Jwalt Bridges Coasts and Generations with ‘Every Version of Me’: A Bay-to-NY Anthem of Growth, Legacy, and Love for the Culture

When you listen to Every Version of Me, the new album by Oakland native and Clive Davis Institute alum Jwalt, you’re not just hearing a rapper flexing bars — you’re witnessing a young Black artist documenting his evolution in real time.

The 13-track project, executive produced by hip-hop legend Sway Calloway, is a fearless blend of hometown pride, East Coast homage, and introspective storytelling that spans from the Bay to the Big Apple. For Jwalt, who’s already opened for Wu-Tang Clan, freestyled with Common, and headlined New York’s SOBs — this isn’t just a musical chapter. It’s a manifesto.

Photo Credit: SQUINT 

A Coast-to-Coast Anthem

The standout track “Bay 2 NY” perfectly embodies the album’s DNA — a coast-bridging anthem that fuses Bay Area bounce with New York nostalgia. Written during a studio session meant for an On The Radar freestyle, the track became a fan-demanded release, eventually garnering praise from heavyweights like Kehlani and Larry June.

“I wanted to highlight Bay Area culture while also showing love to New York,” says Jwalt. “There’s something powerful about merging two places that shaped me.”

The record name-drops chopped cheese runs, SOB’s performances, and late-night Atlanta sessions — layered over a beat that nods to West Coast legends. Jwalt even sampled Bay royalty Mac Dre and Lil B, two icons he believes still don’t get the flowers they deserve.

“Mac Dre was a cultural architect. Lil B changed internet culture. I had to pay homage,” he explains. “They inspired my sound and how I move.”

A Poet’s Pen, A Businessman’s Mind

While most 24-year-olds are still finding their footing, Jwalt is one of the owners of two professional sports teams: Oakland Roots SC and the newly launched Oakland Ballers. As a former athlete, he’s deeply committed to bringing sports — and spirit — back to his hometown, especially after the city’s major teams left.

“Oakland’s a sports city. When our teams started leaving, I wanted to do something about it,” he says. “Now I’m an owner. That’s legacy work.”

Balancing business and music might overwhelm most, but for Jwalt, they coexist. “I don’t separate them. I’m an artist for the people, and that includes my community. That includes Oakland.”

An Album of Many Selves

From the poetic vulnerability of “Love Myself” (his first iTunes Top 100 single) to the gritty introspection of “Graduation” and the bouncy swagger of “STUPID,” Every Version of Me lives up to its title. It’s eclectic, emotional, and unfiltered.

“There are so many sides to me — the poet, the rapper, the son, the businessman,” he says. “This album is about embracing every part.”

Each track serves as a diary entry, but the Angus Cloud interlude adds a particularly poignant note. Jwalt pays tribute to the late actor with raw honesty, reminding listeners that grief, fame, and vulnerability are all part of the same story.

Made for the Universe

Jwalt’s not just rapping for clout — he’s building a legacy rooted in intention. He wants to show kids from Oakland that they can own teams, headline stages, and still come home to give back.

“G-Eazy said it best: ‘Oakland to the universe.’ That’s what I’m doing. I want people to see what our city is made of.”

With over a million streams, a Clive Davis degree, and co-signs from Logic, 50 Cent, Black Thought, and Daveed Diggs, Jwalt is proof that lyricism and leadership can go hand in hand. And as Every Version of Me makes its rounds, he’s reminding fans everywhere: your story is never one note — it’s a symphony.