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/

Ole
J-Live Lyrics

Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴

Otetaan kuppii nuotiolla
Lumme kukkii on hyvä olla

Olla nuori olla nuori vain
Olen nuori olen nuori vain

On käsissämme Suomen tuleivaisuus
Luottamus ja puoleuttomuus

Päättävät elimet ja Kekkonen
Kenpä uskois sen? Hiiviskellään
Helteisillä teltan luona
Kesäyönä olla nuori
Olen nuori vain

On käsissämme Suomen tulevaisuus
Luottamus ja puolueettomuus
Päättävät elimet ja Kekkonen
Kempä uskois sen? Poltellaan piippuu
Savu liikkuu järven yllä
Täytetyt linnut

Ole nuori ole nuori vain

Overall Meaning

The lyrics to J-Live's song "Ole" are in Finnish, so I will do my best to interpret them. The song seems to revolve around the idea of youth and freedom. The opening lines, "Otetaan kuppii nuotiolla, Lumme kukkii on hyvä olla" translate to "Let's take a cup by the fire, Water lilies bloom, it's good to be." This sets a peaceful and carefree scene, suggesting a group of young people gathering around a bonfire, enjoying the beauty of nature.

Throughout the song, the repetition of "Olla nuori olla nuori vain, Olen nuori olen nuori vain" emphasizes the importance of being young and living in the moment. It's a reminder to embrace youthfulness and enjoy life to the fullest. The lyrics also mention Finland's future, trust, and neutrality, hinting at the political and social context of the time. The mention of decision-making bodies and Kekkonen (possibly referring to Urho Kekkonen, a prominent Finnish politician) emphasizes the influence these institutions have on shaping the future.

Overall, "Ole" seems to celebrate the joys and freedoms of youth while subtly commenting on the political climate of the time.

Line by Line Meaning

Otetaan kuppii nuotiolla
Let's have a cup of coffee by the bonfire

Lumme kukkii on hyvä olla
Water lilies blossom, it's nice to be here

Olla nuori olla nuori vain
To be young, to be young only

Olen nuori olen nuori vain
I am young, I am young only

On käsissämme Suomen tulevaisuus
The future of Finland is in our hands

Luottamus ja puolueettomuus
Trust and neutrality

Päättävät elimet ja Kekkonen
Deciding bodies and Kekkonen

Kenpä uskois sen? Hiiviskellään
Who would believe it? We sneak

Helteisillä teltan luona
By the hot tent

Kesäyönä olla nuori
To be young on a summer night