Today we’d like to introduce you to Jules.
Hi Jules, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstories.
I started writing music when I was 10 years old. I would take songs that I would hear and rewrite the lyrics to them while using the same cadence and flow of the original song. And during that time and even much before, my dad served as a huge catalyst for my love of music. He would play his vinyl throughout the house or his CDs during the car rides, teaching me all about the 60s and 70s music.
That made a huge impression on me and sparked a fire I could not put out. By middle school, I met some friends who were already writing and producing their own music. They brought me along and by 8th grade, I was performing in talent shows and sending demo tapes to record labels. Due to me getting involved with basketball, I stopped actively working on music during high school.
But once in college, I picked it back up again and decided to create my own album. I made connections at Southeastern University with a musician by the name of DeAntonio Dublin which would eventually lead me to meet my long-time engineer Aaron “Made” McFadden. Over the past 9 years, we’ve been a team and put together 6 different projects.
Can you talk to us a bit about the challenges and lessons you’ve learned along the way? Looking back would you say it’s been easy or smooth in retrospect?
Definitely has not been the smoothest ride throughout the years. Before I met Made, I struggled to find an engineer that could deliver the sound and quality I was looking for with my music. I’ve lost money going through different studios and engineers to find someone who understood my vision. I also had to recreate my entire first album The Feel when I lost all the music files due to differences with a former producing partner. And unexpectedly, my father passed during the final stages of wrapping up my first album.
Recovering from that was extremely hard because my father was the main reason I have such a rich and deep love for music. But after completing the album and dedicating it to him, I lost a lot financially. I spent the following year without a home for myself and trying to find my way financially and mentally. This was one of the lowest points in my life. So I decided to write about my journey and how I got out of it for my second album NIWIS.
Thanks – so what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I am an artist and producer, specializing in rap music. I produce a lot of my own music. My mentors when I was 12 were really keen on lyrics so I pride myself as a lyricist and someone who likes to deliver messages in their music.
The influence of my father’s love of the 60s and 70s music has crept into mine, as I try to bring similar sonics and soul into my songs. I’m also really passionate about film and cinema so my albums all have a theatrical feel to them, with overarching storylines told through skits and within the actual music.
Do you have any memories from childhood that you can share with us?
I used to be very heavy into collecting comics and I always remember asking my dad to take me to the comic shop.
On the way there and back, he would be jamming to his oldies and completely in his element. It was almost like it served as the soundtrack to our trips to the store.
Contact Info:
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/longlivejules/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/longlivejules
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/@LongLiveMusicGroup
- Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@longlivejules
Image Credits
Tiffany Jones
