Jerms Black

The Source Magazine interviews three different independent hip hop artists from three different parts of the country that sell their music hand to hand. The article touched on their viewpoints, the highs and lows of selling their music on the streets. - The Source Magazine

The Source Magazine follows up with Jerms Black and interviews him about his new single "Da Paper" which is receiving airplay on radio, internet radio, satellite radio, college radio, podcasts, and UStream channels. - The Source Magazine

This is an interview Rago Magazine conducted in the month of October going deep in his background and what he plans to do in the future. - RagoMagazine.com

This blog gave me the underground spotlight because of my hustle and my music. - Chynaz.Corner2.Blogspot.com

Jerms Black was born on the island of St. Croix and at the tender age of 3 he moved to Brooklyn, New York and was raised in the "Do or Die" section of Bedford Stuyvesant. After becoming incarcerated, Jerms made a vow that if he was acquitted and given a second chance he would dedicate his life to music. Now this young rapper is on a whole new grind of servicing the streets, internet and stores with his independently released mixtapes and videos.
Yo! Raps links up with Jerms Black who gives us an insight look of what life was like growing up in Bed-Stuy and tells us what he brings to the table as an aspiring young rap talent.

You were raised in Bed-Stuy in Brooklyn home of rappers like Mos Def, Lil Kim, Papoose and many more. What was it like for you growing up in the "Do Or Die" section of Bed-Stuy?

For me growing up in Bed-Stuy in the 80s was kind of cool. You had genuine realness especially in Bed-Stuy. It was not a flaky area, there were no flaky individuals. Back then it seemed there were more real individuals. There were no Bloods or Crips just people thugging. People had to earn their stripes. It wasn't too bad, you knew what to expect back then. You knew what was what, nowadays if I get into problems with somebody I don't know what to expect.



How did you go about fulfilling your passion to become a rapper?



It was never really a passion; it was something I liked to do. I just love music so I just did it. I feel like music fell into my lap, God put it in my lap. So I went and learned how to do it. I stumbled a lot but I kept grinding to where I am at now.



What artists were you listening to before you got in the game and are there any artists out there that have or still continue to inspire you?



I would say 50 Cent even before How To Rob when he was signed to Columbia back in 1999, to when he was working with Nas. Back then he didn't inspire me I was just listening to him. I listen to a lot of people's first albums like Jay-Z and Biggie to name a few just to hear the rawness. I usually don't go past people's first albums; I don't do that for too many artists. But I do love 2Pac's All Eyez On Me album.



Tell us about your name Jerms Black...



It comes from a combination of my government name Jeremy and Black is what people from my hood call me. I was always fly coming up so they used to call me Pretty Black. I just dropped pretty and went with Jerms Black.



What concepts or message are you trying to get across in your music?



That's the sad part about it there is no message or concept, I make music for me. On some mixtapes I might focus on a certain state of mind I'm in. For example my Block Huggas mixtape was a statement about me hustling and having no drama. When I did my Pop Trunk mixtape I felt like I got my swagger back. I had just come home after doing a short bid in jail. As for my Pop Trunk 2 mixtape I was more laid back. Sometimes I do mixtapes just to put out songs, just to keep working. Sometimes artists do that like Jay-Z with his Vol.1 album. I read in some interviews that his heart wasn't really into it, he just put it out.



You've released many mixtapes, you have been featured on DVDs, worked with artists like Nappy Roots, Spliff Star and had tracks produced by The Heatmakerz, have you been getting any exposure and response from radio and media outlets?



No, I haven't at least I don't think so. I'm looking for that look starting with Yo! Raps, hopefully after this word will spread!



There are a lot of up and coming artists out there putting out physical or downloadable mixtapes, what route(s) are you taking to be original and stand out from the rest?



None, there is no originality in hip hop. I think everything that can be done has been done honestly. I just want to keep doing what I am doing putting out good music hopefully people will catch and start to support me.



Being an independent artist isn't always an easy game what keeps you motivated?



I'm not motivated right now. There is no energy that makes me feel like I want to go in. What I hear is just weak and it doesn't feel like it's something I want to do. I want to be involved, to show people I got it but to me there is no genuine hip hop energy. Nobody makes me want to get busy on the mic. It's like Michael Jordan playing against a high school player. In basketball when Kobe plays Lebron, they both know they have to bring their A game. If I'm rapping and they aren't saying anything why compete. People feel like they need stupid jewellery, colourful chains, crusted ice, and fake platinum.



Have you had any interest from any major labels or do you just want to keep it independent until the time is right for you to go that route?



I got interest in major labels. My number one label would be G-Unit, but not because of G-Unit the brand and to be associated with them. Really it's to work with a guy like 50 Cent who - YORAPS.COM

[added July 29th, 2010]: Give a listen to some fellow TuneCore artists in this week's Staff Picks Playlist, including a wide range of artists such as, Jerms Black, Nick Dragistic, Ivan Ives, Ratti Morgan, Ben Rector, Giant Panda Guerilla Dub Squad, The Cheeksters, Sonia Leigh, Danielle Ate the Sandwich, and The Heavy Pets. Enjoy! - Tunecore.com

Jul 05, 2010 – Up and coming rapper JERMS BLACK from Brooklyn, New York has released his newest song called "Da Paper" under his label Taking Paper Music. Being the flagship and currently the only artist for the label he plans to make a big impact with his single which samples Milk Dee's voice from the group Audio Two.
"Hip-Hop has always been about hunger. The hunger to rock the crowd. The hunger to get signed says Jerms. The hunger for a better life. My music is a raw form of art that is waiting to get heard. Please listen to my music with a open ear and a true understanding of the hip hop culture."
The song which already being played on various internet radio shows and by terrestial djs like Power 105.1's DJ Self and DJ Prostyle. It will soon be available for purchase on stores like Itunes, and Amazon.
JERMS BLACK has released 13 mixtapes and has worked with platinum producers like the Heatmakerz, and Easy Mo Bee and also has worked with platinum artists like the Nappy Roots. His newest song "Da Paper" contains a sample from fellow Brooklyn rapper/legend Milk Dee from the group Audio Two from their second single titled "I Get The Papers" from their second album "I Don't Care". Jerm's newest single is a dedication to the pioneering group Audio Two and the hip hop culture.
For more information you can visit Jerms' myspace,facebook,twitter,and youtube pages.
Bio
Jeremy Naughton a.k.a. Jerms Black was born on the island of St.Croix and moved to the United States when he was 3 years old to Brooklyn, New York where has resided since. He was raised in the “Do or Die” section of Bedford Stuyvesant. As a youth, Jeremy fell to the lure of the streets. “I was about getting money however possible, money was my motivation. I never wanted to promote the violence but in some situations it was necessary. Selling drugs was a day to day hustle but my hands were on everything.” He found himself facing charges that could have sent him away for the rest of his adult life. While incarcerated he made a vow to himself that if acquitted and given a second chance, he would change his life and dedicate himself to music. Fortunately Jeremy was acquitted and has kept his pledge since. Jeremy’s introduction to music can be traced back to his older brother, who was an aspiring reggae artist. Through the interaction with his brother, he discovered his passion for music. Jeremy fell in love with hip hop, started rapping and took on the name Jerms Black which was a combination of his name and what people used to call him in his neighborhood “Pretty Black”. “I’m a hip hop head going back to Digital Underground. Nice & Smooth was the group that had me open. Their sound, flavor, and melodies were so dope.” Since the acquittal, Jerms Black has released his own mixtapes and videos independently. “Selling my music independently is a grind. The drive keeps me going of wanting to give people fresh music and let them know I’m still working. It’s also hard because it is repetitive; there can be some really good days and some really bad days. Selling my music coincides with my passion for hip hop like hearing an instrumental and developing a concept. Part of my inspiration comes when people tell me they enjoy my music.” Jerms Black has worked with many famous rappers such as the Nappy Roots and famous producers such as the Heatmakerz and Mr.Fingaz. He has also appeared on many mixtapes and street DVDs.

Contact
Lou
JermsBlackPromo@yahoo.com

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Taking Paper Music is a label started by Jerms Black for him to take a more hands on/business approach. He is the only artist currently on the label. He has released as his first single Da Paper which samples Milk Dee's I Get The Papers of the group Audio Two, from their second album I Don't Care. - PRLOG.ORG

I was emailed some info on this artist Jerms Black. I never heard of him before but the music bangs so peep it out. He has a future in music. I'm still searching for new talent the world hasn't heard yet. I'm on a mission.
Peace - SpateMag.com

Jerms Black, born in St. Croix, grew up in Bed-Stuy Brooklyn, falling to the temptation of hustling and the illegalities that can come with street life in BK. While incarcerated, Jerms vowed to keep his life on on straight path if he was spared an extensive bid. That opportunity arrived in the form of an acquittal, and according to his bio, Jerms Black has since stuck to his vow, pursuing the legal high that comes with creating and independently distributing music.

In the years Jerms has been building his craft, he has crossed paths with artists such as Nappy Roots and producers such as Easy Mo Bee, and made appearances on several show stages and many mixtapes. His single, “Da Paper,” is currently available on iTunes, and can be heard in the snippit below.

Also, check out “My Life,” a studdering-vocal, Heatmakerz-produced head-nodder that showcases Jerms’ lyrics and firmly precise delivery. - BirthplaceMag.com

H the Great is leaning on the wall of the Union Square Virgin Megastore with a stack of homemade pressed CDs. In his hiphop costume of oversized urban street apparel, the Great is chatting up a doughy Puerto Rican kid with an extra-large red and white pinwheel ball cap and black electrician jacket.

"Yo, I make beats. I go to the school down there," the Puerto Rican kid says, pointing down the block to the Institute of Audio Research.

"Yeah," says H. "You should listen to my CD."

The Puerto Rican kid takes a look at the Great's merchandise while telling him about the production equipment he has.

"We should get in contact wit each otha. Gimme ya email." The Puerto Rican kid scribbles down an address and hands H a fiver for the CD.

H the Great has been out here almost every day this week, hustling The All Out LP, a self-produced hiphop album. Like other artists trying to break into the music biz—or, more specifically, the overcrowded New York City hiphop scene—H is better off selling his music on the street than trying to score a recording contract.

A Bed-Stuy native, H, whose real name is Hamza, has been traveling the country, performing at small hiphop shows to promote his product. "I sold my CDs hand to hand in DC, Tampa, Boston, Chicago...all over. You might find me on your corner tomorrow." While it hasn't brought him mainstream success or a distributor yet, he says, it has allowed him to eat and continue working on music.

There are many kids like H out here today. Jerms Black has a Walkman with him. He asks everyone passing the entrance to Virgin, "Hey, you like good hiphop?" Most keep walking, ignoring his sales pitch, but a few smile and put one headphone on to hear Jerms Black do his thing.

The Great has spotted a few college-age kids walking out of Virgin with shopping bags. He pushes himself off the wall and tries a fan favorite pitch: "Stop! In the name of hiphop!" The kids turn and listen to H tell his story. Both look at the CD, but pass, claiming they have no cash on them.

The Great says he has better luck outside of New York City selling The All Out LP. That's why he's traveling the country and using the contacts he makes on the internet to perform in other places.

"This is a real funny market. There are a lotta politics goin' on here that make it extremely difficult for the average up-and-coming artist to break through. Luckily, I ain't average."
- NYPress.com

Everyone in New York has a hustle. The elevator guy on Park Ave. that has the drug hook-up; the female intern that wears the short skirts with hopes of making it fulltime with benefits; the business executive that takes his Japanese clients to the strip club in order to close the business deal.

Then there are the guys that push self-published CDs. If you’ve shopped in one of the many major music chains lately, then you’ve probably encountered them. They are not to be confused with the bootleggers that hawk burned copies of the latest pop and hip-hop releases. These guys come well equipped with the strong-armed sales pitch, the delivery peppered with street slang, the negotiable CD price.

The answer to the first question people usually ask is: Yes there is music on the discs. But what is it that motivates these guys? El Blogatisto took to the streets to find out what the deal was documentary style.

Armed with an ancient Sony Cyber-shot we went out to Virgin Megastore at ten at night, shot ten minutes of footage, spent ten bucks, and *edited the results in one night. Here is the first installment of a series of guerilla documentaries on El Blogavision. It’s a little over three minutes long, and at 44 MB, probably requires a bit of download time (we’re working on a more compressed version as we ’speak’).

The subject of the doc is Jerms Black, an NYC huslter that refuses wait for his moment in the hip-hop spotlight to arrive, he’s gonna go out and get it. He paces the bit of pavement in front of the Virgin Mega store, confronting potential clients with a question that’s hard to say no to: “Yo, you like hip-hop?”

In the studio Jerms sounds a bit like another Black rapper, Black Rob. The best song on the album is Gutter Bread (w/ Nappy Roots), but we noticed that though it’s on Jerms’ album, he is actually the ‘featured’ artist on the track. The runner-up is Black & Hollow (w/ Hollow) that features a beat that’s easy on the grime and generous with the bounce. A downloadable version of the song will be available on El Blogatisto soon (but don’t hold your breath).

We promise that the next installment of Guerilla Doc will be shot during the daytime, and with a much more fancy camera.

Enjoy! - OpenDezign.com