J-LOVE

I'm a true master, you can check my credentials.



-Jeru Tha Damaja, Come Clean



In life, it always pays to have more than one hustle. But no one wants

to ever be considered a jack of all trades and a master of

nothing. Mastery of anything takes practice, skill and above all,

passion. Possessing all three of these traits, producer/deejay J-LOVE is

a master at preserving authentic East Coast hip-hop through his unique

mixtapes as well as producing tracks for some of hip-hops

world-renowned talent.



Revered in hip-hop for his inventive Best Of mixtape series,

J-LOVE has recently released his own compilation album,

appropriately-titled Better Your Life. The first album produced,

financed and distributed solely by a New York deejay without the backing

of a major record label, Better Your Life has not only the soulful,

gritty sound reminiscent of early 90s hip-hop but appearances by

heavyweights Nas, MOP and Cormega make this LP a rare treat. The album

delivers East Coast hip-hop at its finest, a sound that J-LOVE has

continued to preserve throughout his decade-long career. At a time when

New York hip-hop is the low man on the music industry totem pole,

J-LOVEs signature sound couldnt be more welcomed (or needed) by

hip-hop heads and artists alike. The project also showcases his talents

as a producer, with J-LOVE behind the boards on all 25 of the albums

tracks.



Born and raised in Queens, New York, J-LOVE began producing as a teen

under the tutelage of The PhatHeadz, a crew of engineers down with the

legendary Jam Master Jay. As he began to gain local notoriety for his

beat-making skills and mixtapes, he was offered a record deal in 1997

with the now-defunct Freeze Records. The teen was all set to release a

hot compilation album featuring the likes of Kool G. Rap, Brand Nubian

and Guru until Freeze Records postponed the album for unknown reasons.

Unhappy with the label politics, J-LOVE parted ways with the company

while learning a lesson that contributed to his current outlook on

todays music industry.



If you let the industry dictate your future, your legacy will be left

up to them. So I decided from the point to produce and distribute my

music on my own, he asserts.



After the getting a crash course in Industry 101 through the

experience with Freeze Records, J-LOVE never gave up. His hustle and

hard work continued, earning him numerous accolades and awards in the

process. Unknown to some, J-LOVE released a single called Rhyme

Mania featuring Large Professor, Masta Ace and Neek the Exotic that

spent 20 weeks on Billboards Rap Hot Singles Chart in July 1999. At a

time when Soundscan and Billboard numbers were not part of everyday

hip-hop conversation, this was a feat that was unheard of for anyone who

was not a commercial artist, let alone a teenager! He has also won five

Mixtape Awards: Best New Mixtape (1998), DJ Threat Award (2001), Best

Graphics (2002) and Best Underground Mixtape in both 2003 and 2004.

J-LOVE also holds production credits for every East Coast artist under

the sun including Jay-Z, Nas, Mobb Deep, 50 Cent, the late Big L and

Rakim. Many of his tracks, such as Jay-Zs This Life Forever

(Remix) and Mobb Deep feat. 50 Cent Clap Them Thangs have

become underground classics. Other celebrated lyricists such as Slick

Rick, Nas, Raekwon and Ghostface Killah have sought out the talented

producers tracks, making him one of NYCs best-kept secrets.

According to the J-LOVE, who cites his influences as DJ Premier and

Havoc and the MPC 2000 as his weapon of choice, he will quickly affirm

that he follows no formulas for success. He simply makes music without

compromise.



J-LOVE explains, I just follow what I feel. What sets my style apart

is that I take more risks for the sake of quality music.



Adding radio to his repertoire, J-LOVE can currently be heard every

Monday night from 12pm-2am on Sirius Satellite Radio channel 40 hip hop nation.



J-Love has also recently become Ghostface Killah's offical DJ, asssiting Ironman throughout the Fishscale world tour.



Also producing a second installment of Better Your Life is the follow up "Unstoppable",and on the way is Political Delayz and even MCing.

Although his mixtapes have earned him respect, recognition and a strong

fan base (many people credit him with perfecting the Best Of

mixtape), J-LOVE prefers producing and rhyming to creating street

cds. He currently has over 60 songs of his own already recorded and

plans to release his own LP, Endless Anglez as well as a project from

his artist, Meyhem. Confident, passionate and humble, J-LOVE is a real

example of how successful a leader can be in an industry where followers

seem to have all of the fun. By continuing to do it his way, J-LOVE

achieves music mastery each and every time.



(Bio written by Danielle Stolich)