CREDIBILITY - Serius Jones

interview by LD Williams Jr

FIGHT KLUB BATTLE TESTED, CROWD APPROVED,... SERIUS JONES HAS MANAGED TO KEEP HIMSELF IN FRONT OF THE CROWD AND THE CAMERA. 

SERIUS HAS PROVEN TIME AND AGAIN THAT LYRICAL HE’S ABOVE MANY; HIS MOVEMENT GAINS MOMENTUM AS HE CONTINUES TO PUT OUT HOT MUSIC AND VIDEOS. 

CHECK OUT GETSERIUS.COM FOR THE LATEST NEWS ON THE GET SERIUS CAMPAIGN

CRED: I am speaking with Serius Jones how are you doing?

SJ: I am good brother I appreciate you having me.

CRED: What were some of your earliest musical influences?

SJ: Bob Marley, The Spinners, The Temptations, The O’ Jays, all of the stuff that my parents were listening to. The first rap album that got, I remember my pop’s had bought it for me it was Public Enemy’s Fear of a Black Planet I was eight years old. 

CRED: Well how did you transition and go from being a fan listening to Public Enemy and decide that you were going to make hip hop a career?

SJ: Well it was recently, I did not start rapping until after high school. I was always coming up around the way I am from New Jersey. We would play around with snapping you guys call it joning. You know we would basically play the dozens you know and talk shit. I think I discovered a talent after a chance encounter with some herbalization. I just discovered a talent and I discovered that I could make music. You know it really all started off with battling I could have an opponent right in front of me and I would break them down and people would be amazed at it. It sparked a light and sparked this musical journey that I am still on. I am growing as an artist getting better day by day that is growing into a major voice. 

CRED: That’s right didn’t you battle Jin?

SJ: It is more like destroying Jin. I destroyed Jin. All of the best street MCs that battled is who I actually battled. I do not want to go through and mention all of their names but you know go to google, You Tube, or www.getserius.com and you will see there are about four or five battles out there. I had like forty of fifty of them coming up. Some of them were for this show called Fight Klub you know it was a show that was on MTV, MTV 2 and BET. I got a lot of international exposure. I got a lot of international attention in France, Germany and even Australia. I built a name, a fan base and a buzz strictly off of talent without even having music yet. 

CRED: Then you jumped off in to mixtapes wasn’t your first one The Hard Way?

SJ: No. Hell No. The first one was that introduced me to the world was King Me. I also had other mixtapes called Street Corner Classic volumes one and two. King Me got about one hundred thousand downloads that was my official presentation it was like a street album. Everyone took notice that I am an artist it is not just battling people noticed that I actually had talent. People knew that I had talent and that I was not just a rapper or a street nigga talking shit I actually had talent. You can see the “Slow Down” video off of that mixtape. I shot a video for “Slow Down” and I actually shot it in DC. 

CRED: How did your relationship with Neddlez start?

SJ: Basically I was really poppin. I was all over the internet. I was on four different shows on national television. I was on MADE, Sucka Free Sundays, Rap City the Basement, and Fight Klub. I was doing a lot of this on my own. Actually I got a lot of labels hollering there were like four or five of them but they were the ones that came up with the paperwork I wanted fast enough and came with nine people and convinced me they were in the Serius Jones business. As time progressed, this is not specifically, a lot of people think that when you are signed to a label run by an artist that has their own label that you are dealing with them directly. That is not always the case. I was in his his crib recording and we was always cool when we spoke and dealt with each other but the business aspect is handled as a label. 

As time progressed you know I am not a half way, half assed type of duded and little things just contributed to the chemistry not being there and DTP not being a home for my career.

CRED: Do you think there were things they could have done to make the situation better?

SJ: Most definitely. I am also a real man and realize that there were things that I could have done differently. I take responsibility for my actions and I learned from the experience. I definitely learned a lot about the label experience. I also learned that the label is not functioning the same way. I do not want to have the recession talk it is really just about the artist. People have to like the artist it is not just about the record, it is not just about the label, it is not just about the co-sign it is the combination of the whole thing. When people see you in a situation where you are with somebody but they do not see you with that person like if they do not see you in the video dancing around they think there is something wrong with you. Then you have to reprove yourself to the world and show people that you are that dude and that is the stage that we are at now. Right now it is a mission.

CRED: Are you looking for a new major label situation or are you looking to go independent?

SJ: I am not looking at them they need to be looking at me. Me looking at them is not going to compel them to help me accomplish my mission. If a label is not convinced that I am a platinum selling artist then I do not want them to try and sell my product. You do not want someone to sell your product that is not a fan of it. They are not going to put their best foot forward they are not going to put the machine to work honestly after all of these years of blood, sweat, tears, grinding, energy, sacrifices, family and everything you can think of I am not going to let that go to waste again by going to another situation . That is where I am at with it. 

It is a digital world though we got our product popping off. Shout out to Def Jam and DTP they didn’t try to bang me when I left. I recorded a whole lot of classic music basically on my own I am basically dropping it on the internet right now.

CRED: What has been the high point of your career thus far?

SJ: It is definitely a good look to be on TV and be a recognizable name, face and voice. Honestly every thing, every interview that I do it feels like the same to me because I am really on a mission. It is like doing presidential speaking if your agenda is the same and you have a drive and passion for what you do you want to make everything special. Every song, every studio session, every video in terms of creation this is the highest point of my career. I am really getting ill. I have my own studio set up, I can record my own music, I can shoot my own videos that is way next level and it is just me, my man Ill Will and some production people. I mean we are doing classic shit with minimal resources that people cannot deny and that is a high in itself it is higher than any, woman, drug or anything can get you. 

It is a high to be able to effect people you came up with and people across the world with something you came up with. Life is Serius is an easy testament to that. Anyone who hasn’t seen that doesn’t like entertainment and does not want to be entertained.

CRED: Talk to me Life is Serius what it took to make that project and how it came about.

SJ: Life is Serius I didn’t realize that I had that plan and had been talking about Life is Serius for about two years. I never had the outlet or the resources to do it the right way. I had this guy who did a video for me in Seattle and it took me a long time for me to get it back. I was pretty upset about it. I told him we got to do something about this so he flew in my man Dave Wilson who is a crazy talented director. He is one of the top budding directors a lot of people don’t know about him yet but he came to my crib with a camera and I had a casting call. I got a studio downtown, got a bunch of actors, shot shit. We had different scenes we had the battles, a love scene and different scenes in my life. I didn’t know it was going to be that dope. I knew it was going to be hot. I mean if I died tomorrow I would want people to see that that is my story. The shit is classic. You should see it, if they haven’t watch that shit.

CRED: How can people watch it?

SJ: Getserius.com

CRED: They can view it for free?

SJ: Yeah for free. I mean can charge people for releasing quality product once people know it is that. In this day and age coming from the background that I come from I have a lot to prove. I can not take the approach of I do not have anything to prove whoever wants to buy it they can buy it because at a certain level I have so much grief. You know MTV, BET, that is 70 million homes like over 100 times or how many times these shows air. There may be 60 or 70 million people who have heard my name before does that mean that I say I got something out, no one knows about it but at least I got a few dollars out of it? I really feel like it is my obligation to reconnect with those people in a real way and let them know where I am with my art and life in general. Then, people understand, they become more of a supporter because they understand what I think about shit. It is all about perspective I narrate situations and let people know how I feel about how I would react in a life and death situation. How would I react? How would you react? That is the difference between me and the average rapper that is scared to let you in to his though process. 

CRED: Would you like to talk about you background?

SJ: Yeah no doubt. First and foremost I was born in Detroit. My parents were Muslim they were involved in the Black Panther movement. We moved back to New Jersey. I was raised in Inglewood, New Jersey a suburb right outside of New York. I grew up in a house. I had four brothers and sisters we were not super poor but we did not have the nicer things like Jordans and fly bikes so I always had a drive to win. I won essay contests I was decent in sports I have a room full of trophies. I really tried to go the whole school route. 

I wasn’t a book worm but I was book smart as a kid but less street smart. I was less street smart because I was less exposed. As I got older and I didn’t make it to the NBA and I really did not like school all that much I went to college and I grew into being rougher around the edges. I started hustling because I wanted money and I got an education from the streets that I missed in my childhood. 

I am kind of well rounded because I understand the corporate mind state. I went to school and I tried to get a job and do things the “right way”. I also understand the streets because that is more me now that is me, my homies and my audience. That is where I am at right now it is a real well rounded balance.

CRED: What do you want your legacy to be?

SJ: (pause) Greatness, I want to do things that people just can’t deny that transcends culture. I want people to respect my perspective that is the high that I get out of this. If somebody listens and we make a connection that is great. Any real artist wants people to feel them even if you can’t relate. I really hope that I leave the impression of someone who is a genuine artist and someone that is talented. 

CRED: What is the toughest challenge you have faced thus far?

SJ: Well Shout out to my man 50 he put it in real terms; it is the stand by the fire to keep warm syndrome. With a lot of people in any industry they do not believe in anything until it is in big bright lights and you can’t deny it. The fame game is really 15 minutes especially in the hip hop realm. I mean someone can come out sell 9 million records the second time he is selling thirty thousand and no one wants to hear himtalk. For all of the aspiring rappers and entertainers out there the key to the game is this do what you can do to get your fan base and just cater to them. Do not get caught up in the gimmicks and thinking people really love you. This business is about who can get it done and how fast. It is about the quick flip it is like the crack game in a sense. It is not about building and longevity they don’t believe in their own artists they do not know what is going to work. The game is you smile, you kiss babies, you get what you can and do not be bitter that people do not really love you and people are fake that is how most industries are it is a business. 

CRED: Is there anything that you would do over?

SJ: Well no. It is crazy you might learn from a mistake but does that mean you would do it differently? If you had not done it you would not have learned. I am not the type to wish to go back. I believe it was all written and things happen for a reason. I know I am on the right track because if I wasn’t I wouldn’t have the blessings I have in my life now. So people stay focused go download Serius Business , go download Why so Serius go watch Life is Serius the movie watch any video that I have out. When you watch you will see that these are some of the best projects out in the game right now this is all after I had a deal. I may not have a movie if I was still signed. I got to learn and grow a whole lot from street shit to corporate shit to family shit I have grown a whole lot. The things I would do differently I would not do differently because I would not have known. 

CRED: Talk about your most current projects and where people can get them.

SJ: www.getserius.com. Make sure that you log on and get on there you can create your own page, blog, there are beautiful women on there talk to them. If you have a bad day at work go on there talk about it you may b talking to someone from Thailand about your day at work. It really is that free all of my projects are on there.. As I said I am trying to give away as much as I can for free at first. Get the Remix tape, get Why So Serius. I want people to grow with me www.twitter.com/seriusjones let me know how you feel about my movement. If you have constructive criticism I will listen to you, you could be a homeless dude in the street if you have something to say. 

CRED: Talk to me about your sophisticated infrastructure that makes all of these projects work. 

SJ: I mean it is the people that are reading this that make it work. It is the everyday people that will hear the songs and talk about them. It is a real organic movement.

CRED: Any advice for new artists?

SJ: If you are an artists be an artist. Do not cheapen it; treat it like a masterpiece. Do not look at it like I am only getting money, it is about having a voice. People listen to what we say. Understand that in this game is a lot of heartache and there are people that are not going to believe in you. People like to front like it is easy to get here so they can sound special; it is trials and tribulations like anything else. The real come out on top that is how it goes.

CRED: Anything else that you want to say to everybody: Shout out to all my real muthafuckaz out there especially in the DMV area,...you know Blass, Bubu the Bear, the Oy Boyz my whole DC clique. The revolution will be webivized stay tuned to the movement.

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