Music:
Member Since: 16/09/2007
Band Website: Coming soon!
Band Members:
It's just me. J.A.M.E.S. stands for Justified After Mastering Every Skill. Back in the day I was D'Vo, which was short for Devotion...a hot house song. I tried a few names and settled into my own name...I feel the most genuine wearing my own name. When I pair up with my brother, De'Storm, we become New Black America.
Thanks to De'Storm...and ALL the hot producers out there, because a song aint nothing without a beat. So, it's not just me.
Influences: I'm influenced by all the great artists who really didn't care much about fortune or fame. Good music is good music and I just do what I feel when I feel it. I'm not big on begging people to listen, because those who feel me will naturally gravitate towards my music. Here's a good example...I heard the Jesus Walks beat by Kanye two years before the song came out. I was checking for Kanye ever since downloading the beat, because I knew he would be phenomenal.
Same with Mariah Carey when she first came out. I called Frank Ski at V-103 (at that time he was in Baltimore) and requested Vision of Love after hearing it one time. He told me that people didn't request slow songs in the hot 8 at 8. Well, Mariah had the first slow jam in the hot 8 at 8 and R&B songs have been in ever since. Same with Jay-Z, 2Pac, and Biggie...greatness grabs you!!! You don't have to be convinced about it...and it cannot hide.
With Frankenstein, I just took the word Frankenstein and what that story represented and expressed it in my own way. The Kanye beat had so much energy to it already. So, that was easy. I am having fun with these mixtape joints. If people want to hear more, then I'll hit the studio. I'm as much an influence on myself as anyone else though, because I am a listener too...and I want good music to listen to. I think my stuff is good enough to put on and listen to. That's a primary motivation for doing it.
Sounds Like: Sounds like...well, I don't know. First and foremost, I hope it sounds good. Other than that, if it's a mix joint, it's going to have the influence of the original artist (if I heard the song). Many times though, I've never heard the songs...just the beat. So, I do songs on the strength of the beat.
I don't mind being influenced by greatness. For example, Let Go...I heard it in Starbucks and it was HOTTT!!! I said, "I can rhyme over this." So, I wrote something. When I started rapping, I kinda' thought I sounded like Nas. So, in the beginning I said, "...a 2008, 19-Naugthy-5 Nas" and I purposely channeled the energy of that era and his greatness for the song. Hell...people try to channel Beethoven when they do Beethoven. It's only biting and swagger-jacking when you're trying to be that person and steal a little bit of their fire. An artist should have his own fire and be able to stand toe to toe with any other artist.
Record Label: Unsigned