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About
As a Los Angeles-based rapper, producer, singer and songwriter, Mr. J. Medeiros has carved his own path in Hip Hop. Known for his unique poetic rhyme style, cinematic story-telling, and strong social commentary, Mr. J’s sound is genuine, timeless, and profound.
Medeiros got his start when he formed the Hip-Hop group, The Procussions, in his hometown of Colorado Springs, CO. Following the buzz of their first single, Medeiros spearheaded their relocation to Los Angeles. The band would go on to enjoy four successful years in rap’s underground scene, touring the world and garnering critical acclaim for both their recorded and live performances. Some of their more notable achievements include touring with Hip Hop icons A Tribe Called Quest and The Roots, and collaborating with Talib Kweli on their single "Miss January". The trio had two independent releases, "As Iron Sharpens Iron" and their EP "Up All Night". Their sophomore album, "5 Sparrows for 2 Cents", was the first release on Rawkus Records’s revamped label. The group disbanded in 2007 on good terms.
Later that year, Mr. J. Medeiros dropped his debut album, "Of gods and girls", on Rawkus Records. Challenging himself to grow as a musician, Medeiros used this time to take on the roles of both producer and rapper. These two facets came together brilliantly on the ground-breaking single “Constance”, where Mr. J. took aim at the ills of human trafficking and internet pornography. To help raise awareness on this issue Medeiros formed the iamconstance.com campaign, which partnered with international non-profit organizations to fight human trafficking and sexual abuse. Being the first song of its kind, “Constance” gathered enough attention to land itself on the CBS Evening News in an expo on sex trafficking. Though the music video was considered by MTV to be "too controversial to air", Medeiros found commercial support via VH1 and a guest appearance on TLC’s T.V. show "Miami Ink". “Of gods and girls” is considered by many Hip Hop enthusiasts to be a classic album and provided a strong foot forward for Mr. J.’s emerging career.
In 2009, after a two-year standstill with record labels, Mr. J. Medeiros decided to take his career into his own hands. He formed De Medeiros in the spring of that year and released an EP titled “The Art of Broken Glass” soon after. Produced by YouTube phenom Boonie Mayfield and distributed exclusively through Mr. J.’s website, the EP found critical acclaim, praising Mr. J.’s heightened lyrical ability, along with Boonie's “Golden Era” production style.
In the summer of that year and building on the word-of-mouth success the EP achieved, Medeiros released his highly anticipated sophomore album, "Friends Enemies Apples Apples". Medeiros partnered with former bandmate, Stro, on the production while he focused mainly on perfecting his skill as a songwriter. Being crowned a “Rapper’s Rapper” this album served as proof that Mr. J. Medeiros is a career artist and not a one-album wonder. “Friends Enemies Apples Apples”, was widely celebrated and landed stellar reviews in major music publications, which is a testament to the strength of Mr. J.’s music.
With the ever changing music industry, and the race to find new ways to promote independent music, Mr. J. Medeiros took a creative approach to releasing his third full-length album “Saudade”. In the summer of 2011 he worked exclusively with “indiegogo”, a crowd-funding resource site, and handed the role of executive producer to his fans. In three months Mr. J. fans gave triple the asking amount, an event large enough to be referenced in a “Business Insider” article on crowd sourcing. MTV also got involved with the release as the music video for the lead single, “Neon Signs” won the MTVu.com Freshman Video challenge, putting the video into regular rotation on MTVu, yet another testament to the strength of Medeiros’s fans base. From an artistic perspective, “Saudade” reveals a wealth of musical and personal experience. Written by himself and introducing his production team “The Stare” (consisting of Mr. J. Medeiros, Stro Elliot, and Luke Atencio) “Saudade” received high honors from numerous publications sighting the albums diverse yet cohesive nature and frequently describing the result as “beautiful” and “original”.
Mr. J. Medeiros is considered one of Hip Hop’s most innovative and insightful artists. He has spent his career building a name that is synonymous with quality and consistency. His forthcoming EP, “Pale Blue Dot”, will prove to be his greatest work to date, exposing his artistic prowess as he takes brave steps into a new sound.
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Albums
- 14 tracks (43:55)
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04:16
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00:05
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03:14
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03:43
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02:34
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02:47
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00:09
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03:02
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03:14
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05:31
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04:04
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02:59
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03:36
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04:36
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- 12 tracks (39:40)
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03:39
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03:30
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03:20
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02:55
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03:39
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02:29
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02:58
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03:40
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03:01
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03:05
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03:13
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04:05
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- 5 tracks (16:32)
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03:30
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03:00
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03:07
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03:59
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02:54
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- 16 tracks (59:59)
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05:04
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03:43
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04:01
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03:32
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03:47
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05:06
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03:43
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03:37
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03:05
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02:52
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04:43
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03:25
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02:26
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03:45
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04:02
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03:01
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- 6 tracks (21:27)
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04:18
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03:47
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03:12
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03:24
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03:02
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03:42
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Favorites
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Posts
:::FOUND THIS FRIDAY::: “Come As You Are”
Found this video on youtube and so did 600k other people. It’s pretty great.
:::THROWBACK THURSDAY::: An Explanation of “Love is All”
By request, I am going to give some insight to my first verse in “Love is All”.
This song was written about the place I used to live, Columbia Ave. in Westlake, Los Angeles.VERSE 1
There must have been about a thousand pounds
Of housing found
Drowning in the flood
(The neighborhood was falling apart, roofs with holes, stairs missing steps, broken windows, toilets hanging outside, you name it etc.)
The sound of trusted men are counting down the hour
(Lived across from a High School, bell’s always ringing, the last bell rings for teachers to go home)
Frowns the sun
(The sun goes down)
Around the pounding of the blades
The helicopters made
Be it a bomb or promenade see it the moma wana save
Then drop upon us on the shades
(At least 5 times a day the police helicopters circle the neighborhood, feels a little like a war-zone, I used to see it as one big mother in the sky overseeing our safety, but at night when the lights come through your shades it feels like your being invaded)
The fear of honesty a tear for harmony
(The reality of it all, shed a tear for how things should be)
Alarming me a Honda beeps the lottery
(Car alarm goes off, the Honda next door got broken into, someone won the “hood” lottery)
I’m joking like they on to me
(Always hearing police sirens, tiny jokes about them coming for me eases the reality, having”fun with it”, helps brush off that sense of unearned “guilt” from the constant presence of suspicion)
Cars play the martyr
(So many broken cars, a symbol of their sacrifice for being parked in that neighborhood, I sold my car because it got broke into too many times)
Broken windows say I’m starving
But the bars say don’t bother
(The houses and the people in them, say “I could use some help”, but the bars on the window saw don’t come near)
And I’m hollering this words reciting Sara Conner
(My song is like a speech from Sara Conner, the mother in the movie Terminator, always talking about the “end of the world”)
With the calling of the birds on bikes Americana’s
(The whistles from the neighborhood dealers)
Feeding night its marijuana they light it on the corner
With a sidekick and a quarter
For the phone and further orders
(I lived across from probably the ONLY pay-phone in existence haha, frequently being used by a dude with his “sidekick” (popular phone back then) in hand, low-rider bicycle, and you know…placing orders for that sticky icky or maybe something more.)
Could have grown before it caught up
In the home were he was brought up
Shot till he dropped dormant
(My neighbor was murdered outside of his house)
Then his property got bought up
(Took a year for them to sell his spot)
Yo there’s metal in the streets
For every body they reported
(For every person they found dead on the street there was a gun involved)
Heard the devil in their sleep
Say they were properly deported
(Around this time (And still today) everyone was fighting to keep or attain their citizenship and/or fighting immigration laws, violence is just another way the devil deports people):::WONDER WEDNESDAY::: “Fear and Safety”
If you listen to the piano, I am playing very similar keys to Ne-Yo’s “Because of You”…which oddly was the musical inspiration for this song.
:::TELL ALL TUESDAY::: “This is Not a Home” Verse 1 Explained…
I was asked to give a little insight into this song, so I am doing just that.
Sipping a scummy pint?Drinking a beer at a dive bar.
Money is tight, clumsy is night?Getting drunk off that cheap beer.
High drunk types, skunking the lights?L.A. hipster’s/yuppy’s meshed together, the smell of weed and cigarettes in the air.
Funny they fight for no cause, only to hide in those bars?These types of “scenes” carry the air of rebellion but really the only fight is against those who try to keep them from being “so cool”.
And scoff from their L.A. lofts at smoke laws?Common argument for the “cool” to hate smoking laws as they frequent dive bars, dressed like rock stars, however living in the new expensive lofts downtown. Again, the “air” of being broke and with no “real” oppression to argue against.
Fashion friendly, the act of trendy, laugh past you then master the craft of envy?Same people always have the money and time to dress and look cool and make people feel inferior, however, they never have the bravery to say anything to your face, always having conversations behind your back.
The Pabst half empty, that or an MGD, have an MP3 on me now invent me?Pretending to be so down and out, so negative, (glass half empty), drinking their typical Hipster beers, and listening to their favorite “bands” only to talk about them like they invented them, music, and fashion, when really… they are just consumers.
Blog writers turn snob drivers for ad space a cog for hire the admirers of fast pace business?Sure they write blogs, but their only interest is being “cool”, sure they grab music off other “cool” blogs who claim to love music, but really they just use it to sell ad space for “cool” and useless things. The “cool” leading the “cool”, fluffing their feathers in their “cool” bars before going back up to their awesome condo/apartment their parents are paying for.
Infiltrate to earn the pass so now the privileged can imitate the working class?Every act is one big attempt to look less privileged then they really are so they can soak up the true culture that spawned in rebellion to… them.
And get their street cred, Trader Joe’s and wheat bread, catering their nose on the weekend?Same people who look so “down and out” you find them at trendy health spots talking about natural foods while they stuff their noses with cocaine.
See them on the deep end? Drowning.
In the neon the city sleeps in? Downtown.
And me just another pee on meet me where the leash ends?They can laugh at people like me, my music, the way I dress…but when their leash tightens, they’ll see people like me are there holding it, in the freedom of reality.
- :::MUSIC MONDAY::: "Children"
I liked writing this song, I hope you like hearing it. Def think people MIGHT have slept on this album, yes? no? Or maybe I am just “hoping” there is no other reason for it’s lack of publicity other then people snoozing. Maybe…haha.
:::FRIDAY:::
Rest in peace Etta James…
I am a fan of Etta James. Of course her voice was incredible, but her personality really did it for me, her presence. I’m not old enough to have seen her perform live- have to thank youtube for making that happen.
But I would say this, and to me it’s powerful, and telling of her time- she could sing about anything and it sounded relevant and humble…
I mean, “some songs sanctify some songs signify”, and in those days you could smoke and have a drink and hear both…
Your faith and your troubles mixed together with your love for life.
Etta James and artists like her, in her time- make you feel it’s possible to just be a real person. Maybe it’s just the “blues” lifestyle?
Either way, I would DEF watch this video!- :::THURSDAY THOUGHT::: "Depression...a liar."
The games over
Pained shoulders
Aimed sober
Came the owner of the blame
And tamed that lame soldier
Had it out with my nemesis
Found what my premise is
Hung it like a cross for reference
Yes this is
The isolated break the ice awaiting
Turn the eye awakened to the burning of the lie
The mind elated :::ELECTRONIC TUESDAYS::: New song! Grab this free download of “Swallow” the Remix, produced by Ghost. DOWNLOAD HERE! For more info on Ghost see YOUTUBE and FACEBOOK! Spread the word! Thank you!
Mr. J. Medeiros “Swallow” (Ghost Remix) by GhostOfficialMusic
:::THINK BOUT IT THURSDAY::: Tired of having to rely on self-respect and a healthy body image? Want true beauty with out all that effort? Try this, by A-DO-BAY!
:::WONDER WEDNESDAY::: 3D Printers…WHAT? WHOA!
Takes an image and makes it an object. You ready for this?
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