J.Keyes

Exclusive Interview

Tell us about where you are from and how you got to this position today
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Well to start off I was born in Honolulu Hawaii on May 14, 1984. Then from there my parents decided to relocate back home to Cleveland Ohio. I decided that Tampa, FL would be a great place to begin my new life. From here I began working and looking for opportunities to network. I started rhyming at the age of 11. Inspired mostly by rappers Canibus and Tupac Shakur, I developed a love for inspirational and positive motivational stories in my lyrics. I got my first stage name Ls Tha Hustlas from rapping for people at my school. I was so good that people started calling me LS (LIVESOIL) which means living dead because everybody I rap against was getting buried so bad that I just took over the show. At the age 15, I had notebooks filled with rhymes and began to record tracks with my little brother and friends from the streets. As I got older I decided it was time for a change. I began to realize that I no longer wanted to be known as a rapper. A lot of people like me because of my laid back and smooth type of style so from there I began to think of a name that would represent me. So I came up with branding my own name which is now J.Keyes. I’m not a rapper, I’m now known as a Hip-hop fusion artist. J.Keyes is a person that everyone wants to become. Someone who can relate to the young and the old with keeping that smooth vibe and still bring that new flavor. I’m a Talented individual who plans to make a major impact on the industry in general with my creative producer skills & motivational lyrics.

Tell us more about the current song you are promoting to everyone.

“I Been On” is a song about me being already in the game. Basically the song represents me being on the grind and people just now taking notice. But on the flip side I’m telling people I been on a long time, you’re all just noticing the talent and skills of this artist.

Tell us about one of the hardest challenges you had to face in the industry?

Liars, Liars, Liars, Liars! And what do I mean by liars? People who are promising you everything they can do for you, but then end up turning out to be a scam artist or a fraud.

What was one of the biggest set backs in your career and how did you bounce back?

One of the biggest set backs I had is when I had a manager tell me I needed $1,400 to shoot a video, which I scraped up my hard earned dollars to shoot this video. Once he got the money, he picked up and left with no where to be found. It was a big set back in my life because it was a breaking point on whether I wanted to keep pursuing my music or just focus on my 9-5.

How I bounced back was I met someone who told me they could do a lot for me in the music industry. He had a vision and he was not only about talk but he was about action. He told me that my music was awesome and that I could really be a star if I stuck with it, and with the proper help I started to see results.

What are some things artists need to be careful of?

All the scams that are out there in the industry. A lot of companies say they can do things for you and will charge you for services that they can’t provide. Keep in mind that a artist must look after himself and only himself. When doing business with anyone always research the company or the person you’re going to do business with. There are a lot of people that know there’s a market for independent artists and will try to scam you out of your money to become even richer. Be very careful!

What suggestions do you have for other artists like yourself?

First of all, keep God first and never give up. This game is not for the talented, it’s for the strong individual who has determination and motivation to see his dream come to pass. Always keep networking with the people who are doing the same thing you are doing and always remain approachable (never get the big head).
- WWS MAGAZINE