"I displays my credentials over instrumentals / And my potential increases at a rate that’s exponential" Braggin’ Writes

An explosion of bass, kick, crash and guitar erupts off the needles of Technics 1200s like napalm on wax. A cloud of smoke and fire contract and expand as a break beat is mercilessly scratched to the cadence of the emcee, as if the dee-jay wrote the verse himself. It just so happens he did. Rhyming and beat juggling simultaneously...

"Everybody’s rappin’ but only few can flow" Braggin’ Writes

A poignant observation made by a brash young aspiring emcee on his very first single. A declaration of skill, profound in its simplicity, considering it’s sandwiched between verses that rhyme words like thesis, amniocentesis, decapitated and evaporated, in a fashion as seamless and rhythmic as the alphabet itself. And that was the B Side. And while the above mentioned B side, cleverly titled "Braggin' Writes" is now considered a rare hip hop classic, it was in fact the A Side’s prophetic title that proved to be the thing that encapsulates J-Live’s career; "Longevity". A longevity that defies obscurity, endures Murphy’s Law, transcends pop culture, and circumnavigates the underground hip-hop scene, constantly uncovering new uncharted styles and concepts.

As an emcee, dee-jay, producer and CEO of his aptly named company Triple Threat Productions, J-Live's music has been a staple of inspiration for listeners of hip hop from New York to Cali and around the world. His discography spans over 10 years and includes three full-length albums, an EP, a collection of earlier singles, as well as countless guest appearances and features.

"For those of yawl that don’t know me to know me is to love me / You might have heard from me, before you heard of me" Aww Yeah

While J-Live is all but a household name to those who collect their knowledge of hip hop music via video and mainstream radio, he has worked with his share of icons in the industry. Producers such as DJ Premiere, Pete Rock, DJ Spinna, Prince Paul, DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Spooky, Numark, Da Beatminerz, Dan the Automater to name a few. Recording artists the likes of Mos Def, El Da Sensei, Wordsworth, Talib Kweli, Chali Tuna and several others have all shared song credits with J-Live. World renown for a stage show that lives up to his name, J has toured around the country as well as Canada, the UK, Europe, Japan, the Middle East and Australia. J-Live shared stages with artists such as The Roots, Wyclef Jean, Fabolous, Soulive, Ozomatli, Soundtribe Sector 9, Blackalicious, Sister Nancy, Wu Tang Clan, A Tribe Called Quest, De La Soul, Black Star, MF Doom, KRS One, and many others.

"This goes back further than that / further than rap / before that first hospital slap / way beyond the confines of joy and pain / further than pride and shame / older than the foundation of the food chain" Timeless

Born Jean-Jacques Cadet (Jon Joc Ka-Day) and raised by his Mother in Spanish Harlem on the east side of Manhattan off First Ave, J-Live reps NY in more ways than one. While working towards his bachelors degree in English from State University of New York at Albany, J-live was already touring the world and learning the ropes of the industry. Introduced to the 5% Nation (or Nation of Gods & Earths) during his college years, Jean-Jacques would eventually change his name to Justice Allah.

Before graduating, with the help of Raw Shack Productions, he signed a deal with Payday / London / PolyGram. Shortly after graduating, J learned that the best laid plans o’ mice and rappers oft go awry. Especially when corporate take-overs dissolve labels and separate artists from distributors. In 1999, the highly anticipated, often illegally duplicated debut album "The Best Part" would go down in history as one of the best records never heard. That is at least until the many bootleg versions were followed by the official release in 2001. By then, J was living in Brooklyn, teaching 7th Grade Language Arts in some of New York’s toughest school districts.

"Some’ll run , some’ll fight some’ll tell / some might change the world some are early to the grave or jail / Some are so complicated some are so simple / Some are students some are teachers some are principals" Brooklyn Public

J would find himself at a crossroads in 2002. With the opportunity to release what would be his most successful record, All of the Above", J decided to suspend his teaching career and pursue music full time. All of the Above was released on independent label Coup D E’tat / Caroline’s. After severing ties with CDE, J put out his first totally self produced project in 2003, Always Will Be. The 8 song EP released on Fat Beats Records showed fans that Triple Threat was more than just a corporate identity as J took on the task of all verses, beats and scratches himself. In 2005, with Penalty Ryko’s release of The Hear After, it became clear that as labels come and go, J-Live would continue to find a way to release quality music to his ever growing fan base.

People have come to expect a certain standard of quality with every J-Live record. Whether self produced or working with others, J’s beats are typically bass heavy consistent boom-bap instrumentals that incorporate and infuse various genres of music from afro beat, latin, jazz, reggae, rock, and funk into his own distinct timeless hip hop sound. For better or worse, J-Live has developed a reputation for going against the grain of an industry dominated by flavor of the month pigeon holed made up characters.

"The kind of s__t to make your whole life montage / to recognize you aint that smallor that large / to make you wanna stay humble yet head strong / enough to tell a mother f____r when he’s dead wrong" Travelling Music

J’s subject matter is as eclectic as his taste in music. His most popular tracks show that he is more than just a boastful wordsmith that can rock a party.

"This is serious biz / By the time Bush is done you won’t know what time it is / If it war time, jail time, time for promises / or time to figure out who your enemy is." Satisfied

Often times an introspective philosopher of life, love, music, and people, J delivers hard hitting well thought out social commentary on issues ranging from US Foreign policy to the environment, black on black crime to police brutality. However, he is very deliberate in maintaining balance on each of his albums. Humorous, sometimes hilarious narratives like One for the Griot or Car Trouble are filled with vivid imagery.

"Walkman music portable affordable / walkman music radio recordable / walkman music help you to ignore the bull / walkman 10 feet away still audible / walk man music who you think you’re talking to / walkman music you know we can’t hear you over walkman music / why you still talking walkman music / tell your story walking" Walkman Music

There are the traditionally devastating battle verses on songs like Whoever and Always Will Be. Party and show anthems like Adda Cipher, Harder, and Don’t Play. As his reputation and following continue to grow with his catalogue, the one common and constant theme in J-Live’s ever evolving style of music, is the use of original styles, and imaginative concepts, to stay fresh relevant and timeless.

"Who in their right mind think they can put a stop to hip hop / If it don’t stop till I stop, and I don’t stop till it stop" Longevity