Seencj Is the Future of Hip-House

The 20-year-old artist is crafting the soundtrack for your late-night vibes.

Photography by Bryan Luna

Have you ever tried to describe the rush of dancing at a party, or the thrill of speeding down the highway late at night with the windows down, music blasting? That feeling of freedom, of being fully immersed in the moment? That’s the energy you get from seencj. Hailing from Rhode Island, CJ, also known as seencj, is a 20-year-old Hip-House artist whose sound mixes energetic dance beats with soulful, expressive lyrics.

Raised in a household where music ran deep—his grandmother a reggae DJ, his grandfather a country singer—CJ’s roots are as diverse as the influences that shape his music. From the soulful rhythms of Pharrell, Drake, and Michael Jackson to the boundary-pushing energy of Rae Sremmurd, he pulls from an eclectic mix of genres, creating a sound that’s both fresh and familiar.

CJ’s journey into music began after high school, when he discovered the vibrant Jersey Club scene in New York. It was here that he fell in love with house music, the powerful fusion of high-energy beats and hip-hop lyricism. With tracks like “rock” and “club love,” his signature style shines—smooth vocals paired with irresistible dance rhythms that capture the exhilarating feeling of a night out, whether it’s dancing with friends or cruising down an empty road, lost in the music.

CJ creates moments with his music that his listeners can truly feel and experience. I spoke with CJ more about his diverse musical influences, moving between different states, and his interest in experimenting more in and outside the Hip House scene.

You mentioned that you were born in Massachusetts, moved to Hawaii, and then to Rhode Island? How did moving around to different states shape your upbringing?

Yeah, I think it’s just the cultures from everywhere. In Hawaii, you have such a different cultural understanding of how the world works when you're there. And when you're over here on the East Coast, it’s just completely different—a whole bunch of different genres, cultures, people, and experiences of all these different places. So, I think I meshed all the different experiences and cultures together, and it helped me get where I am now.

Your grandmother was a reggae DJ, and your grandfather was a country singer. Did they help shape your music taste and introduce you to the music world?

100%, yeah. Especially my grandma. She introduced me to the reggae scene very, very early, when I was growing up. I also have an uncle who was in a reggae band. And I think just hearing and being around that roster of reggae culture really, really helped shape me.

Who were some of your favorite artists growing up?

Too many, but no doubt Drake and Pharrell would be two big ones for me. I was a very big Bruno Mars fan early on. He was actually my first concert. And for reggae artists, I Wayne and Buju Banton. 2Pac is another one. I take inspiration from everyone, whether it’s from their music, fashion, character, the way they move, or all of that.

After you graduated, you were back and forth between Rhode Island and New York. What was an eye-opening moment for you when you first stepped into the New York music scene?

I think it was from being from such a small town. There aren’t many creatives. So, I think being in New York really opened my eyes. I was in rooms with people doing what I do on a way higher scale, and that kind of just was eye-opening for me. So, being in the city, seeing all the talent, all the creatives around me, really is inspiring.

Photography by Bryan Luna

What made you drawn to the house scene?

It was the uprising of Jersey Club. When that got popular, I put my own twist on it. I really liked what they had going on, but I felt like it was already a little too oversaturated at the time, so I just wanted to try to have a little fun with it, and seeing the diversity within the house scene of people who took pride in it; it was like a whole new world, and it drew me in quickly.

How would you describe Hip House to someone not familiar with the genre?

I would tell them it’s a good time for real. You could dance, you could sing, and you could rap to it. I think it’s a perfect mixture of enjoying yourself, because you can knock out all of the categories.

How would you compare the genre to a feeling or vision?

I would say the feeling is just max euphoria. Like I said, it knocks out all of the categories, so it’s just fun.

What do you want people to feel or perceive in general when they hear your music?

I think it depends on the song, but I really want people to just be able to enjoy themselves and feel something every time my song comes on. I want you to listen to the whole track, and by the end, you instantly want to play it back. I want you to be able to put it on at any time, whether you’re in a hard time, you need something to lift you up, you’re already in a good time, maybe you just need some good music on, or you actually want to listen to something and take it in. I really want people to resonate with it. I think being relatable is super important.

What elements of Hip-House or any genre are you trying to experiment with more?

Going to have to see on the project. The team and I are really focused on bringing something new and special that can’t be described in real terms. What I can say is that if you’re the type of person who likes many different genres, you’re going to love the project, no doubt. Something fun. So, I think that’s gonna be dope. But then, after the project, I really want to tap more into my R&B disco bag, maybe. I think that would be dope.

Is there anyone in the hip-hop world or adjacent to it that you would like to collaborate with?

Kaytranda, of course. An artist that’s a friend of mine, we just haven’t gotten anything yet: Riovaz. But I think it’s just as important to collab with people outside of my lane. I want people to step into my world. That’s really what’s going to elevate the sound, and show everyone all the good that can come with stepping out of the comfort zone.

Lastly, which of your songs should people listen to, and why?

I would say, listen to ‘club love.’ I think it kind of draws in a lot of the elements from a lot of other songs. It brings the fun ‘S&S’ has, but also brings the low-key singing feel that ‘Star67’ has, so I think ‘club love’ is definitely the move.