There comes a time in every man or woman’s life when he or she is faced with the inevitable question of, “What’s my purpose for being created?”. Although the answer to this question is almost never truly revealed until one’s last days on earth, it can be concluded there are two things in life that are certain; “God exists and we’re not HIM!”. With that being explained, the emphasis on sheer will, determination, and faith are the only tools needed to be a passenger on this journey. It is my pleasure to introduce to you, Jarrod Jones, better known as “J. Jonah”. Follow me….
Born in Cincinnati, Ohio and bred on the North side of Houston, Texas, J. Jonah is a self-made Hip-Hop artist who has visions of reshaping the face of the game by refusing to conform to the industry norm.
The stage to this epic legacy was first constructed at age six when Jonah received his first set of toy drums courtesy of his mother and father. He would spend countless hours on end pounding on his drums to the tunes of old vinyl records from the late 60′s, 70′s, and early 80′s.
It’s a known fact that babies can sense good and bad vibrations in the womb. I guess one could honestly say that J. Jonah acquired his infatuation for making music come alive from his mother, Faye, who could be heard rocking the temple walls of the congregation with her siren-like voice all the way to the very last church pew.
While a student at Grambling State University, exploring the possibilities of corporate life, he began to play with the idea of rapping. Between late night basketball practices and constant course work, J managed to somehow be still enough to let God’s voice enter his thought process and obey what “THE MOST HIGH” commanded from the 6’6″ athlete. It was at that moment in his life, in the spring of 2002, that a small mustard-sized seed was sewn in his spirit that would not let him rest until he chose the right path to walk down called, DESTINY. As a matter of fact, the name J. Jonah originated from both the Holy Bible, but in this case, it was informally given to him by his homeboy and roommate, Anthony Love-Rhodes, due to his government name being Jarrod Jones, hence the name J. Jonah!
Ever since that command from the heavens in early 2002, Jonah has hit the ground running, sometimes in the wrong direction, but always being guided back in the right direction by the one who gave him the gifts of music, knowledge and wisdom in the beginning, GOD ALMIGHTY!
In 2003 J, graduated from GSU with a B.S. in Biology & Environmental Science, but with his love for music countering his drive to pursue a 9-5 occupation, he worked odd jobs so he could concentrate on honing his craft as a lyricist. In 2004 he became a part of a small label called SLAB City in Houston, TX, but that only lasted for one year due to a poor business structure on the label’s part. In 2005 he would link up with an old high school buddy, Brian “Coop” Cooper and together they would form the foundation of Skattaseed Entertainment. J. Jonah was the artist and Coop would be the CEO/Owner. J learned several things while at Skattaseed, two of them being how to run a small label and secondly, that he would benefit more from being the CEO of his own label. To this day he’s still very thankful for the opportunity Coop provided to him, believing in him when no one else would!
This brings us to his current home, presently knon as 832 Entertainment, Inc. It is being a major part of this indie label that allows J. Jonah to grow and mature into a self-made artist/owner/mentor.
To give a quick synopsis of his past work we must refer to his first solo underground album entitled “4 My Comrades: Phase One” which led to placements on Hustle Squad DJs’ Awready mix tape volumes 8-10, Mixtape Madness volumes 6-8, as well as Put this on my Hood V.7 & An A&R’s Dream V.6. In the mist of all of that, J. Jonah also managed to feature in an unofficial remix to Alicia Keys’ platinum selling single “No One”.
This would lead to the anticipation of 2 new additions to Jonah’s list of recordings including the hot, new singles “I KNOW SHE’S DOWN” / “IT’S 832 N HERE [I KNOW U MADD]“ engineered and co-produced by a talented young producer, “Yung Chill“, whose resume’ also includes tracks for Snoop Dogg and Bun-B. In addition to his newest line of songs, J has concocted what could be considered a controversial rap anthem entitled “AM I THA GREATEST ALIVE”, that will undoubtedly create debates amongst all that listen to it and force a thorough analysis about it’s message and whom it is making reference to in the music industry. The deliverance itself is breathtaking and creates a punch-line effect felt throughout the listener’s soul that is almost described as an “epiphanic” or “revelation-istic” sensation. Pardon the false words; there just weren’t any current words to describe it!
Even though some may exclaim J. Jonah can be withdrawn and to himself most of the time, he is quite the observer and analytical thinker. When the music is off and the microphone is still on, the man has the uncanny ability to still make you listen to what is being said rather it be issues being overlooked by government officials or on the other side of the spectrum as it relates to local community leaders. No matter the topic or the level of intellect, Jonah can stand his ground with the best of them!
In no way does he limit himself to the stereotypical industry standards portrayed about today’s hip-hop artists.
It is no secret that all musicians, at one point or another, imitate the greats whom have come before them; however, the drive to become a better person and artist is the true test of life in anyone’s career. Jonah has taken that ideology even further by consistently striving for perfection in every facet of his own life, not only musically, but ethically and righteously. He would sometimes say, “I know that no one is perfect, but it’s the strive for perfection that will separate an individual from the rest of society…” If you listen closely to the lyrics of most of his songs you can always find a message of hope or a suggestion on how to handle a certain problem or situation in the your life.
Never the less, J has always prided himself in being a socially conscious musician with the occasional “just-for- fun record”. Still, his sole purpose overall is maintaining an agenda of helping those who will hear his words of wisdom. One thing for sure, Jonah’s laid-back approach and down to earth attitude appeal to listeners whom are looking for an artist to “keep it real” yet at the same time be considered a “risk -taker”. The irony is that he makes all of the aforementioned above look effortless. His impeccable character defines him as a man first and artist second. He is definitely a prodigy that stands with full force, yet raises the bar to bring a level of hip-hop that compliments the name, J. JONAH! The creation of his music will take you through a paradox and maybe even help unlock the door that leads to your answer of, “WHY YOU WERE CREATED?”
Nobody listens but they hear, I never knew the meaning of fear….change that, the meaning of tears, shed a couple over the years…”
-J. Jonah
MostCold Digital