City Girls’ JT and Yung Miami Dish on Their New ‘Raw’ Era (Exclusive)

The City Girls are gearing up for a new era of music, and they gave fans a small taste of what’s to come during the 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards. 

The Miami-based duo was one of the many acts who showed out onstage for the 18th annual show, celebrating the past year in hip hop music. It was an especially sentimental night as the awards show dedicated the ceremony to saluting 50 years of the musical genre with not-to-be-missed moments and performances. 

Yung Miami and JT, born Caresha Brownlee and Jatavia Johnson, respectively, rocked the mics as they performed their hit, “SONG NAME.”

“I was like, ‘Don’t f**k up, don’t f**k up, don’t f**k up, and just get into City Girl mode,’ and that’s what I was doing,” JT told ET backstage after their performance. 

Her partner in crime agreed, adding that although getting onstage was “a little nerve-wracking,” she was confident that they “executed it.”

The hip hop duo has been hard at work since they first recorded their debut studio track, “F**k Dat Ni**a”, in 2017. The diss track was aimed at the pair’s ex-boyfriends, calling them out for not giving them money when they asked. When the music video for the single dropped in 2018, it featured an appearance from rapper Trina, which solidified the City Girls’ inevitable rise to stardom.

The pair gained mainstream recognition after making an uncredited feature on Drake’s 2018 hit, “In My Feelings,” with Yung Miami appearing in the music video. 

While their ongoing journey to icon status hasn’t been easy — including a two-year stint in prison for JT — it’s been a rewarding one for the duo.

“It means everything,” JT told ET of celebrating the 50th anniversary with other musical stars such as LL Cool J, Rakim, Jermaine Dupri, Bone Crusher, Bow Wow, Da Brat, Dem Franchize Boyz, Ludacris and more. “Every time I perform on the stage I feel like I’m at a cheerleading competition. I be nervous and it’s just like [a dream come true.]”

It’s the perfect kickoff as the pair gears up for the release of their upcoming studio album, RAW, out Oct. 20. The title is a promise, the duo told ET, of what fans can expect from them in this new era of music.

“[Expect] real raw s**t,” JT vows, while Yung Miami echoes her groupmate, promising that fans will get them at their most “authentic, like just raw.”

And while fans can look forward to that, the girls admitted that they’re ready to fangirl over another highly anticipated musical performance themselves — namely Usher as he headlines the 2024 Super Bowl Halftime Show. 

This year’s big game will be held at Allegiant Stadium in Paradise, Nevada, which is a familiar place for the GRAMMY-winning singer, as he has been at the Park MGM in Las Vegas for his residency since July 2022. 

“It’s an honor of a lifetime to finally check a Super Bowl performance off my bucket list. I can’t wait to bring the world a show unlike anything else they’ve seen from me before,” Usher said in a statement when the news was announced on Sept. 24. “Thank you to the fans and everyone who made this opportunity happen. I’ll see you real soon.”

On the heels of Rihanna taking the show to new heights — while pregnant — in 2023, the “Yeah” singer will take the reins next year and join an elite group of performers to grace the coveted stage. 

The City Girls are no stranger to Usher, who teamed up with the duo last year for a collaboration aptly named “Good Love.” The single saw the threesome set up shop at Atlanta’s famous Cascade roller rink for the music video, with the 44-year-old showing off his famous skating skills and doing what he does best — making fans melt with his melodic vocals. 

JT and Yung Miami quipped that they’re more than ready to take their collab to the stage if Usher is looking for guest appearances during his second appearance on the Super Bowl stage. 

“You never know, Usher got a crazy catalog,” Yung Miami said, leaving the door open for the possibility.

JT reasoned that if the pair was joining Usher, they would have “probably been in rehearsals right now, so I don’t think so.” But still, she sent out a message for the “Boyfriend” singer, saying, “If you need a backup dancer, just call me!”

The 2023 BET Hip Hop Awards airs Oct. 10 on BET

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