JT On Why She Never Checks A Coat & Always Smokes Inside — EXCLUSIVE

The bicoastal elite are well aware of the climatic differences between New York and Los Angeles, but the whiplash going from Miami to New York is underrated. Born and raised Miami girl JT is still getting used to life as a part-time New Yorker — she tells NYLON: “I have to kiss the ring with New York; this weather is eating me alive” — but just because she’s trading Miami Beach for Manhattan doesn’t mean she’s still not in touch with her inner 305 baddie. Her newest campaign, “High in the 305” with Flower by Edie Parker, sees a softer side of JT; that is, smoking vapes on the beach and embodying her inner Floridian with ease.

Flower by Edie Parker is not only an aesthetically pleasing line of cannabis and accessories (I lost count of how many times JT called it “cute” when we talked), it’s growing from a passion project into a national force. With an expansion into Florida, it’s now the largest female-founded-and-operated cannabis company in the country. Some could say the pairing with JT is perfect timing, given that she might be the most prominent female rapper from the 305 out right now.

JT has let herself be molded into many variants — including at the Dsquared2 show in Milan this February alongside Doechii, which she tells NYLON almost didn’t happen. But she powered through, and just like some of her best self-actualizing lyrics, “I’m that b*tch ’cause I motherf*ckin’ said so,” she will always come out on top. The Flower by Edie Parker campaign shows a more natural glam and beachy fashion on JT, including a cheeky belt stacked to the brim with the brand’s lighter keychains and a hooded bikini, plus a massive vape turned water gun. It’s fun-loving, very Miami, and in the words of JT, “my best pictures I took this year.”

Right before she dropped yet another banging single, “Girls Gone Wild,” JT hopped on the phone with NYLON to talk about New York’s weather, never getting cross-faded, and smoking with SZA.

How are you on this beautiful fall day?

You don’t get many days in the fall like this. You know what I learned about New Yorkers? Y’all ain’t scared of sh*t. The other day, I got sick because it was like a wind and rainstorm at the same time, and I saw people walking with coffee, and in Miami, we would never be outside in no d*mn rain. Y’all don’t stop. Y’all don’t quit. I was scared for my life, running in and out of WSA, and everybody was walking with such confidence, drinking coffee.

These campaign pictures for Edie Parker are so fun and very Miami.

So good. I want to say they’re my best pictures I took this year. It’s so good.

How was the vibe on set?

It was amazing. I loved working with Edie Parker. Sometimes with brands, you have to act a certain type of way, but with Edie Parker, from the day I met them they were letting me be myself, and I think that’s what made everything come out amazing. I see myself shining through in those photos. I look so comfortable, and I look beautiful. I could not believe those photos when I saw them. Especially doing it with a new team — usually I’ll be adamant about who I want to do my makeup. The Edie Parker team selected everybody, and they did an amazing job.

It’s fun to see you do photo shoots that are super editorial and out there, but this feels like JT just chilling in Miami.

There’s something so ’90s supermodel about the structure of my face. You see my face. I don’t know, I feel like I could have been in the ad with Naomi [Campbell] and them back then with these photos. It is so refreshing to see me in this.

I love a soft glam on you. Which of the vapes you posed with is the most Miami?

I think the pink one, the one I’m holding in a swimsuit with the blond hair.

In the winter in Miami, what do you wear when you’re going out?

We never change; it’s the same. It’s been so hard for me to live in New York because I have had probably three winters in New York, and I never took it seriously. I will run to the car. I’m just learning that I have to put on clothes and I have to bundle up. Our winter is like your d*mn summer. I never really experienced wintertime and fall until I moved up north. We don’t really change how we dress. It’s always a day at the beach in Miami to me.

Listen, some of the girls in New York are like you. They run from the car to the club door and back.

I hate the coat hanger thing! I hate when they be like, “Leave your coat in the front.” I lost a jacket — it was like $7,000 — like that before. I left a jacket, and when I went back it wasn’t there. I was at Pilates.

At Pilates? It wasn’t even at a restaurant or a club?

It was at Pilates. That’s what I get for doing stuff on Groupon. By the time I realized, I went back, and it wasn’t there. I couldn’t even get mad at them because it’s like who’s going to leave a nice jacket like that? I don’t really like the coat thing, but I still have to get down. I have to kiss the ring with New York. This weather is eating me alive.

If you had to choose a place in Miami and a place in New York where you would smoke some Edie Parker flower with your friends, where’s the ideal place for a smoke break?

In Miami, it would definitely be the beach when it’s not too windy. And in New York, at my house, because my house is so nice. It looks like I live in Miami in New York because I can see the whole Hudson River surrounding me. I smoke at my house all the time. It’s the perfect view, the perfect vibe. And I’m grown. I don’t got to smoke outside no more, and with the Edie Parker, it’s not going to leave that heavy scent, so you can keep it cute.

Are you an indica or a sativa girl?

It depends on what I’m trying to do. If I’m trying to go out, whatever one will make you not sleepy. But if I’m trying to go to sleep, indica, and then sometimes I like a hybrid.

A hybrid is good for going out, if you’re going to drink a little bit.

I don’t like to drink and smoke at the same time though.

Do you get too cross-faded?

Yes. Bad! Because I’m an amateur in both fields, drinking and smoking. I’m not a heavy drinker, and I’m not a heavy smoker. So if I do both at one time, you do not want to see that. I remember doing that at Coachella one time, at the festival that they have right after, the Neon Carnival. Ooh. [laughs] That was a horrible experience. It was my first time ever being cross-faded and I thought that somebody put a pill in my drink. They were like, “No, you smoke and you drank. You cannot do that.” That was my first time experiencing being cross-faded.

Now you just stay home and have your Edie Parker vape, and you don’t need to drink.

I’m saying! Edie Parker is keeping it cute, but you’re still going to feel that high. It’s so classy. I am telling you, me and my team has been on those vapes bad.

If you had to choose one of your musical collaborators to give one of these vapes to, who would you pick?

Well, we haven’t collaborated yet, but this is really my dear friend SZA. We literally have kickbacks and smoke together all the time. We love to have a house moment. She thinks I smoke with too much grabba, so I would love to have a smoke session with Edie Parker and get her opinion because we debate about how I like my weed versus how she likes hers.

Do you feel like the vape would be a good in-between?

Yes. I think that it’ll make us stop arguing about who got too much grabba in the blunt, because I’m not going to lie, sometimes I like a lot of tobacco. She’d be like, “You put too much; you need more weed.” And I’d be like, “Girl, I like it like this.” So we just find ourselves having our own blunts, talking and laughing. I already got her on my list. She’s going to enjoy this, but I have to see her smoke it and get her opinion.

Who else is on your gifting list?

Kali [Uchis] is; I don’t know if she smokes though. I’ve never seen her smoke. She’s so angelic. I’m just sending this to her because it’s pretty and she’s so fashionable. She’s probably like me, one of those people you don’t know smoke until you see them smoke. The aesthetic of Edie Parker matches her so well.

You looked really fabulous at the CFDA Fashion Awards. Do you have a fashion moment this year that sticks out as a favorite?

I would say Dsquared2, when me and Doechii performed and we were able to walk with Naomi Campbell. I love Doechii so much. We have built this really beautiful sisterhood together, and we always have the craziest fashion moments together. What people don’t know is Dsquared2 made me do that. I was supposed to go there to see the show, and then they were like, “You have to perform.” And I’m like, “I can’t. My anxiety will not let me. I just want to watch.” And they were like, “We cannot not let y’all perform ‘Alter Ego.’’’ We came to the conclusion that they would let me sit and watch the show, then I could get up during the show, which was the worst idea I could think of. I wanted to change my shoes in between the show. Imagine a whole team of people sneaking and changing your shoes before you get up to perform.

When Naomi Campbell grabbed my hand, I remember blacking out, just smiling, and just letting her carry me into heaven. After the show, everybody was like, “What the f*ck was you doing?” And I was like, “I don’t know what I was doing. I was so happy to be next to Naomi Campbell. Like, what?” That was one of my highlights of my year. Dean and Dan [Caten] are always such pioneers for the culture and very inclusive. They are so fun too. And they are always down. I love them so much. We became family at the end. We went out to eat. I have another big moment about to come up at the end of the month, but I don’t want to say it yet. Y’all will just see it. But that’s going to probably be my top.