The world's a stage and everybody's got to play their part...

Got the proofs back from our photographer Mike Whitson today, and I don't think I can remember having such a hard time narrowing down a list of favorites like this! These joints are still untouched and unpainted (Whitson's magic touch as seen HERE) and already we have some bangers on our hands. I wish I could share some of these with you, but all in due time.

Today Danny and I put the finishing touches on a couple new joints that will be featured exclusively on the "Connect The Dots." Shadyville mixtape and we'll be submitting everything to Dre Boogs tomorrow. Big Lu says the turnaround time is only about two weeks for Boogs, so we should have an incredible piece of the collection to share with you soon. The first half of the mixtape will be a "greatest hits" style compilation of some of the most memorable records I've produced, and the second half will showcase tracks I've been featured on as an artist over the years, as well as the exclusive joints I mentioned along with the unveiling of the first street single off my debut, "The World's A Stage" which pretty much sums up my life in music and the arts. Since I was just a little guy, this is really all I've known. I think I'll save the stories for my book! Haha... or you could talk to my man louis logic because he loves sharing...

Lou and I hard at work during
the early sessions of "Connect The Dots."

This is a really exciting time for me and there is a lot going on, but I have made time in the midst of all this to cook up some heaters for my man Craig G and Emilio Rojas. Big shouts to my man Adam "Illus" Wallenta for stopping by the studio yesterday and for being so understanding if my turnaround time isn't as quick as usual! And be sure to check out his website www.americanmule.com for the latest addition to the Public Enemy comic series. My man Illus does it all kid (including my album artwork!)

The first trade paperback volume of Public Enemy,
collecting issues 1-5 by Chuck D and Adam Wallenta,
IN STORES NOW!

Lastly I would just like to send my condolences to Mike Tyson on the loss of his daughter. I'm not just a big fan of boxing, but I also know what it's like to lose someone very near and dear to you way earlier than you ever expected, so my thoughts and prayers are with you and your family, Mike. One of the best to ever do it. Click on the pic below to see a brilliant fighter in his prime:

"Iron Mike"

J.J.

5G | Twitter | Myspace | Facebook | YouTube

We put in that master work...

Whew, what a trip. Honestly, there's nothing like the feeling you get from looking at a to-do list with everything checked off, and that's exactly where 5G is at right now. Well, at least for this week's list! The goal was to create all the final mixdown bounces we would need for mastering, including all the core album tracks, promo cuts and clean and instrumental versions of tracks that will appear on singles, before heading for Masterwork in Philly early Thursday morning. We also had to prepare all the props, clothing and "manscaping" needed to knock out our photo shoot with the genius that is Mike Whitson Thursday night. Mission accomplished on all counts, and we arrived back in New York late Friday night with two discs worth of mastered tracks (thanks to our mastering engineer, the legendary Pete Humphreys who worked two days straight without so much as a lunch break!) and an incredible four-setup album insert photo shoot under our belt.

Those of you following me on Twitter know that the updates were plenty over the last few days. And those of you who aren't, follow along and join in the fun! Or you can always get caught up on the tweets you missed along the right hand side of this blog. Either way, I thought I'd recap with some behind the scenes pics from our trip, some of which were tweeted and some that weren't...

My man D, who was excited to find a quick
breakfast spot in Philly after leaving NYC at 6:30am!


Danny and Pete hard at work in Studio B


Dan and yours truly gearing up for the
Whitson shoot... ILL CONCEPT, YOU'LL SEE!


Maybe if you don't ask
no one will have to get hurt...


Big Luis Valbuena writing Jonny October and Craig G
about the success of mastering day one. Loews hotel lobby...


Big Lu and I ran over to Jim's Steaks on South Street
to grab some grub for the fellas during mastering day two!


The look of love...
final mastered tracks all in a row

So there you have it, the Philly trip as told to you by the man himself. Big shouts to my homie home homeboys Adliberal and Killah Kev who stopped by the studio to say wadup on Friday. And crazy extra special thanks to my friend (and the best hotel manager on the east coast) Jared at the Marriott for the star treatment. I won't forget it my dude!

We're just gettin' warmed up,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Today is the tomorrow of yesterday...

Today I... well, hold up. I'm using that word loosely, because this time when I say "today" I'm really talking about yesterday and today combined since there hasn't been much sleeping going on around here! Got all that? Haha...

Anyway, yesterday started with a surprise schedule rearrangement (I'm not really sure why I even get surprised about that anymore) so I spent most of the day creating instrumentals of all the tracks on my album which my partner Dan "The Deacon" Maier, Big Lu and I are going to Philly to master this Thursday and Friday at Masterwork. This place is historic, and although some of my production for other artists has been mastered there, I've never been there myself, and this time it's gonna be even more special because it's for me!

Yesterday I also finally got to meet Block McCloud in person as well, when he and his son Lego stopped by the stu. Block and I have a lot of respect for each other's work, and the possibilities of where we go with the music now that we've made this connection are endless. We seriously talked about everything from making a few joints together for his next project, to doing a whole rock record together as a team! Haha... the inspiration to work is definitely there, and that makes me open for anything. Two things are for sure though, Lego is a rap prodigy in training, and Block is a featured singer AND rapper on my forthcoming single "Froze Prose" on Well Done/5G. If you don't know who my man is, click on the pic below and enjoy:

CLICK PIC for the "Mess You Made" vid... HOT!

After bouncing out the instrumentals I moved onto the radio edits (FUCKIN' FUN!) and spent all day today with Danny mixing the beast that is "Froze Prose PART 2" featuring a new verse from me, new vox from Block, King Magnetic, my man Jonny October and the legendary Craig G!

After an eight hour mixing session we did take time for dinner at SEA in Billyburg with my dad who is visiting, and my wife. I'm honestly not sure how I feel about Thai food, but the vibe in this place is real cool.

Now I'm answering all the emails that have been accumulating, and catching up with all of you... I've been told I'm not on Twitter nearly enough, and we're just now getting my Facebook up and running, but I promise to get better at this stuff.

Where the magic really happens...

I'm on my grind cuzin, believe that...
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Nu Nu...

I can't get you off my mind! Damn man, yesterday I was talking to the Mrs. about some old hip-house stuff and how I thought it might be a cool idea to experiment with bringing elements of that back, and she brought up "Nu Nu" from Chicago hip-house pioneer Lidell Townsell. So we decided to look it up on iTunes and it wasn't there, but someone did post the original music video on YouTube. Now, if you have never heard this song, you might want to leave well enough alone because once you click on the pic of Mr. Townsell below, there's no turning back! You will be humming this for the rest of the night. If you do remember the track this is a great opportunity to bring back some great old memories:

There just might be a remake in my future!
Nola, you guys reading this?

Today, what was planned as a three hour session for my man Jonny October to swing through and help me finish up my first single "Froze Prose" off Connect The Dots. turned into an eight hour session complete with a flowing river of Bloody Marys and a finished product that I could not be more proud of. So I'd like to thank him for putting music first, and I'd also like to thank everyone reading this that sent me all the happy birthday wishes yesterday. I really had my best birthday yet thanks to all of you, and my beautiful bride. In fact, I had such a fun day that I'm gonna post pics below that you can click on for the links to some of the places we went, and maybe if you're in NYC for your next birthday you could follow along...

My BK heads know,
for gold and kicks this is THE SPOT!

Sheepshead Bay's famous Randazzo's Calm Bar
is the greatest Italian seafood spot in NYC!


Top Shop is great downtown Manhattan shopping
for the fellas and the ladies, Euro stylee...


Ginger cocktails Trump style, 'nuff said.


Loews Lincoln Square = best theater in the city
Wolverine = haven't made up my mind yet!

Thank you again my wife and my friends for an incredible day. Got any great birthday stories you'd like to share? Hit me below and I will post the best one soon,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

That Nola D...

Damn, I'll admit I'm a little worn out right now... my secret weapon Jonny October came through tonight to work on some new joints for the Connect The Dots. mixtape my man Dre Boogs from Shadyville is doing for me in a few weeks. I'm really excited about this whole mixtape thing because although I've worked on other people's mixtapes before, I've never done one for myself, and it's a great opportunity for me to get people acquainted with my past body of work and to make sure everybody is ready for what's on the way, with a few surprises mixed in!

Today I also received a pleasant surprise in my email... my homegirls Nola Darling sent me a link to a music video for their song "That Nola D" and it makes me feel so good to see artists I believe in working hard and doing something great with their immense talent. These fashionistas are also featured on my album and I have been working on beats for theirs as well. So enjoy their very first music video below, and expect to hear a lot more from these ladies in the future!

"That Nola D" by Nola Darling *Boom Boom Pow Remix" from Nola Darling on Vimeo.

Easy,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Craig G, I Believe That's Me...

That's right... the symphony was playing loud and clear at 5G Studios in Clinton Hill, Brooklyn tonight everybody. I had the legendary Craig G of the Juice Crew come through to lay vocals for the "Froze Prose" joint off the J.J. Brown solo album tonight. The single to be exact, also featuring Block McCloud, King Magnetic, Jonny October and Celph Titled. With all these amazing artists dropping 16's or more, we're most likely doing two versions, but that hasn't been decided just yet. Big Lu also came through on the videotaping tip, so be expecting something real ill from the session being posted to YouTube and your favorite blog real soon. Here's a pic from the monumental evening to hold you over:

The legendary Craig G at 5G Studios!

And if you don't know who my new homeboy is, don't admit it to anybody! Click on the pic and get acquainted right quick...

"Droppin' Science"

Mmm mmm mmm, ain't that somethin'?
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Canal Street Louis?

Wow, first that whole prison guard thing and now this...

I gotta say, I really like dude as an artist. Great voice, swag, some real sick production choices (in fact, this guy has such an amazing ear for producer talent he is responsible for birthing a couple careers) and a pretty incredible fashion sense when it comes to eyewear. Now, as made clear in a statement today from the lawyers who rep Louis Vuitton, the folks at LV beg to differ with that last one, and they want nothing to do with Rick Ross or XXL, the magazine that started all with the confusion by featuring him wearing a pair of "counterfeit" Louies on the May issue cover. It's now just a few hours after the statement was released, and the whole internet is buzzing once again with more smack talk on their favorite rap punching bag, Officer Ricky.

My beef with all of this is that the true urban fashion heads should have something to say about this. I do. They should know and remember that Guess jeans never came airbrushed, Jordans don't always ship in the colorway you need to round out your show gear, I'm pretty sure T-Mobile didn't just happen to have diamond encrusted Sidekicks behind the counter when you went to cop your first joint, etc... The point here is, maybe dude did lie about his past as a corrections officer, maybe he should have left Trick Daddy's health problems out of his mixtape rhymes, but there is a difference between a product that is embraced by the streets being "counterfeit" on Canal and "customized" on Fulton, feel me?

One another note, but one still very much related to a discussion on hip-hop fashion trendsetting, tomorrow sees the end of Cam'ron's musical hiatus as his new album Crime Pays hits stores. I've been waiting on this one for a hot minute... me being a fan of originality, Cam'ron has always been one of my favorites. And I always check for how his releases change the rap soundscape each time out. He started the crack-rap craze, made it cool to experiment with sporting colors usually reserved for the fairer sex, and even influenced yours truly to start messing around with time signatures I thought rappers were afraid of till I heard him spitting about his favorite cruch on the Diplomatic Immunity album.

Cop it if you ain't got it!

This time around Cam seems to be making an attempt to relate to all hustlers, the G's and the nine to fivers, as made evevident by his first single "I Hate My Job" and I can't wait to hear the rest tomorrow. In the meantime, find out by clicking on the pic below:

Off to the airport to pick up my wife who has been visiting with her friends in Miami,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Happy Mother's Day...

I'm spending this whole weekend with my mom just letting her know how much she means to me, and telling her all about how the lessons she taught me growing up still touch my life and my decisions on the daily. I really hope all of you reading this find some time to do the same this Mother's Day.

I also am very cognizant of the fact that holidays like this can be difficult for those who have lost a parent recently, as I have friends and family who are dealing with just those type of emotions this year, and to them I would just like to say that I'm praying for you, my heart goes out to you, and I am always here to listen.

I'd also like to make the blog the first of many where I share my Random iTunes Download of the Day for all my 80's heads out there. Did you ever wake up humming some joint from your childhood for some reason, and you find yourself adding to your library a song you haven't even thought of for twenty years or longer? Just on impulse because -all of a sudden- from now on you just have to be able to rock out to this jammy at a moment's notice? Yeah, you know the ones. Well today I woke up singing "uh uh OH, BOOM, uh uh OH, BOOM" and all I could remember was that part, and something about self control. So I Googled those few lyrics and sure enough it's Laura Branigan's hit "Self Control" from 1984. Needless to say, it's now a part of my collection. Click on the pic below to reacquaint yourself, and if you feel the need, make the newest addition to your collection as well:

Enjoy your trip,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Gangsta Gangsta...

That's what they yellin'! Today started with a bang... we sent a digital VIP copy of the album to all the talented artists involved with the project to rave reviews. And this afternoon I headed out to a Dickies store in an undisclosed location (which is my secret weapon) in search of what Big Lu, Danny and I will be suited up in for the promo and insert shots.

It's like the wardrobe truck on a DPG video...

Our photographer, the amazing Mike Whitson (CLICK HERE and get familiar) has a style all his own, taking pictures and somehow painting over them and enriching the colors to put a vivid stain on your brain. His shots always tell a story as well, and ours will be no different. The idea is that we're all rocking Dickies from head to toe, not just for a classic hip-hop gear tie in, but also because Dickies are more commonly worn when you're getting your hands dirty and going in at your job, and we'll be holding blueprints and be visually giving the impression that we're creating the building blocks for the rest of our careers with this record. And the set will be sprinkled with different items I refer to in the lyrics. You'll see...

Last but certainly not least, big shouts to Ashley who was extremely helpful with finding exactly what we were all looking for to complete the look.

We're about to be killin' the
snapshot game with this one!

You other music dudes reading this might wanna rethink your plans, this is about to get real ugly. It doesn't look good for you cuzin. Is this thing on?

Easy now,

J.J.

web | twitter | myspace | blog

I still love this shit...

Well, not everyday. But every once in awhile a song comes along that gives me that feeling like I'm 13 again and sneaking listens of "Original Gangster" while my parents sleep in the next room or something. You know when the snare is cracking so hard you feel it in your chest and the voice is right and the lyrics are hittin' you on every level and it's just music euphoria, system overload type style. It doesn't happen often for yer buoy, but it's here right now, and it's called "Hey Joe" off Fat Joe's new album J.O.S.E. 2. People always say we look a lot alike anyway, so why not give special shouts to a guy who some insist is a brother or cousin of mine, right? Without further ado, the song that's been on repeat in my iPhone for the last 24 hours, "Hey Joe" produced by DJ Infamous (dude got heat in my opinion) and featuring an ill little Hendrix sample... click on the pic and run for cover.

Where you goin' with that gun in your hand?

Yeah, when it comes to joints like this I'm reminded, I still love this shit. This song needs a video, quick!

Oh, and by the way... I stopped by Ilori on Spring Street tonight and they had Oliver Peoples shades I never saw before, the Zadie, and these things are a problem. I had to scoop them up instead of the Marclays. Hey, it happens sometimes.

One,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

My future's so bright...

You know the rest! Heads know I don't play around when it comes to three things: my music, my money, and my shades. That third one is sort of a sickness actually... in fact, what innocently started in '94 as a hunt to find those Versace joints that Biggie made famous (no I wasn't ballin' but yes I rocked the hell outta those!) has evolved into a tradition for me, with a new pair of carefully selected sunglasses to mark each phase of my career.

For instance, you might remember these YSLs from the "Misery Love Comedy" days:

On the set of "The Great Divide" video shoot

Or how I was killin' 'em with these Pradas the first time I ever rocked at Scribble Jam:

With my homeboy Akrobatik

Or my favorite, the Terminator X jammies I wore the night we closed down CBGB:

J.J., Louis, Danny

I could keep going, but lemme stop and get to the point here... after months of trial and error, and the type of tedious research usually reserved for writing term papers or deciding on a new dentist or some shit, I have found the glasses that will mark this chapter of my musical life! I give to you the official J.J. Brown "Connect The Dots." shades, the very ones that will be worn for the CD insert and promo photo shoots this month: The Oliver Peoples Marclay!

Now all I need to do is decide on the color... I'm leaning more towards the crystal and spice brown variant, but I'm open to suggestions. So tweet me and let me know what you guys think. Either way we got some bangers on our hands, in more ways than one.

I'm the Corey Hart of this rap shit,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

PS: Wait a damn minute, I almost forgot to show off these illy Sean Johns worn on my wedding day. Chuuch!

It be the Wu...

Gotta be at the airport dumb early tomorrow morning, but I wanna leave you noddin' your head to this. No, straight bangin' your head against the wall to this shit... yes, you can be bubblin' up making a name for yourself and still be a fan. Ladies and gentlemen, throw your W's up!

Click on the pic for the vid to Rae's new single
off OB4CL2 coming soon!

I grew up wanting to be this dude in a lot of ways, so the least I can do is support. I think I need to add those Louies to my collection... so sick.

Can't wait to show you guys what I was working on today,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Very thin ice...

I haven't publicly weighed in on the whole auto-tune takeover till now, and my official stance is that if I'm all about my fetti then why should I spend any time giving a shit how you make yours? That being said, you sure can have a great time poking fun at it! I stumbled across this online today and had to share it... check out this guy Michael Gregory mashing the news with today's urban music gimmick of choice:

Click on the pic and be entertained, trust me!

Today my man Big Lu Valbuena also showed me what the VIP site for my album is looking like, and it's phenomenal. So if you were a part of my record and are reading this, know that you'll be receiving a link to hear it in it's entirety first thing next week. And if you weren't, get on your Twitter game and make friends with someone who was! You might even want to start by becoming friends with me.

Hi neighbor,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Real recognize real...

A big part of today was spent being a part of something I wish I could tell you about, but I can't... not to worry, because someday I definitely will. I can honestly say that as with most successful people I've met in this industry of entertainment, what the public ends up knowing isn't even the half, and my story is no different. But in the proper forum we'll all get caught up and be on the exact same page. You have my word.

The rest of today was spent chatting it up with my homie Jonny October about what's needed on his part to complete my forthcoming mixtape, which leads me to something I can proudly share with you: the official mixtape leading up to the release of my solo debut will be through Shadyville, and DJ duties will be handled by the great Dre Boogs. If you don't know who he is, click on the pic below and get familiar!

Last but certainly not least, this evening was spent at Club Europa in Greenpoint, where my man Nobs was opening for Astronautilis. Real recognize real folks, and if you haven't heard of my man, do yourself a favor and dig on not only his mic prowess, but his production, to be reminded why you fell in love with this shit in the first place. Just click on the pic and zone out:

That's Nobs with the legendary DJ Evil Dee

He is also the homie Dezmatic's primary producer, who is featured alongside our pal Travis McCoy on my album. These artists are the truth and I'm proud to co-sign.

Peace from planet Brooklyn,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog