About Me
[Bio]
In today’s society, whenever you think of a Puerto Rican musician, one thing comes to mind…Reggaeton. However, with Joseph “Joey Gunz†Gonzalez, this is definitely not the case. Born in The Bronx NY, he was exposed to a variety of music at an early age. Coming from the mainly Puerto Rican and Jamaican block of 196th St. and Creston Ave., he heard music almost every waking moment of his childhood, and loved it. From Roots reggae to dancehall, he soaked up as much as he could from the Rasta’s and Dread’s. On the flipside, his paternal grandmother played salsa and merengue in order for him to get a better understanding of his Caribbean heritage. His father and uncles were very big fans of rap music, and they made sure to put him onto the greats such as Rakim and Krs-One.In order to keep himself out of trouble and focused, he began taking his music seriously during his high school years. “I was writing raps from the age of 10 when I started out with the group my cousins put together.†He didn’t always start out as a rapper, in the group mentioned above; he started out as the DJ. “Man I was a big fan of hot97 and I used to be a big funk master flex fan. I wanted to DJ just like him.†Having no real knowledge of music besides what they heard on the radio, they just wrote freely and recorded on a karaoke machine onto blank tapes. “We didn’t know how to structure anything, I mean come on, we were elementary school kids.†As time went on, Joey started taking his music more seriously joining rap forums to brush up on his bar structure. As a member of B-Boys.com, CapitalHipHop.com, Hiphoppoetry.com, Daphatspot.com, Onsmash.com, soundclick.com, and Zonamusical.net, he networked with many artists who taught him many steps along the way. One of the people he met, was Lou Gunz, who helped Joey get started on home recording and production. Starting off with little money, Joey purchased a Shure SM58 microphone and downloaded cool edit pro. He and Lou collaborated on many songs over the years taking little bits of information from each other musically, as well learning sound engineering from each other. Until this day Joey keeps in contact with the majority of people he’s met through online networking, one of them being the other half of the BNG squad, C-4. “I knew son since 1999, when we were text battling on b-boys. We’ve been tight ever since man, that nigga was the best man in my wedding. It just goes to show you that two people who share the same ambitions can keep a friendship alive for years.†They also collaborated on many songs together as well as crafting an EP last year called BNG Vol 1. Joey has been affiliated with many groups as well as rappers, one of them being Jesse “J-Dubb†Wise, who was also a New York MC who got moved to Pennsylvania. They also put together an EP with about nine songs, but was never completed because of his passing in 2006. They spent the most time honing their crafts by hanging out at their friend D’s apartment. They would freestyle every day after school over numerous beat CD’s and wouldn’t go home until they both spit a hot 16 bar verse over every beat. “That was probably the most work ever. Dubb was the hungriest rapper I knew, which in turn inspired me a lot. We had major plans to get something together…we were a good mix on the tracks…it was just too sad that he passed so quickly…I had big dreams for us, and I still do this in his memory.â€Now at the age of 19, Joey has put out plenty of material; some say he should have released a CD already. “I haven’t put anything out because I keep learning more and more about production and engineering. I want to be able to mix, master, and produce everything to my liking.†In addition to learning all he can about vocal engineering, Joey has taken up producing beats using software and his midi keyboard. “I started making beats because some of these niggas are just too damn cocky. I mean niggas act like they aint on a come up themselves. If they were more humble I would have maybe considered buying some of their beats. But fuck it, I learned how to do it myself.†When asked what keeps him motivated he takes a long pause. “Ricans haven’t had a voice in music since Big Pun died. I mean I show love to my Reggaetoneros, but not everyone listens to that all the time. It’s cool when you want to club or party, but that’s where it stops. The only dude doing it for the Latinos right now is Joell Ortiz, and that’s pretty much the only nigga doing it on the lyrical gritty east coast shit that I remember growing up.†He sits back, takes another sip out of his glass and exhales. He’s been working very hard the past two years on his long awaited and anticipated street album The Last Of The Best. “I came up with the whole The Last of the Best concept because I feel like I really am the Last of the Best. I feel that not many people my age are even in my league or fucking with me in any aspect of this music shit…bars…beats…concepts…nothing. Niggas cannot enter my arena and go bar for bar or track for track with me. I mean, I got niggas in my age bracket who I respect and who I show love to, but I’m talking about these other corny niggas who aint doing shit worth respecting. People are over saturating the game with shit they copy from other artists…granted no one can be 100% original because it’s been decades in the making, but it would be refreshing if people just did them and were more free in the way they made music. I feel like alotta these dudes forgot about the essence of rap.†EXPECT TO HEAR AN IMPECCABLE FLOW WITH WITTY LINES AND TOPICS RANGING FROM REAL LIFE STRUGGLES TO PARTYING ON AN AVERAGE DAY. HE HAS AN INTENSE BUT LAID BACK FLOW WITH A VOICE THAT’LL CATCH YOUR ATTENTION FROM THE FIRST BAR TO THE OUTRO ADLIBS. AFTER HEARING HIS MUSIC, YOU WILL SEE WHY THEY CALL HIM THE LAST OF THE BEST.Fuck A Shout Out...My Niggas All Know Who They Are...And If I Aint Ever Fuck With You...Then Im Never Going To
