When CJ Emulous speaks, you feel every word. The Vallejo, California native stopped by Violator Radio Unkut to chop it up with DJ Fusion about his journey from the trenches to the stage—a story that moves between struggle, redemption, and pure West Coast energy.

CJ grew up bouncing between Vallejo and Fairfield before eventually landing in Sacramento. Like many from the Bay, he carried that hyphy DNA, but his life took a dramatic turn when he found himself facing serious prison time. “I was living that lifestyle they tell you brings success,” CJ told Fusion. “Three cars, a house in Hawaii, money, but I was empty. Depressed. Suicidal.” That experience forced him to look inward, leading to a life-changing encounter with faith that would forever alter his purpose.

Now, that transformation fuels his latest project, Holy and Hyphy, an unapologetic fusion of Bay Area bounce and spiritual elevation. The message? You can be from the streets and still shine light instead of darkness. You can keep your culture and still grow your character.

“Holy doesn’t mean perfect,” CJ said. “It means set apart. Different. I’m still me—still hyphy—but my mission’s just changed. I’m not glorifying what broke me. I’m glorifying what built me back up.”

His music backs that talk. His single Pop Off featuring Patrina DeLacy has racked up hundreds of thousands of Spotify streams, while Pay Me, a cross-genre collab with country star Nate Smith, pushes hip-hop boundaries with a message of self-worth and work ethic. CJ even teases Get Stirred Up, a high-energy track he says will have TikTok doing backflips. It’s all part of his goal to make music that moves bodies and souls.

Beyond the music, CJ is walking proof that second chances hit different when matched with purpose. He shared how performing at Rolling Loud and collaborating with artists like Lecrae and Miles Minnick has shown him that faith-based hip-hop has finally earned its place in the mainstream. “People want real now,” he said. “They still love the beats, the vibe, but they want something that speaks to them—something honest.”

When asked what advice he’d give to other rising artists, CJ kept it simple: “Keep going. The down seasons are what prepare you for the top. Don’t quit before your breakthrough.”

CJ Emulous is living proof that the West Coast spirit is still alive, still raw, and still evolving. His path from pain to purpose shows that hip-hop’s realest moments come when the artist finds their truth. Holy and Hyphy isn’t just an album—it’s a movement reminding the world that transformation doesn’t mean changing who you are, it means becoming who you were meant to be.

#KingFusion #CJEemulous #HolyAndHyphy #ViolatorRadioUnkut #WestCoastHipHop