Hailing from the birthplace of reggae, Jamballaz is a group on a mission to PROVE! With the music industry in desperate need of a breath of fresh air, you would think it would be easy for a group so rich in talent to find quick fame. However, the road has been long and difficult for Jamballaz and though at times it seemed hopeless, they’ve managed to keep their eyes open to their shared dream. This is a group dead set on taking the music industry by storm and with accolades from such industry legends as Shabba Ranks and an unyielding admiration for the late great musical icon Bob Marley , the light at the end of the tunnel is just about within reach.
With humble beginnings in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, the group’s founding members, Ice and Joel T, attended York Castle High School together where they first discovered their love of hip-hop. The two would often perform in ciphers where they honed their freestyle abilities and began to gain a fan following. This hype would eventually lead to the formation of JamBallaz, a hip-hop/reggae/dancehall group, and the two continued in the pursuit of their dream. They would eventually gain the attention of another aspiring artist, TY, who observed Joel T in a freestyle competition. Although TY had been rapping for some time as a hobby, it was not until this moment that he sought to pursue rap seriously. When Ice and Joel T were involved in a confrontation after a battle, TY stepped in on their behalf, firmly cementing himself as a Jamballa.
After establishing a following in Jamaica that included radio play on Jamaica’s famed Irie FM, the trio decided to move to America to begin work on their first collaborative mixtape in the summer of 2005. They settled in Paterson, New Jersey and immediately set out to prove themselves in the eyes of studio AR’s, though this road would prove difficult to say the least. They collaborated with Pyramid Sound Studios to produce their first mixtape, United Rudeboyz of Jamerica, and though there was a fair amount of buzz generated by this release, the majority being from Jamaica where it was a runaway hit, the group was still overlooked by most industry professionals in favor of other artists and projects. Even with praise from the legendary artist Shaba Ranks, who stated that the group were “the future youth†the road to fame was still quite rocky.
Over the course of the next two years, the group continued to be shelved and pushed to the back burners of hip-hop where they were either ignored or offered bogus contracts that would have them losing the majority of their profits. This, understandably, frustrated the trio to the point where others may have given up, but the group remained steadfast and continued to work, driven purely by their passion for creating music. They shaped a philosophy of creating music for everyone, believing that no one should be left out and began to work on what was to be the group’s second mixtape. Collectively, the JamBallaz don’t write music, instead choosing to formulate verses in their minds as though piecing together a puzzle and then flowing freely into the microphone once a beat is played. This ability, coupled with their drive to prove themselves in the industry allowed the mixtape to come together very quickly. However, the group was still looked over and eventually fell out of favor with Pyramid Studios due to a conflict of interests. The JamBallaz decided it best to break away from Pyramid Studios and become independent, choosing to release their mixtape, ExtraTerrestrial, on their own.
With an ever growing buzz in the streets, the mentality of the group is more focused than ever. It has now become their sole intent to prove wrong all those that chose to look over them. They’ve also begun work on a yet to be titled album that will be due out sometime in the near future. Unwavering determination and doubtless dedication will see the Jamballz straight to the top of the charts as they seek to become a new generation of legends in the music industry. As stated by Ice, “big men think big, small men think small…I am not a small manâ€.
START code to Apply Custom Contact Table
All rights reserved. You may not remove my credits.
You may not re-publish this code.
MySpace Custom Contact Table
END code to apply Custom Contact Table
