Q&A With Florida’s Rising Underground Hip Hop Artist Jules
Hey Jules , we would like to thank you for dropping such a classic Hip Hop album! Boom, on of our main contributors wrote an awesome review on it! Please tell us what exact area code you represent? How long have you been making music? And how did you get your MC name?
I’ve been making music for about 16 years off and on. I started back when I was 13. So its been a long time coming. I actually got my name from a friend of mine that I use to rap with. I remember some of my friends who rap were having a cypher on my front porch. They were all older than me at the time. I finally got enough courage to rap the very first verse that I ever wrote in front of them. And my boy Durrell was like, “Little guy is actually ok. What should we call him? Oh I got it…Jules.” And it stuck ever since. And I’m from Lakeland, FL which is 863. A small city between Tampa and Orlando.
Who or what influenced you to become an underground Hip Hop artist?
As a kid I was in love with Nas and Jay-Z. I use to want to rap like them. Plus all my friends that I rapped with were older and really cared about lyrics and bars so you couldn’t get on a track with them unless you were really saying something. So I use to study guys like Nas, Jay, Method Man. Even Eminem. Just trying to see how their brain work and how they put together bars. So New York really guided me when I was younger.
We really love your unique and original style and sound? How would you describe your style in the simplest way?
It’s hard for me to put it into words but I would say its derived from older Kanye but also with my twist to it. I was a huge fan of the soul samples Kanye would use in his earlier music. And my father would only play oldies in the house when I was a kid so I fell in love with that sound. So I wanted to have that soul sample feel to my music but give it a little southern feel with 808s and heavy drums over it. Almost modernize classics if you will.
Tell us about the creative process for your new album “The Feel”! Any interesting features on it? Was this your debut album?
The Feel is my official debut album. All the production on the album just came from a couple of kids just sitting in their bedrooms and trying to make the dopest music possible. I would either start working on a beat and send it to Dromen or KING or they would start something and I would come in and add to it. Usually would start with a sample that I would randomly hear throughout the day and I would rush home to chop it up and lay some drums over it. Then KING or Dromen would find a dope melody to play with it and from there we would just add more layers. Usually I would know right away what the song will be about within the first 15-20 mins of making the beat. And them from there its just piecing the story together for that song and for the rest of the album. I just wanted to be completely honest and transparent in my music. Every drop of emotion was poured into this. And the extremely talented Nina and J.None are featured on the album. They both came in and provided some incredible vocals for songs like Intentions and Salvation.
In 2017, who is on your own personal music rotation playlist!? Any new artists you are listening to?
The main music that I’m listening to is Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole. I love their music so I’m always listening to them. During the tail end of creating The Feel I listened to a lot of Outkast and Joyner Lucas. And I love R&B so lately I’ve really been on a Frank Ocean kick. Love some of the abstract writing he has and some of the pictures he paints.
Any new projects and videos you are working on? Planning on a tour anytime soon?
I just recently dropped the music video for Recall and working on shooting a video for Redo. No tour dates or new projects as of now but plan on putting a show together for my city. It’s going to be epic!
Out the box type question, If it came down to 1 ALBUM only, what underground Hip Hop album would you consider THE BEST OF ALL TIME!!!???……One 1 album you can choose.
To be honest, I couldn’t give you an answer. When I was doing my research as a kid, I was studying albums like Reasonable Doubt, Vol. 2 Hard Knock Life, The Blueprint, Illmatic, and Stillmatic. Even albums like Aquemini. So all the underground albums I never got into.
Your definition of “Underground Hip Hop”
Underground hip hop to me is just music that is usually phenomenal that really touches the core of the people. That’s where you will find the purest form of the art. I love it. It’s nothing greater than finding that artist that hasn’t achieve mainstream success yet but is providing music that is groundbreaking.
Drop all your music and social media links!
You can find me at my official website www.longlivemusicgroup.com Thats the main hub that has everything. You can also find me on SoundCloud at www.soundcloud.com/longlivemusicgroup I’m on Instagram @longlivejules and Facebook as Jules. And my YouTube channel is Long Live Music Group.
Any shout outs?
I always want to thank God for this opportunity and all the blessings He has given me. I would like to shoutout my team, Dromen and Made. Also to anybody who helped me create this project. The great people over at 40kft Consulting Group for all the support they have given me. To my entire family and for everyone who took the time to listen. It’s all love.
