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Offset Jim

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“Offset Jim’s music feels current in the sense that it’s vital, loose, and alive, but it also feels totally unswayed by the creative winds of the moment. From production to slang to wobbling beats with stuttering drums, it’s aggressively, audaciously Oakland.” – Vulture

“Offset Jim keeps his voice low-key and contained, and somehow that makes his shit slap all the harder.” – Stereogum

“Jim prefers his deadpan snarl, firing off boasts and threats like poisonous darts… You’re probably not going to miss anything, but you’ll still want to run it back.” – Passion of the Weiss

About

“I’m a real authentic young dude from Oakland, California,” is how Play Runners Association / EMPIRE rapper Offset Jim describes himself. “I come from the struggle, the streets, and that life.” His songs, including “Trip On It,” “Fees,” and breakthrough appearance “No Pressure,” have each streamed in the millions. This attention afforded him opportunities with Drake’s OVO team and public support from Lil Baby and NAV. Evident in his upcoming album Rich Off The Pack, Jim has thrived by applying experience to his music. “I can talk about my life in my raps; I’ve been bossing up and doing bigger and better things than the streets.”

Offset Jim’s story begins in the part of Oakland known as the “murder dubs.” In a fast-gentrifying city, both he and ALLBLACK grew up on 22nd ave—a place often unfamiliar to newcomers and lifelong Town residents alike. Surrounded by drugs and violence, Jim grew up fast. “I was always advanced. My parents were in the game,” he says of his mom, stepfather, and father. “There was a lot of stuff that I’d seen early; I knew everything, and I’d learn from everybody’s mistakes.” Besides observing his elders, Jim had a deep love of music. “Since I was a baby, I’d mess with the radio and turn up certain songs. My family used to say I’d grow up to be a DJ.”

By his teens, Offset Jim tried his hand at rapping; however, the streets took priority. He and ALLBLACK built on a bond that dated back to third grade. While chilling in the studio, BLACK invited Jim to join him on “No Shame,” a song from his 2017 No Shame 2 tape. The guest took several hours to write and record his verse, showing his care for the craft. The song took off, eventually streaming over 600,000 times. “That moment changed my life. At that time, I was going through a lot,” Jim shares. “I had just got shot and was still recovering from that.” He was a community college dropout with little interest in the straight path. “Rapping gave me another lane that I never knew was possible. People believed in me and gave me a new identity.”

Offset Jim proved his staying power. 2019 showed the arrival of the solo anthem “No Pressure” as well as “Trip On It”—a video single that has streamed over 16 million times, featuring DaBoii, ALLBLACK, $tupid Young, and Fenix Flexin. That same year he guested on G-Eazy hit “Got A Check.” “People realized that I had something special,” Jim notes. He and BLACK partnered for 22nd Ways. “I love that tape because I was transitioning,” he admits. “I had one foot in and one foot out; I wanted to get both feet into rapping. I trusted the process and left the hustling alone.”
The process paid off. Lil Baby and NAV have cosigned. Recently, Drake’s manager Oliver El-Khatib reached out after following on socials. A relationship budded to include Jim in an OVO clothing photoshoot and campaign. Now living on both coasts, Jim’s network has expanded. Rich Off The Pack shows an artist with an arsenal of connections and sharpened skills. “I’m excited for the whole tape, period,” says Jim with enthusiasm. “People are not expecting this lineup. Coming from the Bay, we’re used to seeing ourselves work with our own; you’re not often seeing us work with the most lit artists of the time.” Kentucky’s EST Gee appears on “Off-White Mikes,” while Detroit-based EMPIRE label-mate Babyface Ray joins “Make No Sense.” Both songs recently premiered on OVO Radio. Along with his collaborations, Offset Jim says he considers the commanding “Members Only” to be his best song yet. Even after shifting life to focus on music and family, Offset Jim’s authenticity shows why he stands apart from the pack.