John Reuben Zappin, was born in Columbus, Ohio. He is of Jewish heritage and according to his MySpace, his mother is the owner of a Christian Death Metal record label. Raised in Pataskala, Ohio, a suburb of Columbus, Reuben got his start in rapping in 1994 by taking the bus into the city to rap on open mic nights and participate in rap battles at the age of fifteen. Reuben later released Monuments, an independent EP, which caught the attention of Gotee Records. They took a chance, signing him to the label and releasing his first project, Are We There Yet?, in 2000. TobyMac, the founder of Gotee Records, provided vocals for the album's final track, "God is Love". Reuben's next release, Hindsight (2002), continues his use of a wide variety of musical genres and thoughtful, often funny lyrics. The album was praised as a "truly eclectic and creative hip-hop album that blends old-school sounds with progressive production." Once thought to be a Christian version of Eminem. Reuben's first two releases established him as an original, witty, sarcastic musician, as well as Gotee's top-selling solo rap artist.
Professional Rapper (2003) marked Reuben's debut as a self-producing artist. The album is noticeably different from his previous efforts, using more instruments and less DJ sampling for the tracks. Along with these differences, the album is noticeably darker in both lyrics and feel. It includes several somber tracks which allow a glimpse into Reuben's struggles and self-doubt. Adrienne Camp of The Benjamin Gate contributes vocals to two tracks on the album.
The following year Reuben released So In Hindsight the Professional Rapper Isn't There Yet (2004), an album of remixed versions of songs from his first three albums.
The Boy vs. The Cynic (2005) continued Reuben's trek from the non-serious songs which characterized his earlier work to music that's far more somber and meditative. Reportedly, when the time came for him to submit his work for the album, Reuben turned in enough tracks for two albums, one light hearted, the other more serious. Rather than releasing a two disc release, the label decided to splice them together into The Boy vs. The Cynic. Relient K's Matt Thiessen contributes to the album's second track, "Nuisance". Tim Skipper of the band House of Heroes appears on the track "So Glad". Most of Reuben's songs use "traditional" musical instruments, typically the guitar, though he experiments with many different instruments and musical styles.
Reuben is currently working on a reality show detailing his "rise" to stardom while poking fun at many of the conventions of reality television. The pilot of the show can be viewed on YouTube.
John released his fifth album, Word of Mouth, on February 6, 2007. Allmusic.com called Word of Mouth an "unqualified triumph" and said that "You won't find a truer, more honest, or more celebratory album this year."
Gotee Records released John Reuben's sixth studio album, "Sex, Drugs and Self-Control" on December 22nd, 2009. The first single, "Town Folk" was released on July 14th, 2009. The next Single, "Jamboree," was released August 18th, 2009. Followed by "Confident," which was released September 15th, 2009, "No be nah" was released October 14th, 2009.
According to an interview with TVU in January, John Reuben said that there are definitely more music videos planned to release in the coming months from his most recent CD.
(Via http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/John_Reuben)
Jezebel
John Reuben Lyrics
Jump to: Overall Meaning ↴ Line by Line Meaning ↴
She acted as if my interest was a common reaction
Took satisfaction in knowin' she was beautiful
She twisted up the blessing and she used it as a tool
Of manipulation yet I was blinder at aim
She was very athletic but yet excelled at the mind game
Lame excuse but it?s the truth, come on, I mean
When it came to sweetheart, she had me wrapped
Around her little finger and my mind was tapped
But none the less, I'm the fault obviously
I was confused and chose stupidity over patiently waiting
I mean, how could I not see that tryin' to
Fill a God sized void with her would only leave me empty?
But I did it and like a stupid human I fell
By the way, what's her name? I think they call her Jezebel
Jezebel, who? Jezebel, man
Who is she, what is she?
Man, it?s hard to tell
Jezebel, who? Jezebel, come on
What is she about?
Second glimpse, still attracted but I'm not quite sure
Been playin' games with Jezebel but now I question what for?
Before it was a motivation, now it?s not clear
Now I'm askin' myself, "Reuben, who's the one at fault here?"
See, I'm the fool, so why do I remain?
In a relationship with all to looe yet nothing to gain
Except headache, heartache and an occasional where you been?
Pssst, Jezebel, where?d you hear that?
(From a friend)
Frontin' Godliness, I say, "Hey miss, you're posin'
You love material things but you're favorite?s sheepskin clothin'"
So then what can I say? Her charm fades by the day
And I'm askin' the good Lord whatever twisted me to stay
Straight for a moment, now it?s time to let go
Though my willpower?s weak, man, there's one thing that I know
That greater is He that's in me than He who's in this world
And it wasn't the He in me that hooked it up with this girl
Life must go on, the dawn of a new day was risin'
I opened up my eyes and then I started realizin'
That my vision was blurred, so there will be no third glimpse
After two and a half, I think I came to my sense
So with this, I think it?s time that we parted
And dismiss somethin' we should never started
"So miss, I guess, I?ll say farewell"
One last time for the books, her name was what?
The song “Jezebel” by John Reuben tells a story of the infatuation and eventual disappointment of a young man with a woman known as “Jezebel.” The first glimpse of Jezebel sets the stage for their relationship, sparked by an instant attraction from the man's side. However, the woman used her beauty to manipulate the man, leading him down a path of confusion and naivety. The man describes being wrapped around her finger, attempting to fill a God-sized void with her, but ultimately coming up empty. Despite his growing awareness of her true nature, he finds it difficult to let go of the relationship until he finally comes to his senses.
The song’s narrative highlights the dangers of allowing oneself to be blinded by physical attractiveness and the importance of being aware of manipulative behavior. Moreover, the artist acknowledges his own shortcomings in the relationship and the need to take responsibility for his own actions.
Line by Line Meaning
First glimpse, instant attraction
As soon as I first saw her, I was immediately drawn to her
She acted as if my interest was a common reaction
She pretended that everyone was attracted to her to make me feel special
Took satisfaction in knowin' she was beautiful
She enjoyed the fact that people found her attractive and used it to her advantage
She twisted up the blessing and she used it as a tool
She took her natural beauty and used it to manipulate others
Of manipulation yet I was blinder at aim
I was easily manipulated by her, even though it was obvious
She was very athletic but yet excelled at the mind game
She was not only physically fit, but also very skilled at playing with people's minds
Lame excuse but it?s the truth, come on, I mean
I know it's not a good excuse, but it really happened
I was young and naive and would?ve believed anything
I was inexperienced and gullible, and she took advantage of that
When it came to sweetheart, she had me wrapped
I was completely under her control in our relationship
Around her little finger and my mind was tapped
She had the power to make me do anything she wanted
But none the less, I'm the fault obviously
Even though she was manipulating me, I still take responsibility for my actions
I was confused and chose stupidity over patiently waiting
I was unsure of what to do and made the wrong choice by staying in the relationship
I mean, how could I not see that tryin' to
Looking back on it now, it's obvious that I should have known
Fill a God sized void with her would only leave me empty?
Trying to use her to fill a spiritual emptiness was a mistake that would never work
By the way, what's her name? I think they call her Jezebel
Her name doesn't matter, but people call her Jezebel because she reminds them of the biblical figure
Second glimpse, still attracted but I'm not quite sure
When I saw her again, I was still drawn to her but felt uncertain
Been playin' games with Jezebel but now I question what for?
I realized that our relationship was just a game and had no real purpose
Before it was a motivation, now it’s not clear
I used to feel motivated by our relationship, but now I'm not sure why
Now I'm askin' myself, "Reuben, who's the one at fault here?"
I am questioning who is responsible for the state of our relationship
See, I'm the fool, so why do I remain?
I recognize that I am foolish for staying in this relationship, but I'm still here
In a relationship with all to looe yet nothing to gain
Being with her is causing me to lose everything and gain nothing
Except headache, heartache and an occasional where you been?
The only things I get out of this relationship are stress, pain, and wondering where she is
Pssst, Jezebel, where?d you hear that?
I heard something about you, Jezebel, can you tell me if it's true?
Frontin' Godliness, I say, "Hey miss, you're posin'
I accuse her of pretending to be religious when she is not
You love material things but you're favorite?s sheepskin clothin'
You may claim to be spiritual, but you are really obsessed with material possessions
So then what can I say? Her charm fades by the day
I am starting to see through her manipulations and her charm is no longer effective
And I'm askin' the good Lord whatever twisted me to stay
I question why I ever got involved with her in the first place and ask for spiritual guidance
Straight for a moment, now it?s time to let go
I realize that it's time to end the relationship and move on
Though my willpower?s weak, man, there's one thing that I know
Even though it's hard for me to let go, I know it's the right thing to do
That greater is He that's in me than He who's in this world
I trust that God is more powerful than anything in the world, including my attachment to Jezebel
And it wasn't the He in me that hooked it up with this girl
I acknowledge that my relationship with Jezebel was not part of God's plan for me
Life must go on, the dawn of a new day was risin'
I realize that even though this relationship is ending, life will continue and new opportunities will arise
I opened up my eyes and then I started realizin'
I am finally seeing clearly and recognizing the truth about my relationship with Jezebel
That my vision was blurred, so there will be no third glimpse
I understand that I was not seeing things clearly before and I will not make the same mistake again
After two and a half, I think I came to my sense
After being with her for a while, I finally realized how wrong our relationship was
So with this, I think it?s time that we parted
I am ready to end things with Jezebel and move on with my life
And dismiss somethin' we should never started
I regret ever getting involved with her and need to end it once and for all
"So miss, I guess, I?ll say farewell"
I am saying goodbye to Jezebel for good
One last time for the books, her name was what?
I ask one last time, what was her name? But it doesn't really matter anymore
Lyrics © CAPITOL CHRISTIAN MUSIC GROUP
Lyrics Licensed & Provided by LyricFind