Miss Jillz is Making Noise In Richmond

A woman sitting on a couch is laughing at a text message she just received talking about her latest mixtape. Her smile is the perfect accessory to set off her gray tutu, t-shirt, light pink jacket, and tan suede, platform heels.

Her presence is strong and her voice is being heard all around Virginia Commonwealth University. Even though she is only five feet tall, she has the heart of someone twice her size.

Jillian “Miss Jillz” Napper is a 20-year-old sophomore who is majoring in fashion merchandising, but is also inspired to be a rapper. Napper walks VCU’s campus in heels everyday like it’s her stage. But she hasn’t always been front and center.

“Sometimes I feel like maybe I underestimate her but then listening to her lyrics and her words and how she spits fire; it’s just crazy, it’s beautiful,” said freshman, vocal performance major Demitrus Carter, who is also Napper’s backup singer.

Napper danced when she was younger and always knew she wanted to perform on stage somehow. When she was younger she dreamed of being a backup dancer for a performer like Ciara.

“But then I realized I wanted to be the main person getting all the attention,” said Napper.

In middle school Napper started off free styling with male friends just for fun. She said she remembers times in dance class when her teacher wasn’t in the room and someone would beat on the heater and she would rap. From there Napper started writing poetry, then performing at open mic nights. Her first performance was at an open mic in Maryland. Napper said at first she was very nervous, but she got through it.

“After I got up there and got comfortable. I was like; yeah I want to do this. All the kudos I got made me want to do it some more,” said Napper.

Sophomore, forensic science major Dionna Lewis remembers Napper’s first VCU performance at the Siegel Center during the focus inquiry end of the year party.

“At that moment I knew she was a success story in the making,” said Lewis.

When writing her music, Napper’s inspirations are Eve, Lauren Hill, MC Lyte, Outcast, Biggie, Missy Elliot, and Common. And while lyrics are no problem for Napper, beats aren’t something she likes to come up with on her own.

“I tried one time on my first mix tape, but I do not have the equipment for it,” said Napper.

So when she does want beats she said she asks her old friends from high school to send her theirs. And when its time to record she has friends for that, too.

Napper said some of her friends know people who will let her record for free or cheap, but most of the time she goes home to Washington to her basement.

“There is like no sound in my basement and that’s really good when you want to record stuff,” said Napper.

Carter said if you’re in the studio with her you can really see her determination to get things done. She doesn’t let her basement short comings hold her back.

“It’s not a hobby, it’s a life her,” said Carter.

Napper also has her own recording equipment and made a recording booth out of her closet, which is where her last mix tape, Studio 1206, was recorded. But if Napper was to use a recording studio, they would charge her anywhere from $20 to $30 an hour. And if it takes her a while to get into the mood of things, she could spend $60 on just one song.

“I’d rather find people who will let me do it for free. I’m not trying to pay at all. I have bills,” said Napper.

If she wasn’t rapping, she said she would probably be a dancer or a dance teacher because she can’t see herself in an ordinary job like a doctor or a lawyer. But if she wasn’t doing any of this, Napper said she would be opening up her own boutique that would sell clothes that no one would usually see.

“I’m an artist, and I want to go through with my art,” said Napper.

Carter also doesn’t see Napper doing anything else.

“She doesn’t want anything less than being successful, she just can not take anything less than that,” said Carter.

This time next year, Napper plans on having two more mix tapes added to her existing list of three- Pink Hourglass, Fend and Fame, and Studio 1206. She also plans on getting more and connections and then hopefully getting signed to a label.

“I’m never going to be where I want to be. I got to keep working to get better than where I am,” said Napper.

And for those who may not know who she is, she had to say this.

“My name is Miss Jillz; listen for my name on your radio. I’m not a one-time thing,” said Napper.