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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." Read Full BioJ-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/
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True School Anthem
by J-Live
[Verse One]
Yo I rock shit like this to leave skid marks
The way a point blank unchained pit barks
Or like the wide open jaws of a black shark
I'm like the starts that make your kids wanna get Clarks
Cause now you see me now you don't, first you feel me now you won't
Feel nothing but detached from yourself
So when the mic was detached from my hand niggaz ran
Like the rifle was detached from the shelf
So when the crowd say you're whack and you gots to go
Step back or end up in a hospital
You got three hits on who 'bout to rock the show
Six foot God farmer growin' crops of flow
[Chorus]
You better recognize just how we do (just how we do)
We let that hot shit simmer just for you (simmer just for you)
We bridge the gap between the old and new (between the old and new)
When I say what school is it y'all say true (y'all say true)
[Verse Two]
You make the call in this lyrical brawl one for all
All against one by one just for fun
No timeouts is called once my game's begun
Cause if skills are raw then rhymes are well-done
Son, who's the devil in the landslide?
Tryin' to maintain when names don't amount to a shit stain
You could roll deeper than Farrakhan it's still on
J turns that ambush into that marathon
Cause if mad heads was dere then mad heads was pet
Cause mad heads could fly yo, mad heads could jet
The stage is set and you drown in your own sweat
There's no point in getting upset cause my shit's not done yet
Just pray to God I be due by sunset
I'm liver than electrical outlets when wet
It might be time left to place one bet
On just how bad the ? regret their threats
You swing hits like the Mets well I'll be, the whole fucking MLB
So tell me why let your dog loose if you scared to sick 'em?
Would be suspects make the best victims
[Chorus]
[Verse Three]
So yo how amped am I?
Got muthafuckers askin how damp am I for sweatin' J LI
VE add an R by all my rhymes that fly
Median in my third eye if I lie
That's why would mean battling this fuckin' with that pussy MC
Whose whack rhymes are a STD
Cause if a dope rhyme's a jim hat
I run through more Trojans than Notre Dame fullbacks at USC
So what's the weather like? all of the above would be caused by me
Cause year round I'm down for put it on ya
They wanted me to fall but instead I went ta
Spring, summer, these all season flavors upon ya
I'm comin' through to warn ya or you're a ? goner
Those who sleep better realize how steep the first step to fucking with me
Happens to be, extra steady claming how that can never happen to me
But steadily makin' empty threats trying to gas me
With gun talk when rhymes remain unleaded
And my tank's not empty yet
Whoever thought had a Microsoft Word lets you curse or press edit
And scroll down to undo rhyme go to file
hit save and quit cause you ain't printin' shit
Matter fact if you don't take them disses off your disk
I'm a download a virus and crash your whole system
[Chorus 3x]
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
by J-Live
[Verse One]
Yo I rock shit like this to leave skid marks
The way a point blank unchained pit barks
Or like the wide open jaws of a black shark
I'm like the starts that make your kids wanna get Clarks
Cause now you see me now you don't, first you feel me now you won't
Feel nothing but detached from yourself
So when the mic was detached from my hand niggaz ran
Like the rifle was detached from the shelf
So when the crowd say you're whack and you gots to go
Step back or end up in a hospital
You got three hits on who 'bout to rock the show
Six foot God farmer growin' crops of flow
[Chorus]
You better recognize just how we do (just how we do)
We let that hot shit simmer just for you (simmer just for you)
We bridge the gap between the old and new (between the old and new)
When I say what school is it y'all say true (y'all say true)
[Verse Two]
You make the call in this lyrical brawl one for all
All against one by one just for fun
No timeouts is called once my game's begun
Cause if skills are raw then rhymes are well-done
Son, who's the devil in the landslide?
Tryin' to maintain when names don't amount to a shit stain
You could roll deeper than Farrakhan it's still on
J turns that ambush into that marathon
Cause if mad heads was dere then mad heads was pet
Cause mad heads could fly yo, mad heads could jet
The stage is set and you drown in your own sweat
There's no point in getting upset cause my shit's not done yet
Just pray to God I be due by sunset
I'm liver than electrical outlets when wet
It might be time left to place one bet
On just how bad the ? regret their threats
You swing hits like the Mets well I'll be, the whole fucking MLB
So tell me why let your dog loose if you scared to sick 'em?
Would be suspects make the best victims
[Chorus]
[Verse Three]
So yo how amped am I?
Got muthafuckers askin how damp am I for sweatin' J LI
VE add an R by all my rhymes that fly
Median in my third eye if I lie
That's why would mean battling this fuckin' with that pussy MC
Whose whack rhymes are a STD
Cause if a dope rhyme's a jim hat
I run through more Trojans than Notre Dame fullbacks at USC
So what's the weather like? all of the above would be caused by me
Cause year round I'm down for put it on ya
They wanted me to fall but instead I went ta
Spring, summer, these all season flavors upon ya
I'm comin' through to warn ya or you're a ? goner
Those who sleep better realize how steep the first step to fucking with me
Happens to be, extra steady claming how that can never happen to me
But steadily makin' empty threats trying to gas me
With gun talk when rhymes remain unleaded
And my tank's not empty yet
Whoever thought had a Microsoft Word lets you curse or press edit
And scroll down to undo rhyme go to file
hit save and quit cause you ain't printin' shit
Matter fact if you don't take them disses off your disk
I'm a download a virus and crash your whole system
[Chorus 3x]
Contributed by Jason R. Suggest a correction in the comments below.
To comment on specific lyrics, highlight them
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