J-Bo Interview

DJ Booth:  What’s good ya’ll?  It’s your boy “Z” doin’ it real big on DJBooth.net.  Joining me on the phone, reppin’ the ATL, is one half of the group the Youngbloodz.  Please welcome my man, J-Bo.  How ya doin’?

J-Bo:  What’s goin’ on man?  You know I just been workin’ man—what’s happening?

DJ Booth:  I know you have been very busy, and we’re going to cover what you’ve been doing over the past couple of months; but first we need to clear the air for all your fans, and fans of the Youngbloodz.  Are you and Sean P simply branching out and doin’ the solo thing, or are you both goin’ solo for good and this the beginning of the end for the Young Bloodz? 

J-Bo:  We doin’ are solo things for right now.  We still makin’ paper, and got our contracts, on Jive records.  You know they not gonna let us go, because we makin’ a lot of money [for them.]  For the Youngbloodz, you should see something comin’ up early next year, 2008.  But for now in 07,  I got my hands in everything man.  For me, I got the mixtape I’m pushin’, out in Atlanta, Texas, and a lot of other places.

DJ Booth:  Let’s talk about this mixtape.  It’s called “Still Against The Grain.”  You’ve got a lot of people on it, but the focus is on you as a soloist.  Tell us what it’s like recording, without Sean P? 

J-Bo:  Going solo, you can actually get more creative.  You don’t have to really sit down [with someone,] and decide if you like it or not, it’s easier.  So right now we trying to explore who is ‘J-Bo’, and it’s beautiful.

DJ Booth:  Fans might not know that besides rapping, you also do production.  You dipped your hands in the cookie jar on this mixtape, and your [upcoming] brand new album.  What is the more satisfying of the two?  Being able to rap, or going behind the scenes and producing?

J-Bo:  Everybody knows J-Bo, labeled as a rapper, even though; I can actually produce.  But I’ve been producin’ for a minute now!  I love both of them, my rap, I’ve elevated; and stepped it up.  I’m goin’ to the left instead of the right.  In terms of production style, don’t expect a Youngbloodz sound, because it’s gonna be something completely different.  Expect the unexpected. 

DJ Booth:  A song on the mixtape, “Going Hard,” also the title of your new album, is really what its all about in the industry.  Do you find it challenging, knowing that if you ever slip up or take time off, there are ten hungry artists waiting right behind you?

J-Bo:  Yes, exactly, if somebody don’t see you it’s-out-of-sight-and-out-of-mind, but in my case, I’ve been writing, and producing—I got my hands in everything.  It’s real beautiful to step away, without giving’ up doin’ what I love to do.  Lately, I have [put my time into] an alternative rock group called “White Monkey.” 

DJ Booth:  Okay, before I go any further, you mentioned you actually have a group, and they’re called “White Monkey.”  What made you want to be so musically diverse and also do rock?

J-Bo:  I love music.  It was never rap when I was growin’ up.  MTV just started.  There wasn’t a BET. Late at night I used to watch Night Tracks on VH1.  I love any music, if it sounds good.  Back then they had Paul McCartney, Michael Jackson and a lot of other old rock groups.  Being apart of the YB, I couldn’t get into those different things that I could now.  Look out for an artist of mine, Skye, who sings and another artist named Young Dirty.  Different sounds.  I can’t complain.

DJ Booth:  You had me reminiscing for a second.  I remember when they actually had videos on MTV, and not just shows about teenagers in California.

J-Bo:  Exactly!!

DJ Booth:  For someone to pick up your mixtape, or your CD [when it drops], when they listen to J-Bo (as a solo artist) what is something they will be able to pick up on, that is different, from when you recorded as a part of the Youngbloodz?

J-Bo:  I got tracks that touch on certain bases I would just never do with him [Sean P.]

DJ Booth:  The last few albums that you’ve pushed, as a part of the Youngbloodz, have not been promoted very well by your label, Jive.  It seems like they’ve done a hell of a job promoting Pop and R&B artists such as Justin Timberlake, Ciara, R. Kelly, and Chris Brown…but not in terms of promoting Hip Hop artists.  Is Jive not the right place to be for Hip-Hop artists?

J-Bo:  Yeah, you’re right about that.  Basically, as far as the Youngbloodz, we did albums through another label for our first album, but for our second album, we went to Jive.  LA Reid signed our contract and everything.  It’s like you say, Jive is not known as a Hip-Hop label, [especially] now that they got so many different artists over there.  They’re not lookin’ out for the Youngbloodz.  With Jive you can do any music, [but] you need to know how to do your own business. 

DJ Booth:  Now going the independent route (with Universal doing distribution), do you regret not making a move like this sooner in your career? 

J-Bo:  No, right now I’m blessed.  I have to live right, and I want to tell everybody, if you don’t live right, you won’t get your blessings.  If you wonder why you have bad luck, and bad things happen every day, it’s because you not livin’ right, and not blessed.  Everything happens for a reason.

DJ Booth:  Exactly, I believe you.  That’s why earlier, I canceled an interview, just to make sure I was on the phone with you, because everything does happen for a reason.  I knew something special was about to happen, and that’s proof in the bag.

J-Bo: [laughing] Exactly, there you go.   

DJ Booth:  One of the biggest singles you guys had, as the Youngbloodz, was “Presidential.”  If you were given the chance to hold down a position as a high ranking government official in Washington, what would you change, that bothers the hell out of you?

J-Bo:  I’d stop the war in the Middle East, and bring my soldiers home!!  We need to stop this war because there are a lot of things goin’ on that people don’t see.  I’m not naïve.  I’m smart.  The things they show in those movies actually happen in real life.  So I’d stop war for one, and I’d try to make peace.  STOP all the extreme violence.  It’s just a lot goin’ on.  Life is too short. 

DJ Booth:  Illinois Senator and a friend of mine Barack Obama is running for President.  Does he have a shot to be the first black president of the United States? 

J-Bo:  I think he has a shot, but who knows.  It’s hard to tell when you in that type of atmosphere.  He might make it, but who knows what might happen?

DJ Booth:  Lets shift the focus back to your up and coming album, “Going Hard.”  Where can fans find out more about the release and pick up a copy of your new mixtape?

J-Bo:  I’m gonna have in it online; people can just go to my Myspace page, and get a free copy.  I got my album comin’ up real soon, end of summer.

DJ Booth:  Beautiful! Give your web address so fans can find out more.

J-Bo:  http://www.myspace.com/herringbonejones

DJ Booth:  I wish you nothing but the best of luck on this solo endeavor.

J-Bo:  Hey “Z” thank you, I really appreciate it man.