In today's hit-driven music industry, there's enormous pressure for artists to deliver hit after hit. Longevity comes only with success. So when an underground legend scores a major hit, their work is not only validated, but also embraced on a mainstream level. JT Money knows this path well. He's traveled it.
After nearly a decade as the frontman with the pioneering Miami group Poison Clan, JT Money earned his first platinum plaque in 1999 for the smash single "Who Dat," which introduced the sultry Sole' to hip-hop fans. "Pimpin On Wax," the album from which "Who Dat" was culled, also established JT Money as a star solo artist after a successful but underappreciated run with the Poison Clan.
Back with his second solo album, the masterful "Blood, Sweat & Years," JT Money takes listeners on an aural journey through life's many stages, from the up-and-downs of relationships to the challenges of parenthood to the importance having your business in order. But don't get it twisted, the album also contains plenty of the rowdy danceclub anthems JT is known for. "It's for everything I went through to get to the point of where I am right now," JT explains. "When it was time for me to do this album, I wanted it to represent my whole identity, not just one side of it. I go to clubs. I do have fun. I'm over here dealing with shit. I wanted it all to be incorporated so that fans would have an understanding."
JT Money starts the party off the right way with the infectious single "Hi-Lo." The song's rowdy, infectious beat and catchy chorus are sure to lead legions of fans to the dancefloor. "I made the hook simple because that was the idea," JT says. "That song is supposed to be like a flurry of blows coming at you. I'm very demanding on that record. I'm just snapping, making a commercialized street record.
"The same can be said for the Spanish-flavored "Sousa In Chocha." Rapping over sultry guitars and a choice string selection, JT raps in Spanglish as he pursues a breathtaking female. "Sousa In Chocha" will impress longtime JT fans as he smoothly interjects Spanish sayings into his lyrics and turns the tables by being the one chasing the girl. "People are going to be like, 'Damn, that's J?'" JT admits. "I had always wanted to make a song like that, but it's just the right time right now. Besides, I like spitting game to the girls."
Plenty of game will be spit once "Lil Charlie" comes over the speakers. Its nursery rhyme-like chorus will make the song appeal to the young as well as the old, as will the track's good-natured vibe. "That's a dance me and my homeboys do," JT says. "I decided to make a song about it. The beat is bumping. It can be played anywhere because it's a dance record. I had all of the rah-rah, so I wanted to make a song where you could just go to the club and have fun. "But fun can only be had once business is handled.
On the explosive "War," JT delivers another club banger. He takes song-making to new heights, however, by delivering a future danceclub anthem that injects keen business advice. "People like to groove, so they're going to hear the message sooner or later," JT says. "If you can sneak it in and you've got them dancing, then the fans are going to ride with you. My whole thing is to teach cats."
One person JT definitely wants to teach is his son. Raising his son with the help of his mother has been one of the most profound experiences of JT's life. "Father To Son," the most touching selection on "Blood, Sweat & Years," is a dedication from JT to his son, one where he encourages him not to make the same mistakes that he did. "People need to hear real songs like this one," JT proclaims. "I know that the music industry is selling beats and hooks. I can do that and rap all day. But that ain't the only thing I can do. I make songs, music that that you can relate to. It isn't about boasting all day. I did that song for the shorties that are paying attention so that I can give them some game."
Growing up in Miami, JT got his musical game from Earth, Wind & Fire, Curtis Mayfield, Marvin Gaye, Con Funk Shun and Cameo. But it is hip-hop where JT has made his mark. Even though booty music was the only thing from Miami attracting attention from record company types in the late 1980s, JT made his own style of hard-core hip-hop. Starting with the Poison Clan's groundbreaking 1990 debut, "2 Low Life Muthas," JT Money injected a mix of criminal behavior, skirt-chasing, dancefloor anthems and social commentary into his work.
Despite his diverse subject matter, the stories of street life were what made JT an underground icon as a star in Luther Campbell's mighty musical empire. The Poison Clan's songs appealed to legions of fans who swore by JT's sometimes violent ways. "That's what I was in to," he says. "These days, I can't wild out. You can't win that way. My thing is to spit the game to brothers and sisters. I'm here to entertain, but I'll stick something in there like a use-your-head message. I might be able to inspire my people to do something great."
After moving to Atlanta and signing with Dallas Austin's Freeworld record company, JT tasted the biggest success of his career with "Who Dat." Since then, he has been featured on the Lyricist Lounge Vol. 2 compilation and has become one of hip-hop's most respected artists.
With the release of "Blood, Sweat & Years," JT should only build on the huge success of "Pimpin On Wax," an album that let him know that he had arrived. "It made it official that JT Money was here for real," he says. "The love I got before 'Who Dat' was real because the people that showed love were the ones checking for me for real. There wasn't any hype. It was just me.
Right now, it's official."
Source: http://www.jtmoney.com/main.html
