V.O.T.E. Harold Jamez
Independent artist Harold Jamez is campaigning this year, but it’s not your typical political ploy. He’s trying to reach music lovers who yearn for raw talent with fresh material.
Voice of the True Emcee or V.O.T.E. is the vehicle Jamez hopes will catapult his career. Jamez is a conscious rapper who aims to hook the ears of the masses.
“I came up with that campaign because I’m trying to campaign for the ears of the listeners to help take me to the next level of the music industry,” said the Louisiana-born lyricist who now lives in Denver, Colorado.
He started the campaign by releasing his promo track titled “Extra! Extra!” which hooks the listeners with samples from Curtis Mayfield and Super Mario Brothers. The song’s outro was written by Grammy-winning songwriter Wil Guice (from Usher’s “Bad Girl”) and it was produced by Mirawge Beats. (Jamez and Guice also collaborated on recent single “Latenight,” which was produced by Nindando.)
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“I’m in a really good creative space,” said Jamez. He’s playing around with his rhymes and cadence to finish off the V.O.T.E. EP. The release date has yet to be determined. When hearing the chorus for “Extra! Extra!” listeners can sense Jamez’s natural street mentality from the lyrics that call for gangsters, hustlers, ballers and players to “get this money up.”
This emcee isn’t faking the funk. Jamez had his share of the street life, including a hustling lifestyle that has helped him to understand and appreciate the music industry. “I can talk to the Trap because I’ve done that,” said the self-proclaimed underdog. “But I can also go to the CEO and talk to them. I wouldn’t know what I know or be where I am if I didn’t comprehend those two sides – running the streets and being a business owner.”
He’s been on the rap scene since 2004 and said he was “deeper into the streets to start off,” however what hasn’t changed is his “intellectual” delivery.
Jamez’s talent is being recognized. He won the second place 2015 Hip Hop Junky Cup, presented by Hip Hop Junky Radio Show, which awarded him for his music video “Show Tyme.” The documentary-style video shows him traveling through Jersey City, New Jersey. The song is motivated by the grind itself:
“Don’t let nobody tell you who you can or who you can’t be / Know you in them streets sacrificing for your family / Shout out to all the hustlers because I know they understand me / Struggling’s a reality / Life is not a movie, but it’s show time”
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At this point, Jamez is looking to alter his platform by expanding his brand from artist and entrepreneur to public speaker and author. He recently served as a speaker at the Montgomery County Juvenile Detention Center in Dayton, Ohio. In partnership with Moe Rock, the founder of Now Hip Hop Magazine, Jamez plans to speak more in the future.
He also plans to publish his first book to educate artists about the legalities of intellectual property in the music industry. [I must interject by saying that this is a very important topic, especially considering the recent lawsuit presented by Marvin Gaye’s family with regard to “Blurred Lines” by Robin Thicke. Just saying …] “The book is going to talk about how to protect your music no matter the genre,” said Jamez. “If you decide to stay independent, you will know what you need to know to stay on the independent grind.”
He believes in the power of shared education and encourages new artists to thrive with their natural talent. “To any upcoming artist that hasn’t reach the tier that they want to, just know that there’s only one you,” said Jamez. “That’s what’s gonna make you the best. If you have your own sound and you know that you’re an original, use that to your advantage. There is no one in the world like you. If you can master being you, you’re on your way to success.”
Ebony Shamberger
