An Interview With Bay Area Rapper Extraordinaire, J. MORGAN!

(Photo Credit: r54 Photography)

Meet J.Morgan — the prolific rhyme slinger based in the Bay Area who since 2008 been making noise throughout California and beyond with his tireless work ethic and consistency.

He is gearing up to release his electrifying single “Patty Like Your Last Day” along with the accompanying album, “Livin’ Lyrics.”

With tons of groundbreaking, original music already under his belt, J.’s newest single “Party Like Your Last Day” was one that he instantly knew was special.  “Party Like Your Last Day was produced by Stife and and features artist Allen Kass. Originally it was supposed to be a solo song with just me.  One night, I went over to Allen’s studio with the intention of picking out some more beats for my new album, but instead I ended up playing the ‘Party Like Your Last Day’ instrumental and Allen effortlessly started singing the chorus.  Within a couple weeks, the song was recorded.”

This new single comes off his upcoming album “Livin’ Lyrics,” a body of music that J. feels is his best work yet.  “I feel like I really challenged myself on this project. On my previous releases I recorded over instrumentals that I felt very comfortable on but on Livin’ Lyrics I stepped out of my comfort zone. The production is more thought out too. I have 3 engineers working together along with 9 producers.”

Absorbing all of the different styles and sounds that the local Hip-Hop community had to offer, J. was greatly influenced growing up in the Bay area.  “I fell in love with Hip-Hop because of the independent artists out of the Bay who have paved their own way with very little backing.“ 

Constantly working on his craft, J. will write all day just to write, sometimes even with no music.  “When the time comes to write a song I like to sit down with the producer while they create the instrumental and during their process I like to spit my song ideas out so that they can produce the track with the same state of mind as me.” Outside of music, J. is passionate about helping the homeless population in the Bay Area including coordinating food drives and holding raffles at his shows to donate money to local organizations.  He would also love to continue to use his voice for good and reach out to positively mentor kids who don’t have a lot of hope in their life. Ultimately J.Morgan’s goal is simple – he wants to keep getting on bigger stages in front of bigger crowds and continue to learn and evolve as an artist.  “I just want to be happy and inspire others. Making music that I believe in and sharing it with the world makes me happy. I love hearing fans say that they love a song of mine or recite lyrics because every one of my songs are a piece of me.”

Learn more about J. Morgan in the following All Access interview:

Thanks for your time today! Where does this interview find you? Is there music playing in the background? If so, what is it? What music gets you instantly out of a bad mood? What is a song you are loving these days?

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to share my music and story! Right now I’m listening to Atmosphere’s album “When Life Gives You Lemons”. AC/DC is a band that I listen to often especially when I’m in a down mood. I grew up listening to a lot of rock music and AC/DC has always been my favorite band so the familiarity probably plays a role in that. Currently I’m really enjoying Macklemore’s song “Intentions.”

Growing up, did you always want to be a musician? Can you recall your earliest musical memory? Was there a time where you thought of doing something completely different?

When I was a kid I wanted to be an actor but I always loved music and performing. I was in the band and choir from 3rd grade until my freshman year in high school. When I graduated high school I went to community college for like 3 months but I just kept gravitating towards music.

Musically, did you approach this year any differently then you did last year? How has 2017 been treating you and your career? What are you most excited about for in 2018?

I had 2017 mapped out before the year started. I knew that I’d be working on my new album for the first half of the year and I knew that I’d be releasing the new album towards the end of the year. I planned to tour in the spring and I planned some big video shoots and drop dates. I’m really excited to drop my new album and seeing the fan’s reactions. I’ve been working on the album all year and have received a lot of love and support from my following so I can’t wait to share the new music with them in its entirety..

I always like to ask artists about where they came from and how that city or town has influenced them as an artist now.. So how do you think your hometown has affected you and your music today?

Around age 11-12 I started listening to Eminem, DMX, Nelly and etc. basically everything that was popular in the late 90’s early 2000’s.I knew very little about Hip Hop culture but a few of my music idols at that time in my life were 2pac, Dr. Dre, and Eminem. A few years later I discovered that I could freestyle rap. Age 15 I was moved to a new city, San Bruno California, where I knew absolutely no one. I ended up making  friends with some kids who knew more about hip hop than me and began showing me all aspects of it and not just what was played on TV. I realized that this type of music had so much history and technique to it and fell deeper into love. I started venturing into more underground local Bay Area rap like Mac Dre, E40, San Quinn and Andre Nikatina. Watching the artists from the Bay Area really taught me how to independently maneuver through the music industry.

What was the inspiration for your single, “Party Like Your Last Day”? How do you think it prepares listeners for your upcoming album, “Livin’ Lyrics”?

With the new single “Party Like Your Last Day” we wanted to make a song that people could have a good time to and feel good about life. The instrumental is what really inspired the song concept. You only get one chance to live life and this song encourages you to take advantage of every moment. “Party Like Your Last Day” is upbeat and has a lot of crossover potential. The record was produced by Stife and has a real feel good vibe to it. The song concept and lyrics came so natural.

I think it only took us about an hour to write all of the lyrics but it just felt so perfect. We also shot a pretty big video for the song which is out now on YouTube. Party Like Your Last Day is available for streaming and download everywhere.

Video Link:  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IiwJI2OGWk&t=133s

How do you think this collection compares to anything else that you have released in the past? How have you grown as an artist on it?

The new album is titled “Livin’ Lyrics”. I open up a lot about myself on this new album. In songs like “Moments” and “Wasted Talent” I explain my journey through life and music while touching down on the struggles of being a self investor in my own independent music career. My song “Day Dreamin” describes my anxiety filled life, the depression I constantly battle and the tricks I use to maintain a positive outlook. There is a lot of content about learning and growing to become a better musician and ultimately a better person. I want people to listen to this album and feel like they were right by my side from 2008-2017 when I was growing into the person I am today. I’ve truly lived my life through lyrics so that is why the album is titled “Livin’ Lyrics”. Some of the songs on this album were recorded in 2014. I took my time with each song. I recorded everything at 3 different studios with 3 different engineers. Bryce Grave did the mastering and we all worked together to make the best songs and make everything sound cohesive. I did most of the writing in studio but some songs I wrote by myself at home or on the road.

Do you have plans to play out live a lot this fall in support of your new music?

I have two shows in November and then in December I’ll be throwing an album release party in San Francisco. I’ll be touring the west coast states in the spring of 2018.

With the summer over now, what was something fun or new that you tried this summer?

This past summer was a lot of fun! I shot 3 new music videos including “Party Like Your Last Day” and “Summer Time.” I also threw a premiere party for Party Like Your Last Day and it was epic!

We are living in a crazy and at times rough world right now so I am curious how you think being a musician gives you the most joy in life today? Do you think that new music being created today is going to reflect these hard times?

The music I create today will definitely reflect our current times. Music is my therapy and it allows me to have a voice. It allows me to find truth in myself and truth in others.

Who are some of your favorite artists or rather, what musicians have continued to inspire you and your music? What musicians would you absolutely love to work with in the future?

I get inspiration from a lot of artists and musicians from all genres. I love the independent musicians the most because I know how hard they work. I’m constantly inspired by Berner, Snow Tha Product, Techn9ne, Macklemore, Atmosphere and Chance The Rapper. I would love to collaborate with would be Slug from Atmosphere; his song writing and concepts are off the hook and I think we’d be able to create a memorable record. I’d like to collaborate with Chance the Rapper too because of his unique sound and song concepts.

What do you hope fans take away from your music? Do you think that your music has an overall message at all?

There is a lot of meaning in my music. My style is reminiscent of classical hip hop but I rap over current sounding instrumentals. I have a lot of positive uplifting messages in my music which I feel is lacking in rap/hip hop music. I try to make songs that everyday people can relate to and take away something from the lyrics. I want to inspire people with my passion.

How active are you on social media? How important has it all been to your career so far?

I am very active on social media and I think a lot of my fans have been made via the Internet. It’s very important to my movement.

What advice would you give to a young person who is thinking about becoming a musician one day?

First off you must practice ! It takes 10,000 hours to be a professional at something. Although musicians make it look easy you must remember that this takes time and repetitions. Pay attention to detail! Everything matters in this industry. The quality of the packaging and artwork is important. The quality of the studio that you record in is important. It’s easy to overlook the fine details or to save money by neglecting the fine details but these fine details are crucial to the success of your brand.

Is there anything else that you would like to share with our readers about yourself or your music?

I would like to thank all of my fans for the awesome support and motivation that they have given me for the last ten years while I got my stuff together. I’m truly grateful for the life I get to live and all of the support and love makes it possible.