J Buzzi

Justin Buzzi realized at a young age that he was a gifted writer.

“When I was 13, I used to write poems,” said Buzzi, who grew up in Jensen Beach. “I loved those school assignments. All the other guys hated that stuff.”

That’s also the time when Buzzi started playing music; he wrote his first song at age 14. He said it was terrible, but he wishes he still had it today. The first song he was proud of came later on.

“It’s called ‘Far Away.’ It was with two of my friends and it was like the first song with meaning,” he said. “It’s on iTunes actually!”

Now, you can find the recent graduate of the University of Central Florida on social media; he has an album on iTunes and plans on releasing another in February or March. Buzzi has a SoundCloud account that features 31 songs as well as Twitter, Instagram, YouTube, and Facebook. He attributes these accounts, especially iTunes, for making people realize he was serious about music and grew his fan base.

“Yeah, iTunes was cool for me because I did it a few years back when not many independent artists knew how to get on iTunes,” he said. “It set me apart from the other local kids.”

When he first started writing he says his music was influenced by Luda, Nelly, and Lil Wayne; now, he follows Ace Hood, BoB, Kid Ink, and Meek Mill.

Buzzi says that his biggest inspiration is the idea of changing lives, like his song “Tyler.” He says that Tyler was just “some random kid” who would post pictures of Buzzi saying his music was good; one day Buzzi commented on some of the pictures and Tyler called him.

“I’m not sure how he got my number, but we talked for one-half hour,” Buzzi said. “He explained that I am kind of an idol to him, which is crazy to me, to be an idol to anyone. He seemed normal, just a little weird at times. Then one day he called me again and he told me about how he gets bullied.”

“I was just super-hurt by that because there was a point when I would tell my friends how this ‘weird kid Tyler kept calling me,’ and I realized, in a roundabout way, that I had bullied him (behind his back). I felt completely horrible about it.”JB1

“One day in Jensen Beach, it was raining and I was driving with a friend and I saw Tyler on the side of the road walking home, rapping one of my songs. So I pulled over and, before I could offer, he jumped in my car and asked for a ride home. I recorded some of the conversation (from which the snippet of his voice comes from on the track) in that car ride.”

Buzzi says that’s when he decided to make a song for him. Tyler didn’t deserve to be bullied or made fun of.

“I think being un-normal is what makes us human,” Buzzi said. “So I needed to do something for him, and music is what I am best at. It all made sense at that moment to make a song for him.”

When Buzzi sings “Thanks for changing my life, Tyler,” he means the words. Buzzi also realized how he could help someone through his music. He shot the music video at Jensen Beach High School, which he and Tyler attended.

Tyler appears in the video, and Buzzi says he “loved being a star.”

Majoring in marketing in college helped Buzzi learn the business side of music. He is opening a recording studio in Orlando and sees himself trying to make that successful as well as having it as a home for his own recording. He also hopes to open for well-known artists on nationwide tours within the next few years and hopefully have his own tour in five years.

Buzzi played at Pineapple Fest in Jensen Beach and wasn’t too nervous even though it was only his second live performance. He has hopes for playing at SunFest in West Palm Beach.

He has advice for other musicians with the same aspirations: “A lot of people try to please others. I think the fun in it for me is doing it because I love it. I love making goofy songs that no one will ever hear in their life — just because it makes me happy. Keep it fun, and don’t try to fit in because you’ll never stand out.” - The South Florida Sun

Welcome, once again, to the infamous Underground Spotlight. So, Juggalettes and Juggalos it’s time for us to check out another fresh new artist. On this edition of the spotlight we’ve got a young talent from South Florida. In fact, he’s actually from a town about five minutes from where I live. Oh, and this place sucks, in case you were wonderin’.

J. Buzzi isn’t the typical artist you would expect to make an appearance here, but you can’t deny his talent and passion. The song “Tyler” shows versatility and ability to provide a deep message in with his lyrics. Personally, I’m glad to see someone getting out of this area and pushing to do big things. Even if you’ve never seen this little town, I’m sure there are a lot of you out there that can relate to the situation.



Anyway, let’s jump into this bitch and kick off the latest Underground Spotlight.

Johnny O: So, first off for those who haven’t heard of J. Buzzi, can you tell us a little bit about yourself?

J. Buzzi: I grew up in this small town called “Jensen Beach” just north of Palm Beach, Florida. It’s one of those towns that if you get stuck there, you REALLY get stuck there. So I’ve always been determined to make something of myself. I’ve been writing songs since I was 13 and I’m now 22, so I’ve began to really perfect my craft.

JO: How would you describe your style?

JB: This is always a tough question for me, because it would be cool to compare myself to other rappers out there, but at the same time, I am my own sound. I’d consider myself a motivational rapper who’s not afraid to touch on emotional subjects. I can do big anthem/club type songs while at the same time I can slow it down and write about deep, meaningful songs that will grab your attention lyrically.

JO: Your latest video for “Tyler,” is an extremely personal tale of being bullied due to a disability, can you tell us how this track came about?

JB: Yeah, Tyler a kid that is still in high school would always post my album artwork or song artwork and tag me in it saying how he liked it a lot. At first I never really thought much of it beyond that he was just a fan. I would say thank you on his pictures and he would always reply. I never really understood something was mentally not together with him until I met him in person for the first time. It was kind of an awkward encounter at a memorial soccer game that I was playing in, and he was attending to see me play, and get a picture with me. There was a moment where Tyler actually followed me onto the field just before the game started, and I knew something wasn’t all there. At that time, I used to say like “wow why is this kid following me around” and stuff like that. But then one day I found Tyler walking home in the rain (his house was miles away); so I pulled over and decided to drive him home. I started to record a voice memo on my phone (which is where the intro of the song came from) as he was telling my friend, Joe about being bullied and me. He would get picked on so much in school that he would end up posting pictures of his arms cut up, from self-inflicted wounds. I felt like I HAD to write this song for him. And I made it personal enough to even name it HIS name. I involved him in the writing process (sending him samples of lyrics as I went) and also in the video you can see Tyler. It really opened the eyes of people in high school and he calls me about once a week now telling me how good everything is going now. I never knew how much of an impact it would actually make I was just hoping it meant something to Tyler.

JO: I personally love when music has a message, but is this something you feel is important to you?

JB: Of course! I will never release a project without having a few songs that are message-heavy. Sometimes I feel like there’s so many different emotions in life, its hard to put just one into a song. So when I feel very strongly about a certain emotion, I make sure to turn it into a song. There’s nothing cooler than having a listener tell you how much they connected with a certain song, and that’s all from the underlying message.

JO: Most recently you dropped both the, “All Work,” and “No Play,” EP’s can you tell us about those projects?

JB: These were two projects I had planned for about 6 months. I wanted to release my new music but I hadn’t finished enough for a full-length album. So I decided to make 2 shorter EP’s. I think the titles explain my attitude the most towards music. It’s beginning to get to the point where it’s turning into a business rather than just a hobby. I really think a lot deeper into every song and how to market it, sell it, give it away, get people to listen, etc. etc. So “All Work” and “No Play” kind of showcase that transition into maturing into a professional artist.



JO: Is there anything in the works for J. Buzzi right now that you can let us in on?

JB: Hell yes! I’m actually in the middle of making a full-length album. I have several songs already fully written, and a few just semi mapped out. I plan on releasing 13-16 tracks at the end of February or beginning of March as a new full length. Each week (on Tuesdays) until it’s released, I will post song artwork with the song title to give people some hints about what they can expect on the album

JO: At 22 years old you’ll no doubt work with numerous artists throughout the years, is there anyone in particular you would love to collaborate with?

JB: I’ve actually gone back and forth with Gorilla Zoe a few times on the phone about getting on a song. We are just waiting for the right one for him to get on. So hopefully that will come soon. Besides that, I’d love to work with anyone that legitimately loves music. I’d love to get Kid Ink on a song, he’s dope. There are a few other people that I’m trying to work with right now that I can’t say because I don’t want to ruin any surprises… Haha

JO: So, we both actually live right around the same area, but for those who don’t know can you tell us what the music scene is like in our part of Florida?

JB: It’s hard to explain but I’d say it’s a LOT of local artists that just make songs here-and-there as something to pass the time. A lot of it is honestly really poor quality. There’s a few local people I think have really good potential but like I said, if you get stuck there, you REALLY get stuck there. So many local kids in the rap scene just write about smoking, partying, and not remembering the previous night. It’s so one-dimensional that it’s a shame that some kids have nothing else to write about.



JO: Who would you say your inspirations have been?

JB: Recently, I have a few close friends that do music for a living and they have been a huge inspiration to me and that transition for myself. Josh Woodard – Bass player in ‘A Day To Remember’ has been a great inspiration in the way that he travels the world and will do show after show, night after night. Stephen Marro – Audio Engineer/ my producer has really been a big motivation in getting into the studio and fine-tuning all of my lyrics/songs/sound. My mom is also a huge inspiration, she will text me almost every day telling me that she’s going to be my tour bus driver one day, and she calls herself “da bus driver” haha. She’s awesome, that kind of thing motivates me to actually make that happen

JO: Who are you currently listening to?

JB: Kid Ink, Meek Mill, B.o.B, Ace Hood, Justin Bieber (seriously haha), Rick Ross. I love up-tempo music, and MMG has a great sound currently so a lot of their stuff gets played in my car.

JO: Where can fans find more of you online?

JB:

www.soundcloud.com/jbuzzi

www.facebook.com/jbuzzimusic

www.twitter.com/j_buzzi

www.youtube.com/justinbuzzi

www.jbuzzi.com

JO: We would never be where we are today with out some good people by our sides, how about a few shout outs before we end this thing?

JB: I hate when I miss some people that I should shout out but I’ll give it a shot hah. My graphics guy: Joey Jay. My engineer Stephen. My good friends that I send my songs too before anyone else just to hear their opinion: Jacob, Cal, Josh, Uncle, Sambo, and Rossco. My mom: she’s the bomb. My hype man: APO. And everyone that has helped me out along the way, it’s honestly too many people to name. I’ve been really lucky to meet some great people and work with great artists. Also, thanks to everyone at your website for being supportive of my music, that is dope!! Thank you! - Faygoluvers

J Buzzi released his vastly anticipated third album, The Only Way Out, on March 31st on iTunes, Spotify, Apple Music, Tidal, and more. The album encompasses Buzzi’s work ethic along with his unique sound. The first single, “On My Level”, has been the energetic forefront of Buzzi’s shows and continues to gain ground amongst the album. With the second single, “Came Up”, as the introduction track to the album, it’s suited well for a look at J Buzzi’s position in the industry and certainly quick to grab attention. A music video, directed by IkeyTV, for the third single “Over” is ready to be released on April 14th. This track shines light on the distance that Buzzi has come since he first started making music over 11 years ago. SdotFire produced this track and it’s certainly a must-see at a live show. This single is going to be pushed for radio. His sound is “diverse in style” which is seen throughout all eleven songs (HotNewHipHop). A few strategically placed features add depth in creative ways which highlight the underlying theme of the album. “What I’m Becoming” features songwriter/artist Fudge and will be the official fourth single and is produced by Kountdown. A music video directed by IkeyTV is scheduled to release on April 28th. Andy Sangas is the next feature on the album with an unmistakable voice and message in, “How Many More”, that resonates with just about everyone. The last featured track, “Drive”, showcases vocals from Stephen Marro & Chrissy Lora and undoubtedly leaves its mark on the album. Upcoming show dates include April 7th at Terra Fermata in Stuart, FL along with a performance at the University of Wisconsin (River Falls) on May 6th. The Only Way Out was recorded, mixed, and mastered all by Stephen Marro of Atlas Audio located in Orlando, FL. Album photography was provided by Anthony Catalano and designed by Joey Scugoza. Buzzi reflects on his creative agenda: “I’ve been constantly learning by trying new techniques and pushing my voice in different directions. The entire album is a collective piece of work that I couldn’t be more proud of. My focus as an artist remains to be consistent and relatable amongst my fans”. For more information about J Buzzi please contact JBuzziMusic@gmail.com or visit www.JBuzzi.com. - The Daily Dose

If you followed my music career from day one, you would know JBuzzi and I have some history together. I have seen this kid grow as a person and an artist. His albums always have some bangers and are full of energy. This album is his best to date in my opinion. The album has very good production and you can tell Buzzi’s flow is progressing. He really found his way in this project. There were 4 songs that really stood out to me. “Over” is a banger that he really shows how much his skills have grown. His delivery and even the metaphors and wordplay really impressed me. “The Only Way Out” was the other banger that really surprised me. He showed his ability behind the microphone in this one from the hook to the verses, introducing new flows and attacks I didn’t know Buzzi was capable of. “Drive” is a beautiful song with purpose and meaning. The collaboration work on this one is awesome; I think Stephen Marro & Chrissy Lora were a perfect fit for this song. The vibe of the song really hits you when you’re listening to it alone. Last but not least, my favorite track from the album is, “How Many More” featuring Andy Sangas. This track in my opinion is Buzzi’s best song to date. The lyrics and everything in the delivery is heartfelt. He really put it all out there for you to take in. Not to mention, Andy is one hell of a singer. Overall, I am very impressed with this album. He continues to grow his craft and I look forward to hearing more projects from JBuzzi in the future. If you are interested in checking out his work you can visit his site at https://www.jbuzzi.com. - APO