The rappers from Season 2 of Rhythm + Flow feel the sky is the limit for them after surviving the reality show. For them, the series served as an intense bootcamp to hone their craft.

Jay Taj, the show’s runner-up, told Blavity/Shadow and Act’s managing editor Trey Mangum that being on the show helped him maintain his confidence in his craft.

“In terms of development that happened on the show, I would say just further maintaining the confidence in the art that I believe in,” he said. “I would assume based on the experience that I had there, there were certainly moments where it’s like…man that was an odd choice to go with in terms of the type of record or the type of verse I might be going with.”

“In terms of development, I kinda went in with a pretty decent amount of self-confidence but throughout the show it [the confidence] kind of kept working and it kept working,” he continued. “And after leaving the show, it was…the affirmation of what I’d already told myself about myself. From a development standpoint, it kinda poured concrete all on top of that in a good way.”

DreTL, who won the series, also said he came into the show with a certain amount of confidence. His experience on the show reiterated to him how sure he is of his success as a rapper.

“I say going into the show, I knew exactly who I was and who I am meant to be and it just solidified it,” he said. “It wasn’t no pressure, it wasn’t no nervousness going on. If you feel like you have a purpose, my whole mentality is win or lose, this is not changing what my life is going to be [and] what I’m going to do with my life.”

Detroit Diamond, one of the series’ finalists, said that being on the show has made her feel invincible going forward in her career.

“I just learned that I was able to create in a short span. I never imagined writing [a] song and remembering it and writing it and being judged on it in such a short time frame,” she said. “Just knowing from the stuff that I’ve been through that was mentally preparing me for that moment, I just felt like I could do anything after doing [the show]…Can’t nobody mess with me on no level because that was tough.”

Watch the full interviews with the cast and judges of Rhythm + Flow Season 2, DJ Khaled, Latto and Ludacris, above.