"Like every artist, Jason "J Beans" Hall found himself traveling down an uncompromising path in search of his voice. Until, that is, he stumbled upon a split in the road. Rather than steer clear of the fork, he took both. Now he uses the resulting dual personas - J Beans and alter ego J Bless - to reveal his full story on the new mixtape, One Man, Two Sounds.
Born in Brooklyn, raised in Jamaica and educated at Atlanta's Emory University, Hall lyrically represents equal parts street hustler and hip-hop philosopher. Complemented by the reggae-inspired hooks he channels for the first time as J Bless, his newfound range is as broad as his message. Had it not been for a recent tragedy, however, he might still be harboring that inner voice in total silence.
In 2005, Beans began fronting the Atlanta-based hip-hop band, Haze. Two years later, after the group disintegrated, Beans teamed up with old friend and local rapper Charles "CG" Price to form the Disciples. A relentless mixtape hustle earned them street love and heavy spins at local strip clubs. Within a year, they were inducted into radio hosts the Durty Boyz' Hall of Fame on Hot 107.9’s “Battlegrounds” (WHTA-FM).
But the future turned surprisingly sour last November when CG was fatally stabbed in Chicago, while visiting his family over Thanksgiving. The devastating loss made Beans reevaluate the course his life and art were taking.
Heartbroken, J Beans thought about putting down the mic, but decided instead to take his musical mission in a different direction. "The Disciples music was special to me, but it was mostly stories of hood life," admits J Beans. "I kinda felt like I was putting myself in a box that I didn't even need to be in. I was lucky enough to go to school and see a lot of things, and at times my story got lost."
His new mixtape resolves that. With seven past Disciples tracks he pays homage to the memory of CG, while seven new J Beans/J Bless tracks — including the SMKA-produced "I've Been Drinking" — thoughtfully cover his storied past and a hopeful future."
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