J Money (My Music)

[Andreas Tanis]

J Lethal - Still Ballin'

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IUgibmBx4go

J Lethal - I Get Crazy

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aTHD_r0SDY0

I don't know why, but before I did First 2 Bomb, I had kind of lost any inspiration to do anymore tracks anytime soon. But, after I did that song I've just had a lot of energy towards doing songs. It's all flowing from the heart now, & it's still like I'm projecting my anger into my music to get years worth of pent up aggression out. My main complaint starting out was my flow, & I've improved a hell of a lot since I first started. Knowing that just gives me the energy I really need to go into a track with the best state of mind possible.

[Andreas Tanis]

Where The Cash At

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S3xu2ALjGHY

Been looking forward to doing this song for a very, very long time, & I love the way it came out. Good shit.

[andthegunslinger]

Nah you just don't bar hard though man.

Fair play and big up for getting out there and I only did listen to a few tunes but just... it sounds harsh but just TRUST ME on this one:

I've been spitting for a long time. My advice and I swear hard on this: get better influences. Your style has been done so many times before.

Stretch your legs, too many brothers are sitting listening to the same music and making the same tunes over and over again.

What's your identity? If you wanna spit and you wanna be a pro you gotta ask who you are and what you wanna put across. You're on a comic book forum so why are you denying who you are and writing songs about bitches? Why am I not hearing deep mets involving Spiderman? If you're a street dude there's some beautiful potential with "Mary Jane". That's surely who you are. Fuck everybody else, you're you. Be yourself. Write what you wanna say, not what Tupac wanted to say.

Too many mans write like everybody else and this is just another example. Get out there, get better influences, portray who you wanna be. Why are you singing songs about girls being bitches and them wanting ya dick? I write rhymes cos I wanna be a poet and express how I feel through hip hop. What are you actually trying to say? Does the music world NEED another brother talking about guns bitches and bling? We have SO many already.

I get you're starting out, fair play, all gotta start somewhere. But be different, be the individual you are. Can you honestly say you've done something the world has NEVER heard before?

[Andreas Tanis]

My main influences are 2Pac & Eminem, because when I think of rap, I immediately think of those two. You're entitled to your opinion, but I disagree entirely. I've listened to a lot of artists even before I started rapping myself & I don't think there are a hell of a lot out there as lyrical as me or Taevon. I'm not trying to sound overly arrogant, but that's the conclusion I've come to after hearing music from so many other artists

Also, I always write what I want to say. Yes, Eminem & 2Pac are my main influences, but when I sit down & write a song, I'm writing what's on my brain, which correlates to being what I really want to say. Admittedly, back in '07, '08, & '09 when I tried to write raps, I completely ripped off 2Pac, but when 2010 hit, I stepped out of that mindstate of wanting to be like my "teacher" & I started being myself. I will never put out a song that says I've done things I've never done, or saying I'll do something I know I won't, which is why I've never rapped about selling drugs. I've never in my life even tried to sell drugs, so unless I'm telling a story from the perspective of someone fictional to make a point, I won't rap about certain things.

Now, a lot of people tell me I'm really intelligent & my songs are good, & like you, they'll ask me why I haven't done a lot of songs with deeper meaning. Why? Because I feel like it'd be a waste to go as deep as I can on a song. Those are tracks that will be reserved for my albums.

The whole point (at least for me) in doing mixtape songs or rapping about money, women, etc. is because it's a way for me & Taevon to show the world we can rap. All of my songs were going to be deep when I originally started, but, once I thought about it, I stopped recording songs like that. I will definitely go down that route, but for now, I want to make music that's fun. Music people can dance to, or listen to over & over if they're partying or something, & there's nothing wrong with that in my eyes.

All in all, whether I'm making party music, hood music, or poetic music, it's all me, & it's all coming from who I really am. There's nothing fake, there's no made up persona, it's just me on the track being me.

But, if you do want a song where I rapped about real life & my experiences, listen to our remix of "No Love" because I rapped about some of the things that transpire inside my head, my past experiences with women, being betrayed by "friends" & a lot of other topics. I discussed all of that in one verse where I spit out nearly half a thousand words. I'm not bragging, but that's impressive, considering Eminem rapped at about the same pace & we had the exact same time to rap, but I managed to say more than he did. Am I saying I'm better? Of course not, but I am still impressed I was able to pull it off & it was totally unintentional, because I didn't go into the making of the song thinking "I wonder if I can spit more words than Em did?"

And at this point, no, I can't say I've done something the world has never heard of before, because that's not my prerogative at this point. Like I said, I want to show the world that I can rap, & then when I feel the time is right, I will start making music that will strike a nerve & make you think. When that time comes, I will fully explain my views on the world, government, growing up in the hood, love, etc. But, right now, I want to have a little fun.

And on that note, here's another new song:

Taevon Shevy & J Lethal - I'm Paid

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dbcuWjjy7A

Now, ever since we've been putting our music up online, people have alternated back & forth as to who had the better verse on each track. Some say me, & some say Taevon, but for this track, he completely owned it with his second verse, just like with "Where The Cash At" & it's funny because he made both beats.

It's great to work with someone who is not only a producer, but a rapper with great potential, even if he doesn't necessarily believe it himself. All in all, we have a few great tracks we're sitting on & waiting to release once the New Year kicks in.

All in all, I'm really glad to see that people are enjoying our music, & it just gives us the encouragement & support we need to continue doing what we do best.
It's gonna be one hell of a ride.

[Andreas Tanis]

Being that it's the New Year, me & Taevon are kicking off 2011 with a bang. Everybody check this out:

J Lethal & Taevon Shevy - I'm Phresh

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VCymZ0kin1k

[Andreas Tanis]

Lethal's Revenge

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CuV_Qi40m40

Make It Rain

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U9q2i-Xv4Y0

Fire Flame

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iyMooXLSqJA

I feel like lately I've been honing my skills by doing more mixtape tracks. I still have more songs on the way, & the new releases later on this year are going to be mostly original tracks with beats produced by Taevon, of course. Some of them aren't completely done yet, though, & I'm hoping to get them done soon.

I think one of my favorites out of the unreleased tracks we have is our remix of "Monster" because it shows more versatality on my part.

[Andreas Tanis]

Wow, haven't updated this thread in a while but here goes:

Ballin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4X4fmarKj_o

Heard Jeezy's version of the song & I loved the beat. Plus, Wayne inspired me to want to do a remix.

Hustler 'Til I Die

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZBgPNDoPYKI

This is a song we did a little while back, & it's definitely one of my favorites.

[Andreas Tanis]

Here are some new tracks I made that I'd like you guys to check out:

J Lethal - John

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UCKX3WvH_Ls

J Lethal - Hustle Hard

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wSDMJIP3kZQ

J Lethal - Rollin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WuKARQTohtw

J Lethal - Gucci Gucci

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JkntLXeKw2M

They're all mixtape tracks, by the way (for anyone wondering).

[Andreas Tanis]

Last month, I went ahead & made my first actual mixtape (titled "Total Dedication") which consists of 11 tracks, 10 of which are produced by TJ/Taevon, in which he's also featured on 4 of them. Here they are (I'd appreciate it if everyone could check them out):

Still Hustlin: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cl0JkitgEJ0

Demolition: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrid6VpS00g

Monster: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eydwa_B6XY0

Come On!: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgDLKKA8Zm0

Quickdraw: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MEZ94WArMMw

Ball Hard (Interlude): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gIMZY2SQ9nY

Unlucky 13th/Friday the 13th: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WkT-7GnQ5mA

Beat The Block: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Fs5a528tIcY

Get It How We Live: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Gs2topLVNcE

Where The Cash At: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6XjSAHL7pWo

One More Time (Outro): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TU_ReQKYyAg

[Andreas Tanis]

Here's the latest mixtape I released on the 27th, it's called "Infamous"

Can't C Me: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2nMOJOUsXhE

You The Boss: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SVQheGxAaYU

I'm Goin' In: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WyAOtX-EuOo

Supafreak: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DXVmOJLOBlI

Outta Control: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LN2kEsEoqOQ

Slight Work: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O3chPgboiiU

Chain Music: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Aga9akamnzQ

Same Damn Time: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bWso02oMQgU

Arnold (Terminator): http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=boq3xpy13no

Do It On 'Em: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avmz2sgT92I

Iron Man: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KLpuyijkhM