WestsideJhitt has had to fight for what’s his. As a freshman in high school, he first made a name for himself in his hometown of Palm Beach for fighting kids much older and bigger than himself— and winning. “I’m not the type to ask for things like, “Let me get this, let me get that,’” he says. “I’m the type to get it myself.” This drive, to stand tall and persevere against the odds, runs throughout the 18-year-old rapper’s confessional songs. As Jhitt continues to build on his momentum, he’s dug deep into his own experiences to create catchy anthems and become oneof South Florida’s most promising young voices.Much of Jhitt’s resiliency, and his passion for speaking on his trials and tribulations, can be traced back to his upbringing. Raised in the westside of Palm Beach, the son of two Haitian immigrants, he was always taught to go out and get it. “Growing up Haitian, it just tought a nigga how to be strong and fight for what you want in life,” he says. Though he was born in 2001, Jhitt grew up listening to the generational icons of street rap: 2Pac, Boosie Badazz, and Jeezy. He first tried his own hand at rapping during middle school lunch breaks, beating on tables in the cafeteria and freestyling for his classmates.It wasn’t until high school that Jhitt began to take music seriously. At 15, he started writing and recording songs about the violence and betrayal he saw in Palm Beach. One of his early songs,“Water Over Blood,” became a local hit, introducing listeners to Jhitt’s melodic delivery and heartfelt lyrics. “Whatever I was going through I just wrote about it and I still do,” he says. “Let’s say I get into and go through hard times with my family, I’ll write about it.”In response to his growing local fame, Jhitt kept applying pressure, releasing three mixtapes ina year’s time. Last February, he released two songs — “Martin & Gina” and “Violent” — which have both surpassed three million plays on SoundCloud. They present two different sides of WestsideJhitt: “Martin & Gina” is a self-produced ballad, built around a piano melody that Jhitt would play in church growing up, while “Violent” is a melodic take on the dark side of street life.These releases showcased Jhitt’s unlimited potential, catapulting him to wider recognition and earning him a deal with 10K Projects.As Jhitt prepares to release his debut project — which he says will deal with “a whole lotta beefing, whole lotta heartbreak, and a whole lotta pain” — he’s staying focused on what matters most. With more eyes and ears trained his way, he’s working towards a future for more than just himself. “This is for my people and my family, it’s not really for me,” he says. “What you dream of and what you want could be right around the corner. Could be the next day or next year but it’s gon’ come.”