Busting out of Atlanta’s underground rap scene, J-RHEL is a lyrical force of nature on the mic, with expert wordplay and unique beats that bring candor to the dance floor. He’s the kid everybody knows from the hood, not from selling drugs or being a gansta, but from always being himself. Unafraid of taking chances and crossing the boundaries of Rap and R&B, J-RHEL has lived what he spits, and his new record, You Know My Name, explodes with fresh, head-turning rhymes that make you hit replay. Part of the new generation of Hip Hop spearheaded by visionaries like Kanye West and Jay-Z, J-RHEL has already shared the stage with the likes of Pastor Troy, Young Joc, Young Dro, Fabo of D4L, JT Money, and Cherish. His music appeals to the projects and the suburbs, the new school and the old school, by keeping it fly, keeping it honest, and keeping it real.

The youngest of six brothers and sisters born on the west side of Charlotte, North Carolina, J-RHEL credits the strength and guidance of his mother and father for keeping him off the typical neighborhood path of drugs, gangs and jail, and into the discipline and honor of playing sports and being part of a family. At three years old, J-RHEL lost his older brother Boogie to a street shooting. His family managed to stay strong, and as a kid growing up, J-RHEL sang in church choirs and played any instrument he could get his hands on, enjoying the blessing of a loving family. At age nine, J-RHEL started watching his brother V rhyme and battle other MCs, and spent hours in the studio with him whenever V would baby-sit. However, his world was turned around once again when his brother Gary died from an AIDS infected needle, and at only eleven years old, J-RHEL turned to a tape recorder as the only way to express his grief, anger, and frustration through rhymes.

Learning from the mistakes of his brothers, J-RHEL went on to become the first member of his family to go to college, with a football scholarship in West Virginia. Though he was being groomed for a career in the NFL, he became more serious about music, and transferred to continue school in Atlanta where a classmate heard his home-recorded rhymes and introduced him to Supasize Entertainment in 2003. They encouraged J-RHEL to write and record more material and helped him get started with live shows in Atlanta’s underground rap scene. His early recordings, like the popular “Carolina Juke,” were passed around on mix tapes, but when demand for more music became overwhelming, J-RHEL got back into the studio with producer Kamal aka The Element to record You Know My Name, which will is available through online retailers worldwide.

THE CITY

Dirty South

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