Jaafar Jeremiah Jackson was born on July 25, 1996, in Los Angeles. He is the son of Jermaine Jackson of the Jackson family and Alejandra Genevieve Oaziaza, who was born in Colombia and had previously dated Randy Jackson.

Through both his parents, he has eleven siblings - nine brothers and two sisters.

Jackson began singing and dancing at the age of 12. During his youth, he also expressed aspirations of becoming a professional golfer. He is a skilled pianist.

In early 2010, when he was 13, Jackson's family was investigated by police and child protection officers in Encino, Los Angeles, after he purchased a stun gun online.

Jackson has been in a relationship with Maddie Simpson since 2016, and the two are engaged.

He has covered songs by Sam Cooke and Marvin Gaye, and in 2019 released his first single, "Got Me Singing". Beyond his family, he is heavily inspired by Frank Sinatra and Stevie Wonder.

In 2015, Jackson was a main cast member in the filming of his family's reality show Living with the Jacksons. He starred in other projects around family including The Jacksons: Next Generation and the music video for Tito Jackson's 2021 single "Love One Another."

After a two-year casting process, it was confirmed in December 2023 that Jackson had been cast in the lead role of his uncle Michael Jackson in Michael, an upcoming biopic directed by Antoine Fuqua.

The docu-drama film Michael follows the story of the renowned musician Michael Jackson who was reffered to as the King of Pop. Apart from Jaafar Jackson, the film also features Nia Long, Colman Domingo and Juliano Valdi in key roles.

To prepare for the role, he underwent intense prep. He "danced until his feet would bleed or go numb."

To get into character for the Michael biopic, he stayed at his uncle's former house and slept in different rooms to "feel the energy".

He trained in the same dance room where Michael Jackson used to prepare for tours. He was 12 when MJ died at age 50 from an accidental anesthetic overdose.