Photo courtesy of Rap J
Rap J
Rap J
Where he parts company with most other music makers is the impetus that compels him. “My biggest motivation is to show people that cerebral palsy does not define me or my ability to create,” says Rap J, whose wheelchair brings him to both the recording studio and concert stage.
The next stage he will grace is Anodyne Coffee Roasting Co.'s Walker's Point location at 6 p.m. Sunday, Aug. 24 for a show to celebrate the release of his third album, Limitless. Backing up J will be DJ Dscribe, and opening the date will be Ace Parker and Riz.
Since he doesn't let his physical limitations impede his artistic pursuits, he takes his position as a role model and inspiration seriously. “To think that I'm inspiring others the way my heroes did for me is insane but I take the role seriously and I am honored to be that for people." J remarks. As for those heroes he cites, he discovered his first big one—The Notorious B.I.G., in fact—in his grade school days.
“I remember hearing Biggie for the first time on my auntie's radio." J recalls. "I had to be six years old, seeing the way my family reacted to him really inspired me. They were shouting, dancing, and just having a great time! In that moment, I knew that I wanted to bring that joy to people from rapping myself." Not much later in his youth, J was blown away by Lil Wayne.
Blown Away
“I found out about Lil Wayne around the same time, hanging out with my cousins. I'm a big fan of his style and how he puts bars together so effortlessly,” he says. J's own flow reflects those influences of his, reflecting Biggie Smalls' buttery oratory smoothness and Wayne's balance of hyperactivity and ease at the microphone. But J not only cites world-beating figures in his genre; he wants to work with current innovators, too.
|
|
“The dream collab would be Tyler, The Creator,” J beams. In the meanwhile, Limitless is “the most collaborative project I've ever made. I have features with Riz, Tae the Don, Charlotte Webb and Betty Mauritz from the Gold Steps. All of these are first-time collabs, and I'm so excited to share it with the people." Other local vocalists with whom he would like to create include singer-songwriter Amara (with whom J played an Anodyne date last year), Maximiano, and the aforementioned Ace Parker. All the collaborating he does on Limitless comes alongside the greatest musical diversity on a Rap J long-player, too.
“The beat choice in this album has more variety as well, from quick and up-tempo fun tracks to slower smooth songs,” he affirms. Furthermore, keeping with how he came to hip-hop in a family setting, Limitless is fit for all-ages listening.
“I can confirm that Limitless is 100 percent clean. One of my goals as an artist is to make music that is digestible for everyone. Profanity can be good when used in the proper context, like an exclamation point. I believe that if you overdo it, some people will lose sense of the message you're trying to convey. For me, the message comes first in music," J says of wanting to keep his work relatable to the broadest audience possible.
Broad Reach
The broad reach J wants to make isn't confined to keeping his vocabulary in check. He has already played Summerfest's WAMI stage “it meant the world to perform there,” he shares of what he deems his proudest professional accomplishment so far. “Future goals include booking my first out of city gig, performing at a Bucks halftime show, and playing at Lambeau Field.”
The wise bet would be that J's talent, winsomeness and determination will lead him to those achievements. As he works to meet those challenges and others, ap J maintains a refreshingly child-like perspective n his pursuits.
“I'm just a six-year-old kid who refused to give up on their dream.”
For a pe-show taste of Limitless, here's one of its current singles, “Mister Inferno,” with a video of J in some of his nattiest attire...youtube.com/watch?v=GbMhF5vyblY
