2 - The Writer 2

 I feel as a whole that there is more artistic freedom in the music business at the independent level. At the independent level, I find the music business much more inspiring-  @jaizmusic

Live interview
Episode #352 : A.V.A Live Radio Behind The Music with Jacqueline Jax : http://www.blogtalkradio.com/avaliveradio/2016/09/08/episode-358-ava-live-radio-behind-the-music-with-jacqueline-jax

Jacqueline Jax logo photoGETTING TO KNOW JAIZ
by Jacqueline Jax host of A.V.A Live Radio

Jeremy

Jaiz

Well I’m honestly not a big fan of the music business at the mainstream level.
I don’t religiously listen to a lot of the music that is out there today. The times I do listen to music that’s out today, I notice that a lot of it sounds like something I’ve already heard. I feel for years that a lot of mainstream music has become complacent. I think this especially applies to hip hop music. I feel as a whole that there is more artistic freedom in the music business at the independent level. At the independent level, I find the music business much more inspiring.

It was rough starting out. My late brother Doug was known around the way for rapping.
He was seen in a majestic type of light, and was very well-respected for his skills. So right away he casted a pretty big shadow over me, before I even really got started. So anyone who knew of him for rhyming, unless I was absolutely phenomenal, I would be pretty much dead in the water in comparison. When I first started getting music online, it was even tougher. Eminem was a big influence at the time, and I think he casted a huge shadow over up and coming white rappers. The biggest criticism I received at first was people claiming that I was an Eminem rip off. The reason Eminem became such a big influence is that of all rappers I’ve listened to, his story and personality was most like mine. I saw parallels in his life and mine. Also, the comedic aspect of his style matches my comedic sense of humor of doing characatures and what not. I just saw a lot of myself in him. So even though he was a big influence, I was injecting my own personality into my music. However, people wouldn’t know that, because I didn’t have the kind of forum that I do now to tell my story. It took a while and many songs before I started to form my own artistic identity, rather than being seen as someone trying to be someone else. I don’t think I really came into my own until more recently.

Reverbnation has really helped me branch out, and has helped me immensely with receiving exposure. With the help of some assistance with marketing and getting recognized a lot more, I eventually became the #1 global hip hop artist on reverbnation. That earned me a lot of attention and credibility, and definitely helped with getting my name out there. There is a plethora of elements and factors that helped out along the way. Starting out is tough, and haters will always come with the territory. The key is to use the negativity and criticism to grow as an artist. You have to have the dedication and commitment to use it as a tool to improve. It is a good test to see what you’re made of. It will let you know, whether or not, you are cut out to persevere through such adversity. You can be a success if you fully put your heart into it. You have to reach inside to tell yourself that you can overcome this, and rise above it. You have to believe in yourself.

I think, like a lot of artists and creative people,
I am my biggest critic. Over time my expectations for what I make, has grown higher and higher. In the past, it wasn’t as potent as it is now. I find it harder and harder to live up to my own expectations to feel a song is ready to be released as a single. I prefer releasing singles because my expectations for an album would be super high, and I put way more pressure on myself than I should. Also, marketing an album versus a single, seems like it would be much harder. The independent music scene has become so big with many talented artists out there. The world of marketing keeps getting bigger and bigger as well. There is so much independent music to be discovered, and it’s easy to fall behind in such a competitive world. Marketing a single is tough, and an album would be a whole lot tougher. I’m content with just releasing singles for now, and to concentrate on growing and evolving with the marketing process.

The benefits of social media are phenomenal.
It is such a huge platform, and a great way to let your voice be heard. There are more ways to receive exposure through social media than I can count. It is a whole other world in itself that you can really get caught up in. It can be a 24/7 job if you allow it to be. It is a learning process, and there is so much to it. Social media has been a very useful tool for me. It makes it very easy to engage with people, to swap website links, to receive and send feedback on music, and to even just say what’s on your mind. Twitter is great to really spread the word with your promotional efforts. It can produce, what I am gonna call a “multi-level marketing effect”. Here is an example of what I mean. You post a tweet, someone retweets that tweet, their followers re-tweet that tweet, and it can continue to circulate through Twitter. This multi-level effect can be executed in different ways through social networks, and it makes the potential for exposure a lot easier. It is very exciting. I think social media will continue to be the future for aspiring musicians and artists, and it will keep growing bigger and bigger.

I don’t know if I have ever spent a lot of time pondering such a thought.
I don’t know if there is one person in particular that jumps out at me, or what I would say to that person. When it comes to music, I’m thinking it would have to be my favorite artist of all time, Eminem. My perception of Eminem’s music is what I strive to possess with my music. In the world of music, I see a lot of artists who make music. In Eminem’s music, I hear a life story, and I feel like I have grown up being a part of that story. I have been connected to his music on a much deeper and philosophical level, than I have with with the music of any other artists. He has bared his soul in such a raw and genuine way. I have never heard an artist do that through music quite like he has. His music goes beyond music to me. It feels like a life saga, a never-ending story, and a captivating movie that never ends. It is so inspiring, and I relate to a good portion of the lyrical content is his music. I want people to feel that kind of connection with my music. My music is literally my life. If people feel connected to it, than in a way, they are part of my life. That is an amazing and beautiful concept to me.

I think in the world of mainstream music,
there is way too much emphasis placed on fitting into a status quo. In my opinion, it makes many artists too similar and predictable. It continues to make me tune out of that world. At the same time, I think many music fans have become used to a particular sound. It makes it harder for an up and coming artist to make music that can change a perception of sound, a sound that is so embedded in a brain. Personally, I am up for that challenge. I want to change a jaded person’s perception of rap/hip hop music as a whole. I believe that the lyrical content in many rap songs that have become popularized through the years, has tainted the image of what rap is. Well I’m getting more and more non-hip hop fans to listen. I love that, and it inspires me. I hope to make more and more people see the art of it all, and to see it as more than just a style of music. I’m not saying that there aren’t people who already see it that way, but I want to build on that.

You know, it’s funny when I think about it.
I notice on facebook that a lot of people post pictures of quotes. I also notice people posting facebook statuses quoting song lyrics. I am one who prefers to make my own quotes. When I post pictures on social media, I like to come up with my own inspirational captions. In all honesty, I am not someone who is a big fan of quoting people. There are things I have heard that have stuck in my head though. One thing in particular that I heard that stands out to me, actually came from a former wrestler on a wrestling DVD. He said, “Maturity doesn’t come with age, it comes with the acceptance of responsibility.” Those specific words seem to stick in my mind because I think it is so wise and true.

It started out with me being a very impressionable child.
I idolized my late brother Doug growing up. Doug was a singer/songwriter/artist. I wanted to be able to do what he did to be closer with him. Seeing his passion for the craft quickly became abundantly crystallized in my eyes. It made me realize how much of an art music is. I started out rapping and singing his songs, and transitioned into making my own stuff. Eventually I fell in love with creating in such a way. It’s an undying love with a flame that burns eternally.

Dreams (Feat. Snypod)

This song was written partially based off of observations
from personal experiences of people I’ve crossed paths with in life. I’m a fan of 2pac, more specifically his conscious rap songs. That conscious style he brought to rap music is definitely an influence in my writing, and it’s forever embedded in my subconscious. I prefer writing songs with depth and substance. This song is a good example of that.

“Dreams (Feat. Snypod)” is a hip hop song addressing every day struggles
and hardships people face every day. It is a track that encourages one to not become a product of their environment, and to move forward in a positive way.

Support Artist: https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jaiz/id290138129

I try to write lyrics and make songs that can be felt universally.
In other words, I want my music to resonate with both rap/hip hop fans as well as non-rap/hip hop fans. One of the biggest compliments to me is when a person tells me that they are not a fan of rap, but they like my music. I think of my music as both life music and mood music. I want people to feel the emotions I’m portraying in my music. I want to take listeners on an emotional roller coaster through happiness, pain, fear, love, anger, and whatever direction their mind takes them. I want to make songs that tackle hard hitting subjects such as abuse of all kinds, hatred, bullying, racism, and other issues that impact the world that we live in. I want to write about things that go against the grain of the status que in hip hop. To me music is life, and my music is a life story. There is always another chapter to explore.

I live in Glenolden in Pennsylvania.
It is a pretty small suburban town outside of Philadelphia. I think the music scene in Philly is a lot more competitive, than a small town like Glenolden. Philly is also much more synonymous with hip hop artists than the town of Glenolden. There are various independent bands with followings that perform on a regular basis at local bars in the area. Examples of genres performed are classic rock, 80’s rock, Irish rock, country, and Motown. It is not the type of music I generally listen to. I have seen different bands perform from time to time, and they are actually pretty good. As far as the Glenolden area and places to go around here, it’s hard to say that there is a lot of places to go. Like I said, it is a small town, and I can walk into 3 different towns along a 30 minute walk. If you are a fan of drinking and dining out, this is probably what this town and surrounding areas are more known for. There are quite a few bars very close to each other, and I’ve been told the food is good at different bars as well. I haven’t eaten at the bars, but I’ve had fun drinking at the bars. I’m a big pizza eater, and there are good pizza places in the area as well.

3 - B&W 'Jaiz Muscles'

I love to be creative which tends to revolve around artistic things.
Another thing I feel I have a passion for is comedy. I love to make people laugh, and I have the comedic sense of a stand up comedian. I’ll sporadically tell joke after joke as long as people are laughing. You know how people tell other people that they should be a comedian? Well apparently that is my calling outside of music.

Social Media Links:

Website: http://www.JaizMusic.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/jaizmusic
Twitter: http://www.twitter.com/jaizmusic
Google+: http://www.google.com/+jaizmusic
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jaizmusic
ReverbNation: http://www.reverbnation.com/Jaiz
Soundcloud: http://www.soundcloud.com/jaizmusic
Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/jaiznet

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