JAP

Having used the mixtape circuit to draw a strong following, the artist known as Jap is no longer Atlanta’s best kept secret. This edgy lyricist is now in a position to present a brand new look to the hip-hop world with his debut album Do the Numbers. Blending gritty lyricism with a hardcore street attitude, Jap has a bold hood swagger that’s both hard enough for the fellas and appealing to the ladies. It’s a proven formula that all the greats utilize, and it has come through in his music, starting with mixtape joints like Trapped Out, Getting to the Money, Jap on Fire, Underground Railroad and Hustle then Ball, this is one artist that has fine tuned what it takes to please his audience.



To say this Atlanta emcee is talented is a gross understatement. Jap (government name Kenyan Tinsley) was born December 28, 1980 in Covington, GA. He grew up between Covington and the Eastside of Atlanta popularly known as Tha Dec. Jap’s earliest writing began with poetry at the age of eleven to impress the ladies. That poetry quickly turned into rhymes when he figured out how bars worked and began to put verses together. Following in the footsteps of those he deemed great like Tupac, Nas, Ice Cube and Scarface, Jap was dually influenced in the early 90’s by the takeover of the Atlanta music scene that birthed emcees like Out Kast and Goodie Mob. Remaining loyal to his roots Jap quickly learned how to take from all of his Influences and produce a sound that was uniquely all his own. He recorded his first song in 1996 at the age of 16 but was sidetracked by the lure of making fast money in the streets. By age 17 he had dropped out of school, was involved with drugs and was facing some serious jail time on drug related charges.



Despite his troublesome teenage years, Jap was still drawn to the music. He returned to school and received his high school diploma from Southwest Dekalb while attending Dekalb County’s Open Campus. He beat the charges and linked up with a manager which is when he decided to take his destiny into his own hands. Quickly realizing that the beats being passed along to him were not going to cut it, Jap insisted his producers teach him the art of production in order to create the sound that he was looking for. By 2003 Jap had started Sand Hill Entertainment and released his first mixtape entitled Streets of the Eastside. The project sold just shy of five thousand copies but even with meager success it gave Jap recognition and exposure to Atlanta’s underground music scene which allowed him to meet and befriend on the rise rappers Young Dro and Big Kuntry both now signed to T.I’s Grand Hustle label. From the friendship with these artist would come club bangers such as “You Know How We Get It” featuring Young Dro



Promising to maintain his street moniker, Jap successfully manages to mesh his unique rap talents with lyrical content that’s appealing to the masses throughout his music. He’s true to his crew that have kept it real and shows them love on tracks like “My Folk” which exhibit his love for his hood and his friends that have been with him threw his struggle to make it to the top. He has a sincere mindset to never forget about the people that encourage him to do what he does. While undeniablely making his mark in the game, Jap is determined to share the stage with his protégé making a conscious effort to give his artist Coon (signed to Sand Hill Entertainment in 2007) his share of the limelight. Coon is featured on such songs as “Feeling Good”, “Fast Lane” and “Showing My A**” just to name a few. Jap is ushering in a new sound and look to Atlanta Hip Hop, if not Hip Hop in general. His newest album Do the Numbers boast songs like the title track “Do the Numbers” which lets the streets know that he ain’t new to the game and “Sho Iz” featuring Gucci Mane who’s gained a popular following with hits like “So Icy” and “Go Head”.

Jap has definitely marked his territory in the rap game but realizes he has a ways to go before his name can be mentioned amongst the martyrs in the industry such as Biggie and Pac. For that reason he insists on staying away from music that leans towards fads or popular trends. He takes pride in only making tracks that provoke conscientious thought to his fans in the hood, songs that represent the hustle in the streets and music that exemplifies the struggle that every hood can relate to. Jap is one artist that you can definitely do the numbers on as he consistently laces his fans with new music like his second album Dope Boy Family scheduled for a summer ’09’ release. Jap continues to gain popularity at an astonishing rate by giving his fans what they want, that hard core street music. He shows no sign of stopping soon and from the looks of things he's just getting started.