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/
Listening
J-Live Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
I'm listenin' to Loni Listen Smith
Loni Listen
Loni Smith and Loni Lin
They sorta share a common sense
And if you spend enough time
Listenin' to me
Inside my mind's contents
It reads like Chronicles 13
The Constitution
The Kama Sutra
Morrison, La Ruda
Buddha
Mansa Musa
Pharaoh Monch & Pharaoh Sanders
It seems I got low tolerance
And high standards
Seems I got questions
That defy answers
If you were rich while I was starving
Tell me
How are we crew
I'm feelin' like a throw-away-blue
Like God's first draft of the sky
Balls it up for something new
And if you got somethin' better
Than I'm listenin to you
If you got somethin' better
Than I'm listenin? to you
I let the beat ride
When I'm listenin? to you
I'm through
J-Live
I been
Listenin' to records I've collected
Records I've selected
And inspected
Dissected on examination tables
'Til my technique was perfected
Records that have served and protected
A confidence
In my own perception of the world
Once the wax is reflected
I found myself connected
To the music
Like the lyrics were injected
So now when times are hectic
I close my eyes and listen
To the words
Like advice from somebody
I respected
When I was found dejected
That saying about art and life
Is really just the half
When you recognize
That music is math
Like a true song
Is really just a product
On the answer sheet
Life's craft is a scrap
When you show your work
I would listen with a smirk
From irony to Irief
From Bob Marley smokin? stones
At the building refused
My girl left me
Roberta Flack said
Never you mind
Love may lose
But at least you tried
The wisdom hit me in the eyes
And I almost cried
Stevie Wonder saw my tears
And put the joy inside
Sade showed me a love
That was stronger than pride
Minnie Rippleton
Invited me to come inside
Marvin Gaye taught me
Lessons of anger and time
That's just the tip of the ice berg
Floatin' in my mind
Not to mention
All the jazz and instrumentals
That's essential
And the Hip-Hop elders
That taught me to rhyme
That's why I'm still listenin'
Kola Rock:
I'm competent with competitions
I'm competitious
I'm compliment my compositions
With lots of pictures
An album full of mental photographs
And sorted similes
Back between the documents
Of dowries and pedigrees
Hip-Hop is like my family
On holidays we bitchin? like
Why you don't freestyle no more!?
I'm better written
I like to place my posture
In a positive position
I like to be the conduit
Controlling my condition
I'm sittin' on the back porch
Thinkin' and I'm listenin'
To the earth spinnin'
To trees rustle
Wind whistlin'
To the grass being crushed
By the feet of small children
Generations of women
Whose end was my beginning
Settling
The foundation of the building
Settling
Of the foundation of self
Knowin' that my best work
Has yet to be written
I'll probably never press it up
To put on the shelf
But when times are rock hard
And money is skin tight
I'll write my love songs
On the back of my battle rhymes
The question wouldn't be
If I sold my soul
My soul's been sold
The question is:
Was it worth your dime
Listenin'
Listenin' to this
Listenin'
Listenin' to this
In "Listening," J-Live and Kola Rock discuss the transformative power of music through the act of listening. Kola Rock speaks about his varied interests, ranging from religious texts to music icons like Jim Morrison and Pharaoh Sanders. He also talks about his desire to listen to people who have something new to share, suggesting that genuine connection can only occur when one is open to new perspectives. Throughout his verse, he highlights the importance of being true to one's self, even when it doesn't conform to mainstream expectations.
J-Live's verse is a meditation on the ways in which music has helped him connect with the world around him. He describes his intense relationship with music, using metaphors of medicine and math. He sees music as a way to engage with the broader world, and he draws both inspiration and wisdom from the lyrics of artists like Bob Marley, Roberta Flack, and Marvin Gaye. J-Live's verse also emphasizes the importance of perseverance: despite the difficulties he's faced, he remains committed to his craft.
Together, the two verses paint a picture of the ways in which music can both reflect and transform our inner lives. Both Kola Rock and J-Live see their engagement with music as a way to explore the world, connect with others, and ultimately become better versions of themselves.
Line by Line Meaning
I'm listenin' to Loni Listen Smith
I am currently listening to Loni Listen Smith's music.
Loni Listen
Referring to Loni Listen Smith again.
Loni Smith and Loni Lin
Referring to two artists named Loni with similar names.
They sorta share a common sense
They have a shared understanding, likely in their music or personal lives.
And if you spend enough time
Listenin' to me
Then this is what you'll find
If you listen to me for long enough, you will learn something about me.
Inside my mind's contents
Referring to his thoughts and ideas.
It reads like Chronicles 13
His mind is extensive and complex, like a detailed book.
The Constitution
The Kama Sutra
Morrison, La Ruda
Buddha
Mansa Musa
Pharaoh Monch & Pharaoh Sanders
A list of influential books, figures, and documents that have inspired him.
It seems I got low tolerance
And high standards
He has little tolerance for anything that does not meet his high standards.
Seems I got questions
That defy answers
He has difficult and complex questions that he cannot answer.
If you were rich while I was starving
Tell me
How are we crew
He questions the loyalty of someone who is wealthy while he struggles financially.
I'm feelin' like a throw-away-blue
Like God's first draft of the sky
Balls it up for something new
He feels insignificant and disposable, like a rough draft of something bigger.
And if you got somethin' better
Than I'm listenin to you
If you got somethin' better
Than I'm listenin? to you
He is open to listening and learning from those who can offer him something better.
I let the beat ride
When I'm listenin? to you
I'm through
He is done listening when the beat ends.
I been
Listenin' to records I've collected
Records I've selected
And inspected
J-Live has been listening to carefully chosen and evaluated records.
Dissected on examination tables
'Til my technique was perfected
He has studied and analyzed these records until he has perfected his listening technique.
Records that have served and protected
A confidence
In my own perception of the world
The records have given him confidence in his worldview and understanding of the world.
Once the wax is reflected
I found myself connected
To the music
Like the lyrics were injected
Once he really listens to the records, he feels connected to them as if the lyrics were a part of him.
So now when times are hectic
I close my eyes and listen
To the words
Like advice from somebody
I respected
During stressful times, he turns to music for advice and guidance from those he respects.
That saying about art and life
Is really just the half
When you recognize
That music is math
He believes that music is both an art-form and a science.
Like a true song
Is really just a product
On the answer sheet
Life's craft is a scrap
When you show your work
Life can be compared to a worksheet where the correct answer is a flawless and true song, whereas most people's craft is just scraps.
I would listen with a smirk
From irony to Irief
From Bob Marley smokin? stones
At the building refused
My girl left me
Roberta Flack said
Never you mind
Love may lose
But at least you tried
He listens to various types of music, including ironic, Irie, Bob Marley, and Roberta Flack, who taught him a lesson that love may not always work out, but trying is always worth it.
The wisdom hit me in the eyes
And I almost cried
Stevie Wonder saw my tears
And put the joy inside
The wisdom from the music was so profound that he almost cried but Stevie Wonder's music brought him joy and happiness.
Sade showed me a love
That was stronger than pride
Minnie Rippleton
Invited me to come inside
Marvin Gaye taught me
Lessons of anger and time
More lessons learned from various artists including Sade's message of love, Minnie Riperton inviting him into her music, and Marvin Gaye's lessons about anger and the effects of time.
That's just the tip of the ice berg
Floatin' in my mind
Not to mention
All the jazz and instrumentals
That's essential
And the Hip-Hop elders
That taught me to rhyme
These are only a few of the many lessons he's learned from various genres and Hip-Hop elders who have taught him how to rhyme.
That's why I'm still listenin'
He continues to listen and learn from music because there is always something new to learn and appreciate.
I'm competent with competitions
I'm competitious
I'm compliment my compositions
With lots of pictures
Kola Rock is confident in his abilities to compete in music, and he complements his compositions with visuals.
An album full of mental photographs
And sorted similes
Back between the documents
Of dowries and pedigrees
He creates albums that contain vivid mental images and well-organized comparisons, juxtaposed with personal documents and records.
Hip-Hop is like my family
On holidays we bitchin? like
Why you don't freestyle no more!?
He sees Hip-Hop as a family that comes together for holidays and argues about things like freestyling.
I'm better written
I like to place my posture
In a positive position
I like to be the conduit
Controlling my condition
He is a skilled writer who prefers a positive outlook and would rather be in control of his own emotions and thoughts.
I'm sittin' on the back porch
Thinkin' and I'm listenin'
To the earth spinnin'
He is outside, contemplating and listening to the sounds of the earth.
To trees rustle
Wind whistlin'
To the grass being crushed
By the feet of small children
Generations of women
Whose end was my beginning
He is listening to the sounds of nature as well as human history and life cycles. The women from the past whose lives created his own.
Settling
The foundation of the building
Settling
Of the foundation of self
Knowin' that my best work
Has yet to be written
He is settling both the foundation of his music and the foundation of who he is, knowing that his best work is yet to come.
I'll probably never press it up
To put on the shelf
But when times are rock hard
And money is skin tight
I'll write my love songs
On the back of my battle rhymes
He does not need to share his music with others, but rather he creates out of love and enjoyment. When times are hard, that is where he focuses his creative energy.
The question wouldn't be
If I sold my soul
My soul's been sold
The question is:
Was it worth your dime
He has already sold his soul to his craft, so the question is whether his music is worth the listener's money and time.
Listenin'
Listenin' to this
Listenin'
Listenin' to this
He wants the listener to pay attention and listen to his music closely.
Lyrics Š Peermusic Publishing
Written by: Y, JAMES JASON POYSER, JEAN JACQUES CADET, N. PORTER
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind