-Jeru Tha Damaja, Come Clean
In life, it always pays to have more than one hustle. But no one wants
to ever be considered a jack of all trades and a master of
nothing. Mastery of anything takes practice, skill and above all,
passion. Possessing all three of these traits, producer/deejay J-LOVE is
a master at preserving authentic East Coast hip-hop through his unique
mixtapes as well as producing tracks for some of hip-hops
world-renowned talent.
Revered in hip-hop for his inventive Best Of mixtape series,
J-LOVE has recently released his own compilation album,
appropriately-titled Better Your Life. The first album produced,
financed and distributed solely by a New York deejay without the backing
of a major record label, Better Your Life has not only the soulful,
gritty sound reminiscent of early 90s hip-hop but appearances by
heavyweights Nas, MOP and Cormega make this LP a rare treat. The album
delivers East Coast hip-hop at its finest, a sound that J-LOVE has
continued to preserve throughout his decade-long career. At a time when
New York hip-hop is the low man on the music industry totem pole,
J-LOVEs signature sound couldnt be more welcomed (or needed) by
hip-hop heads and artists alike. The project also showcases his talents
as a producer, with J-LOVE behind the boards on all 25 of the albums
tracks.
Born and raised in Queens, New York, J-LOVE began producing as a teen
under the tutelage of The PhatHeadz, a crew of engineers down with the
legendary Jam Master Jay. As he began to gain local notoriety for his
beat-making skills and mixtapes, he was offered a record deal in 1997
with the now-defunct Freeze Records. The teen was all set to release a
hot compilation album featuring the likes of Kool G. Rap, Brand Nubian
and Guru until Freeze Records postponed the album for unknown reasons.
Unhappy with the label politics, J-LOVE parted ways with the company
while learning a lesson that contributed to his current outlook on
todays music industry.
If you let the industry dictate your future, your legacy will be left
up to them. So I decided from the point to produce and distribute my
music on my own, he asserts.
After the getting a crash course in Industry 101 through the
experience with Freeze Records, J-LOVE never gave up. His hustle and
hard work continued, earning him numerous accolades and awards in the
process. Unknown to some, J-LOVE released a single called Rhyme
Mania featuring Large Professor, Masta Ace and Neek the Exotic that
spent 20 weeks on Billboards Rap Hot Singles Chart in July 1999. At a
time when Soundscan and Billboard numbers were not part of everyday
hip-hop conversation, this was a feat that was unheard of for anyone who
was not a commercial artist, let alone a teenager! He has also won five
Mixtape Awards: Best New Mixtape (1998), DJ Threat Award (2001), Best
Graphics (2002) and Best Underground Mixtape in both 2003 and 2004.
J-LOVE also holds production credits for every East Coast artist under
the sun including Jay-Z, Nas, Mobb Deep, 50 Cent, the late Big L and
Rakim. Many of his tracks, such as Jay-Zs This Life Forever
(Remix) and Mobb Deep feat. 50 Cent Clap Them Thangs have
become underground classics. Other celebrated lyricists such as Slick
Rick, Nas, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have sought out the talented
producers tracks, making him one of NYCs best-kept secrets.
According to the J-LOVE, who cites his influences as DJ Premier and
Havoc and the MPC 2000 as his weapon of choice, he will quickly affirm
that he follows no formulas for success. He simply makes music without
compromise.
J-LOVE explains, I just follow what I feel. What sets my style apart
is that I take more risks for the sake of quality music.
Adding radio to his repertoire, J-LOVE can currently be heard every
Monday night from 12pm-2am on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 40 hip hop nation.
J-Love has also recently become Ghostface Killah's offical DJ, asssiting Ironman throughout the Fishscale world tour.
Also producing a second installment of Better Your Life is the follow up "Unstoppable",and on the way is Political Delayz and even MCing.
Although his mixtapes have earned him respect, recognition and a strong
fan base (many people credit him with perfecting the Best Of
mixtape), J-LOVE prefers producing and rhyming to creating street
cds. He currently has over 60 songs of his own already recorded and
plans to release his own LP, Endless Anglez as well as a project from
his artist, Meyhem. Confident, passionate and humble, J-LOVE is a real
example of how successful a leader can be in an industry where followers
seem to have all of the fun. By continuing to do it his way, J-LOVE
achieves music mastery each and every time.
