For a rapper to command your attention, it all comes down to the voice. In the late 1980s and early 1990s, Public Enemy’s Chuck D had millions of fans hanging on to every word of his booming baritone. In the mid-1990s, The Notorious B.I.G.’s steely poise and vocal precision led many critics and fans to proclaim him the best rapper of all time. Now, in 2006, get ready for the next rapper with a magnetic voice, someone whose pristine raps demand attention. His name: Jay Rock.
Born and raised in Watts, California’s notorious Nickerson Gardens Projects, Jay Rock got his first encouragement from his music-making relatives, who noticed the impact his deep, melodic voice made on song after song. They were like, you’re hard. And you’ve got a voice for it, too. You’ve got a real cool voice to it, Jay Rock recalls. A lot of people started hearing me and they would tell me that my voice catches them. So, I started working it, working on my craft and got more and more confidence.
Jay Rock feat. Lil' Wayne - All My Life (Ghetto) from littlesk on Vimeo.
Jay Rocks legal struggles have made him appreciate what he has already accomplished, turning his childhood talent for writing into a career as a major-label recording artist. Getting signed and being from what I’m from, that’s a great achievement because nobody’s really been signed from my projects, Jay Rock says. That’s a big achievement for me. It’s a blessing. It feels real good. I could be in the jail somewhere or in the grave, but I’m right here doing what I need to do.
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