(National New Artist Spotlight)

 LIL' J – IN THE HOUSE RAPPIN' FOR THE MOUSE!

by Katy K.

 “When the chicks scream out my name/Takin’ over grown man’s game/Small cat makin’ big change/Now the whole world knows the name”   – Lil’ J  (on “Lil’ J”)  

One broke out of the Midwest. Another hailed from the South. Now completing that  lil’-man-on-the-mic triad, Long Beach, California’s LIL' J weaves his own low and youth-driven tales with his riveting, infectious debut disc, "All About J," which ships to stores this month.   

Lil’ J is loaded with sheer determination and loads of raw talent. He makes no bones about separating himself from the current pack of “Lil” acts. “I think it’s a privilege to have that name,” states Lil’ J, “because every artist out there now with the name “Lil” is doing really well. I have that name for the simple fact that I’m 16 and I’m really small for my age, you know? So, it fits me. Not to take away from the other “Lil” cats, but I see myself as an entertainer like Usher.  I want to do it all.”                                       

 "All About J"  showcases a young MC whose on-point flow commands instant attention. Produced by a bevy of top-notch urban hit-makers (Jermaine Dupri, Clark Kent, L.E.S. Dakari , L.T. Hutton, Beau Dozier and Jelly Roll),  the  CD includes head-nodders, kicked-back Cali jams, club shakers and rock-spiced cuts.  

In pint-sized playa mode, Lil J steps to another guy’s date on the light-groovin’ “Took My Girl,” as he does on “Smile Again,” which pairs a catchy boy group-type hook and a bassy R&B groove. With a sultry, female-sung chorus, “I Didn’t Know” comes with a stripped-down, infectious vibe, while “Gotta Get Up” steps to a tougher side of the street with thumpin’ rhythms party people won’t pass up.

 The guitar rock-charged “Parents” finds Lil J presenting a funny twist on the theme of Fresh Prince’s classic “Parents Just Don’t Understand.”                     

 “I’d say the whole album is about having fun, hanging out with the girls and hanging with my boys,” said Lil’ J.   “The album is just me and the things that I do.  The majority of the album gets you pumped up because a lot of the songs are fast. Everyone loves  tunes you bump in your car to in the summer.”

 Lil’ J was not a bit intimidated by the impressive crew of producers. “All were talented and fun,” he said.  Of Jermaine Dupri, who has had a Midas touch with young acts like USHER, KRIS KROSS, and LIL’ BOW WOW, Lil’ J said  ––– “[Jermaine] has his own studio  in Atlanta – a really big studio that’s a nice, relaxed and comfortable place to work.“ 

One of five siblings, Lil’ J showed signs of natural talent from a young age. His mother recalls how a 7-year-old Lil’ J was missing one Saturday morning, only to be found performing at the local K-Mart with a bucket for some change! 

 “I knew I wanted to entertain when I’d rap and I’d get feedback.  People’d look at me like I was really awesome – like I did a really good job. I love that feeling, he said.”

 Never one to pass up on the opportunity to move a crowd, Lil’J’s deep-rooted drive and determination soon found him at an in-store autograph-signing session for one of his idols, LL COOL J.   Boldly re-enacting Cool J’s career-making scene from the classic hip-hop film “Krush Grove,” a then 9-year-old Lil’ J spontaneously flipped on his boom-box and broke off a lil’ sumthin’ that the rap superstar couldn’t possibly ignore.  

“My mom and I always used to go to functions like that,” he said, “and I would rap backstage and try to get myself in. I figured that LL Cool J  was going to be there, and I figured that that’s how he got his deal. He came in there and rapped, and they loved him. So I said, “I’ll do the same thing. “ He told me to stay behind and not go anywhere. After that he said he was going to do a show at House of Blues, and he would put me on stage with him.  It was really cool. Everybody was like ––– ‘Wow! That’s LL Cool J’s son!”    

            Not long after that, Lil J talked his way on stage with THE FUGEES.  Soon, the buzz was heard all the way in Orlando, Florida.  Trans-Continental Records, the star-machine behind N’SYNC, THE BACKSTREET BOYS, LFO and O-TOWN, were so impressed with Lil’ J that they flew him to their Orlando headquarters to  record with their stable of writers and producers. “I was hyped because I knew they blew up N’Sync and Backstreet Boys,” he admits.  

Soon Hollywood Records came on board and the little boy who once sang for change at the local K-mart now seems poised for major stardom.                                          

 “Right now,” he says, “I’m just focusing on my rapping.  But later, I’m going to take vocal lessons so I can learn to sing properly. I want to go at it from every angle -- sing, rap, act.”  Like USHER, he wants to taste it.

 Already an incredible talent, it’s amazing to realize that "All About J" is merely the beginning.

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