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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Vampire Hunter J
J-Live Lyrics
We have lyrics for these tracks by J-Live:
9000 Miles [stroke] [stroke] [stroke] [stroke] [stroke] [stroke] [strok…
A Charmed Life Africa Port-Au-Prince Knoxville Anvan Manhattan South Bend …
All In Together Now Gonna, gonna, gonna-gonna-gonna blaze the cold rock stuff Y…
All of the Above Yo yo yo Right about now your mind is mine and…
Audio Visual [Verse 1] {J-Live} Ayyo I see y'all through these speakers a…
Braggin Writes For underground metaphors You can scrape an inch below the …
Braggin’ Writes For underground metaphors You can scrape an inch below the t…
Brooklyn Public Part 1 It's dedicated to Bed-Stuy It's representing of Brownsvil…
Can I Get It? Verse 1 ------- It was a summer mornin' at the age of…
Don't Play You over did it homes (laughing) (Chorus) Don't play ga…
Epilogue [** scratched **] "What does it take" "to be a great" "MC…
First Things First [kid giggles] [Kid 1 (Kid 2):] We...just gonna get our s…
Get the Third (*scratching of "let me tell you" from Pharcyde's …
Got What It Takes Ayo, calling all hot college radio spots I'm coming to your…
Happy Belated [Verse 1] Unforceable, invincible, atypical, enter this ven…
How Real It Is [talking] Yeah... ladies and gentlemen... Know what time it …
Hush the Crowd Verse 1: MC's out there how deep does the underground get? D…
Like This Anna (Background:) It's like this, Anna, it's like that, Anna It'…
Listening Kola Rock: I'm listenin' to Loni Listen Smith Loni Listen L…
Longevity With or without the mic when my mind gets phonetic The…
MCee [J-Live] Straight from New York where black music was moder…
Money Matters Your world my world same shit different day Different shit …
Music From the I-95 to the Autobahn I dig grooves and rhyme…
Nights Like This Ooh, yeah, you're living in your zone Ooh, comes through on…
One for the Griot I like how, when you turn the intercom up Like all…
R.A.G.E. (Chorus) The rule of Allah is God's equality Desire for my…
Satisfied Hey yo Lights, camera, tragedy, comedy, romance You better…
School's In Welcome to the voice response registration system of True S…
Stir of Echoes [Verse 1] Ayo, the hotter the summer, the cooler the fall …
The 4th 3rd Can't even call this a blues song It's been so long Neithe…
The Authentic Well if it isnt that outbreak monkey for the latest…
The Best Part {*scratched: "Hip Hop"*} [J-Live] MC's out there,…
The Lyricist Dear diary, here I be droppin' some shit But not journals…
The Sidewalks (Verse 1) {J-Live} Yo, I grew up on the chill…
Them That's Not Bring it in Once upon a time there was a brotha…
Timeless (Verse 1) My style has no birth record You might know when…
Travelling Music From the I-95 to the Autobahn I dig grooves and rhyme…
True School Anthem [Verse One] Yo I rock shit like this to leave skid…
Wax Paper Check, turn up my mic a little Yeah, a little more,…
Yes It goes one for you, one for me Two for you,…
The lyrics can frequently be found in the comments below, by filtering for lyric videos or browsing the comments in the different videos below.