J-Live was born and raised in Uptown Manhattan, New York City. After making… Read Full Bio ↴J-Live was born and raised in Uptown Manhattan, New York City. After making a home for himself in Brooklyn upon graduating from SUNY at Albany, J relocated to Philadelphia in 2003. "Moving to Philly was more for the family than any kind of career move. But the whole music scene here and the hip hop community here have embraced me with open arms since I arrived. I've gotten a lot of support from so many different artists and dee jays. This city is jam packed with talented and beautiful people."
J-Live started his career by releasing solid 12" such as "Longevity", "Braggin' Writes", and "Hush the Crowd", which earned him a spot in The Source's "Unsigned Hype" column.
Recorded mostly at J's own Triple Threat Studios in Philadelphia, The Hear After actually seems to have taken on a life of its own. Guest vocalist on the album, include up and coming artist, Kola Rock, Cvees, and the soulful sounds of Virgin recording artist, Dwele. The album features production by Floyd the Locsmif (Atl), Hezekiah, James Poysner (Philly), Probe DMS, Fire Dept., (NYC), Oddisee (DC), and J-Live himself. "The title is a play on words. People think of the here after as the after life or somewhere you go when you die. Like heaven or hell. Me personally, I see heaven as being at peace with yourself while you're alive. I see hell as the path you choose in life as opposed to a place you go after death. The album is called The Hear After because I'm at peace with myself musically, and I've been through hell to get that way. This is what you "hear after" all that has transpired so far. This is what I've been working to accomplish since the last album."
Like J's last two full length records, The Best Part and All of the Above, The Hear After covers a wide range of thoughts and emotions both musically and with its subject matter. "If you were to look at the whole thing, you would see a story line about an artist trying to maintain and expand his career and still be there for his family. That was the biggest struggle while making the record, and its no coincidence that it's a theme that becomes obvious listening to it. But there are songs about almost every aspect of my life from growing up in the city, to raising kids, touring heavy, building and teaching, politics, party and bullshit. I can't just spit about one thing for a whole record. That's not my style."
J-Live has been rhyming and mixing since the age of 12 but he has made much more of a name for himself as an MC than as a DJ. "I definitely focus on rhyming more. Growing up doing both it was easier on the pockets to be an MC. Records and equipment can get expensive. But I love spinning." One of the highlights of his entertaining live show is when he rhymes and beat juggles on the turntables simultaneously, performing his classic, "Braggin' Writes." J-Live is also known to produce beats.
J-Live has always used music to get his messages across. He explains, "I grew up listening to everything from BDP to NWA, to PE [[artist]Public Enemy], Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Nice and Smooth. Whether the music was pimped out, gangsta, militant or whatever, rappers had something important to say to kids like me. And I listened intently. As a 5%er, I can't imagine how much of an influence hip hop had on the way I see the world."
Case in point, J's favorite song on the album, "Audio Visual" is so descriptive it's a song "in 3-D". From the quirky, key accents to the thick-ass bottom running throughout the song, J-Live paints a colorful, picture of his life on and off the mic. "Brooklyn Public" is his ode to his days as an educator. Earlier in his career, J-Live taught middle school English/Language Arts in Brooklyn for a few years.
Making music for the walkmans as well as the Jeeps, J-Live made a mature, sonically sophisticated album. "I feel like I represent hip hop's middle class. Seems like everybody's either crying broke or screaming rich or both. I try to speak to the people in between. The everyday hard working fun loving hip hop heads."
Year Formed: 1995
Official Site: http://www.j-livemusic.com/
J-Live started his career by releasing solid 12" such as "Longevity", "Braggin' Writes", and "Hush the Crowd", which earned him a spot in The Source's "Unsigned Hype" column.
Recorded mostly at J's own Triple Threat Studios in Philadelphia, The Hear After actually seems to have taken on a life of its own. Guest vocalist on the album, include up and coming artist, Kola Rock, Cvees, and the soulful sounds of Virgin recording artist, Dwele. The album features production by Floyd the Locsmif (Atl), Hezekiah, James Poysner (Philly), Probe DMS, Fire Dept., (NYC), Oddisee (DC), and J-Live himself. "The title is a play on words. People think of the here after as the after life or somewhere you go when you die. Like heaven or hell. Me personally, I see heaven as being at peace with yourself while you're alive. I see hell as the path you choose in life as opposed to a place you go after death. The album is called The Hear After because I'm at peace with myself musically, and I've been through hell to get that way. This is what you "hear after" all that has transpired so far. This is what I've been working to accomplish since the last album."
Like J's last two full length records, The Best Part and All of the Above, The Hear After covers a wide range of thoughts and emotions both musically and with its subject matter. "If you were to look at the whole thing, you would see a story line about an artist trying to maintain and expand his career and still be there for his family. That was the biggest struggle while making the record, and its no coincidence that it's a theme that becomes obvious listening to it. But there are songs about almost every aspect of my life from growing up in the city, to raising kids, touring heavy, building and teaching, politics, party and bullshit. I can't just spit about one thing for a whole record. That's not my style."
J-Live has been rhyming and mixing since the age of 12 but he has made much more of a name for himself as an MC than as a DJ. "I definitely focus on rhyming more. Growing up doing both it was easier on the pockets to be an MC. Records and equipment can get expensive. But I love spinning." One of the highlights of his entertaining live show is when he rhymes and beat juggles on the turntables simultaneously, performing his classic, "Braggin' Writes." J-Live is also known to produce beats.
J-Live has always used music to get his messages across. He explains, "I grew up listening to everything from BDP to NWA, to PE [[artist]Public Enemy], Slick Rick, Big Daddy Kane, Nice and Smooth. Whether the music was pimped out, gangsta, militant or whatever, rappers had something important to say to kids like me. And I listened intently. As a 5%er, I can't imagine how much of an influence hip hop had on the way I see the world."
Case in point, J's favorite song on the album, "Audio Visual" is so descriptive it's a song "in 3-D". From the quirky, key accents to the thick-ass bottom running throughout the song, J-Live paints a colorful, picture of his life on and off the mic. "Brooklyn Public" is his ode to his days as an educator. Earlier in his career, J-Live taught middle school English/Language Arts in Brooklyn for a few years.
Making music for the walkmans as well as the Jeeps, J-Live made a mature, sonically sophisticated album. "I feel like I represent hip hop's middle class. Seems like everybody's either crying broke or screaming rich or both. I try to speak to the people in between. The everyday hard working fun loving hip hop heads."
Year Formed: 1995
Official Site: http://www.j-livemusic.com/
Do That S%23!%25
J-Live Lyrics
Yo, I'm just shooting the breeze with carbon dioxide
That needs to be bottled and sold so you can lo' and behold
Or would you hold it below c'mon let go and be high
You can't deny the words I'm flipping make you reach for the sky
You hear the caters that I'm kicking while I'm walking the street
I write rhymes just so I can go on beat
You thinks it's so damn lovely don't you nigga come here
You just a frightened little kid all steps and no beard
But let me tell you now your talking to a grown ass man
I put some shit in your head to fill your stomach to head
You don't believe me well it's taken me from here to Japan
That's why I'm laughing to the bank without a getaway van
You worrying about your ice and want your shorty to see
The only ice that I need is in my L I T
I keep my Hennessey straight so skip the fantasy plan
That's why you get up and go, that's shit you got to debate
You steady worrying bout your crystal
Charge your pistol, meanwhile, the real style long gone, miss-trial
Guilty of the bullshit, innocent of killing it
Even all your fronting, fake, phoney friends are feeling it
What's the matter with your life?
Strange you got something to talk about that you already know about
And walk about, get some, feel good about it
Write it down, think it over then shout it out, how that sound?
Yo, if it sound like we talking to you
I really think you want to do that shit, c'mon do that shit
And if you know on what we saying is true
You better act like you knew that shit, c'mon do that shit
Put some action on paper now, do that shit
Go ahead and be yourself child, do that shit
Don't be afraid to use your own style, do that shit
C'mon do that shit, c'mon do that shit
C'mon
Now everybody want heaven but nobody want death
Shit a lot you kids wouldn't even settle for injured
So why you frontin' like you want drama see that shit ain't fly
You need to spend a couple nights with a drama queen
And did you ever seen a crack baby
How bout a 30-year-old woman strung out into a little old lady
You see some of these folks that gotta live in these streets today
Either shot up, smoked, or sniffed their life away
Yeah, you wanna talk about your triple beam dream
It's ironic 'cause you pass eight-grade maths
You don't know the half, third, fourth or fifth
Ain't old enough to drive talking about you pushing a six
And frontin' like you gotta watch for the narks
You gotta watch for your momma and on your ass saying, "Oh my God"
You gotta watch for your birthday and wrote a half a album
Worth of rhymes like you little wheeze, little nigga please
Watch these, watch those fly by night MCs
Biting Jay-Z's flow, go with the breeze
I beseech you get your own flow so when you blow up
You won't make the real heads wanna throw up
Yo, if it sound like we talking to you
I really think you want to do that shit, c'mon do that shit
And if you know on what we saying is true
You better act like you knew that shit, c'mon do that shit
Put some action on paper now, do that shit
Go ahead and be yourself child, do that shit
Don't be afraid to use your own style, do that shit
C'mon do that shit, c'mon do that shit
C'mon
That needs to be bottled and sold so you can lo' and behold
Or would you hold it below c'mon let go and be high
You can't deny the words I'm flipping make you reach for the sky
You hear the caters that I'm kicking while I'm walking the street
I write rhymes just so I can go on beat
You thinks it's so damn lovely don't you nigga come here
You just a frightened little kid all steps and no beard
I put some shit in your head to fill your stomach to head
You don't believe me well it's taken me from here to Japan
That's why I'm laughing to the bank without a getaway van
You worrying about your ice and want your shorty to see
The only ice that I need is in my L I T
I keep my Hennessey straight so skip the fantasy plan
That's why you get up and go, that's shit you got to debate
You steady worrying bout your crystal
Charge your pistol, meanwhile, the real style long gone, miss-trial
Guilty of the bullshit, innocent of killing it
Even all your fronting, fake, phoney friends are feeling it
What's the matter with your life?
Strange you got something to talk about that you already know about
And walk about, get some, feel good about it
Write it down, think it over then shout it out, how that sound?
Yo, if it sound like we talking to you
I really think you want to do that shit, c'mon do that shit
And if you know on what we saying is true
You better act like you knew that shit, c'mon do that shit
Put some action on paper now, do that shit
Go ahead and be yourself child, do that shit
Don't be afraid to use your own style, do that shit
C'mon do that shit, c'mon do that shit
C'mon
Now everybody want heaven but nobody want death
Shit a lot you kids wouldn't even settle for injured
So why you frontin' like you want drama see that shit ain't fly
You need to spend a couple nights with a drama queen
And did you ever seen a crack baby
How bout a 30-year-old woman strung out into a little old lady
You see some of these folks that gotta live in these streets today
Either shot up, smoked, or sniffed their life away
Yeah, you wanna talk about your triple beam dream
It's ironic 'cause you pass eight-grade maths
You don't know the half, third, fourth or fifth
Ain't old enough to drive talking about you pushing a six
And frontin' like you gotta watch for the narks
You gotta watch for your momma and on your ass saying, "Oh my God"
You gotta watch for your birthday and wrote a half a album
Worth of rhymes like you little wheeze, little nigga please
Watch these, watch those fly by night MCs
Biting Jay-Z's flow, go with the breeze
I beseech you get your own flow so when you blow up
You won't make the real heads wanna throw up
Yo, if it sound like we talking to you
I really think you want to do that shit, c'mon do that shit
And if you know on what we saying is true
You better act like you knew that shit, c'mon do that shit
Put some action on paper now, do that shit
Go ahead and be yourself child, do that shit
Don't be afraid to use your own style, do that shit
C'mon do that shit, c'mon do that shit
C'mon
Lyrics © SOUND OASIS PRODUCTIONS, LLC
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind
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