J-ZONE "TITTIES" ROUTINE AT SCION BEAT BATTLE
J-ZONE & GNARLS BARKLEY LIVE AT CBGB'S (FINAL NYC J-ZONE RAP SHOW)
MY CHILDHOOD HERO (SHO NUFF) IN ACTION!!!!!!
DIRK NOWITZKI AIN'T GOT A PIMP SLAP BONE IN HIS BODY
CLA$$IC KOOL & THE GANG FUNK!!!!
B-DIDDY!!!
EAZY-E, A PIONEER. R.I.P!!!!
J-ZONE IN SCRATCH MAGAZINE (MAY/JUNE 2007 ISSUE).
ABOUT J-ZONE: 1992. Before I made records that pissed you off and blew out your speakers, I walked around with a hi-top fade and a walkman that I never took off, even in school. After a short summer internship at Power Play Studios in Queens (where I watched Large Professor work on albums for Akinyele and Roxanne Shante) and listening to the sounds of producers like 45 King, Bomb Squad, DJ Pooh, DJ Muggs, Ultramagnetic, DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, Mr. Mixx and Pete Rock, I was convinced I wanted to make beats...and a career in rap music.
My childhood dream of playing bass in a funk band died after the jheri curl went outta style. I got an SP-1200 and some other equipment and started makin demos in the crib. 2 years later, in 1994, I met Vance Wright (Slick Ricks DJ) who had a studio up in New Rochelle, NY. I started interning/ engineering there at age 17. I learned the basics of engineering and brushed up on my beat making techniques...all while running gofer errands to get Greg Nices turkey sandwiches while he worked on Nice-N-Smooths Jewel of the Nile LP. Grand Puba was there workin on his 2000 LP as well. My first record ever came out back then. I produced a joint for Preacher Earl (down with Nice-N-Smooth) called "Fool I Got Your Back" that came out promo only in 1995.
After that, I went to Purchase College (NY) to major in music and minor in the life experiences that turned me into the poster child for crassness that I am today. My college senior project was called Music For Tu Madre, an album that eventually became my debut independent release on my Old Maid Entertainment label in 1999. I followed up the lil buzz with A Bottle Of Whup Ass-The EP (2000) and Pimps Dont Pay Taxes (2001). They all did decent independently on Old Maid. I sold enough to get me that fake diamond and gold dollar sign chain I'm always wearing and to have Fat Beats Records/BMG Distribution re-release Pimps Dont Pay Taxes in 2002. My fourth LP ($ick Of Bein Rich) dropped in 2003 and I followed that with my most recent solo album (A Job Ain't Nuthin But Work) in 2004 (both thru FB/BMG/Old Maid). Over the course of these 5 albums, I've worked with everybody from longtime sidekicks Al-Shid and Dick $tallion to legendary artists like King T, J-Ro (of tha Alkaholiks), Masta Ace and Devin the Dude. I also released the Gimme Dat Beat Fool remix project in 2005 and a few other limited edition concept based side projects over years. 2006 saw the release of The Bo$$ Hog Barbarian$...Every Hog Has Its Day, a group project with longtime collaborator Celph Titled on our own Mt. Kill-A-Ho/ Hog Cabin Ent. label. Later in 2006 I released To Love A Hooker: The Motion Picture Soundtrack, an instrumental soundtrack to a movie I conceived that doesn't really exist (I know, I be buggin out sometimes). A make-your-own concept album I guess. That's my most recent project and the final release of the J-Zone career.
I'm best known as a producer and all of my albums were self-produced. Ive done beats for Biz Markie, Sadat X, Lil Fame of M.O.P., Akinyele, Tha Alkaholiks, Casual, Louis Logic, Prince Po of Organized Konfusion, Vast Aire, RA the Rugged Man, Del Tha Funkee Homosapien, MF Grimm, The Juggaknots and many more. I've also collaborated with Da Beatminerz, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Danger Mouse & Cee-Lo (Gnarls Barkley), Large Professor, MC Serch, DJ Miz, Greg Nice and Grand Puba as an artist, DJ and studio engineer. As a DJ, I like to spin gangsta rap that clears the dancefloor, but I dont care. Too $hort, Poison Clan, Geto Boys and Eazy-E are party records to me. I also play disco, funk, hiphop classics, classic rock, new jack swing, breaks and r & b when the crowd behaves. My latest endeavors have been my monthly Gator$-n-Fur$ mixshows (download em for FREE in my blog section!), each with a theme, one hour of music I love and humorous commentary. Done with my alter-ego co-host Chief Chinchilla, these shows fill the void that was left by no longer recording albums. I've completely retired from rapping, but when I did it I didnt freestyle and I was known for vulgarity, brutally honest social commentary and crude subject matter, but always all in fun. I took my affection for this type of music to the next level with my Ign'ant Mix CD series and having my own column dedicated solely to this style of rap which had 2 and 1 year runs in Hip Hop Connection (UK) and Elemental magazines, respectively. Senior citizens and those with a sense of humor found me pretty amusing, but the rest of the world hated me. Thanks for your support! I've done shows, tours and DJ gigs from all across the US, to Australia and throughout Europe...I picked up a lotta passport stamps. I've also partnered up with longtime friend/peer DJ Sheep of Australia to form our DJ crew, Extra Chee$e. Besides the DJing, I now focus full time on production and have some off kilter side projects I'm looking to do. I even teach music at a college part time! Rap is a young man's game and I'm changing as a person, so it's time to move on. I love music but I always hated the music business, so f*ck it!
I currently live with my beloved Grandmother Evil E (she's on 3 of my album covers) in Jamaica Queens, NY. I can usually be found going to the store for her with a pocket full of coupons or at the house watchin Sports Center all day and waitin for somebody with some money to call me. Also hiphop's biggest basketball fan, I wrote an article for Bobbito Garcia's Bounce magazine on New York City public high school basketball, as well as being a regular contributor for Reverse Magazine in France and SLAM Magazine/SLAMonline.com in The US. I'll serve you in a game of HORSE when my jumper is on too. And speakin of sports, I recently had some music in a Sprint Commercial for Superbowl XL as well as having my music placed in the SHAFT ad for the Dodge Journey in April 2008. I've done work as an actor in some indie film projects, including a recent role in RA The Rugged Man and Frank Henenlotter's Bad Biology. I even scored music for a porno (Asian Bang, 2006)! Yeah!!! Loved by few, hated by many...f*ck it! Producer, ex-rapper, DJ, label owner, journalist and wearer of and poster child for fine fur coats. Talk sh*t about me all you want, just make sure you spell my name right!
