Every artist has those embarrassing facts about them that they hate to love but share with their fans and haters alike. Lyric Jones is just gonna say it.
“I usually don’t tell many people this because it sounds bad but it’s really not,” she starts and it gets better. “I really didn’t start seriously writing rhymes until Lil’ Bow Wow. “And I was a little girl so I had a crush on him too. I used to rewrite his verses how a girl would say it. Of course I was better though. People were just not ready,” her up North accent takes over. And they’re still not ready for the makeover Lyric Jones is giving the industry.
“When I was first getting into music and I decided that I really want to do this I was fourteen, fifteen years old. There was no real female representation then. As I got older I realized that it hasn’t changed. The hip hop community feels the same. Deep down we all want the Lauryn Hills back and Lil Kim back as a role model. That’s what I mean by makeover. Just bring it authentic. The industry is full of people who are not real.”
The former Berklee School of Music student shows the real musicianship that she wants to see in the industry in everything she does. A jazz drummer, vocalist, and rapper, her knowledge of instrumentalism and lyricism lie mostly in her relationship with a Boston rapper and college credits.
“Radar was a rapper I met when I was fifteen while dating a guy at Berklee. He’s taught me everything I know since then.” He convinced her to add Jones to her name, become an emcee, and become extremely knowledgeable about the industry she wants to change. “The City Music program is in the Berklee music program here in Boston. I started in my sophomore year in high school. I was fifteen around Berklee students that were twenty-one. These were my friends and they taught me a lot of what I know. I learned so much,” she explains. It’s her acquaintances with music and words that gets her compared to the same three talented emcees.
“Queen Latifah. Lauryn Hill. MC Lyte. I can see me in Queen Latifah. She just said “Fuck it, I wanna do jazz!” and Queen is a role model. I can see Lauryn Hill too. She sings, she raps, the content. And MC Lyte has a great delivery,” Jones says. Vocally, her voice can remind you of Jill Scott, Anita Baker, and other soul favorites that she hopes to emulate.
Simply knowing somebody through somebody put her on with the Perfect Attendance showcase indefinitely. “Twitter really helps. I’m following Fadia Kader was tweeting heavy during A3C and to SMKA. I know 808 Blake from SMKA through school at UGA. Daru, a good friend of mine from Berklee is in Brittany Bosco’s band. So I was familiar with Fadia through several people. Fort Knox may have put her up on me, but she called me three hours before the showcase photo shoot and that was it.”
And keeping that buzz in Atlanta going is important to her cause at times it can be hard to keep a singing crowd and a rapping crowd entertained at the same time. “I was having a dilemma of how to engage my audiences. I have two different audiences. I have a super soul/r&b audience and a thorough boom back hip hop audience and of course the audience that will rock with me whatever. The shows I’m getting asked to do sometimes segregate my audiences. That’s why I like Perfect Attendance; I can do what I want.”
In 2011, she’s gonna keep doing what she wants to make sure everyone continues to have a’ jones for lyrics’. The phrase that is a play on her name says more about her love for what she does and can do. “It has a meaning of my love for words, my love for playing with words. Either you’re gonna love my music or you’re gonna love me. And who wouldn’t love me I’m undeniable!”
Until that year from now, no upcoming project is more important than her broadcast journalism degree from University of Georgia. “2010 is really blank slate. Everybody got these big plans. New decade, but in 2010, I’m just trying to graduate. I’m looking more forward to 2011.” But before 2011, you will hear some mixtapes and collaborations from lady Lyric that will bring a wow factor through your speakers.
“I’m always looking for that wow factor. Stuff has to be inspiring, it can’t just be good. If I have the wow factor in the track, then I have the wow factor in the verse. Then I can get the “What did she just say?!” bring it back.
She said bring it back.
Sunshine
Nothing Hindering Me
More Jones for you at her Official website, MySpace Music Page, and Twitter.
Every artist has those embarrassing facts about them that they hate to love but share with their fans and haters alike. Lyric Jones is just gonna say it.
“I usually don’t tell many people this because it sounds bad but it’s really not,” she starts and it gets better. “I really didn’t start seriously writing rhymes until Lil’ Bow Wow. “And I was a little girl so I had a crush on him too. I used to rewrite his verses how a girl would say it. Of course I was better though. People were just not ready,” her up North accent takes over. And they’re still not ready for the makeover Lyric Jones is giving the industry.
“When I was first getting into music and I decided that I really want to do this I was fourteen, fifteen years old. There was no real female representation then. As I got older I realized that it hasn’t changed. The hip hop community feels the same. Deep down we all want the Lauryn Hills back and Lil Kim back as a role model. That’s what I mean by makeover. Just bring it authentic. The industry is full of people who are not real.”
The former Berklee School of Music student shows the real musicianship that she wants to see in the industry in everything she does. A jazz drummer, vocalist, and rapper, her knowledge of instrumentalism and lyricism lie mostly in her relationship with a Boston rapper and college credits.
“Radar was a rapper I met when I was fifteen while dating a guy at Berklee. He’s taught me everything I know since then.” He convinced her to add Jones to her name, become an emcee, and become extremely knowledgeable about the industry she wants to change. “The City Music program is in the Berklee music program here in Boston. I started in my sophomore year in high school. I was fifteen around Berklee students that were twenty-one. These were my friends and they taught me a lot of what I know. I learned so much,” she explains. It’s her acquaintances with music and words that gets her compared to the same three talented emcees.
“Queen Latifah. Lauryn Hill. MC Lyte. I can see me in Queen Latifah. She just said “Fuck it, I wanna do jazz!” and Queen is a role model. I can see Lauryn Hill too. She sings, she raps, the content. And MC Lyte has a great delivery,” Jones says. Vocally, her voice can remind you of Jill Scott, Anita Baker, and other soul favorites that she hopes to emulate.
Simply knowing somebody through somebody put her on with the Perfect Attendance showcase indefinitely. “Twitter really helps. I’m following Fadia Kader was tweeting heavy during A3C and to SMKA. I know 808 Blake from SMKA through school at UGA. Daru, a good friend of mine from Berklee is in Brittany Bosco’s band. So I was familiar with Fadia through several people. Fort Knox may have put her up on me, but she called me three hours before the showcase photo shoot and that was it.”
And keeping that buzz in Atlanta going is important to her cause at times it can be hard to keep a singing crowd and a rapping crowd entertained at the same time. “I was having a dilemma of how to engage my audiences. I have two different audiences. I have a super soul/r&b audience and a thorough boom back hip hop audience and of course the audience that will rock with me whatever. The shows I’m getting asked to do sometimes segregate my audiences. That’s why I like Perfect Attendance; I can do what I want.”
In 2011, she’s gonna keep doing what she wants to make sure everyone continues to have a’ jones for lyrics’. The phrase that is a play on her name says more about her love for what she does and can do. “It has a meaning of my love for words, my love for playing with words. Either you’re gonna love my music or you’re gonna love me. And who wouldn’t love me I’m undeniable!”
Until that year from now, no upcoming project is more important than her broadcast journalism degree from University of Georgia. “2010 is really blank slate. Everybody got these big plans. New decade, but in 2010, I’m just trying to graduate. I’m looking more forward to 2011.” But before 2011, you will hear some mixtapes and collaborations from lady Lyric that will bring a wow factor through your speakers.
“I’m always looking for that wow factor. Stuff has to be inspiring, it can’t just be good. If I have the wow factor in the track, then I have the wow factor in the verse. Then I can get the “What did she just say?!” bring it back.
She said bring it back.
Sunshine
Nothing Hindering Me
More Jones for you at her Official website, MySpace Music Page, and Twitter.
