J-Swift: Difference between revisions

Revision as of 02:32, 16 January 2022

Revision as of 01:42, 17 March 2022

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{{BLP sources|date=December 2013}}

'''J-Swift''' is ana [[Afro-Cuban]]Spanish [[people|Spanish American]] music producer responsible for songs with groups on the [[Delicious Vinyl]] Labellabel. He has produced the hip hop groups [[The Pharcyde]] and The Wascals.

==Early life==

J-Swift was born '''Juan Manuel Martinez-Luis''' in 1971 in [[Madrid, Spain]]. His [[Afro-Cuban]] father, Pedro, was a [[salsa music|salsa]] bandleader and multi-instrumentalist. His mother, Dolores, was a native of the [[Canary Islands]].<ref name="land"/> In 1974, the family headed to [[Los Angeles]], [[California]], settling in [[Inglewood, California|Inglewood]]. At age six, J-Swift enrolled in a piano conservatory, quickly proving to be a prodigy. The all-rap radio station [[KDAY]] introduced him to hip-hop in the early '80s1980s, and the first record he ever got was by [[Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five]].

==Career==

Around 1988, J-Swift met [[R&B]] musician [[Reggie Andrews]], producer of [[Dazz Band]]'s 1982 funk hit "[[Let It Whip]]." After J-Swift composed three [[new jack swing]]-style songs to get his attention, Andrews suggested that he concentrate on writing and producing, and set him up with a recording studio (complete with a then-state-of-the-art Akai MPC60) at South Central Unit (SCU), an after-school program for disadvantaged young talent. This gave J the opportunity to submit songs to [[A&M RecordRecords]]'s Rondor Music publishing, while additional work came via BMI's Cheryl Dickerson. Though much of this early music went unreleased (like an album by [[Bell Biv DeVoe]] spin-off STR8-Ahead), J-Swift's official songwriting/producing debut came in 1991 with [[Keisha Jackson]]'s "Feel You Out."

Around this time J-Swift began making music with a crew of dancers-turned-rappers. With Reggie Andrews' record collection at their disposal, J-Swift and [[The Pharcyde]] crafted a three-song demo in '91 and subsequently a hip-hop classic, 1992's [[Bizarre Ride II the Pharcyde]]. Featuring the hit single ''[[Passin' Me By]]'', Pharcyde's debut went certified Gold. Disputes over production and credits caused a rift between J and the group (although they would later reunite on The Pharcyde's "Trust" remix in 2000, not to mention several J-Swift-produced tracks on [[Fatlip]]'s 2005 solo debut [[The Loneliest Punk]], and Fatlip and [[Tre Hardson]]'s 2007 holiday song "All I Want for Xmas").

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J-Swift recorded new tracks from 2005 through 2010, providing not only the beats but also the rhymes. Featuring soul-baring rap confessionals ("Off My Chest") and tales of perseverance through struggles ("Born To Win Despite Myself") — while still celebrating recreational drug use ("I'll Do Mine") — J-Swift's new project began with an alter ego '''Negro Kanevil'''.

==Personal life==

In 2006, J-Swift was arrested for possession of narcotics. In 2015, his [[permanent resident]] status was stripped and he was deported back to his birth country of Spain.<ref name="land">{{cite web|url=https://thelandmag.com/the-bizarre-and-tragic-ride-of-j-swft/|title=The Bizarre and Tragic Ride of J Sw!ft|author=Bell, Max|publisher=theLAnd|date=2021-08-26|accessdate=2022-03-16}}</ref>

==Productions==

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{{Authority control}}

[[Category:AmericanSpanish hip hop record producersmusicians]]

[[Category:1971 births]]

[[Category:Spanish emigrants to the United States]]

[[Category:Living people]]

[[Category:Spanish people of Cuban descent]]