D.JaE RooTs

My man Jamar recently dropped his Fresh Produce mixtape. I have listen and i like it. Its 17 tracks of good, wholesome hip-hop music. Fresh blood in the game. He got skills. So download this tape and show him some love. - http://vibesource.wordpress.com/

My man Jamar recently dropped his Fresh Produce mixtape. I have listen and i like it. Its 17 tracks of good, wholesome hip-hop music. Fresh blood in the game. He got skills. So download this tape and show him some love. - http://vibesource.wordpress.com/

Chevon sat down to get the scoop on the life and times of one J.Nolan, whose latest mixtape is a solid gold representation of the fine art of lyricism. Read on for the deets.
What did you have for breakfast (or lunch) today?



I normally don't eat breakfast, but for lunch I had some grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. Courtesy of my dad.

If you had to take one CD on a desert island- which one would it be?



That's a tough one, lol. I would have to say whatever my latest material is. As of today, it would be "Fresh Produce" by J.Nolan...me.

When you stop and think about it, how do you see yourself in 10 years?



In 10 years, I'd like to be thanking and patting myself on the back for all the hard work that created success. I'd only be 29 so I'd definitely like to be one of the iconic figures in pop culture. Platinum records and all that jazz. The main focus is to obtain a wealthy situation for my family and to create opportunites for myself and others.

Who do you consider your peers (in the game) to be?



There's not too many people that I can call peers as of now. I have Manifest, which is the group I'm in. That consists of me, my cousin Yung B Da Producer, and my best friend Osiris>The Prophet. I function as a solo artist due to circumstances that I won't speak on. Outside of them there's Concept, FreshBoy Spit, LowKey Riez, and Young Ramadan. We all went to high school together so there's a sense of camaraderie between us. I think the door is open for us all. The newest additions would be D.Jae Roots and all of the producers that I work with.

What is your earliest memory of hip hop?



My introduction to hip-hop was through MC Hammer and Kris Kross. They were the first artists that I knew by name and song. I was only like 3 or 4 years old.

Have you ever performed with a live band? If not- would you consider it?



Performing with a live band is on my to-do list. The energy is just so authentic and real. I'm a drum fanatic even though I can't play. Real instruments can't be duplicated.

Describe a typical day in the life of J. Nolan.



My average day is kind of corny, to be honest. My core audience is on myspace so I'm on there virtually all day. The internet is so important now. I'm on a bunch of sites throughout the day referring people to my myspace page. I treat it like an office job that I run from home. lol

How do you perfect your flow?



The perfection of flow is impossible. However, I do write as much as possible to make sure that I'm putting out the best work possible out to the people. I listen to certain artists that keep me excited about hip-hop and try to outdo them somehow.

What is your Educational history/background?



I never really had plans to go to college. I graduated high school and went into pursuing the dream. I've been out of school for a full year now. I like to think that I'm exceptionally intelligent though.

How influential is soul music to you?



Soul music is a huge influence. Its more influential than hip-hop to me, personally. The samples in my music play just as big of a role as my lyrics because they convey feelings that determine what I have to say. Soul music was never just about one thing or something that could be put into a box. The messages were reflections of life in the truest form. I try to make sure that I incorporate those elements into my music.

Do you have another talent (besides writing) that your fans find surprising or humorous?



Like anyone else, I'm into sports and I have a sense of humor. I'm not one of those "rappers" that's programmed into being tough as an image. I watch cartoons from time to time and I'm a serious bowler. I've been bowling for 12 years now. People are shocked by that.

Describe your family background.



My family is widely separated. Everyone gets along from a distance, but I've never really had the family-oriented household that some people did. I lived with my mother all my life and I was with my dad on weekends and holidays. I've never lived with my siblings because we have different moms. I feel like my future success will bring everyone closer together.

What can you tell us about your [Fresh Produce] mixtape?



[Fresh Produce] has been in the works since January. I had been accepting beats from various producers and didn't even have a place to record the songs at. D.Jae Roots and I linked up in March and began recording in April. I had a few different titles for the mixtape and chose [Fresh Produce] right before I met Roots. Its basically the seed I planted to begin my career as a full-time recording artist. I did two songs with Concept on the mixtape. Besides that, there are no other guest appearances. D.Jae Roots' brother Yung Block did some additional vocals for the hook on "Price Check." The main producers are Flawless Tracks and Kev The Sureshot. Two of the more popular songs from the tape were produced by Epic Instrumentals. He did - http://www.sourban.net/Welcome-to-the-J-Nolan-Interview

Chevon sat down to get the scoop on the life and times of one J.Nolan, whose latest mixtape is a solid gold representation of the fine art of lyricism. Read on for the deets.
What did you have for breakfast (or lunch) today?



I normally don't eat breakfast, but for lunch I had some grilled hotdogs and hamburgers. Courtesy of my dad.

If you had to take one CD on a desert island- which one would it be?



That's a tough one, lol. I would have to say whatever my latest material is. As of today, it would be "Fresh Produce" by J.Nolan...me.

When you stop and think about it, how do you see yourself in 10 years?



In 10 years, I'd like to be thanking and patting myself on the back for all the hard work that created success. I'd only be 29 so I'd definitely like to be one of the iconic figures in pop culture. Platinum records and all that jazz. The main focus is to obtain a wealthy situation for my family and to create opportunites for myself and others.

Who do you consider your peers (in the game) to be?



There's not too many people that I can call peers as of now. I have Manifest, which is the group I'm in. That consists of me, my cousin Yung B Da Producer, and my best friend Osiris>The Prophet. I function as a solo artist due to circumstances that I won't speak on. Outside of them there's Concept, FreshBoy Spit, LowKey Riez, and Young Ramadan. We all went to high school together so there's a sense of camaraderie between us. I think the door is open for us all. The newest additions would be D.Jae Roots and all of the producers that I work with.

What is your earliest memory of hip hop?



My introduction to hip-hop was through MC Hammer and Kris Kross. They were the first artists that I knew by name and song. I was only like 3 or 4 years old.

Have you ever performed with a live band? If not- would you consider it?



Performing with a live band is on my to-do list. The energy is just so authentic and real. I'm a drum fanatic even though I can't play. Real instruments can't be duplicated.

Describe a typical day in the life of J. Nolan.



My average day is kind of corny, to be honest. My core audience is on myspace so I'm on there virtually all day. The internet is so important now. I'm on a bunch of sites throughout the day referring people to my myspace page. I treat it like an office job that I run from home. lol

How do you perfect your flow?



The perfection of flow is impossible. However, I do write as much as possible to make sure that I'm putting out the best work possible out to the people. I listen to certain artists that keep me excited about hip-hop and try to outdo them somehow.

What is your Educational history/background?



I never really had plans to go to college. I graduated high school and went into pursuing the dream. I've been out of school for a full year now. I like to think that I'm exceptionally intelligent though.

How influential is soul music to you?



Soul music is a huge influence. Its more influential than hip-hop to me, personally. The samples in my music play just as big of a role as my lyrics because they convey feelings that determine what I have to say. Soul music was never just about one thing or something that could be put into a box. The messages were reflections of life in the truest form. I try to make sure that I incorporate those elements into my music.

Do you have another talent (besides writing) that your fans find surprising or humorous?



Like anyone else, I'm into sports and I have a sense of humor. I'm not one of those "rappers" that's programmed into being tough as an image. I watch cartoons from time to time and I'm a serious bowler. I've been bowling for 12 years now. People are shocked by that.

Describe your family background.



My family is widely separated. Everyone gets along from a distance, but I've never really had the family-oriented household that some people did. I lived with my mother all my life and I was with my dad on weekends and holidays. I've never lived with my siblings because we have different moms. I feel like my future success will bring everyone closer together.

What can you tell us about your [Fresh Produce] mixtape?



[Fresh Produce] has been in the works since January. I had been accepting beats from various producers and didn't even have a place to record the songs at. D.Jae Roots and I linked up in March and began recording in April. I had a few different titles for the mixtape and chose [Fresh Produce] right before I met Roots. Its basically the seed I planted to begin my career as a full-time recording artist. I did two songs with Concept on the mixtape. Besides that, there are no other guest appearances. D.Jae Roots' brother Yung Block did some additional vocals for the hook on "Price Check." The main producers are Flawless Tracks and Kev The Sureshot. Two of the more popular songs from the tape were produced by Epic Instrumentals. He did - http://www.sourban.net/Welcome-to-the-J-Nolan-Interview

#1 J. Nolan (Reppin' Connecticut/Georgia)

Hip-hop is about the future. Without new artists breaking onto the scene the game would be lost, gone the way of jazz before it. That’s why this site will have a large emphasis on up and coming talent. An unsigned hype kind of column. This week I came across J. Nolan from Connecticut (I’ll refrain from Ken Kaniff jokes) who has just released a new mixtape called ‘Fresh Produce’ independently. I’ll admit I was sceptical when I listened to the tape for the first time but when I heard how the Shaft theme was flipped on the opening track ‘Going All Out’ I paid attention.

Not only is the production high quality but Nolan displays a great flow, breath control and overall delivery. His rhymes tend to lean towards bravado with a lot of attention paid to multi’s rather than thoughtful moments, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. A defining moment comes on ‘Dead Presidents Revisited’, a great flip of the Jay-Z classic, on which he rhymes, ‘What was once literal is now hypothetical, dudes tote guns in the streets which I’d never do, unless I felt threatened to, which would be incredible’. On ‘Dead Presidents’ he shows great skill in terms of tongue twisting alliteration and a very slick flow.

The well packed flow gets a little annoying after a while with a lack of things to talk about, but the feeling on ‘Why So Sad’ makes up for it. There are more highlights, like the final track ‘Easier Said Than Done’ on which Nolan rhymes ‘Try to be a role model for younger dudes, even though graduation’s the only time I touched a suit’ over a lively bouncing soundscape. Overall, it’s an enjoyable affair, but with a lack of subject matter it gets one dimensional at times. One thing can be sure though, with the amount of raw skill and some more life experience (he isn’t out of his teens yet after all) J. Nolan could craft a great hip-hop album.

The mixtape [Fresh Produce] is available for free download from this link :

http://www.zshare.net/download/13323318ca524c37/

I caught up with J. Nolan earlier this week to ask him his opinions on rap music and ask him where his future lies, amongst other things.

Chris - You seem to have a raw flow, which is based highly on lyricism. What do you think of where hip-hop is going today, away from the lyrical side?

J. Nolan - Its definitely a different atmosphere as far as lyricism these days. Rappers are dumbing down in order to play it safe for they think the fans can handle. Its unfair for everyone. Not to mention that the fun is being taken away from creating something that people can honestly relate to.

C - What are you own goals for your career?

J - Right now, I'm trying to see where this [Fresh Produce] mixtape movement will take me. I plan to be around for quite some time and on a large scale too. I'm just taking it one step at a time and hopefully this mixtape will catch some attention from people in the industry that can speed up my process. I'll probably do a couple more mixtapes before I start trying to do an album.

C - You can handle a whole mixtape by yourself so where does your work with Manifest stand?
J - The group situation is still there with Manifest.Its just certain factors that keep us from making music together. Yung B Da Producer is living in Colorado and Osiris> The Prophet is balancing out the other things that he wansts to accomplish. I'll be working with Yung B on a project called "The Up-Bringing 2.0" pretty soon.

C - What were you going for on this album? There is alot of Big L like bragging, but then you switch it up with tracks like 'Easier Said Than Done'. How do you see yourself as an artist?

J - [Fresh Produce] is a melting pot of what makes me who I am through music. Its 100% J.Nolan with no preservatives. Hip-hop has always been about bragging so it may seem like I'm being self-endulgent on some tracks. I'm really just being true to the game. I have the deeper songs like "Easier Said Than Done" where I can more open and vulnerable but still keep my swagger right to captivate the listeners. It's very balanced.

C - What is the hip-hop scene like in Connecticut, or where you're staying in Georgia nowadays? Is it hard to get noticed?

J - In Connecticut , the market is very small. The scene is not dead but no on is really checking for the next big thing to come out of CT. The industry is thriving in Georgia on the mainstream level. There's a solid underground scene here too. However, those two worlds don't intermingle...its just too much politics involved and the difference of taste is very evident. I think I'm the closest one to being able to bridge the gap because I know people that listen to Soulja Boy that can turn on a J.Nolan record and love it...and its not just because they know me either. People are smart enough to understand the difference in artistic vision. Its still a tough market to break through though because people feel that they have to be the next - http://life-instereo.blogspot.com/2008/06/fresh-skillz.html

#1 J. Nolan (Reppin' Connecticut/Georgia)

Hip-hop is about the future. Without new artists breaking onto the scene the game would be lost, gone the way of jazz before it. That’s why this site will have a large emphasis on up and coming talent. An unsigned hype kind of column. This week I came across J. Nolan from Connecticut (I’ll refrain from Ken Kaniff jokes) who has just released a new mixtape called ‘Fresh Produce’ independently. I’ll admit I was sceptical when I listened to the tape for the first time but when I heard how the Shaft theme was flipped on the opening track ‘Going All Out’ I paid attention.

Not only is the production high quality but Nolan displays a great flow, breath control and overall delivery. His rhymes tend to lean towards bravado with a lot of attention paid to multi’s rather than thoughtful moments, but there’s absolutely nothing wrong with that. A defining moment comes on ‘Dead Presidents Revisited’, a great flip of the Jay-Z classic, on which he rhymes, ‘What was once literal is now hypothetical, dudes tote guns in the streets which I’d never do, unless I felt threatened to, which would be incredible’. On ‘Dead Presidents’ he shows great skill in terms of tongue twisting alliteration and a very slick flow.

The well packed flow gets a little annoying after a while with a lack of things to talk about, but the feeling on ‘Why So Sad’ makes up for it. There are more highlights, like the final track ‘Easier Said Than Done’ on which Nolan rhymes ‘Try to be a role model for younger dudes, even though graduation’s the only time I touched a suit’ over a lively bouncing soundscape. Overall, it’s an enjoyable affair, but with a lack of subject matter it gets one dimensional at times. One thing can be sure though, with the amount of raw skill and some more life experience (he isn’t out of his teens yet after all) J. Nolan could craft a great hip-hop album.

The mixtape [Fresh Produce] is available for free download from this link :

http://www.zshare.net/download/13323318ca524c37/

I caught up with J. Nolan earlier this week to ask him his opinions on rap music and ask him where his future lies, amongst other things.

Chris - You seem to have a raw flow, which is based highly on lyricism. What do you think of where hip-hop is going today, away from the lyrical side?

J. Nolan - Its definitely a different atmosphere as far as lyricism these days. Rappers are dumbing down in order to play it safe for they think the fans can handle. Its unfair for everyone. Not to mention that the fun is being taken away from creating something that people can honestly relate to.

C - What are you own goals for your career?

J - Right now, I'm trying to see where this [Fresh Produce] mixtape movement will take me. I plan to be around for quite some time and on a large scale too. I'm just taking it one step at a time and hopefully this mixtape will catch some attention from people in the industry that can speed up my process. I'll probably do a couple more mixtapes before I start trying to do an album.

C - You can handle a whole mixtape by yourself so where does your work with Manifest stand?
J - The group situation is still there with Manifest.Its just certain factors that keep us from making music together. Yung B Da Producer is living in Colorado and Osiris> The Prophet is balancing out the other things that he wansts to accomplish. I'll be working with Yung B on a project called "The Up-Bringing 2.0" pretty soon.

C - What were you going for on this album? There is alot of Big L like bragging, but then you switch it up with tracks like 'Easier Said Than Done'. How do you see yourself as an artist?

J - [Fresh Produce] is a melting pot of what makes me who I am through music. Its 100% J.Nolan with no preservatives. Hip-hop has always been about bragging so it may seem like I'm being self-endulgent on some tracks. I'm really just being true to the game. I have the deeper songs like "Easier Said Than Done" where I can more open and vulnerable but still keep my swagger right to captivate the listeners. It's very balanced.

C - What is the hip-hop scene like in Connecticut, or where you're staying in Georgia nowadays? Is it hard to get noticed?

J - In Connecticut , the market is very small. The scene is not dead but no on is really checking for the next big thing to come out of CT. The industry is thriving in Georgia on the mainstream level. There's a solid underground scene here too. However, those two worlds don't intermingle...its just too much politics involved and the difference of taste is very evident. I think I'm the closest one to being able to bridge the gap because I know people that listen to Soulja Boy that can turn on a J.Nolan record and love it...and its not just because they know me either. People are smart enough to understand the difference in artistic vision. Its still a tough market to break through though because people feel that they have to be the next - http://life-instereo.blogspot.com/2008/06/fresh-skillz.html