The name J. Oooze conjures up a pretty accurate representation of the 19 year old Seattle rapper: filthy, raw, and delightfully dark. Very early on in life he was faced with some harsh realities, having to watch his father go to prison on drug charges in the 1st grade, and in turn, not having a solid male role model in his life for the next five years. But like many artists before him, a negative experience gave rise to a rich quarry of material to pull from. Music became a passion for J. Oooze, The Game being one of his first influences. What started as a childhood obsession with memorizing verse after verse, soon flourished into hip hop fervor, and he began writing his own original material in the 6th grade.
With the full support of his family and access to his cousin’s in-home studio, J. Oooze took to recording and developed a unique style of storytelling in his sophomore year- his lyrics went straight from brain to mouth, and he hasn’t written anything down since. It’s a testament to his ascension flow, a channeling of sorts in which he leaves himself open to higher levels of awareness. It’s something that sets him apart from other emcees his age. His journey is spiritual and his goals are pure- to raise the consciousness of others and save the world one bar at a time.
J. Oooze’s alternative brand of mindful hip hop can be traced back to his contemporary influences. Kendrick Lamar, Pro Era, AB-Soul, and Kid Cudi have paved the way for conscious rap to return to the mainstream in recent years, and their message parallels that of J. Oooze. His mixtape, “Smoke Break”, which he recorded in downtown Seattle with Vitamin D in 2015, is heavily laced with his understanding and rejection of the corruption and spiritual warfare that plague society today.
In the same year he joined Seattle’s Finest Cypher, a Seattle based hip hop collective looking to expand and team up with other local emcees for the love of freestyling. Their like-mindedness became clear out the gate, and they began writing and recording together under the group name Munk Bizz. J. Oooze developed a pivotal role in the crew, as both a strong yet down to earth leader and an extremely creative, high caliber emcee. His laid back and introverted personality is sometimes counter to his aggressive delivery, but that balance is the yin and yang that defines his personal style. MunkBizz released their mixtape “Planet of the Apes” in 2016.
On top of the work he puts in for the crew, J. Oooze recently released his solo project, “Man on the Sun”. It boasts his unique sound- spacey beats with that dynamic, yet mindful flow. With a few videos under his belt, and a handful of shows knocked out, he is setting his sights on more performances and ultimately more travel. If his creative voyage follows his mindset, he has nowhere to go but up.
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