J.J. Brown's Story

I go to work...

2010-11-16T13:51:00.013-05:00

It's an incredible concept:

1. Form a working relationship with a producer who was at the helm of the soundtrack to Golden Era hip-hop.

2. Dig through his data discs for untapped gems from the 90's.

3. Turn those joints into current diamonds in the rough.

4. Put in a call to your old friends Dan & J.J. to buff out the final product!

Haha... that's what my good friend, the man, the myth, Celph Titled has done by joining forces with legendary beatsmith Buckwild from DITC, and the result is an unprecedented mix of old school aesthetics and new school audio technology, courtesy of 5G Productions. Click on the album cover below to be taken directly to iTunes and purchase your copy... Nineteen Ninety NOW!!!!

Click the pic to purchase
Celph & Buck's album from iTunes!

This is a historic meeting of the minds that is sure to spawn a whole new genre of music making, featuring guests including one of my personal all-time favorites Treach of Naughty By Nature, and Vinnie Paz of Jedi Mind Tricks who played a big part in getting me into this game on a professional level in the first place. You can also purchase a t-shirt/CD combo pack directly from Celph by clicking HERE.

Download Never Yet Contested's new track
RETRO, produced by me, FOR FREE
by clicking on the artwork!

As those of you who I'm cool with on Twitter already know, a few months ago I became the proud recipient of an Xbox 360 gift, and things just haven't been the same since! Ha. I'm just now getting back into the gaming world after a small absence, but I go all the way back to the Atari 2600. Perfect timing, because I recently produced a track for my fellow Penn State alum Never Yet Contested called Retro. It's all about classic games throughout the past few decades, and he just unleashed this great music video for it. Gamers... click HERE and enjoy a trip down memory lane. Beat is kinda nice too ha. You can download the track FOR FREE by clicking the single's cover art above, of course mixed to perfection by my partner Dan "The Deacon" Maier. More on him in a sec.

Click the pic to purchase ILLUS' FEEL GOOD MUSIC EP,
produced entirely by me, from iTunes!

Also on the music video tip, my man ILLUS continues to churn out clips in celebration of his Feel Good Music EP, which I produced in full. Check out the vid for Old Friends featuring YouTube superstar Paul Dateh by clicking HERE, and click HERE to instantly experience a Beautiful Day in Hawaii! Also be sure and visit his BLOG for all the latest.

www.myspace.com/theknownmusic

Now back to my man Danny... he's sound designed some of the most profound television news promos you've seen in the past decade, mixed & mastered some of your favorite songs, and he's even co-produced a few! But what you might not know is that his Christian Rock outfit THE KNOWN, for which he's the drummer and the Pro Tools wizard behind the sound of the project, has just unveiled their debut album, The Next Chapter! Over three years in the making, this incredible work carries messages of hope and restoration, and it's just what you've been missing in your 5G collection. Click HERE to purchase The Next Chapter featuring Brian Parker on vocals, and Frank Sanyshyn -who also played on my album Connect The Dots.- on guitar and bass.

And don't forgot I'm also an official ambassador to

FELA! The Broadway Musical...

CLICK THE PIC to get tickets
using my exclusive discount code!

Original no artificiality,
J.J.

5G | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook | YouTube

"Music is the weapon of the future!"

2010-08-19T16:37:00.028-04:00

Prophetic words from the late great Fela Kuti, the pioneer of Afrobeat! Music is in fact the weapon that has proven a stronger source of inspiration for social change and political awareness than maybe any other creative medium throughout history. What do voices like Bob Dylan, James Brown, Bob Marley, Ice Cube and Public Enemy have in common? A passion for making music with a message, and all of them have Fela Kuti to thank for helping pave the way...

?uestlove on Fela Kuti from Fela Kuti on Vimeo.
Watch as ?uestlove from The Roots finds the
influence of Fela Kuti in today's musical landscape!

Whether it's the driving drums, the rolling bass lines, or the powerful lyrics in Fela's works, he found a way to draw the listener into his world and make them ultra-aware of his surroundings. His stage shows at his famed Afrika Shrine nightclub in Nigeria were the icing on the cake, and if you weren't fortunate enough to be a part of that scene, you're in luck... the Eugene O'Neil Broadway theater in New York City has been re-imagined as The Shrine, and houses the Tony Award winning musical FELA! for the experience of a lifetime six days a week!

Some of you may know that I grew up in The Big Apple's performing arts community. I've always celebrated each aspect of creative expression, and it's no different with my love for theater. I performed in many dramas and musicals, as well as commercials and films, and when I was just thirteen my father realized my attraction to the budding world of hip-hop and bought me my first drum machine and DJ set-up. A music producer was born. Over the years my music production career began to take precedence over my acting endeavors, but I never lost touch with that side of what makes me who I am. My work with recording artists ranging from louis logic and Mr. Cheeks to remix projects with Ludacris and Gym Class Heroes have all been shining examples of my ability to combine dramatic melody with theatrical stories of hardship and triumph, sound familiar?

This is my story...

It is my great honor to announce that I have been chosen as an official Ambassador to FELA! on Broadway, and not only has it afforded me the opportunity to form a relationship with the cast and all the amazing people who make this show possible, but I can also pass ticket price savings on to you, my friends and supporters, so that you too can witness the life story of Fela Kuti and his dancers and band, live on stage, for a life changing, one of a kind exhibition!

Here I am with the genius that is Sahr Ngaujah,
one of two incredible performers
who portray Fela Kuti on Broadway!

To see this groundbreaking musical for a fraction of the price available to the general public, all you have to do is click HERE. As you'll read, the legendary Ms. Patti Labelle will be joining the cast in the roll of Funmilayo Ransome-Kuti (Fela's mother) on Sept. 14th, so see the show now and again in a few weeks, because either which way you will walk out of that theater with a new found respect for Fela's music, the art of dance, the thunder of pulsating Afrobeat music, and a better understanding of the power of live performance than you will find anywhere else on "the great white way." Trust your man when I say that FELA! on Broadway is the definition of a memorable night out in New York City.

Bonus content:

Here's vintage J.J. Brown circa 1987 in a Fisher Price "Sun Jammers" commerical... I was stuntin' in fly shades and watches even back then haha. I got the first verse:

See you at the show,
J.J.

5G | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook | YouTube

Back for round 2...

2010-07-14T16:26:00.007-04:00

That's right... you remember the inclusion of my joint It. featuring Poison Pen on the official Brooklyn's Finest DJBooth.net mixtape back in February? Well that was to celebrate the release of the feature film in theaters, and now it's time to roll out the red carpet for the release of the DVD!

This times around on Volume 2, you'll find the It. REMIX featuring Prince Po, Armageddon and Kyle Lucas of Vonnegutt. Click the pic below to be taken directly to DJbooth.net's page for the FREE DOWNLOAD!

Click the pic to download the
Brooklyn's Finest Vol. 2 mixtape for FREE.

I'm in good company on both volumes, so download your copies and let me know what ya think in my comments section below.

Big shouts to my homie Cory at Corner Burger on 5th Ave. here in BK, and I don't know how I missed this grand opening back in February, but if you're not in the mood for a burger and poutine in the Slope, do yourself a favor and head over to the classiest Arby's in America in the Heights! More on my unhealthy (yet marketable) relationship with good eats coming your way in the near future.

Far back,
J.J.

5G | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook | YouTube

Nineteen Ninety Now

2010-05-12T18:22:00.013-04:00

Here's a pic of where I sit each and everyday, alongside my man Dan "The Deacon" Maier, in the captain's chair at 5G Studios in Brooklyn, NY:

Complete with gin & juice to the left there haha...

This room has been home base for almost 10 years now, so you can imagine the level of respect I have for the aura in here. Some of the finest talents hip-hop has to offer has graced us with their presence and talents here... Flavor Flav, Craig G, louis logic, J-Zone, Benny Blanco, the1shanti, RA the Rugged Man, Reef the Lost Cauze, Homeboy Sandman, Block McCloud, Travie McCoy, Kyle Lucas... the list goes on. It's not always easy to deal with the business side of this industry, but the creative side never gets old.

I'm proud to say that my partner and I can sit calmly at this console and confidently (and enthusiastically) handle whatever is asked of us. It's a challange that I don't think many are really up for. A lot of people talk the talk... do you have what it takes to sit here?

Danny begs to differ haha.

Recently a longtime music friend of the camp, Celph Titled, completed an album with the legendary producer Buckwild (Big L, Biggie, Faith Evans, OC... you know, that Buckwild) and flew in from Tampa for a week to mix with Dan and I. It's called Nineteen Ninety Now and this record is nothing short of incredible.

Ladies & gentlemen, Celph Titled is in the mix!

It was an honor to be part of the process. Complete with unreleased Buckwild beats from the 90's and a slew of guest appearances from Treach (of Naughty By Nature), Diamond D, Vinny Paz and more, this thing is gonna ruin a lot of careers haha.

Mista Sinista of X-Ecutioners fame
stops by to lay cuts for Celph.

I've also seen a lot more of my man Illus (from the Public Enemy camp) these past few weeks, who is adding to his EP to create an entire album fully produced by me. This week he brought over his friend (and YouTube sensation) Paul Dateh to work on a few tracks with us. He's a hip-hop violinist who sings, but it's no gimmick. He's freakishly talented, and working with him was a real pleasure. For an example of his work click on the pic I took below:

Click the pic to see this wizard in action!

Lastly, this week I also got the final edit of Jonny October's video for his song I produced called SRI. I've been working closely with Jonny for a few years now... he was a big part of my album Connect The Dots. behind the scenes, he just got off his first tour with my man Louis and Emcee Type, and he's about to earn the respect he deserves from the masses. Click on the pic below to see this cinematic work, artfully directed by my friends Ethan Blum and Jed I. Rosenberg. Stay till the end for a cameo from ya boy:

Click on this pic I took from the shoot
to watch the SRI music video NOW!

I go to work,

J.J.

5G | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook | YouTube

3 Parts ILL...

2010-04-14T13:20:00.012-04:00

I'm proud to announce the formation and first performance of my new group 3 Parts ILL!

You may be familiar with the stuff that Danny and I have worked on with singer/songwriter Erin Barra (if you're not, get started by clicking HERE and check out the audio player on the right) which lead to an opening spot for her at my Connect The Dots. album release party at SOB's this past November. The performance felt so good to me, and the on-stage partnership so natural, that I asked Erin if she wanted to put together something more permanent.

Erin Barra housing the mic,
with me on the decks, at my album release party.

At her suggestion we added a third part to round out the musical backdrop, the freakishly talented Justin Goldner, and 3 Parts ILL was born!

3 Parts ILL consists of:

Erin Barra (lead vocals, keys, melodica)
J.J. Brown (DJ, backing vocals)
Justin Goldner (guitar, electric bass, backing vocals)

Click the pic to watch 3 Parts ILL in rehearsal
at 5G Studios, Brooklyn, USA

We've secured a monthly residency with Savalas nightclub in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, and as the flyer (above) says, our first show is this Sunday, April 18th! The performance takes place at 10pm, but I will be holding down the decks all night, before and after our set, so come and join us for a full night of great music. I can guarantee it.

We will also have a jam packed merch table, which will feature free gifts and exclusive gear from our official sponsor, Brooklyn-based Wrecords By Monkey. I'm really excited about working with these guys... they specialize in jewelry made from recycled vinyl records! The perfect fit for a group with breakbeats as the backbone of our sound.

Click the pic to be taken directly to
the official website of Wrecords By Monkey!

Thanks to everybody who hit me up with all the love for It Remix. There's a lot more music and innovative collabos on the way,

J.J.

5G | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook | YouTube

When you rock & roll...

2010-03-23T14:45:00.013-04:00

Peace internet fam, it's ya man J.J. Brown back for another one!

Remember how I told you to peep the new Cookbook & Uno Mas album C&U Music Factory because I got a few tracks on there? Well they made one of them their first single. It's called When You Rock & Roll and it features Evidence from Dilated Peoples. Check out the music video for the song below, I'm real proud of the way it turned out:

"WHEN YOU ROCK & ROLL" CookBook & UNO Mas feat. Evidence from AudioSketchBook on Vimeo.

In case you haven't seen it, I also have this little gem to share... the music video for a joint I produced for my man ILLUS from the Public Enemy camp. Look for cameos from the legendary Chuck D as well as the kid himself, along with an up-and-comer I've been working closely with (who is soon to be a household name) Jonny October. Ladies & gents I present to you... Feel Good Music:

This week me and my team also unleashed a remix to my song It. from my solo debut Connect The Dots. In keeping with the theme of the album, when I set my sights on remixing the song I wanted to create a sonic atmosphere suitable for guest artists ranging from fan favorites to newcomers. I called on Prince Po from Organized Konfusion, my newest rap alliance Armageddon (who I'm working with as he breaks out from the Terror Squad pack) and my homie Kyle Lucas from Big Boi's Purple Ribbon stable.

Here's a shot I took
of Kyle laying down his verse at 5G.

The outcome is exactly as I had envisioned. And with a perfected final mix from my longtime 5G engineer Dan "The Deacon" Maier, I really couldn't have asked for a more fulfilling remix experience. Click below to be taken directly to 2dopeboyz.com's post on the matter:

Click the single artwork to be taken
directly to 2dopeboyz.com
to preview and download the song for FREE.

Last but certainly not least, I recently had the pleasure of doing an in-depth interview for the9elements.com with my man I.G.O.D. It's extensive so it was broken into three parts, but all you have to do is click on the banner below to see them all:

Click on the banner to see my in-depth interview
conducted by I.G.O.D. for the9elements.com

More from Geddy and J.J. on the way...
J.J.
5G | Twitter | MySpace | Facebook | YouTube

Brooklyn's Finest

2010-02-15T20:17:00.013-05:00

Hey guys,

Hope you had a great Valentine's Day with that special someone. A couple of real interesting projects I've had the pleasure of being a part of are now available, and I wanted to tell you about them...

First off, I'm a huge movie buff, so I was very excited to hear about the new Brooklyn's Finest film coming out March 5th starring Wesley Snipes, Don Cheadle, Ethan Hawke and more. And -as you can imagine- I was even more excited to hear that my song It. featuring Poison Pen off my album Connect The Dots. was selected to be a part of the official Brooklyn's Finest mixtape brought to you by the fine folks at Overture Films and djbooth.net! I keep some great company on there, so be sure and check it out...

Click the movie poster to be taken directly
to the DJ Booth website
for a FREE DOWNLOAD of the mixtape!

Next up, my homies from the left coast, L.A. Symphony's Cookbook & Uno Mas are back with a new one called C&U Music Factory. I got two joints on there, and they're both very special to me for different reasons. One is called When You Rock & Roll which features Evidence from Dilated Peoples. It's so ill to me to hear him on one of my beats because I learned a lot from listening to DP product over the years, and consider Ev to be one of the best doin' it right now. It's really an honor to have a song with him on my resume.

Here's Ev with another one of my pals,
the radiant and talented Eternia.

The other song featured on the album is called L.A. Times (J.J. Brown REMIX) which features the great DJ Rhettmatic from the mighty Beat Junkies DJ crew. I love this joint because I grew up totally immersed in the big, driven Gangsta Rap production sound. In fact, there was a time was I think I was more influenced by West Coast groups than those right here in my own back yard, so it was nice to get to use some of those hidden talents on a track haha. I got a lot out of my system on this one. So click on the album cover below and support that good shiyit y'all:

Click the album cover to be taken directly
to the C&U Music Factory page on iTunes!

Last but certainly not least, I've always had a passion for the visual arts as well, especially photography. I got a ill Cannon for my one year wedding anniversary from my lovely wife Kai, so I put it to good use by tagging along with her as the photographer on one of her styling gigs. This time it was for my good friend the1shanti's new group Bonita Applebum with the beautiful Shefali Kumar. They created a behind-the-scenes video blog of the photo shoot, and if ya wanna see yer boy throwing down in a way you never saw before, click the pic below!

Click the pic (which I took!) for a look behind-the-scenes
at the Bonita Applebum photo shoot.

All in a day's work haha...

J.J.

Timothy where have you been...

2010-01-24T19:39:00.007-05:00

To Irving Plaza, that's where! Timbaland's cutting edge Shock Value II show was so inspiring, from his choice of starting with the slower tempo stuff and then building all the way up to a Nirvana Teen Spirit cover, to the way he figured out how to bring all his high-profile guest appearances on the road with him via the latest stage technology, this jammy had it all:

There's Keri Hilson's hologram to the left,
just before she surprised the crowd
by hitting the stage in person.

A producer with this much star power doing a show in New York City can't help but bring some local pals out with him, and by the end of the night we were treated to short impromptu sets by a slew of artists including Lil' Kim and Puff Daddy. It reminded me just how many hits Timbaland has produced, and for just how many years his ever-evolving style has influenced me. Thanks for a memorable show! Now if I can just get my hands on one of his custom Open Labs joints he was demonstrating the powers of all night long...

Speaking of great stage shows, the consummate master of live musical performance Michael Jackson is still breaking records and changing the game from up there in the clouds... a special 3-D version of his Earth Song music video will air during the 52nd Annual Grammy Awards on January 31st, and all you have to do to get your free MJ 3-D glasses is hit up Target's electronics section. I got mines this afternoon, now get yours:

Click the pic for more info!

Also, by now you've all seen the artwork for my debut solo album Connect The Dots. posted here on my blog many times, but what you might not know is that it was all hand drawn by my man Adam "Illus" Wallenta from the Public Enemy camp. He does the official Public Enemy comic book series (which can be purchased right HERE) and he's also a budding recording artist in his own right. Well this business is all about who you know and how you connect those dots, so wouldn't it make sense that we work together on his Feel Good Music digital EP available NOW?

Click the album artwork to purchase Illus'
Feel Good Music EP through iTunes,
produced entirely by me.

Lots of exciting things happening here in the studio for 2010, but more on that later. In the meantime, keep enjoying the labors of my love, and know that your support does not go unnoticed fam. Oh, and here's a little something for all you cats who would rather pow-wow than perform... save the chit chat for the next man, suckas. Talk is cheap, and I'm a big spender.

See you soon,

J.J.

J.J. Brown on BoomBox Radio...

2010-01-13T16:06:00.008-05:00

Hey guys,

Hope everyone had happy Holidays! Here's a recorded stream of the Brooklyn College radio show I had the pleasure of being on just before the break...

Click on the pic
to be taken directly to the interview page!

Big shouts to my man DJ BlacKnight... a real knowledgeable cat. I had a lot of fun talking with him.

DJ BlacKnight and J.J. Brown

And for those of you who haven't heard, today Timbaland released his club tour dates in support of his Shock Value 2 album, featuring very special guests! Rumors include Drake, Keri Hilson, Nelly Furtado, Justin Timberlake and more. Now, the Justin Timberlake FutureSex, LoveSounds show my wife and I saw in Miami, featuring Timbaland, was one of the best shows I've ever seen, and next week I plan on doing it all over again at Irving Plaza! Who's with me?

Click on the pic for a tour date near you!

On a much sadder note, my pal R.A. The Rugged Man's father recently passed due to complications with cancer. If you would like to know more about his Vietnam war hero of a dad, read XXL's article HERE, and be sure to reach out to R.A. on Twitter or his Facebook page. It's so tough dealing with an untimely loss like this, and really all we got is each other. And I'm just finding out about this terrible loss of life in Haiti due to yesterday's earthquake. My prayers are with all the families touched by the tragedy.

Thanks for all the Connect The Dots. love and check back soon... 2010 is about to be legendary,
J.J.

It's that time...

2009-12-09T20:43:00.017-05:00

It's been such a gratifying few weeks since the release of my debut solo album Connect The Dots. (available everywhere RIGHT NOW) and my latest video blog is a testament to that... if you haven't seen it yet, click the pic below to join in the media blitz fun!

Click the pic to watch Connect The Dots. Episode 13
featuring Sucio Smash, DJ Eclipse and more!

I can also put a check mark next to one more thing on my bucket list... last night I finally got to thank the great Timbaland for all the years of influence and inspiration, in person! Now, I wasn't so sure it would be a good idea to be tweeting and blogging about waiting in line at J&R Music World to meet one of my idols. I mean, another producer should be considered a peer, or even competition, so why would I take time out of my busy recording schedule to meet one at an in-store performance/album signing?

But after giving it some thought, I decided it might be nice for you guys to learn that everyone looks up to someone. And just like my supporters are excited to meet me as I tour around and say hello, I also have a short list of creative people who remind me what it feels like to be a genuine fan of this art. Allowing myself that freedom to still feel the excitement of running down to Park Row to cop the latest Clipse album, for instance, keeps me level.

Uh-oh... is this mean muggin' a sign of things to come?

So in walks Timbo the King! He's an hour late, but that's ok... there he is walking right past me as he makes his way up to the stage! He looks as though he was just told a sink hole sucked his new Ferrari into the black abyss, but I'm fine with that... I'm only a few feet away from my generation's Quincy Jones, the guy who taught me that thinking outside the box can be even more rewarding than trying your damnedest to stay in it.

An announcement is made... "Timbaland will no longer be performing, but he will still be signing autographs. Please clear the front of the stage."

Timbaland takes his seat on stage without saying a word,
but I'm almost at the front of the line and I don't care!

No "hi guys thanks for coming out" or "I know you all had to buy a copy of my CD here tonight for a ticket to meet me, so thank you for spending your hard-earned money on my project" no nothing. But that's really ok, really, it's Timmy. Yeah, that's what I call him... we're cool like that (in my head) so he doesn't have to thank me. And I'm quickly moving towards the front of the line so who gives a shit? I'm about to shake hands with Tim Mosley! Wow, this line is moving wild quick all the sudden...

Getting close now!

That's when another announcement is made, and this time the voice sounded pretty agitated: "Ladies and gentlemen have your CD booklets out and ready!" And now I'm noticing that the line is moving dumb fast because Tim is just quickly scribbling something on each CD booklet as the fans are rushed by him. And if you brought a camera, there is now a bodyguard in place to grab it from you and take some haphazard pic of whatever he feels like.

But I'm still feeling good... I got my beautiful wife with me to document the meeting, and no one will want to snatch the camera away from her, right? Plus I played it real smart... I brought my vinyl LP of Tim's Bio which is his first true solo album. That nobody bought but me. There's no way he's not gonna take a quick second to give a sincere fan like J.J. Brown some special attention, right?

Wrong.

The meeting of the minds.

No eye contact here. Haha. Now, I don't wanna come off as too salty. He did take the time to scribble "TIM" on both my Shock Value 2 CD and my Tim's Bio LP. And the fact of the matter is, no I didn't get him to give me so much as a smirk (no one could that night) but I did get a small reaction from him when he saw the vinyl... I told him his music has been a great inspiration to me, and he said "thanks bro." And God for bid if he would have accepted my offer to shake hands at least there was that brand new bottle of hand sanitizer nearby!

But it's all gravy baby... Timbaland produced the soundtrack to my youth. I'm pretty sure he could have told me to pound sand and I would be able to come up with some sort of justification. Haha.

You know how we do... louis logic, me and Danny
posing for a pic with each fan at the Fat Beats
album signing for Misery Loves Comedy back in '06.

But in all seriousness, artists, let's not forget that we are afforded this incredible opportunity to make our passion our livelihood because of that line of fans who wait to shake our hand. That's worth a smile on album release day. And fans, I gotta tell you all from the bottom of my hip-hop heart, there isn't a moment that goes by when I'm in the studio where I don't think about how exciting it is that I get to share my music with you. In fact, let's do this...

Click on the pic to "pay what you want"
for the1shanti's Rawkus album!

A few years back my partner Danny and I headed up a project for our good friend the1shanti who got a deal with Rawkus. I got four joints on there and Danny mixed the whole thing, and it's one of my favorite records I've ever been a part of. It was shelved when Rawkus met its demise, and now it's here exclusively for you, for whatever you want to pay.

Show your support anyway you can, and don't feel bad if you can't afford to pay anything at all, but don't ever say that me and my team ain't do nothin' to thank the supporters! Enjoy it you guys. We had a lot of fun making it.

I be the same when it all goes up, I be the same when it all goes down,
J.J.

At the jam...

2009-11-24T09:06:00.013-05:00

... but in for a shock, stupid big line wrapped around the block! For those who don't know, that's a lyric from one of my favorite joints from growing up, I Love Ladies from the great Ice-T:

Click on the album cover
to hear the song in full!

The album release party was a huge success, and on Tuesday, November 10th at club SOB's here in New York City, it wasn't just a quotable from one of my favorite Iceberg numbers, it was 5G & Well Done's reality. Family, friends and fans alike gathered to celebrate the release of my album Connect The Dots. and made it a night I'll never forget.

In case you missed the event or would just like to relive the experience, click on the pic below to be taken directly to episode 12 of the Connect The Dots. video blog series for behind-the-scenes access, concert footage and more! Featuring guest shots from Block McCloud, louis logic, Homeboy Sandman, Tonedeff, Pack FM, Craig G and many others...

Click the pic to watch Connect The Dots. -
Episode 12: The Jam

By the way, here's a shot of me in my homage-to-MJ show jacket, rocking with Craig G...

Me & the legend Craig

Now here's a shot of another rhyming producer, out on the town...

Amber Rose & Kanye

I guess it's safe to say that great minds think alike! But also that this fraternity of musicians that we're all a part of is made up of at least one common thread... we all find inspiration through the late icon Michael Jackson, and we're each doing our own small part to make sure his true legacy is never forgotten.

We miss you Mike...

Be sure and check out my new "virtual merch table" powered by Merch Direct. More product will be added regularly, so check back often:

Click the pic to be taken directly
to the new Merch Direct online store!

And keep a close eye on ya mans J. Brown... things are really starting to heat up now,

J.J.

Thanks a lot.

Connect The Dots. IN STORES NOW!!!!

2009-11-10T07:54:00.010-05:00

Damn, this really feels so great right now... of course I've had many "album release days" but something is so different and unique when it's your name all by itself on the front cover! Lemme come down off this high now and let my man Homeboy Sandman have a say in it...

Click the pic for a special "release day"
message from the great Homeboy Sandman!

I told you guys a long time ago that I would introduce my core team to you here on my blog, and what better day than RELEASE DAY to do just that? I'm so appreciative of these people's time and talents, and would like to thank them for making Connect The Dots. the success that it is:

Luis "Big Lu" Valbuena: Well Done CEO, my manager (and all around great guy!)

Dan "The Deacon" Maier: My longtime 5G partner and ILLEST right hand man in the biz.

the1shanti: This genius edits my video blogs and is my personal Zen master!

Adam "Illus" Wallenta: I need amazing art, I call him. It's that simple.

Fiona Bloom: If she ain't working your publicity, good luck with that.

J.J. Jenson: This man knows radio promo like no one else in indie hip-hop, point blank.

My wife: No matter how late I crawl into bed, she's still happy I'm there.

Obviously there are many more, as it takes an army to perform a proper album roll out. But it's important to note these key players who are a part of my daily operation, and who keep the wheels turning. Thank you guys. And oh yeah, we did it:

The weekly video blogs won't stop here! As my man Big Lu says, release day isn't the finish line, it's really the official start of all the real fun. So we'll continue to bring cameras everywhere we go throughout this exciting time in the world of Well Done/5G, but just in case you need to be brought up to speed on the past episodes of my video blog series, here's a recap:

Click the pic to watch Episode 10: THE RECAP

Join me TONIGHT at SOB's in lower Manhattan for my release day celebration concert, you do NOT want to miss what we have in store for you:

Click on the flyer
for ticket information!

And come check out my special in-store performance at BEST BUY on 23rd Street here in New York this Thursday. I'll have some of my special guests from SOB's along for that as well, and we're signing everything you buy/bring:

Click the flyer to purchase
my album at BestBuy.com!

If I don't catch you at one of these events, we'll still get to see each other soon. I got a lot of publicity engagements coming up, and the plan is to have a chance to say hello, in person, to ALL of my supporters (hint, hint!) More on that later.

Thanks for the love,
J.J.

The album release celebration show!

2009-10-30T12:38:00.007-04:00

Wassup my peoples?!?! November 10th is right around the corner, and of course we couldn't let album release day come and go without a major celebration to let everybody know what it is...

Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you the show flyer for the OFFICIAL Connect The Dots. album release party going down November 10th at SOB's in Manhattan!

Click on the pic to be taken
directly to the SOB's ticket window!

Now, here's the catch... the flyer includes a list of key performers who will be sharing their talents at the event, but you know how I do... there will be plenty of SURPRISE GUESTS touching the stage that night as well. And the only way to peep hints of who those people are is RIGHT HERE on Episode 9 of my weekly Connect The Dots. video blog series!

Click the pic for Well Done's
weekly newsletter in its entirety.

Best believe I got plenty tricks up my sleeve New York, so join me and my esteemed guests on November 10th at SOB's at 204 Varick Street downtown. Purchase your tickets early for a discounted price, and if you bring any 12" that I've produced I will sign it and have a special giveaway just for you as a token of my appreciation. I take care of my supporters, and this night will be no different.

My debut solo album available
WORLDWIDE November 10th
on Well Done Entertainment.

And just a reminder, a new single is available each week on iTunes leading up to the release date, with every purchase counting towards the completion of your album download on November 10th!

Click the pic to be taken
directly to my page on iTunes.

Thank you all for recognizing the real,

J.J.

Broader than broadway...

2009-10-21T10:20:00.014-04:00

What an action packed few weeks... when you think as big as me and my team, things don't get any calmer as you move towards your release date, you only grind harder!

My man Danny literally grinding harder (pause)
during the recording of Fantastic Four

Last week the album roll out got personal, as I shared some memories that I've been keeping somewhat private throughout my rap career. As my close friends always knew, and as my patna louis logic loved to "secretly" tell everyone (haha...) I was fortunate enough to have a successful acting career growing up. It's how I was exposed to all the arts, including hip-hop, and how I became comfortable enough on stage to eventually shed the skin of a scripted character and just be me: J.J. the DJ, producer and MC. So I thought, what better time to share my past with all of you guys than right now while we're trying to get to know each other better?

On the set of Rocky V with Seth Green

If you haven't had a chance to check out Connect The Dots. episode 7, a guided tour through my old stomping grounds of New York City's theater district, you can do that now by clicking on the pic of me and my homeboy the1shanti shooting the blog below:

Click on the pic
to see why the world's a stage...

For this week's episode (week 8 of the roll out) we give an exclusive behind-the-scenes look at what goes into recording with rap legend Craig G for Froze Prose Part 2. off Connect The Dots., and how to achieve the perfect hook by calling on the services of the great Block McCloud.

Craig G (in my kitchen)
with my dude Jonny October
who is also featured on the track!

To watch episode 8 of my video blog series Connect The Dots. simply click HERE.

And don't forget to visit me on iTunes to download your Gender Bender. and The World's A Stage. singles RIGHT NOW by clicking HERE.

We MAJOR.

"Gender Bender" single on iTunes NOW!!!!

2009-10-13T17:20:00.006-04:00

Wassup my people,

It's ya mans J.J. Brown. Things have been real crazy since the last time I had a chance to write... we've been keeping very busy supplying you with weekly video blogs leading up to the release of my album Connect The Dots. on November 10th, and last week also saw the unveiling of the music video for my first official single "Gender Bender" featuring Eternia and Miz Metro! If you haven't had a chance to peep the vid yet, you can do that now by clicking on the pic of E below:

Click the pic to watch the HD version
of "Gender Bender" in its entirety!

I'm so proud of the way it turned out, but I'll take making music over shooting music videos any day of the week! Haha... that stuff is hard work, but I'm pretty sure the hard work paid off this time around.

Today Eternia and her team sent out an ILL behind-the-scenes mini doc of the whole process, which can be seen by clicking HERE.

Well Done and 5G has also put together an insider's look of what went into writing and shooting "Gender Bender" which can be found on our most recent newsletter HERE. If you're not receiving our newsletters and would like to, simply visit www.welldoneentertainment.com and put your email address in the box that says Join The Movement at the bottom to STAY CONNECTED!

Last but certainly not least, I'm very excited to announce that as of today, "Gender Bender" is available as a single on iTunes for just 99 cents! Click on the pic below to be taken directly to the store page:

You loved the video,
now treat your iPod to the tunage!

Once again, thank you to everyone for keeping in touch with me on Twitter and Facebook... your support does not go unnoticed. And stay tuned... we're gunnin' for that #1 spot.

Cool it now,
J.J.

The Evolution Of J.J. Brown...

2009-10-02T10:58:00.010-04:00

Wassup peoples,

It's ya mans J.J. Brown here to bring you the wrap up of another fulfilling week of rolling out Connect The Dots. dropping November 10th on Well Done Entertainment!

This week, as a "thank you" to all of the supporters, music bloggers and websites for doing such a terrific job stirring up attention for my debut release, I teamed up with Shadyville DJ Dre Boogs to bring you my official mixtape The Evolution Of J.J. Brown. It includes memorable highlights from my career as a producer, as well as exclusives and never-before-heard snippets from my forthcoming album where I'm making the transition to frontman.

If you haven't already seen this week's Connect The Dots. episode explaining where to download your free copy of the mixtape, you can do that right now by clicking HERE!

Shouts to the great Dre Boogs
for making this a family affair!

And be on the lookout for next week's episode... we will be unveiling the music video for the official first single off my album, "Gender Bender" featuring Eternia and Miz Metro! We'll also be making a very special announcement regarding iTunes involvement in our movement.

Stay tuned... this is about to get good,
J.J.

"Gender Bender" the MUSIC VIDEO is comin'!

2009-09-26T10:30:00.010-04:00

Wow, I'm so excited right now... just watched "edit 1" of my first official music video for Connect The Dots. (contrary to popular belief, "Pure Grind" was a visual album teaser! We just do everything THAT BIG, nahmean?) It's called "Gender Bender" and both the song and the vid features two of the most talented femme fatales in the game right now, Eternia and Miz Metro! I can't wait to share this with everyone real soon...

Special sneak-peek screen shot!
(J.J., Dre Boogs, Eternia and Miz Metro)

Roll out week 4 has been one of the most gratifying so far! If you have yet to watch Episode 4 of my weekly video blog series leading up to the release of my album Connect The Dots. on November 10th, 2009 do so now by clicking HERE!

Episode 4 celebrates the true theme of the album title...
we straight connectin' DOTS on 'em!
(Travie and J.J.)

Big shouts to all the music blogs and websites showing mad love week after week, including 2dopeboyz.com and hiphopdx.com, and the list just keeps growing... if your website is not yet receiving the jump on our latest blogs and info, contact Well Done Entertainment CEO Luis Valbuena at luis@welldoneentertainment.com and he'll get you set up right away. Now would be a good time... we'll be blasting a very special "thank-you" for all the support THIS WEEK.

I'd also like to proudly announce that my good friends over ughh.com got the EXCLUSIVE jump on the official tracklist... Connect The Dots. receives its first official pre-order page right here:

Click the logo and hold on tight!

This is how it should be done... well,

J.J.

Movin' like a freight train... roll out week 3!

2009-09-19T12:30:00.007-04:00

It's hard to believe we're already three weeks into the push to make sure everybody knows what they got comin' to them... my debut solo album Connect The Dots. featuring everyone you love, dropping November 10th on Well Done Entertainment!

If you haven't had a chance to peep this week's video blog episode, where we unveil the official Connect The Dots. artwork and the incredible artist behind it, do so by clicking HERE.

We reppin' HARD for P.E. this time around!

Special shouts to all the music bloggers showing mad love, especially the great Fiona Bloom over at The Bloom Effect! Speaking of which, my label manager Luis "Big Lu" Valbuena is putting together the most exciting team of industry vets imaginable to create the biggest buzz possible surrounding my release... I will introduce the entire crew right here in the very near future. Stay tuned...

On a personal note, I'm right in the middle of celebrating my one year wedding anniversary all weekend with my beautiful wife Kai, and last night I tweeted from our dinner at Metrazur where we got married on September 20th, 2008. I got a lot of responses about tying the knot at Grand Central Terminal... the truth is, first we had our Catholic observance next door at the beautiful Saint Agnes church. But yes, you CAN get married at Grand Central, and if you do it right, it's one of the most amazing settings you could envision! So on the eve of the actual one year anniversary of my marriage, I leave you with this:

Peace to my man Seannie Cameras!

I love you Mrs. Brown...

What? Gangstas need love too,
J.J.

Roll out week 2 in effect!

2009-09-10T11:11:00.009-04:00

The second week of ramping up to the release of my debut solo album Connect The Dots. releasing November 10th on Well Done Entertainment is in full swing! Thank you so much to everyone showing me love on the blogs, and I've also had a great time getting to know my longtime supporters via Twitter. Please follow along if you haven't been already. I'm pretty much a full blown addict at this point! Ha. We have a great time on there... giveaways, starting trends, all that. So join in the fun:

Kaz...

winner of the very first "Giveaway Wednesday!"

Please see Episode 2 of my video blog series by clicking HERE, and don't forget to "join the fan list" to be notified of the latest news surrounding my project before anyone else!

Needless to say it's a really busy time for your boy, and I'm enjoying every second of it. Over the course of the last few days we have also been shooting the music video for my first official single off the album. It's called "Gender Bender" and it features Canadian MC extraordinaire Eternia as well as the incredibly talented Miz Metro on the hook. (Make sure you pick up her latest release Unlimited, as Danny and I have a joint on there that we're very proud of.)

"Gender Bender" the song and video is an updated take on Ice-T's classic "Lifestyles of the Rich and Infamous" from one of my all-time favorite albums, Original Gangster. Ice-T made a comical song about being a touring hip-hop artist. We added onto that lunacy by also discussing the differences between being a male and a female touring hip-hop artist! There was so much to write about, wow. Click on the pic below to experience the inspiration:

Iceberg... one of the best to ever do it.

Before I get outta here I want to thank everyone who worked on the song and the shoot for helping me bring my dreams to fruition: Danny, Big Lu, of course E and Miz Metro, Louis, Sandman, Erin, can't forget Ethan and Nadine, Daylon, Adam, Jonny, Shevon, Jah and the whole crew man... we made something really special and I can't wait to share it with the world. You're all brilliant. We will be unveiling the finished product in a few weeks, but until then enjoy these behind-the-scenes pics:

Shooting day 1,

breakfast brought to you by Mickey D's!

Ethan and Nadine hard at work on the camera rig.

E getting her sugar fix between shots...

while Miz Metro adds

the finishing touch to this look!

Day 2 of our shoot, at Southpaw in Park Slope...

I got the most famous bar staff in the game!

(Homeboy Sandman and louis logic)

Stay tuned...

J.J.

Roll out!

2009-09-03T08:53:00.001-04:00

Wassup everybody?! We DEEP in roll out week #1 for my debut solo album Connect The Dots. dropping November 10th on Well Done Entertainment. Shouts to my homie "Big Lu" and the whole Well Done team for all the hard work... it's happening!

Yep, this is about to get ugly.

Also gotta give extra special shouts to the brothers at 2dopeboyz.com and hiphopdx.com for being among the first in a long list of press and supporters who are making roll out week #1 a major success!

Connect The Dots. dropping November 10th
on Well Done Entertainment!

If you haven't had a chance to peep the full official press release (which includes a special behind-the-scenes look at the making of my album promo vid with labelmate Reef The Lost Cauze) click HERE, and be sure to sign up for Well Done's "Fan List" to receive news updates and exclusives before anyone else!

And while we're at it... the album promotional music video in its entirety:

J.J. Brown - Pure Grind. featuring Reef The Lost Cauze from Well Done Entertainment on Vimeo.

Much much more on the way, stay tuned...
J.J.

Winners win...

2009-08-25T10:59:00.011-04:00

Wow, it has been a crazy few days. First off, I gotta give special thanks to everyone who helped my remix of Lil Jon's "I Do" place in the top 20 of all contestants in the Loud Records Producer Remix Contest! There are too many 5G soldiers to name, but you guys rallied for 48 hours straight and it just goes to show that winners win...

WE DID.

So now that we're officially a top 20 finalist, the voting is of course over. The next step is for Lil Jon himself to pick his favorite remix, with the winner being announced on September 30th! I'll keep you up to speed.

The prizes include a featured spot in the music player on his Myspace page (which boasts close to 17 million views) and proper distribution. Not to mention all the fun that comes along with bragging rights! Haha... no, but on the real though, I love hip-hop and the spirit of competition from which the culture was born. So no matter what happens from here, I just want to say thank you so much for the love and support, and that I had an amazing time hitting these other remixers where it hurts. I hope you did too.

My homies the1shanti and "Big Lu" hard at work...

In other news, the ramp up to my album officially begins next week with the debut of my first video blog, the album release date announcement, as well as the unveiling of the first music video in support of Connect The Dots. which features my homie Reef The Lost Cauze.

Speaking of video blogs, my longtime pal the1shanti, "Big Lu" and I were up till the sun made its first appearance this morning editing the first one! It's a behind the scenes glimpse into the making of the music video, and I think you guys are really going to enjoy it when we unleash it via 2dopeboyz.com and more next week.

Official 5G engineer to the stars Dan "The Deacon" Maier has been hard at work in the lab with the1shanti mixing songs for his new band Bonita Applebum!

Bonita Applebum... you GOTTA put me on.

Bonita Applebum is the1shanti and the beautiful and talented Shefali Kumar, and their first single (mixed to perfection by my partner Dan "The Deacon" Maier for 5G Productions) can be previewed and purchased by clicking right HERE.

Support that indie GOODNESS.

To my grandpop... GET WELL SOON and I love you, thanks again to all of you for reading this and for all the dedication, and to the whole music industry: BUCKLE UP AND GET READY FOR THE RIDE OF YOUR LIFE.

One,
J.J.

Lil Jon and I NEED YOUR VOTE!!!!

2009-08-19T11:14:00.003-04:00

I’m excited to tell you all about a contest I’ve entered, and to ask for your support! Every so often a hip-hop jam comes along with the energy and power of a freight train, reminding me of why I fell in love with this art in the first place, when I was just a kid. Recently, Lil Jon’s new single “I Do” has been on repeat in my iPod and car stereo for that very reason. My wife LOVES me for it too! Haha…

Just by coincidence, I found out that Loud Records is hosting a Lil Jon “I Do” producer remix contest! Needless to say, I took the acapella and made it my own, mixed to perfection by my partner Dan “The Deacon” Maier. Now I NEED YOU to help me win by voting for my submission before the contest ends at 3:59pm Eastern Time on Friday, August 21st, 2009!

All you have to do to vote is text my submission code which is Loud 1885 to 41411 on your cell phone. You’re only allowed one vote per phone number, so I need EVERYONE’S HELP to win, cool? At the end of the contest, the twenty producers with the most votes will have their remix reviewed by Lil Jon himself, and the winner (aka: me!) will be announced on September 30^th, 2009.

The winning submission receives a spot on Lil Jon’s Myspace music player and gets added as one of his “top friends!” This may not seem like a big deal at first, until you note that Lil Jon’s Myspace page boasts almost 17 MILLIONS VIEWS and that type of exposure would mean a great deal to a producer like me.

So please CLICK HERE to listen to my submission!
And if you like it, text Loud 1885 to 41411 right away!
(Note: please DO NOT listen if you are easily offended by explicit lyrical content, as Lil Jon has a tendency to be pretty vulgar, and I’m just the producer!)

You may also get a feel for just how superior my remix is by listening to other producer submissions by CLICKING HERE.
(Note: but that’s not really important, is it?)

Thank you so much for your time and your support, and I’ll be sure to keep you posted on the results. As my man “Big Lu” would say, LET’S GET IT! Artwork (below) by the great Dre Boogs.

Pure grind...

2009-08-13T11:52:00.016-04:00

Believe it or not, I'm finally sitting here blogging in one of my new MJ 02 concert shirts from the official merch store! It took a hot minute for the box to arrive, but it's understandable... no one expected for this to be a mail order situation, just as no one expected to lose the icon so soon. Still having a hard time shaking this off...

Thank you for the years of inspiration Mike!

As for other areas of my life though, this has been one of the most exciting time periods on record...

I GOTTA say peace to my homie Tonedeff for putting on one of the greatest artist showcases I've ever attended at Highline Ballroom here in NYC last weekend. It was quite an experience for me to finally feel like my friends and I have carved out our own piece of hip-hop history. My Big Apple heads, remember going to those rap shows at Tramps, and even if it was a KRS show you'd also get to see Fat Joe, Lord Finesse, Kane, etc. because they were all part of the fabric that made up the New York underground scene? Well I got that same warm, fuzzy feeling last Friday night at Tone's QN5 Megashow, only this time I was part of this tight knit group which included opening acts louis logic (obviously a longtime associate of mine) and Poison Pen (I produced for and sequenced his current album The Money Shot IN STORES NOW!!!!) as well as incredible full sets by the artists that make up the QN5 roster, who have mostly all played a part in my career at some point. All this while I watched the show sharing a booth with the next crop. I was even booked for the official afterparty but that's one of those showbiz stories I'll save for my book. Haha. Oh, and I would share pics of this event but there were NO CAMERAS ALLOWED, sorry! You'll just have to join us next year if you still don't know what the fuss is about...

AND KNOWING IS HALF THE BATTLE!
(NOTE: See G.I. JOE if you haven't already,
it's THE TRUTH.)

This past weekend we also shot our first music video in promotion of my debut album Connect The Dots. (now dropping this fall, exact date will be announced very shortly) for the track Pure Grind featuring my man Reef The Lost Cauze. I don't want to give too much away, as this is one of those "presentation is everything" moments in my timeline, but I will say that you're in for a treat, and me and my team are about to remind the industry how it's done. Here are some exclusive shots from behind the scenes...

Reef (at 5G Studios)
is ready for his close up...

Shooting at the piers in Long Island City, Queens!
L - R: Ethan (camera), Jed (director), Jonny (playback),
Reef (gangsta) and Danny (playboy)

Luis "Big Lu" Valbuena
(executive producer and overlord)

I promise to blog sooner next time... it's been a crazy week of sessions and I actually have to get back to work now... but please follow me on Twitter for more up-to-the-minute accounts of my journey (I'm addicted to that shit!) and do stay tuned because we're just getting warmed up!

There it is baby paw,
J.J.

Blog love...

2009-07-24T12:09:00.008-04:00

What's goin' on everybody? Hopefully you've been following along on Twitter... things have been real busy since my last post and I know it's been a minute, but for good reasons! One of them being that I approach this blog and my time with you just like everything else in my life: it's all or nothing. If you're gonna meet me here so I can share my thoughts, I got that OCD so they are gonna be well thought out, complete and detailed thoughts dammit! And that takes awhile! Haha.

That being said, thanks for all the love you guys have been sending me about my blog, and I wanna take a moment to send some blog love of my own out into the world...

By now I'm sure you've heard of my homeboy the great J-Zone, right? Admiration of each other's work has lead to a long friendship, and I even met my wife at one of his release parties, so of course we had to have him DJ the wedding:

J.J. Brown and J-Zone...
like-minded allies.

Shouts to my man Sean O'Grady once again for being one of the greatest photogs I know. So anyway, the reason I'm saying all this is you guys gotta check out Zone's new blog over at producer Dante Ross' site, especially this post in particular! We've been finishing each other's sentences since we met, but this shit is almost kind of scary. I agree with every single point he's making about these "unpopular hip-hop opinions" and I couldn't have said it better myself. If you don't like what he's saying, you don't like what I'm thinking, and you can see us both about it. Ha.

While we're at it, here's another great shot from the big day:

Danny, Louis, J-Zone, the1shanti and Turna Ray

I also want to let you know about another blog/website I stumbled upon recently... it's called the Hip-Hop Sample Set Index and you can find it by clicking HERE. This is a major come up for a digger like me who still goes nuts over discovering the originals, especially since this site contains some info I was still looking for even after having dusty fingers for all these years.

Just a taste...
nasty I tell you.

Last but not least, I gotta make a contribution to my Random iTunes Download of the Day section, and this one comes from none other than what some consider the greatest Electronica band of all time, Depeche Mode. The song is called Policy of Truth and it's a maphukin' BEAST. Listen with caution if you don't want an ugly hook riff swirling around in your head all day...

Depeche Mode

Click HERE to hear this joint in all its glory, from the album Violator.

Easy,

J.J.

Back on my grizzly...

2009-07-13T12:32:00.014-04:00

The passing of a musical hero always opens the door to soul searching. Over the course of the last few weeks I've had some great conversations with my colleagues about what initially inspired us to chase our dreams, and what our goals are for the future.

Last Wednesday found the 5G/Well Done family at New York's legendary Chung King Studios for my man Poison Pen's album listening party, and as we entered the building and walked past the gold and platinum achievement plaques lining the walls, everyone made a note of stopping at the Old Dirty Bastard and Michael Jackson frames to pay respect and share some thoughts.

ODB

MJ

After some emotional moments, it was onto the listening room for drinks courtesy of the good people at Captain Morgan, Buffalo wings and celery sticks, and to hear the homie Pen's magnum opus that is "The Money Shot" dropping August 4th on Gold Dust featuring production by yours truly!

Click on the album cover
for a taste of the medicine!

I'll co-sign the "Bed Stuy goon" all day... impeccable beat and guest appearance selection combined with an arsenal of original flows and one of the most unique voices in hip-hop make this guy a force to be reckoned with. And as if you couldn't have guessed, I've also made him a part of my forthcoming debut Connect The Dots. dropping in the fall. His appearance is the potent ingredient that makes our duet It one of my favorite tracks. Shouts to our mutual friend Craig G for stopping by and chopping it up for a few as well!

Craig G & J.J. Brown

When the listening session wrapped we made our way down the block to famed indie music club SOB's in support of our homegirl Miz Metro, to be a part of her Unlimited album release party. Me and Danny produced a joint on there featuring our dude Homeboy Sandman that is different from anything else we've ever done, and is sure to have you scratching your head for a second! Haha. Some New Orleans big band meets Digable Planets shit. It's rightfully titled "Sandman" and a snippet can be found here on her website, where you can purchase her album AVAILABLE NOW. Shouts to the wizardry of Fiona Bloom on the assist!

I've been fortunate enough to have a lot of great memories rocking at SOB's, and this night was no different as me and Eternia joined Miz Metro on stage to unveil the official first single off of my album. It's a concept jam called Gender Bender that brings to light the differences male and female artists face while on the road. Footage from the performance and a proper music video will be rolled out with the release of the single dropping real soon.

Me, Miz Metro and E
putting it down for SOB's!

Before I get back to work, we're talking about all this amazing new music today, so I'd also like everybody to head over to my man Cookbook's MySpace page to download his latest album I Love The 80's FOR FREE! And you know how I feel about my 80's music. Cook rolls with the LA Symphony collective which also includes other industry allies of mine... more on that in the very near future. Until then:

We never stop,

J.J.

Picking up the pieces...

2009-07-11T11:47:00.014-04:00

Hope everybody is doing ok. I know it's been a long time since my last blog post, but the truth is I just couldn't bring myself to write since the passing of my number one idol in entertainment, Michael Jackson.

R.I.P. Michael Jackson
1958-2009

When I write about something in my online journal for all of you, it's the news (and admission) of an event that actually happened, and I just wasn't ready to let that be the case for the untimely death of my legend. It's hard to believe that he's actually gone, but you know what? He is. I know all about the televised tribute although I just couldn't bear to watch it, and I've enjoyed long talks with my mother and grandmother about some of their happiest early memories of me and my meticulous MJ impressions. Over the last few weeks I broke out personal Jackson favorites like Joyful Jukebox Music and just listened. Carefully. I cried to that old Ed Sullivan footage of Who's Lovin' You which almost single-handedly defines all of my musical aspirations. And this morning I signed off on the release of my souvenir London 02 opening night ticket and visited what would have been the official "This Is It" merch table.

I've never been so excited to see the FedEx man!

And so it's really over. I'll keep hustling, but not towards that ultimate goal of someday shaking hands with the reason I do all this, because that's no longer a possibility. And that really hurts. Thank you for all the inspiration Mike. I miss you, and you might be gone but your legacy lives forever. I'll do my part to carry it on my back.

"If you enter this world knowing you are loved and you leave this world knowing the same, then everything that happens in between can be dealt with."
- Michael Jackson

My mom said it's important to remember him
where he was happiest, on stage. Just like me.

If you haven't already had a chance, find some perspective on the insecurities Michael dealt with as a result of his immense talent by visiting Lisa Marie Presley's heartfelt blog HERE.

Hear incredible audio of a master at work (and the complete lunacy of the legal system) by CLICKING HERE. Shouts to my man Jesse Sosa on the heads up!

If you're an MJ superfan and sneaker freaker like me, CLICK HERE for a message from the good people at L.A. Gear. It seems our wishes may be granted!

I feel a re-issue coming on!

And if you're a trash journalist like Martin Bashir who built a career on misleading a genius, or a t-shirt company using the death of an icon for financial gain, CLICK HERE. Then shoot me an email at jj@5GProductions.com and tell me what you've learned today.

Long live the king,
J.J.

Bottle service...

2009-06-22T11:22:00.008-04:00

I hope everyone had a great weekend! To my fellow New Yorkers, I know it's like the story of Noah's Ark out here right about now, but here's to making the best of a rainy situation... salud!

My wife and I visited her home state of Connecticut on Saturday to see our Godson Chauncey for his 2nd birthday. He's getting so big! And spending time with a growing little boy like that really does put things into perspective. I remember exactly where I was and what was going on in my life when we got the call that his mother Marrissa was in labor, and now I'm helping to teach him his first words. Time surely does fly, every minute counts, and I can almost justify the manic sense of urgency I put into my daily music routine! Haha... two years ago I was gearing up to ask for my beautiful wife Kai's hand in marriage, Chauncey was just coming into the world, and my debut Connect The Dots. was only just beginning to take shape. Two years later I'm happily married, Chauncey is almost potty trained and the ambitious roll out of my album is about to begin. Make the most of your time on this Earth man, it certainly does not last forever.

My Godson Chauncey... I love this little man.
And he loves his new trucks!

Saturday evening we planned to leave Connecticut in time to make a quick stop to visit a friend of the family in Harlem, and then it was off to my good friend's birthday party downtown at 230 5th by 9:30pm. Anyone who knows me on a personal level is aware of the importance I place on promptness, and this day was no different. We get to the door... there's the birthday boy and his girl... we follow closely behind them as there is no cover charge, so we're moving quickly, and we hear the doormen: "No shorts!" This is where the frustration begins.

Now, I see other dudes coming out of the place in their bruised loafers, Levi's (cuffed no less, but more on that in a minute) and I'm thinking... my style is type fly, ok? I got the BluBlockers proudly displayed, my Miami Vice "yacht club" style is in full e-maphukin-fiznecct with the Polo sailing jacket (collar popped mind you), Penguin slip-ons and, yeah I'll admit it, my Tommy Hill khaki shorts, and I'm sure they can't be talking to me. Think again. I didn't fit the dress code (which is sloppily defined by the door staff's discretion) and my wife and I were asked to leave.

I learned how to dress from the best.
"Triple OG" status right here...

Rule one: cuffing your jeans was played out in '96, and unless you're Katie Holmes trying to bring back the "college roll" then fuck you for leaving the house.

I'm honestly not even sure I
can give her a pass for this mess.

Rule two: Dear door staff of 230 5th, don't cast stones if you live in a glass house.

Who are you to be telling me how to dress
with your four-shades-of-black, Penny's wearing ass?

Fact: My money doesn't get any greener when I cover my calves. And little did you know, you turned away a functioning alcoholic (joke, kind of) who would have kept the $14 Bombay martini's flowing all night without batting an eyelash.

Side note: My father is a prestigious construction contractor who helped build your half-assed excuse for a VIP club. I could have used that to my advantage, but the lobby was getting too loud with all the bachelorette parties making their way into your "exclusive" venue, so I decided not to steal focus from their hot pink tiaras. Classy.

At the end of the day, no harm no foul... the Well Done fam was out in full force repping hard for Connect The Dots. at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival afterparty. Thank you for that guys, it allowed me the opportunity to go home, regroup and start fresh on Father's Day, when I took the time to show appreciation to all the strong male roll models in my family. I hope you took the time to do the same.

Let there be no mistake recession... we earned you,

J.J.

Well Done Entertainment...

2009-06-18T19:52:00.011-04:00

The game ain't been the same since! Haha... wow, I'm still coming down off the high I got from my meeting at the Well Done headquarters yesterday. Well Done Entertainment is a management firm and record label headed up by my man Luis "Big Lu" Valbuena, most notable (so far) for presenting the homie Reef The Lost Cauze and King Magnetic to the masses. Both of those guys are featured on my debut Connect The Dots. coming real soon, which will be released as a joint venture through Well Done Entertainment and my production company, 5G.

Click on the pic for a FREE DOWNLOAD
of the "King and the Cauze" mixtape
with production by yours truly!

The whole idea behind my title Connect The Dots. is very literal. Just like those old puzzles you used to play around with as a kid, you draw the lines between each numbered dot and eventually you get a completed picture. If that isn't how you would define the politics behind the music business, you haven't been in this business long enough to compete.

Mauikai (a great new artist I'm just now getting to know)
and "Big Lu" hamming it up for the camera...

What initially drew me to Luis is the fact that -just like me- he is such a firm believer in the "strength in numbers" theory, and keeping strong personal connections within the industry. I've always been a team player, and that's a major part of the Well Done fabric too, as made evident by the meeting Luis held yesterday. It was a forum for Eternia and I to reconnect after a long hiatus... the last time I saw her was at our session for my album because she's been hiding out in Canada with producer MoSS for a hot minute creating something so nutty... and a chance for me to finally meet #1 Shadyville DJ Dre Boogs, the man behind my mixtape, in person:

I wouldn't even fuss wit' us, and I'M ME!

Eternia brought along DJ Sav One from Fat Beats and her homegirl Mauikai, and just like that, it's a room full of creative people sharing great ideas and even greater music... a microcosim for the industry and a prime example of the reasoning behind the theme and title of my album. We got it all on tape, you'll see!

Me (in my BluBlockers!) with Luis
and incredible Canadian MC Eternia

I gotta get back to work, but before I go I want to share this with you since I haven't been able to get enough of it lately for some reason. My vinyl collection is dumb large not just because I've been hitting the bargain bins since I'm 13 to construct beats of my own, but also because about half of my collection consists of what got me into diggin' in the crates in the first place... my love for THE ORIGINALS. The shit that my favorite producers flipped to achieve their biggest hits. The excitement of hunting those gems down and making them a part of my collection never went away, and I'm still in love with the whole process. So I leave you with this...

Click on the pic and ride out...
FLIPMODE!

It's a must that you heard of us yo we murderous,
J.J.

Captain Kirk's nipples, they've arrived...

2009-06-11T16:23:00.011-04:00

Wait, that was confusing. Captain Kirk's nipples didn't just arrive (that's just a great line from Land of the Lost that I want to start using) but my pair of Demi Tortoise Nylon BluBlockers just did! You guys saw The Hangover right? Well me being the designer shades head that I am, I had to find out what joints Zach Galifianakis was rocking... it turns out they aren't really designer at all, but they are the "as-seen-on-TV" jammies from those old late night infomercials...

Am I the only one who
noticed how ill these things are?

A thorough Google search, $14.95 (plus a few bucks for shipping) and a few days later, they are all mine:

J.J. Brown-ie points for whoever can
name the record sleeve they're sitting on...

Some quick trivia, Sgt. Taggart sports the black version in Beverly Hills Cop II, part of one of my favorite film series of all time.

Had to make a quick stop to check out the
Beverly Hills Police precinct on our honeymoon!

This has been a really exciting day for me, not only due to the arrival of my BluBlockers, but also because I've spent most of the afternoon approving artwork and photography for my first solo single (featuring Nola Darling, the legendary Craig G and more) and my debut. I cannot wait to share everything with you all. Soon!

I've also had a great time checking out all the youtube clips of this insanely gifted kid I just found out about named Ronald Jenkees. Now maybe I deserve a late pass on this, because every last one of his clips have a few million hits, but I don't mind doing my part in spreading the word. I'm actually half tempted to reach out to him for a remix or something. If ya don't know now ya know...

Click on the pic and prepare to be blown away.
Seriously!

Be sure and head over to his youtube channel to see more if you have the time as well. This is really the essence right here. He's just a regular self-taught dude from Kentucky who loves hip-hop and makes beats for the pure "fun" and enjoyment of it. You'll see what I mean.

Till next time, I'm out like shout...
J.J.

There's a little black spot on the sun today...

2009-06-07T20:13:00.010-04:00

It's that time once again! Today's random iTunes download of the day (well, not that it's really that random because it was playing in Dos Caminos last night and I haven't been able to get it out of my head ever since) comes from none other than The Police, with a ill jam called "King of Pain" and this shit is THE SHIT right here. If you forgot about this joint in the endless shuffle of popular Police hits that seem to get more run, click on the pic below to revisit:

You might need an extra Ambien before bed tonight
if you don't want this crack to soundtrack your dreams!

But before the Well Done / 5G team convened on Park Avenue South for dinner last night, we hit up the MOCCA comic convention at the Armory. To all my fellow diggers out there, if you've ever been to a record show it's just like that, only instead of reps from local "mom & pop" shops, it's comic book artists and writers pushing their original work.

Lots of talent in this room!

Really super dope if you're into that sort of thing. We were there supporting my man Illus who does the Public Enemy comic series with Chuck D. He is also in the process of doing all the artwork for my record, and yesterday we got some great footage of him unveiling his almost-finished work to my homeboys louis logic and Jonny October who were seeing it for the first time. It's turning out real crazy! Just look at the expression on their faces if you don't believe me:

Illus, Jonny October, me, Big Lu, louis logic

Now, making the music is a meticulous process when you're as detail oriented as the perfectionists at 5G, but I can't even imagine taking on a task like doing the artwork and layout for a record when you not only have to be talented and creative as hell, but you also have to work within the vision the recording artist has for the project, as well as stick to the proper dimensions for the manufacturer. Shouts to my dude Illus man for real, because I know I wouldn't have the patience for all that. Congratulations are in order as well, because he's getting married in just a few days!

A pic of the happy couple sitting
across from me at dinner last night...
here's to a happy life together.

So there it is... my debut is recorded, mixed and mastered, the design is almost complete, final photography will be here later tonight or tomorrow, Boogs is doing the mixtape as we speak... I love it when a plan comes together.

We in here,

J.J.

If life is a waste of time and time is a waste of life...

2009-06-02T21:07:00.001-04:00

Let's all get wasted and have the time of our lives! Haha... I read that somewhere and thought it might be appropriate to post here right about now. These past few days have been a pretty crazy ride for ya mans. Since Thursday I have been to a viewing for someone very important to my personal and career development, and I went to my cousin's wedding which was held on the horse farm in PA where his father (and my beloved uncle) was killed in a terrible helicopter accident just three years ago. I also spent time with my ailing grandfather who cried a few too many times for my comfort level, and my wife and I even found the time to break away for a visit to Hershey Park where we became overwhelmingly inspired by the brand new Hershey Story museum, which chronicles Milton S. Hershey's life in such an incredible new way that I feel they've actually set a new state-of-the-art standard for this type of experience.

One of the many cool exhibits... they actually put
you in an old Hershey newspaper and email it to you!

If you were following along with us on Twitter then you know my dude Milton was a G! If not, just look at the updates column down the right side of this page to get caught up. You might not think I could get so amped about a man whose life was devoted to making affordable chocolate bars (chocolate was a luxury good reserved for the rich before Hershey changed the game up) but the fact is, when you study successful people who get to the top by having a true passion for what got them there, you could easily take those lessons and apply them to the life you lead. I love surrounding myself with people who are on their A-game, even if their successes have nothing to do with what I'm about, because it just feels good to feed off the go-getters, feel me? I'm also a firm believer in mentoring, and I advise everyone reading this to either be one or find one, or both, because the pay offs are limitless.

A quote from Milton Hershey's father...
you're trippin' if you can't find a way
to apply this shit right here!

There will be more on my uncle's untimely passing in a song called "Brother In Arms" on my debut coming in August, but it's not so much a joint about sadness and death as much as it is a song about determination... determination to make it through whatever curveballs life may throw you, and staying determined to make the most of everyday because you never know if it will be your last. My grandfather isn't doing too well, and I have to learn all I can from him before he's called home. My (little!) cousin is now a married man and it seems like only yesterday when he would come over with his sleeping bag but still call his mom to come get him before nightfall because he was too afraid to sleep anywhere but in the comfort of his own home! Haha... I'm blowing up his spot right now so lemme stop, but what I'm getting at is life is short, time is moving DUMB fast, and every minute counts. I'm game, are you?

Me and my "cuz's wedding" steeze...

J.J.

5G | Twitter | Myspace | Facebook | YouTube

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

2009-05-26T22:04:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-23T22:02:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-19T23:04:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-17T21:43:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-14T21:56:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-12T23:21:00.000-04:00

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?

2009-05-11T18:55:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-09T21:11:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-07T21:48:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-05T21:54:00.001-04:00

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.
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My future's so bright...

2009-05-04T21:03:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-03T21:51:00.001-04:00

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...

2009-05-02T20:56:00.000-04:00

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...

2009-05-01T23:32:00.000-04:00

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

Twitter success...

2009-04-30T19:33:00.000-04:00

I have to be honest... at first I was a little skeptical about the importance of something like Twitter. Am I really supposed to care so much about every last thing my friends and idols are up to on a minute by minute basis? But then I started to find and follow some of the icons who I've often wondered about, and who have been a little illusive in the past to say the least. I now realize that they prefer updating in this short and sweet style, and in the past week I've gotten personal replies from folks ranging from MC Ren (always been a favorite of mine) to DJ Spinbad (the best doin' it right now in my opinion) so ladies and gentlemen, I'm game!

Now, after letting the homie Spinbad know how much my college cohorts and I enjoyed his now legendary 80's mixtape when we would take rap road trips back and forth from Penn State, he was nice enough to pass along his most current project, the 90's Megamix! This is the definition of Twitter success and the art of creative turntablism at it's finest, so allow me to spread the wealth... click on the pic and enjoy!

DJ Spinbad

One another note, today I met with my great friend and recording partner of over a decade, louis logic. Both our careers have evolved into something much grander than either one of us could have imagined for ourselves the first time we appeared on wax together back in '98, and it was nice to have a chance to finally catch up with him for the first time in a long time. He brought to my attention a Pitchfork Media review for Asher Roth's current single, "Lark On My Go-Kart" and it doesn't look good for dude. It's always a proud moment when you find recognition for your hard work, and this discovery ranks up there pretty highly on the list...

Click on the pic and enjoy the louis logic love...

And the brand we created only wears better from here. Not to mention our boy Jonny October... well, lemme stop. More on that in the very near future. Speaking of which, we are that.

And you know it don't stop,
J.J.

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Crazy Pants No Pants...

2009-04-29T21:13:00.000-04:00

Big shouts to all my new Twitter and Facebook friends... we're still in phase one of getting me up to speed with a stronger online presence in support of my debut (coming soon!) and already things are working out nicely. I have to admit, I'm even enjoying it! Today involved a lot of running around New York and New Jersey, but I feel the need to tell you guys about one stop in particular... the Omaha Steaks store in Livingston. Now fellas, if you haven't heard of Omaha Steaks yet you NEED to click on the pic below. Because like the sign says, you will be thrilled!

You can either have the product shipped directly to your home or -if you can handle the riptide of emotion that sails through your male veins when you step foot in the place- you can visit an actual physical outlet. This body doesn't just happen people. Ride with me...

While we're on one of my favorite topics of food, I think this would be a great time to let everyone in on an up and coming comedian and chef friend of mine who is destined to be the next Mario Bartoli or Emeril Lagasse, if they were even half as funny and charming as they think they are. I'm talking about my dude Mike Foolery. He specializes in cooking concepts we can all relate to, especially when eating on a budget and preparing meals with limited time and space. If you'd like a good laugh while you learn to cook some great original recipes, click on the pic below and check out my man's growing list of episodes.

Mike Foolery

You might also really dig on the theme song...
One,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

It started in the Bronx...

2009-04-28T19:27:00.000-04:00

This was one of those days when you're reminded that sometimes the music business is just that, a business. Now months go by where all I'll do is the fun part... cutting tracks one after the next, New York's finest spitters and singers coming through the doors of 5G, each with a unique vision and style that brings the sort of creative challenges I live for. But some days it's just you and your team crammed into the think tank with two laptops, a few iPhones and a "to-do" list the size of your last lyric sheet. Yeah, today was one of those days. The good news is, it was all due to the buzz we're starting to build surrounding my solo debut dropping this summer, and among other things we a have a bangin' azz current newsletter and updated youtube page to show for it!

Today I also finally had a chance to upload my pics of the incredible Bronx hip-hop walking tour I took with my wife last week. Yes my friends, I visited Mecca, and I advise all of you true heads out there to do the same... don't just talk about it, be about it! The legendary Jazzy Jay linked with the fine folks at Sound Walk to create an audio tour of the birthplace of hip-hop. You download it to your iPod and hit play when you're at the Morrison/Sound View stop on the 6. After that you're on an hour long trek through the South Bronx, making stops along the way at places like the site of the first b-boy jams and Afrika Bambaataa's childhood apartment window.

Here's me on the site of rap's inaugural concert platform!

This actually turned out to be a pretty emotional trip for a dude who has devoted his whole life to this art. But it was the mural dedicated to an icon who has passed on that really got me. One of the best to ever do it...

R.I.P. Big Punisher!

So please, when you have a chance, do yourself a favor and head over to the Sound Walk website to pay a small fee for a life changing experience. You'll be glad you did!

Click on the pic and tell 'em J.J. sent you.

Bronx keeps creatin' it,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

I ain't afraid of no ghost...

2009-04-28T00:28:00.000-04:00

Today I spent most of the afternoon with my man Big Lu Valbuena at the Well Done Entertainment headquarters going over the rollout for my solo debut. It's gonna be a busy couple of months for ya mans, but I'm conditioned to win, so let's get it! I once heard a demo that wasn't very good at all (yes, I do listen... sometimes) but it wasn't until dude stopped spittin' that he actually just said something that stuck with me more than anything he put in his rhyme. He was like "I'm conditioned to win... I'm so conditioned to win I'm afraid I might defeat the purpose!" Aww shit! Let that one marinate overnight.

So I leave the office and find a beautiful orange envelope under my left wiper blade. Thank you New York City. Something about parking on a safety line or some absurd shit that definitely should not have cost me the equivalent to dinner for two at Ben & Jack's (my favorite!) and the only thing that kept me from a heat/frustration enduced breakdown was the overwhelming and unwavering excitement I feel for the forthcoming GHOSTBUSTERS video game that drops on June 16th. They got all the original cast to come in and voice the characters and all that. So tonight I'll leave you with a little taste of what the fuss is all about...

Click on the pic and enjoy!

Here's to believing this is all part of the grand ramp up to GB3,
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

Strangeboy...

2009-04-26T21:05:00.000-04:00

I spent this whole beautiful NYC Sunday with my man the1shanti aka Richard Vindaloo and Hatori Hanso shooting Strangeboy's first music video. Now, I'm not at liberty to tell you exactly who Strangeboy is just yet, but let's just say that he was once 1/2 of your favorite rap group, and he keeps coming back with... nah, lemme stop there. But I'm saying, this guy is a legend who has reinvented himself as something brand new, and he's sure to run shit all over again over the course of the next year or so. Here's a parting picture from the end of the shoot today, just outside Trump International Hotel:

That's me to the right of the "Mad Hatter"

Stay tuned...
J.J.
web | twitter | myspace | blog

The needle drop...

2009-04-25T12:08:00.000-04:00

What's good everybody? If you're in New York I hope you're setting aside some time to enjoy the first real summer type day we've had since '08. The whole weekend is supposed to be 80's and blue skies, and I could really use the sunshine. I've been in this dimly lit studio grindin' to the point where I'm starting to actually look grey or some shit! Today I woke up to the best breakfast thanks to my wife Kai, and then I logged on to see what's up with my tweeps... Q-Tip honestly posted one of the nastiest things I think I've ever seen! He's sitting in a studio session with Cons, No I.D. and Kanye and he's messing around with needle dropping on an old funk joint. He starts catching the breaks by bumping the stylus at just the right distance to make a two bar loop, then one, then he's stuttering the downbeat... this is what the MPC is for, and this dude is making it happen all by his lonesome! It's really so sick that I have to post it right here:

Click on the pic and enjoy!

Easy,

J.J.
www.5GProductions.com
www.twitter.com/JJBrown
www.JJBrownsStory.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/5GProductions

My first blog...

2009-04-24T14:13:00.001-04:00

Wadup cyberspace, it's yer buoy J.J. Brown reppin' hard for 5G and Well Done as always... this is where we're gonna link everyday (or as close to it as I can manage) so I can fill you in on what's going on in my world of music and much more. You can also follow me on Twitter and we'll get to know each other real well. This is J.J. Brown's story...

My man Big Lu Valbuena told me how important it is to check in with the people who have been supporting me for the last ten years, every since my very first blip on the rap radar in '98 when I did the cuts for louis logic on his first single for Superegular Recordings... peace to my man Vinnie Paz and his camp for giving me my first real shot... if for nothing else than just to let folks know what's been on my mind. So for my first official blog I thought it would make the most sense to let you guys in on the number one thing that keeps me awake at night and makes each day seem that much longer for me, and that's the countdown to Wednesday, July 8th, 2009, when my wife Kai and I will be in London for opening night of Michael's farewell run at the 02 Arena!

So if any of you reading this are going, shoot me a message at myspace or tweet me or something, and maybe we can plan a "Jackson Fans of Brooklyn" dinner night out while we're there or something! Be easy, thank you everyone for your years of support, and trust me that the best is on the way.
Stay tuned...

J.J.
www.5GProductions.com
www.twitter.com/JJBrown
www.JJBrownsStory.blogspot.com
www.myspace.com/5GProductions