Lyric Jones
Boston, MA | Established. Jan 01, 2006 | SELF
Music
Press
Fresh off the release of her debut album “Jones St.”; emcee, vocalist, and drummer Lyric Jones shows no signs of slowing down. Jones has already made impressive yet powerful moves on her consistent rise to success; with her first release featuring Grammy Award Winning Esperanza Spalding, Phife Dawg, J-Live, Aleon Craft, Scolla & Playboy Tre to name a few. Hip Hop powerhead Fabolous calls her, “Hip Hop’s next!” while Chino XL says, “She’s the pure Hip Hop package with integrity in a male driven genre. She’s opened up for Trey Songz, J. Cole, Jean Grae, The Cold Crush Brothers and more. Her sound is a interesting dichotomy of vintage and current. Indeed a breath of fresh air. In other words, DON’T SLEEP. - A3C Festival
What up hip hop heads! As you all know I am a fan of underground hip-hop. To me, it is similar to the argument you hear when people speak about college athletes vs. professionals, in that college athletes are said to “work harder” than the pros (but that is a different debate, altogether). However you feel, underground hip-hop is similar in this respect. You’ll find countless artists who are hungry to elevate to the professional level, as they are still living and experiencing the highs and lows of normal, everyday life – which gives them the inspiration to create the material they compose. Lyric Jones is the perfect example of this. Living and breathing everything she writes about, she has created a tremendous platform and buzz for herself, but not without taking her own share of bumps and bruises along the way. Such is life. Jones St. reflects all of these experiences leading up to this very event – good and bad. Beautiful and ugly. Jones St. is a story about life. Let’s get to it…
Ok…..allow me to be brutally honest for a minute. I may offend some ladies with this next statement, but I’m going to throw it out there anyway. I’m not the biggest fan of female rappers, as a whole. Sorry, I’m just not. Sure you have your diamonds in the rough like Lauryn Hill, MC Lyte, Missy Elliott, Lil Kim or Jean Grae. I even respect Nikki Minaj’s talent, just not a fan of her antics outside of that. But collectively, I usually tune female emcees out. Why? No clue. Perhaps, it’s because I sometimes feel I cannot relate to their content. Sometimes I feel like I’m being preached to. Sometimes I feel like they’re trying too hard to get attention. Sometimes I get tired of male-bashing songs because I get enough of that from Beyonce. Who knows? Have I been brainwashed in this male-dominated genre into this obvious sexist way of thinking? Or have there yet to be a female emcee to grab my attention, and maybe they need to step it up? Either way, this was part of my thought process into going into Jones St. With that said…
I must say that upon the first listen, Jones St. is a hell of an album, and not just for a female artist, or just an underground artist – but for any artist. In terms of quality, Jones St. measures up to any debut album you would hear from a signed artist. It is everything you expect it to be, and much more: smooth, soulful, vintage hip-hop at its core. You can tell she is a true b-girl at heart, but was influenced by r&b and jazz, alike. If you are looking for confident bravado, charisma, memorable melodies and harmonies, look no further.
Lyric gets things jumping off the correct way with “Appetizer Menu”, which then flows into the Mr. Fish-laced first single, “Trapped in the City Lights”. Keyword: flows. Most of the entire album does this seamlessly, which gives you a clear picture of the story she’s telling: a young, black woman just trying to survive and “make it” in America. She describes this best on the Esperanza Spalding-assisted “Loss On Repeat”:
“Pop in my favorite Spike Lee Joint: Do The Right Thing, cuz lately was the case in point/ Racism? Check/ Minimum wage? Check./ In the hood being misunderstood by just tryna do good/ Tryna get in where I fit in (whatever that means)/ In this male dominated rap scene is just not happening, of course not the way I want it to go…”
In addition to “Loss On Repeat”, other favorites include: “Gotta Go” featuring Aleon Craft and Playboy Tre, “Fearless”, “Middle of the World” and “20 Mins”. What you have to realize is that not only does Lyric rap and play drums, but she is also a gifted singer – and I don’t mean “gifted singer” in the Macy Gray sense. Or the Amber Rose sense. Or the Jennifer Lopez sense. (shots fired?) Nah, I’m talking about someone with the ability to harmonize and layer it with emotion, giving you the feeling of being lost in the music. For hip-hop heads, a rapper who sings is sometimes met with apprehension, out of fear that the artist will eventually abandon their “roots” in hip-hop to pursue a singing career. We’ve seen it time and time again: Lauryn Hill, Andre 3000, Cee-Lo, Phonte, etc. Well, fear not hip-hop heads! Although Lyric showcases her crooning abilities on songs like “Tin Can” as well as most of the choruses on the album, she does not let you forget that she is a rapper: and she demands your respect, as shown on “Sunshine Remix”:
“I say it loud/ fist in the air, I’m black and proud/the kid droppin knowledge, individual at the crowd/ at times I wanna throw in the towel, conform I guess – I mean face it, more money, more fame and less stress/ but yet respect means more to me, Aretha said it better/ but how you feel internally, much more than gettin’ cheddar…”
Jones St is an awesome album, but like any album – it is not without its flaws. In Lyric Jones’ case, it is not a matter of execution. She is clearly a talent - According to Hip Hop
While perusing the pages of our sister site The Revivalist, I stumbled on this new joint from Lyric Jones “Loss on Repeat” with Esperanza Spalding and DJ Raydar Ellis. Says The Revivalist:
Emcee, drummer, and up-and-coming force in the hip-hop realm Lyric Jones has teamed up with fellow Berklee alum musical wonders Esperanza Spalding and DJ Raydar Ellis in releasing “Loss On Repeat,” the third leak off of her upcoming album due out this February entitled Jones St. With Jones spitting verses and Esperanza flowing through the hooks, Ellis had the envious job of tying it all together. The three artists seem to have created a musically conscious track with the potential for widespread appeal. Worth a listen? No doubt. - OkayPlayer
While perusing the pages of our sister site The Revivalist, I stumbled on this new joint from Lyric Jones “Loss on Repeat” with Esperanza Spalding and DJ Raydar Ellis. Says The Revivalist:
Emcee, drummer, and up-and-coming force in the hip-hop realm Lyric Jones has teamed up with fellow Berklee alum musical wonders Esperanza Spalding and DJ Raydar Ellis in releasing “Loss On Repeat,” the third leak off of her upcoming album due out this February entitled Jones St. With Jones spitting verses and Esperanza flowing through the hooks, Ellis had the envious job of tying it all together. The three artists seem to have created a musically conscious track with the potential for widespread appeal. Worth a listen? No doubt. - OkayPlayer
A fine music talent in Lyric Jones, a sister skill set is diverse and she is yet to graduate mind? Okay here it is the “Jack-ie of all trades” is a drummer, vocalist, emcee, college radio DJ and bass guitarist, not a lot really is it {laughing out loud}.
Focussing on the emceeing, Lyric Jones weaves and dives, wordsmithing her way on the conscious horizon with the mellow, slow flow, another sister emcee on that conscious tip is Eternia a lady we featured some articles ago and a different kettle of fish. RIP female emcees, not sure about that!
Just check a sister emcee Lyric Jones dropping a few insightful lyrics at The Duat, Atlanta, for GhettoShaman.
Being all in the days work for Lyric Jones, a sister had a live performance at Boston ’s Hen House Chicken and Waffles and I am sure she raised the roof and blazed fire for the audience demonstrating those vocals.
A sister emcee Lyric Jones is garnering praise and acclaim on the internets/stateside gradually and eventually bigger in the process. Have a butchers and let it be known. - onthebuzz.com -PJ
NEW YORK/BOSTON, MA, April 19, 2006 — Essence's Take Back the Music campaign and Boston's Berklee College of Music have narrowed the search for the newest stars in hip-hop. Ten songs from more than 100 that were entered in the first ESSENCE and Berklee Take Back the Music Hip-Hop Songwriting Contest have been chosen as finalists and the tunes are now available at Essence.com for listening. The public is also invited to vote on their favorite in an online poll.
The 10 final songwriters are:
* Jacob "Icee Jake" Bragg, 15, Columbus, OH
* Janelle "Lyric Jones" Clinton, 17, Mattapan, MA
* George "Chaos" Clark, 15, Cincinnati, OH
* Anthony Heard, 17, Philadelphia, PA
* Nyles "Lil Witness" Houston, 15, Brockton, MA
* Jamaar Jackson, 16, Montgomery, AL
* Landyn Jackson, 17, Detroit, MI
* Victor Presson, 16, Derwood, MD
* Brittany "B-Dangerous" Whittakar, 16, Covington, KY
* Da' Rayia Wilson, 17, Claymont, DE
Five winners from the group will be selected by a panel of seven hip-hop celebrity judges and Berklee music scholars - including: MC Lyte; ?uestlove; DJ Jazzy Joyce; Berklee Professor Pat Pattison, who teaches lyric writing; Berklee Assistant Professor Michael Hamilton, who teaches hip-hop writing and production; Brian "Raydar" Ellis, 2005 Berklee graduate and Brick Records artist; and Anjulie "Starz" Gonzalez, Berklee Songwriting major. The five winners, who will receive free music education from Berklee, will be announced in early May.
Unsigned musicians, producers, or songwriters ages 15 to 18 entered their original songs in the contest earlier this year. Judging is based on clever, innovative lyrics, as well as melody and composition. Prizes include: Grand Prize: Two winners will be admitted into the 2006 Berklee Five-Week Summer Performance Program and receive a full scholarship, including tuition and room and board (Valued at $5,925); Second Place: One winner will receive a tuition-only scholarship (Valued at $3,595); Runners-Up: Two runners-up will each receive one online music course at BerkleeMusic.com (Valued between $595 and $1,250).
ESSENCE's Take Back the Music Campaign, an in-depth examination of the ways in which Black women are depicted in popular music and videos, was first announced in January 2005, and continues its effort to promote balance in mainstream hip-hop's messages as the two groups announce their first-ever hip-hop songwriting contest. - Berklee Pree Release
A fine music talent in Lyric Jones, a sister skill set is diverse and she is yet to graduate mind? Okay here it is the “Jack-ie of all trades” is a drummer, vocalist, emcee, college radio DJ and bass guitarist, not a lot really is it {laughing out loud}.
Focussing on the emceeing, Lyric Jones weaves and dives, wordsmithing her way on the conscious horizon with the mellow, slow flow, another sister emcee on that conscious tip is Eternia a lady we featured some articles ago and a different kettle of fish. RIP female emcees, not sure about that!
Just check a sister emcee Lyric Jones dropping a few insightful lyrics at The Duat, Atlanta, for GhettoShaman.
Being all in the days work for Lyric Jones, a sister had a live performance at Boston ’s Hen House Chicken and Waffles and I am sure she raised the roof and blazed fire for the audience demonstrating those vocals.
A sister emcee Lyric Jones is garnering praise and acclaim on the internets/stateside gradually and eventually bigger in the process. Have a butchers and let it be known. - onthebuzz.com -PJ
R & B
Female
Ahtene Wilson-Glover
Ariana, The One & Only ARI
Ashanti Munir
Athene Wilson
Cadia
Danielle Milton
Erin Danelle
Foesiar Matanzas
Fulani Haynes
Jade
Janelle "Lyric Jones" Clinton
Kiki Breevlife
Latoria Boyd
Letia Larok
Lori Dow
Lovely Hoffman
Margo Thunder
Maria :acy
Nichelle Mungo
Nikia Star
Phaedra Butler
Roselyn Placid
Shannell
Shea Rose - Urban Music Awards
http://www.bostonyouthzone.com/MYC/PDFs/Apr_06_Janelle_Clinton_Globe.pdf - Boston Globe - Living Arts
R & B
Female
Ahtene Wilson-Glover
Ariana, The One & Only ARI
Ashanti Munir
Athene Wilson
Cadia
Danielle Milton
Erin Danelle
Foesiar Matanzas
Fulani Haynes
Jade
Janelle "Lyric Jones" Clinton
Kiki Breevlife
Latoria Boyd
Letia Larok
Lori Dow
Lovely Hoffman
Margo Thunder
Maria :acy
Nichelle Mungo
Nikia Star
Phaedra Butler
Roselyn Placid
Shannell
Shea Rose - Urban Music Awards
Discography
Still working on that hot first release.
Photos
Bio
Music is her breath of fresh air, close friends say about Lyric Jones. Her musical repertoire includes rapping, playing drums, singing, writing, producing and even DJ-ing a little. She dips into jazz, neo- soul and mainly hip-hop, but whatever shes doing, she brings a presence like no other. All I want is the exhilaration of being on a stage, Jones said. Her hunger definitely shows; always craving for the crowd to feel her music as deeply as she does, with her powerful, aggressive yet message-conscious lyrics spilling out of the speakers.
It's safe to say she makes 'em have a Jones for Lyric, being passionate, multi-faceted and striving to be indispensable. Why not do it all? Why cant I be an emcee, soul singer and jazz drummer? Music is music, I love Hip Hop, Jazz & Soul, so the world is gonna see it, know it and hear it. In February 2012, she dropped her highly anticipated debut album titled Jones St. It received accolades include front page recognition on OkayPlayer.com, the CMJ Top 40 Hip Hop Charts & additional superb reviews. Jones St.'s features and appearances including Grammy Award-winning Esperanza Spalding, J-Live, Phife Dawg of A Tribe Called Quest, drummer Lil John Roberts among others. Originally from Boston MA, Lyric began singing first. At a very young age, her first stints were in church, talent shows and community choirs. As a high school student, she was joint enrolled at Berklee College of Music in Boston; spent three years participating in their summer and academic year programs. It was at Berklee where Jones was known as everyone's lil sis, sponged from everyone and polished her natural ability as a performer and drummer. It wasn't long before she teamed up with producer, DJ, and emcee Raydar Ellis, who was also known as the face of Hip Hop around Berklee. The two formed a strong sibling-like bond, which Jones credits to her knowledge and appreciation of Hip Hop. Raydar immediately saw the potential in Jones as an emcee at age 15, and was originally the main one behind all her production.
Jones then moved to Georgia to study journalism full-time at The University of Georgia. Simultaneously, she was in full pursuit of her music career as a hip hop artist; driving back and forth from Atlanta to Athens nearly every weekend to rock various stages; at times packing out local Atlanta venues with her addictive energy and a stage presence that is beyond her years. As a drummer on the jazz scene in Georgia, Jones took on a more modest approach understanding her role; from traveling to Beijing, China & Italy to even playing behind the now deceased Dave Brubeck. On the mic however, she's continuously gaining new fans. Jones has shared the stage with J. Cole, Trey Songzs, Jean Grae, The Legendary Cold Crush Brothers just to name a few. She's hard to miss, always smiling with her Girl Next Door aura. Lyric Jones is all things music, clearly a lover of all genres. Her influences range from Jill Scott, Method Man, Missy Elliot, to J Dilla, MC Lyte, Mos Def to Queen Latifah and Jay-Z. Currently LJ resides in Los Angeles, CA; now tackling production and songwriting ventures in addition to working on upcoming projects.
Band Members
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