New York Metropolis, NY – It’s one factor for a producer, artist, or business insider to take a viral sensation beneath their wing and develop them — it occurs on a regular basis. It’s additionally widespread for artists to encounter undiscovered expertise. Nevertheless, Rockaway Seaside, New York Metropolis, native Bobby J’s expertise was one thing completely totally different.
An opportunity assembly with famed late 80s (and early 90s) rapper turned platinum-producer Kwamé on the younger age helped mould him into the artist he’s as we speak.
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“I’m not a religious particular person or something, however I do suppose issues occur for a cause,” Bobby tells HipHopDX. On the younger age 13, he had struck up a relationship with a rapper named Prophet — who nonetheless performs as we speak beneath the moniker Billy Bang — who occurred to have a working relationship with Kwamé.
He accompanied Prophet to the studio someday, and that assembly, as Bobby explains, modified the course his life. Kwamé had largely gone f the (business) grid after the 1994 album Incognito — which was his fourth and closing solo effort. Because it turned out, he had determined to take one other route within the business.
“He was simply popping out the darkish half his profession the place no person was messing with him,” he explains. “He was simply beginning to make the transition into being an unknown producer … he had simply had his first actual producer placements.”
In keeping with Bobby, his expertise have been nothing particular at that time. “He simply form noticed one thing in me actually early on and simply took me beneath his wing as a rapper as a result of, at the moment, all I needed to do was battle.”
He credit Kwamé for taking that uncooked component he noticed in him, and training him as he transitioned into making music.
“Once I look again on it now, the primary six to seven years we have been working collectively was an artist growth course of, which is one thing that’s unheard as of late,” he says.
Throughout this era, as Kwamé bolstered his manufacturing discography — promoting hundreds of thousands data working with the likes Will Smith (“Swap”) and Christina Aguilera (“Perceive”) amongst others — Bobby was metaphorically coaching like Rocky, and started to begin releasing content material in 2008.
Lately, Bobby — with Kwamé both at his aspect or within the background — has continued blessing exhibits and stay radio appearances, along with his well-developed bars, draped in 90s Hip Hop aesthetic. Together with his time to (actually) shine upon him, he provides “The Rhythm” rapper credit score for by no means wavering in his preliminary perception in him as an artist.
“Folks informed him a billion instances to not work with me, so I received to offer him all of the credit score on this planet as a result of he, you recognize, he by no means stopped believing in what we’re doing … we nonetheless work collectively in a giant capability.
“It’s loopy to be working with any person that has 30 years within the recreation,” he provides. “He was a highly regarded rapper however then had a interval the place he fell f and made one other ascension as a producer … so we’ve form seen all sides the music business.”
His upcoming mission — which can function his ficial debut — Hometown is produced largely by Kwamé, and is 80 % full, in response to Bobby. Nevertheless, after a lot grind main up up to now, he’s in no hurry to hurry issues.
“I really feel prefer it’s a continuing work in progress,” he says. “I don’t really feel like there’s any actual gun to my head at this level the place it’s like I’ve received to place it out by this particular date.”
Together with his Statik Selektah-scored report “Walter White” nonetheless in rotation and his newest collaboration along with his mentor making the rounds, Bobby is testing the water, fastidiously setting the stage. Having constructed a popularity from the bottom up, he finally feels that his dedication is what’s going to take him excessive.
“I feel lots instances artists can fall right into a entice the place they get actually lazy … onerous work supersedes expertise,” he says. “Any individual could not like me, however least they’re going to respect me out right here.”
You possibly can comply with Bobby’s strikes Instagram @bobbyjfromrockaway.