraid to try and fail. That’s how I approach all my musical opportunities now. I used to think I knew exactly who I was, and that person was restricted to being a moody dark-pop artist.
Then I recorded “Don’t Be Afraid of Love” and discovered roller skating, which changed my life for the better in so many indescribable ways. Don’t get me wrong, the moody dark-pop girlie still exists in me, but now my artistry has more layers. I’ve expanded my skill set. I’m always ready to try and fail at something new because I know the experience will help me grow. I’ve learned not to box myself in.
Parlé Mag: Your latest single, “Don’t Be Afraid of Love,” has that warm ’70s soul, roller-rink, feel-good energy. What was happening in your life or your heart that made this the right message for you right now?
Jenn Em: I wanted to continue riding the emotional high of “Don’t Be Afraid of Love,” which was a very new sound and vibe for me. I learned how to roller skate for the “Don’t Be Afraid of Love” music video, and that experience introduced me to this amazing community and culture of roller skaters. I want to keep sharing that joy and give back to that community in whatever ways I can.
Parlé Mag: Charlie Bereal wrote and produced the record, and that bassline immediately gives you that nostalgic “lace up the skates and meet me at the rink” feeling. What was it about Charlie’s musical world that allowed Jenn Em to step into that era without making it feel like a costume?
Jenn Em: The song and beat have an undeniably timeless vibe—it’s impossible not to get lost in it. When the writing is good, it’s not hard to emotionally tap in and find a way to make the song your own.
Parlé Mag: The title says “Don’t Be Afraid of Love.” That sounds simple, but sometimes the simplest messages hit the hardest. What do you think people are actually afraid of when it comes to letting somebody love them?
Jenn Em: I’m not sure people have a hard time letting people love them. People love to be loved. I think people have a hard time loving because real love requires selflessness and vulnerability. And being vulnerable is inherently scary.
Parlé Mag: You’ve already shown that you can move between pop, R&B, hip-hop and soul without getting boxed in. Do you see yourself as genre-fluid by design, or are you simply following wherever the song takes you?
Jenn Em: I definitely have a genre-fluid background. I like to try new things. I’ve recorded so many different styles, though, that I’m curious what’s really resonating with people. At the end of the day, I think the message should always drive the music.
Parlé Mag: Your journey has put you in some interesting rooms—from working with Snoop Dogg, FredWreck and Xzibit to contributing to Mount Westmore. Was there a particular moment along the way when you stopped and thought, “Damn…this is really happening”?
Jenn Em: Honestly, I have FredWreck to thank for almost all of my work in the L.A. hip-hop space. Fred introduced me to Dr. Dre and the incredible team at Aftermath almost a decade ago. I spent about a week over there coming up with ideas that are still finding placements to this day. That was definitely a surreal experience. The Xzibit record and the Westmore record both came out of that batch of ideas.
There’s another unreleased banger with E-40 floating around that will hopefully one day see the light of day. I think the length of time between the work and those releases made those moments particularly meaningful. I wasn’t sure they’d ever happen.
But the first song I ever worked on with Snoop was actually a Christmas song called “Spark One Up with Santa Claus” back in 2017. I came up with the idea in my car and sent an a cappella voice note to Fred…and the rest was history. Meeting Snoop in the studio for the first time was probably my ultimate pinch-me moment.
Parlé Mag: Being the first female pop artist signed to Death Row Records carries some serious history with it. Do you ever feel the weight of that statement, or do you see it more as an opportunity to help redefine what the Death Row sound and identity can be?
Jenn Em: Phrased like that, it does feel like a heavy weight. But when I think about it, Death Row has always iconically redefined what pop music is. Its legacy literally brought West Coast hip-hop to the mainstream and made it a global phenomenon.
Snoop himself has dabbled in recording just about every genre of music. I’m just following his lead and trying my best to make great music people want to hear.
Parlé Mag: Snoop has obviously been a major part of this chapter. What has his mentorship taught you about longevity, reinvention and knowing when to let people see a different side of you?
Jenn Em: Being around Snoop is a masterclass in brand evolution. Snoop taught me to say yes to more things and not to fear my own potential. Snoop is also unapologetically himself at all times, and that is so inspiring to me. I’ve learned from watching him that those things go hand in hand. Brands from all over the world, in every different product category, want to do business with this man because regardless of what their brand or product does, they KNOW who Snoop is and what he brings to the table.
He also taught me to stand up for myself more and take less shit.
Parlé Mag: You’ve gone from “Jailkeeper” to “I’m Ready,” “Been A Long Time Pt. 2” and now “Don’t Be Afraid of Love.” When you listen back to your earlier work, what do you hear in Jenn Em then that’s still very much alive in Jenn Em today?
Jenn Em: Stories. I love storytelling through music, and I feel like I have a lot of them left to tell.
Parlé Mag: You’re a singer, songwriter and violinist, which gives you a musical toolbox most artists don’t have. Is there a side of Jenn Em you still haven’t fully introduced to the audience—the sound, instrument, story or creative direction you’re itching to explore?
Jenn Em: Well, FredWreck and I have a whole unreleased concept/character album called “The Tales of Minnie Merda.” It’s about a vixen vigilante who hunts down and murders evil men. So there’s that.
I’ve also been wanting to take some opera singing lessons and find a way to work that in somewhere. I honestly can’t really think of a direction I WOULDN’T want to explore given the right opportunity.
Parlé Mag: You’ve already crossed some pretty unusual bridges musically and professionally. When people tell Jenn Em’s story years from now, what do you hope they say you brought to the music—and what do you hope they felt when they heard you?
Jenn Em: Soul and stories. I want to continue pouring my soul into my music and telling great stories. I hope that, as a result, people feel all the things that make us beautifully human… joy, pain, hope, despair, interconnectedness. As long as they feel something, I’ll be good with that.
Get Connected with Jenn Em
Instagram: @jnmsngs
