Today more than ever with the surge of small businesses, opportunity to create your own movement, and the rise of independence amongst the music and entertainment industry artists are literally creating wealth for themselves and their families. Hailing from Ohio JTB The Artist aka Ju’Vey always had an extreme passion for music and appreciation for Hip-Hop. A barber, engineer, and rapper the triple threat has a solid foundation that is setting his family up in the long run. Bouncing between South Carolina, and finally landing in Atlanta the rapper has so many positive things going on that he’s working on it’s quite impossible to put him in a box.
As a father balancing his music career and his business as a Barber, he is putting his life story in his music and writing songs about the endless possibilities of where he wants to go in life.
A lover of music, Reggae was the 1st sound that he fell in love with before ending up as a rapper. He took his passion for reggae and rap music then combined the two genres together to create his own unique sound. The result is a solid artist with his own style and flow. Placing 5th place in the infamous Coast to Coast competition he realized that the music today can be a little violent to listen to and works to put out some positivity in his art. As a father, husband, and business man the artist creates substance with his lyrics as well as carries his image in the best light possible.
A successful entrepreneur JTB owns a barbershop ‘Family Barbershop’ located Lilburn, Georgia as well as Handyman Plumbing company, Hair Salon, and his own record label IC- Units Entertainment. He literally has his businesses funding his music career and to top it off has an in-house studio where he lives. The serial business owner does music because he really loves to create, and although has been approached by major labels he is steadily staying solid to his career until something comes around that makes sense!
Follow JTB The Artist on Instagram here JTBtheartist🎨 #678HotBoi (@jtbtheartist) • Instagram photos and videos and check out our Q&A with him below.
- What are the plans for your music this year?
My plans for my music in 2022 are, I started my own label last year “IC-UNITS ENTERTAINMENT” which I’m really excited about, so I’m going to be pushing that harder, promoting my music on the next level, recording new music and making better and stronger connections. Also, I have 2 artists in Aruba that I have been working with so I plan on bringing them all the way on board and signing them to my label so that we can work and grow together and get stronger as a unit.
- Which artists are on your wish-list to work with?
Artist that I think would be cool to work with are J.Cole, because I think our energy would match well. I also wouldn’t mind working with BIA, I love her personality. I would also like to work with my North side affiliates the Migos. I think that would be super dope.
- What new cities would you like to tap into this year?
Man, there are a few cities in my region that I would like to tap into like, Greenville/Anderson S.C., primarily because that’s where I came from, and I would love for them to tap into me and my music and join the experience. I also would like to tap into Orlando FL, Charlotte, the Midwest, maybe Cincinnati OH, and New York, I feel all of those cities would enjoy my sound and appreciate my art.
- Tell us a New Year’s resolution you plan to stick too?
My biggest resolution for this year is to go harder. I feel like I go hard already but just going hard is not enough, when you add the “er” to it, it then becomes an action verb and now requires more action. So, I want to go harder in 2022.
- How do you prepare to go into the studio?
Most of my recording I do in my in-house studio, so a lot of my recording is done when the house is quiet at night, when I have unloaded all the weight of the world so I can hear myself think. I like to inhale a little ganja maybe take me a shot of Dusse and then take a few deep breaths and dive into the beat like it’s an endless ocean filled with possibilities.
- Describe your artistry in 1 word?
Dynamical
- What has been the biggest challenge you had to go through as an independent artist?
I would have to say my biggest challenge I have had to deal with as an indie artist is distinguishing who is really in my corner to help and who is there to only run your pockets. As an indie artist a lot of people know we are hungry and eager to get our music heard by the masses, so “a lot” (I didn’t say all) of promoters take advantage of this. To me at times dealing with some of them it just feels like a money grab. I know it takes money to make money. I mean I am a business man I have been running my own businesses for a long time, but at the end of the day the ends still have to justify the means, and at times it’s hard to tell who is real and who is fake.
- What are you watching on Netflix right now?
Mmmmmm… You know I’m kind of bouncing around I’m not really a T.V. person but I have been watching “You” on Netflix
- What do you do for fun?
For fun I really enjoy hanging with my close friends and my family, driving one of my cars around the North, and taking care of my businesses.
- Are you an introvert?
Not at alllllll lol I’m an extrovert I mean my businesses all involve serving the public, so I love interacting with and meeting new people.
- How do you wind down after a long day?
After a long day I like to just go home, shower, eat, and sink down into my favorite seat for some intellectual conversation with my family.