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There always seem to be some concern when a college educated artist talk about street life in their songs. We’ve heard the whispers when 2 Chainz starting making real moves. Before him, Florida rapper Plies received backlash from various critics. Eventually, however, the hate faded away from both artists. They went on to build very successful music careers. So, does having an education REALLY disqualify a person’s “street cred”?  It should’t.

 

Artist such as Birmingham, AL’s Javan Micah Ishman a.k.a. Jabo, is an example of how both worlds can intertwine with one another. His latest mixtape, Anatomy of a Street Genius, is described as a musical “collection of street and the intellectual combined together.”  And what’s wrong with that if you grew up in that environment? Nothing.  Jabo, like many others, didn’t allow the hardships (and the temporary luxuries) of the street life persuade him to go all-in. Although he could have easily gone that route, he decided to head to Alabama State University to further his education. But, while in college, Jabo painstakingly endured the same struggles that plague many of our neighborhoods…gun violence. He was shot twice during an attempted robbery. Then later, lost his catalog of music when a friends’ studio was robbed.

 

If you had to sum up Jabo’s 26 years of life, you can almost relate it to the parents and great-grandparents who survived Alabama’s civil rights movement.  Growing up in one of the main focal areas of the Black struggle,  Jabo embodies the spirit of perseverance and strength. And his personal testimony reads as such. After the loss of his music and being a victim to gun violence, he made the choice to continue pursuing a rap career. In an exclusive interview with STACKS Magazine, Jabo attributed his passion in life and music to his humble upbringings.

 

“We come from a place where, you know, people were raised by their grandparents. We had older people in the community that looked out for each other. It really ain’t like that no more. These days you got young people who’s parent that really ain’t caring what they kids do. They ripping and running. We knew Ms. Such-n-such will get you. Or Ms. Such-n-such will get you and you can’t go outside or you will get whooped the whole way down the block until you get home. You know what I mean. So its like, that’s where the soulfulness comes from. That sense of just being…feeling like we had to stick together to survive. Like when they say “it take a village..” In a way, yes it kinda do. The whole civil rights thing. That bring alot into it. That soulfulness. It’s just a real passion from where I come from.”

 

As an artist-on-the-rise, Jabo understands that the business of music can be as hateful as well. Sharing a little advice to other aspiring artists, the West Side Birmingham-native believes that conducting research can solve a lot of problems. Also, he insists that you have to be smart in where you spend your money and be willing to take risks.

 

“For somebody that’s coming out of high school, I would say at least give college a try. Go to college, give that a shot. You learn so many basic tools that you’ll need in this industry in college. Like how to deal with people in the corporate world. Most college professors will deal with you corporately. They are not your friends. They deal with you on a corporate level and that’s how the industry deal with you too. As far as the money aspect, I think you need to be smart on how you spend your money. Spend it in the right spots and you’ll be very successful. A lot of people have the money, but they just spend it in the wrong places. By the time they look around they’ve kind of blew through their budget. Nothing really happens for them. But, if you are spending that money in the right spots – and I’m not saying I know where all the right spots are –  you got to get out there and shake the tree a little bit. You are going to make mistakes. You can’t be scared to take risks, can’t be scared to lose either. It is all a gamble. Once other people see that you are not afraid to lose (and you’ll gamble with your own money), they have more confidence in you. They see that this young man ain’t scared to lick the bottom of the barrel to come back up. So, I know if I put a little push behind him, he can stay up and he won’t fall.

 

It’s all about being smart and doing your research. A lot of people get into this without even Google’n “How to get your music on the radio”. It might be right there. But, we don’t even do the research. Researching, being smart with your money, spending it in the right places, and building relationships with people. So many people burn bridges at the early stages of their career because they think they’re “here” when they are really “here”. And when they burn the bridge, it’s like they go to try and…[move back up]. You can’t burn a bridge with people. Relationships last for a lifetime.”

 

Jabo’s viewpoint of “needing” college – or some form of education – to help an artist understand the business was perfect. Oftentimes we hear that school isn’t needed and that there are self-made millionaires who’ve never attended college. Although that may be true, at some point that millionaire had to read a book or ask questions to find out what next steps to take. So, Jabo should be applauded for understanding its [education’s] importance.

 

On his latest project Anatomy of a Street Genius, listeners will hear a mixture of a lot of things. Jabo’s content mixes the negative with the positive, but maintains its local integrity with the production choices. He also features industry allies, Slim Thug and the late Doe B, on a couple joints. New York rapper Jadakiss is also featured on Jabo’s breakout hit “What I’m About”. During our discussion, he opens up about his relationships with Slim Thug and Jadakiss. He also explains the impact of Doe B’s death on the state of Alabama.

 

Jabo’s humble spirit and educated know-how has the potential to make him the next big thing. So many artists lose their way while reaching for success. After several unfortunate setbacks, Jabo’s still standing but is grateful for each step of his journey. If he continues to embody the spirit of his local civil rights heroes, Jabo has a great chance at becoming the star Alabama has long awaited for.

 

 

 

 

To stay updated on Jabo’s upcoming tour schedule and latest news, visit www.JaboEnt.com or follow him via Twitter/Instagram/Facebook @JaboEnt !