hey what's up i'm janelle and i'm jessica and we're pretty much being in the studio is so
amazing it's really big achievement we've been working really really hard for this for a while
we're finishing our album which was our biggest dream was to do music and we want to show people
that we can do anything and that they can do anything that they want because we came from
a small town and we didn't we didn't even think it'd be possible to get a record deal but we got
one even though they both only spoke english they lived latin one was laid back and quieter
while the other was louder and more outgoing but they were both chilosa
a made-up word they used to describe their vibe independent confident and fearless
bound by blood they embarked on a journey to stardom and achieved great success right from
the start then they not only stepped away from the spotlight but also each other let's find out what
happened to latin pop duo prima j mexican american cousins jessica and janelle martinez born just
three months apart in rosemead california formed the duo the world would come to know as prima jay
in 2006. they came up with their stage name by combining the letter j in each of their first
names with the spanish word prima meaning female cousin since they grew up together they naturally
had many of the same musical influences and favorites such as mariah carey tony braxton
janet jackson christina aguilera and tlc they also took advantage of opportunities to perform
choreographed cheerleading and dance routines at family gatherings starting at the age of four
as they got older they got into other activities that helped them hone their skills at school
like cheerleading dancing school plays and choir they first dip their toe into the entertainment
business as backup dancers one day they scored a meeting with stephanie riddell former member
of 90s girl group wild orchid she helped them to develop as artists and songwriters and taught them
a lot about the industry after some time she met with them and said that she'd arranged for them to
meet her husband none other than geffen records chairman ron fair he listened to their one song
demo since that was all they had prepared at the time and they also put on an in-person performance
by the end of the meeting the teenagers were offered a deal in the beginning it was difficult
getting music industry executives to understand and accept the girls for who they really were
because of their ethnic background many people just assumed and encouraged them to sing in
spanish and focus on conquering the latin market however as third generation mexican american
jessica and janelle grew up and lived their lives like any other american teenagers
and wanted their music to reflect that before work on their debut album even
began one of the songs in their stack of demos got chosen to be on an upcoming movie soundtrack
that song was rock star for the bratz motion picture and released july 31st 2007
it created instant buzz for the duo without any promotion the ladies also made a brief appearance
in the movie their self-titled debut album was released the following year in the summer of 2008.
originally they thought of going with the title inside out however since it doesn't include any
other featured artists just them and it's their official introduction into the music world
they went with their group name prior to rockstar prima j actually had a feature on another
movie soundtrack their song called godolata appeared in the disney channel original movie
jump in this track however didn't bring the attention or success to their career that rockstar
ultimately did then hot off the heels of their debut hit they did something very unusual
their follow-up single ended up being a cover of a song that had been released by the original artist
just months before and was still in rotation that song was alicia key's number one hit
no one that the duo translated into spanish called nadier their third
and final single from the album called corazon you're not alone dropped in 2008.
to promote their album they embarked on a tour with pop singer jessie mccartney
and r b songstress jordan sparks prima jay's reality show on latin television channel mundos
now universo called inside out debuted april 24
2008. the show takes fans on their journey from their humble beginnings to real life rock stars
then nothing more was heard from the duo for the next eight years
in 2016 janelle and jessica reunited they came back with a bang as hosts of their own
dash radio show appropriately called the comeback on the show they shared all their stories about
life in the industry and what they were up to during their years out of the spotlight
which includes janelle becoming a mom they also took it a step further and created a video diary
series of the same name that can be seen on their youtube channel they did mention in the series
that during their 8 year hiatus they didn't speak there wasn't a reason given as to why
they finally made their musical comeback when they released the single ladies in march 2017. after
that their comeback came to an abrupt end which probably had a lot to do with jessica's pregnancy
the next thing their fans heard from them was an announcement on their instagram on july 31st
2020 about an unreleased track called dance that they had just dropped today both jessica and
janelle both seem to be on a more laid-back path and for now music doesn't look to be a priority
jessica's even labeled herself as half a former pop duo prima j on her personal instagram bio
they do however appear to be enjoying each other family life and connecting with their fans online
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