Jonezen

Can you please introduce and tell us more about the band (history)?
Started writing lyrics in 4th grade and recording my freshman year of college. Always knew I wanted to be a musician. Decided I was going to make a real run at doing it professionally my sophomore year and moved from Detroit to Lake Tahoe, CA. At that point I was with my group, Outta Control. We finished an album, dropped it, and then started booking our shows around town and hitting the streets. Before we knew it we had gotten picked up by a local promoter and we’re touring and opening for some of the biggest names in underground hip hop. Fast forward 7 years…we had been on tour and released a few albums, drinking and partying caught up with me and I was almost dead from alcohol abuse. The other members of Outta Control had decided to move on with their lives, I checked into rehab with my recording studio, and my solo career as Jonezen started.

What’s the story behind the band’s name?
When I was in rehab I was on the phone with a good friend and clothing sponsor of mine. We were talking about my plans after rehab and what I was going to do with the material I had been recording and we got on the topic of what I was going to call myself. I said I couldn’t do Chris Jones (my real name) because of all the Mike Jones references I had been getting. My boy Jay said “how bout Jonezen”? It made sense. Jones is my last name and I was in rehab…the whole ‘jonezen for a drink’ thing made sense. I decided to run with it.



Who are your musical influences?
I get down with everything from Eric Clapton to Pusha T. I grew up listening to all kinds of music and I still do. I also play guitar so people like Clapton and John Mayer influence that side of me. And the rappers I get inspiration from varies a lot from guys like J Cole to House Of Pain and Classified.

So you are looking to put few videos in one month, how’s that coming along?
We’re doing 5 videos in 5 months starting in November. So one a month to promote the new album Beautiful Disaster. It’s going good. Shooting another tomorrow and have a couple others done, edited, and ready to roll. Truth be told I’ll probably do more than five. Five is just the number of pre-album release videos. I’ll have a couple more to release after the album has already dropped.

Any official release date we can expect this to happen?
First video/single will drop on November 15th. That’s the day after the Los Angeles Music Awards. I’m nominated for Hip Hop Artist of the year. Hoping we win that and then the next day do a press release announcing the win and starting the campaign for Beautiful Disaster. The actual album will drop mid March. No exact date yet.

“Live From Rehab” – Can you describe the recording and writing process?
Live From Rehab was written and recorded LIVE from a rehab center in Los Angeles. Pretty much in my spare time I’d be writing songs, downloading beats, and then lay them down on the weekends. I cut enough material there for 3 albums in 3 months and released the 12 best.

How did you come up with the title?
I couldn’t think of a better one. It was perfect. That shit was LIve From Rehab. Literally.

Where did you get the inspiration for the lyrics and songs?
I was just writing about my life and how I ended up there and then as I started to change a bit the music reflected that. You know I went from a successful career to almost dead, losing it all, and in rehab. I was dealing with a lot. “If I Die Young” for example is about what I’d want my family to hear me say if in fact I was going to die. At the time I was waiting on blood results and I thought for sure my liver was done. And then theres stuff like “Can’t Back Down” which was written at the end of my stay. In that track you can see the mental shift I had and I’m pretty saying ‘I got this’.

Can you talk to us about the concept behind the album’s artwork and in what way it relates to the album’s content?
The DJ logo was the logo for my group Outta Control. I took that and threw the Jonezen on there. I thought one of us had to keep it alive. And it was ironic because the DJ is a skeleton on the turn tables… I was almost dead from drinking, and recording while I was in treatment brought me to life again. So I got to use my old logo, make it mine and new again, and it has this cool meaning (to me at least) that music saved my life. So we took that and threw it on a Jack Daniels bottle. Just made sense to have it look like a bottle of booze sense that is what landed me in rehab.

Any official release date, title in mind?
Album will be called Beautiful Disaster. Pretty much the story of my life. It’s been a Beautiful Disaster. Right now we’re looking at Mid March.

What’s the difference between this new record and Live?
This album is way different than LIve From Rehab. Live From Rehab summed up my experience during that time in my life and told the story of how I got there. This album has different subject matte - VentsMagazine

A little late with this one so I am going to let Jonezen speak for himself. Hip hop is clearly important to the Detroit emcee and he has an interesting story to accompany his good music. Hit the jump!
“As an artist….Hip Hop is either everything or it’s nothing. It’s either all you think about and do or it’s a hobby that you mess with on the side. It’s something that you can’t quit even if you try. It’s impossible to walk away from…success or no success…if it’s in you…you keep pushing.
I eat, breath, sleep, dream, and work at it everyday. Whether there is a pen in my hand or not. This music, this business, consume my thoughts all day everyday. WhetherI’m thinking of lyrics, reading DIY articles, E-Books, sending emails, making to-do lists, booking tours, whatever the case, hip hop in some way shape or form is on my mind. I’ve shed blood, sweat, and tears time and time again because of the love that I have for Hip Hop. And really for music in general.
It all started for me when I was in 4th grade. I used to blastHouse Of Pain “Jump Around” out of my boom box on the balcony of my apartment and pretend I was performing like the parking lot was a huge stadium. From there it was on.
Hip Hop is a dream that I chased from Detroit, MI to California when I was 19. My group and I threw our stuff in a car and drove across the country with one goal: blow up. We dropped our fist album and started booking our own shows in Lake Tahoe, CA and soon enough we were selling venues out and got picked up by the local promoter who started throwing us on big shows and mini tours.
Hip Hop is sacrifice. I gave up everything to pursue this dream. Dropped out school countless times to go on tour, found myself broke and near homeless, lost every girlfriend I’ve ever had because the love I got for Hip Hop always puts them in second place. Hip Hop is not for the weak. Hip Hop is about putting passion before money. The money comes in time. But there are no guarantees.
Hip Hop is a “something out of nothing” mentality. I started with zero. Zero fans, zero knowledge, but tons of passion and drive and turned that into something. That turned that into fans, into an income, into experiences I wouldn’t trade for the world.
Hip Hop is a connection with people. Like all forms of music it’s something that brings people together. As of now, I haven’t done anything that compares to the feeling you get when you rock a crowd.
Hip Hop is expression. It’s saying what you need to say on the Mic. It’s competition. It’s you always trying to write something sicker than your last verse and trying to be the best Emcee on the block. Nobody in hip-hop wants to be second best.
Maybe most importantly, Hip Hop to me has been my biggest blessing and my biggest curse. Because of the choices that I made while pursuing this dream I was almost dead from alcohol/drug abuse. Don’t get me wrong I’m not blaming Hip Hop. I’m saying when you love something that way I love this music, and it’s impossible to walk awayfrom, and you’re not where you want to be in your life, you haven’t made a million dollars, your still paying rent and not a mortgage, your friends are graduating college getting jobs and getting married, and life just catches up to you in general, those stresses add up. And for me the answer was the bottle and drugs. My liver was shutting down and my choice was simple: homeless and dead or rehab. I chose rehab but wouldn’t go unless I could bring my recording studio. Being able to record in treatment helped me heal, helped me get things off my chest, kept me sane and in that building. I ended up leaving rehab and signing a deal with Famous/Fontana/Universal. Now, I’ve recently left the label but my point is that Hip Hop, that music, was there for me in my darkest hour and helped me climb out of that ditch I dug for myself while trying to chase it down in the first place. The love I have for it and the inability to walk away almost killed me and then it saved me at the same time.
Like I said…hip-hop is either everything or it’s nothing. For me…it’s everything.” – Jonezen - Dawhat.com

JoneZen’ s latest hit single ‘If I Die Young’ (www.soundcloud.com/jonezen/07-jonezen-if-i-die-young) from the critically acclaimed mix-tape ‘Live From Rehab’, (Live From Rehab Tour Video Link) is available via Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes and free to download from his website (www.jonezenmusic.com), was recorded while being treated in a Los Angeles rehabilitation center for acute alcohol addiction. Refusing to enter rehab unless he could take in his recording studio, JoneZen started writing and recording songs which led to a distribution deal with Famous Records/ Fontana/ Universal, until he recently dropped himself to pursue other distribution avenues. - LA Life Magazine

It's pretty rare when someone sends me something, I listen to the single and then go find the whole album & bump that too. Lucky for me, @JoneZen got sent the other day. Not only is this single fire, the whole tape is straight up impressive. The production & hooks are top notch & the flows ain't too shabby either. Dude, keeps this up... and this LA native is surely on the rise to stardom! Grab the free album, watch the video & listen for yourself.
- Get Down Son

Father MC's protege Jonezen delivers the video for his poignant track "if I Die Young" - HipHopDX

“After pretty much ruining my career, finding myself almost dead and entering rehab, leaving with a record deal, touring again, getting my life back and being able to do what I love again on a whole new level, being nominated for the LA Music Awards really is the cherry on top to an unreal year.” says Jones “We’re looking to finish strong and keep pushing hard into 2014 with promoting ‘Live From Rehab’ and our new ‘King Of The Castle’ tour and campaign.”
- Atlanta Online Magazine

JoneZen, who is a featured artist on The Weekend Top 30 ‘What’s Poppin Next’ segment airing in Boston, Biloxi, Waco, Atlantic City, Salt Lake City, Fresno and several other cities, has been nominated for ‘Best Hip Hop Artist’ and ‘Best Social Media of the Year’ at this year’s music awards. - University Life Magazine

With his talented flow still intact and the strength to share his experiences, this could be JoneZen’s best music yet.

Going from Rehab to Record deal, JoneZen is proof that hard work, dedication, and never giving up pays off. - Indie Band Guru

The first conversation I ever had with JoneZen was outside the Viper room in
Hollywood, where he had just wrapped up a set in front of a wildly enthusiastic
crowd. As I made my way outside to catch a breath, I flowed out of the building
with the usual waves of aloof, but talkative party creatures making their way to
the curb. He popped out the door with handfuls of CD's, and started chatting up
the people, promoting his tracks, and THANKING them for coming to see HIS show.

This is the first impression you get of JoneZen, and it doesn't change down the
line. He very genuinely, is in love with what he does, and his enthusiasm is so
uncomplicated and pure, it radiates a positive energy that resonates with the
people encountering him. All that is THERE is impressive when you meet this
guy, but equally so, is what ISN'T there as well. He's not acting a part or
constructing a persona. He IS what you're looking at, and in a town full of
contrived miracles, it's a very direct approach that's as effective as you could
possibly want....(click review URL to read full interview) - Sugar Art and Fashion Show Magazine

View in Pictures folder - Various