Oakland-Grown Wordsmith JWalt Returns to the Bay

When you’re an adult wielding a clipboard, most teenagers pretend you don’t exist. I learned that on my first day of teaching at Oakland School for the Arts, when a flock of chattering high schoolers streamed into my classroom.

Justin Walton was different. He gave me a smooth head nod, said good morning and coolly took his seat while his peers filled the chairs around him. An aspiring poet, he would later go on to ace my class and create the school’s first and only support group for male artists of color.

Now, Justin — who goes by the stage name JWalt — is acing it in the entertainment industry. After publishing a book of poems titled Ahmad’s Songs in 2019 and debuting his full-length album, Yours Truly, in 2020, the Gen Z wordsmith continues to express himself lyrically — to powerful effect. In 2023 he released a slew of singles, including “Like That” with Berkeley’s Rexx Life Raj, which was considered on the Grammy ballot for Best Rap Song. He also performed at an Oakland Roots game, adding to a resume that has drawn praise from notable music veterans like Daveed Diggs, E-40, Mistah F.A.B., G-Eazy, Raekwon and Sway Calloway.

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Next up? The 21-year-old will be taking a break from his undergraduate classes at NYU’s Clive Davis Institute of Recorded Music to headline “Homecoming,” a rap show taking place at Brick and Mortar Music Hall in San Francisco on Dec. 30.

While he grew up in Oakland, “Playing in the Mission is full circle for me, because in high school I would come out there to work at the Youth Speaks building,” he says. “So everything just feels aligned.”

The venue is also especially meaningful for the artist: Four years ago, when JWalt performed his first-ever headline show, it was at Brick and Mortar. Since then, the young artist has continued to develop his voice, touching on topics including dating, mental health, anxiety traveling, and everyday Bay Area life. Through it all, JWalt has remained true to his origins, delivering the same level of genuine, thoughtful discourse that made him a standout student in high school. But now, he’s representing his community on a bigger stage.

“This is where I got my start. This is where it all began,” he says. “I would not be where I am today if it wasn’t for the Bay Area, so it is only right I end the year off doing a show on the soil for the ones who have been there from the beginning.”

‘Homecoming,’ with openers Danny Ali, Cilo and Devonte Mcclain, will take place at 8:30 p.m. Dec. 30 at Brick and Mortar Music Hall (1710 Mission St., San Francisco). Tickets are $15.