JUXX DIAMONDZ

BROOKLYN, NEW YORK | JUXX DIAMONDZ

INTERVIEW: TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK [@REALIFEVMG]

VALIDATED: BEING FROM BROWNSVILLE, BROOKLYN, WHAT'S YOUR EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP-HOP CULTURE?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: MY EARLIEST MEMORY OF HIP HOP IS MY FATHER AND MY UNCLES USE TO HAVE TURNTABLES IN THE HOUSE AND WHEN THEY WASN’T LOOKING I USE TO TURN THEM ON AND PLAY RUN DMC'S RECORD AND SCRATCH UP THE RECORD LITERALLY. AND WHEN IT WAS BROWNSVILLE DAY ALL THE PROJECTS USE TO THROW TALENT SHOWS AND ALL THE RAPPERS USE TO RAP.

VALIDATED: WHICH ESTABLISHED ARTISTS AND PRODUCERS HAVE YOU WORKED WITH?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: I WORKED WITH TRAGEDY KADAFI, MIC GERONIMO, SHABAAM SAHDEEQ, CRAIG G, DOITALL FROM LORDS OF THE UNDERGROUND, MIC HANDZ, LIL DAP FROM GROUP HOME, PACE WON, ROYAL FLUSH AND A LOT MORE DOPE ARTIST.

VALIDATED: WHO ARE SOME OF YOUR MUSICAL INFLUENCES AND WHY?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: FIRST I WOULD HAVE TO SAY MY POPS. HE INTRODUCED ME TO MUSIC, ALWAYS LISTENING TO SUGAR HILL GANG, MELLY MEL AND THE FURIOUS FIVE, KURTIS BLOW, ETC. AND OTHER MUSICAL INFLUENCES ARE MY PEERS THAT ARE THE CIRCLE OF HIP HOP I AM INVOLVED WITH THAT KEEP ME PUSHING TO BE BETTER.

VALIDATED: YOUR MOST RECENT ALBUM "LORD KNOWZ", WHAT'S YOUR REACTION TO THE BUZZ SURROUNDING THE PROJECT?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: THE REACTION IS VERY DOPE, LIKE PEOPLE LOVE HOW I PUT IT TOGETHER FAR AS THE SONGS, HOW I PRODUCED IT, THE ARTIST I USED AND PUT TOGETHER ON ONE SONG. I’M VERY PLEASED ABOUT THIS PROJECT.

VALIDATED: DO YOU NOTICE GROWTH IN YOURSELF AS AN ARTIST BETWEEN YOUR EARLIER PROJECTS ”JUXX SEASON” AND “LORD KNOWS”? AND IF SO, WHAT AREAS DO YOU NOTICE GROWTH MOST?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: THE GROWTH I NOTICE FROM "LORD KNOWS" AND "JUXX SEASON" IS THAT IT’S MORE MATURE IN THE RHYMES, THE LYRICS, THE BEAT SELECTION, AND I CONCENTRATED ON PEOPLE GETTING TO KNOW ME AS A PERSON AND A ARTIST. IN "JUXX SEASON" PEOPLE JUST KNEW ME AS A ARTIST. ON "LORD KNOWZ" I TALK ABOUT MY LIFE, MY UPBRINGING, THE DEATH OF MY FATHER, MY FAMILY, AND WHAT I BEEN GOING THROUGH IN LIFE AND THE MUSIC INDUSTRY. I EVEN TALK ABOUT MY NAME JEWLZ UNBREAKABLE XCELLENT XCLUSIVE DIAMONDZ.

VALIDATED: DO YOU HAVE ANYONE YOU CONSIDER TO BE A MENTOR? HOW HAS THEIR INFLUENCE HELPED YOU IN YOUR MUSIC CAREER?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: I MEAN MY MENTOR IS MIC HANDZ. HE HELPED ME OUT A LOT BECAUSE BEFORE WE GOT UP I WAS DOING MY THING BUT THERE WASN’T NO PROPER GUIDANCE IN MY PATH OF MUSIC. ONCE I GOT APART OF T.H.E.M IT WAS A BIGGER AVENUE, FROM SHOWS OUT OF STATE AND GETTING IN TOUCH WITH THE RIGHT HANDS. ANYTHING I HAD A QUESTION ON I BUGGED HANDZ ON OR ASK HIM FOR HIS OPINION ON CERTAIN MOVES TO MAKE.

VALIDATED: WHICH HIP-HOP ALBUM MADE YOU WANT TO RAP?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: WU-TANG CLAN'S "ENTER THE 36 CHAMBERZ".

VALIDATED: WHICH HIP-HOP ALBUM MADE YOU WANT TO PRODUCE?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: THERE IS A LOT OF ALBUMS THAT INFLUENCED ME TO PRODUCE LIKE RED MAN'S "MUDDY WATERS", ALL MOBB DEEP'S ALBUMS, ALL WU-TANG'S ALBUMS BUT THE PRODUCERS WHO INFLUENCED ME IS LIKE HAVOC, PETE ROCK, ERICK SERMON, NOTTZ, JUST BLAZE, KANYE WEST, ALCHEMIST, RZA, AND 9TH WONDER.

VALIDATED: WHO HAVE YOU PRODUCED FOR?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: I PRODUCED FOR NAPOLEAN DA LEGEND, SKANKS THA RAP MARTYR, DECAF BLACK, HAZERNOMICAL, LUCKY TATT, INNOCENT?, DREADY KRUGER, GREASEBALL STUCK B, AND OTHER DOPE ARTIST.

VALIDATED: "THEM RECORDINGS", WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT YOUR AFFILIATION WITH THEM?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: I MEAN THAT’S THE FAMILY, THE RECORD LABEL. I’M THE ARTIST AND I WAS APPOINTED AS VP, WHICH I AM VERY THANKFUL FOR AND I WAVE THAT FLAG TO THE DEATH. IT'S THEM AND IT AIN’T NOTHING AFTER THAT!

VALIDATED: YOUR UPCOMING ALBUM "LORD KNOWZ VOL. 2: DON'T BE SCARED, BE FRIGHTENED" AND THE EP, "CONCRETE RUINZ", WHAT CAN YOU TELL US ABOUT THESE PROJECTS?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: "LORD KNOWZ VOL. 2", OH MY GOSH THAT’S THE DARK AND WILD SIDE OF DIAMONDZ. LIKE IT’S NOT SAFE FOR NOBODY, I’M NOT PLAYING WITH NOBODY RIGHT NOW. "CONCRETE RUINZ" IS A WHOLE EPISODE PRODUCED BY ME FEATURING THE BAD SEED, FOUL MONDAY, FAT FREDDY LEE, DREADY KRUGER, M.A.P.H AND THONIO. THIS PROJECT IS JUST ME SHOWING OFF MY PRODUCTION SIDE AND ARTISTRY.

VALIDATED: WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOUR RECORD LABEL "BACK BLOCK MUSIC GROUP"?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: WE GOT M.A.P.H (MONEY ANNA PLAYA HUSTLE) DROPPING HIS FIRST PROJECT TITLED “LESSONS LEARNED" AND GOT F.P BKA STEET LEDGER WORKING ON HIS PROJECT. ALSO THAT BBG PROJECT DROPPING ASAP!

VALIDATED: WE HEAR YOU WERE RECENTLY MARRIED, CONGRATULATIONS! HOW DOES BEING MARRIED AFFECT YOUR ARTIST LIFE?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: THANK YOU VERY MUCH, MY WIFE PLAYS A BIG PART IN MY CAREER AS FAR AS KEEPING ME MOTIVATED AND ON TRACK AND JUST SUPPORTING ME ON EVERYTHING I DO.

VALIDATED: YOU’VE DONE YOUR DATES WITH SOME BIGGER NAME ARTISTS, WHAT WERE THOSE EXPERIENCES LIKE?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: AT FIRST I BE ON SOME REGULAR COOL S*** LIKE IT’S NOTHING, THEY REGULAR PEOPLE. WE CHILLING LAUGHING AND JOKING BUT THEN AFTERWARDS I GOTTA LET IT SINK IN LIKE OH S*** I WAS JUST CHILLING WITH SUCH AND SUCH. NOT EVEN ON MUSIC SHIT JUST REGULAR SHIT. ALSO WHEN THEY KNOW WHO I AM AND ACKNOWLEDGES ME IT BUGS ME OU. DON’T GET IT TWISTED I’M A FAN BEFORE AN ARTIST. LOL

VALIDATED: MUSICALLY, WHAT ARE YOUR GOALS FOR THE NEXT 5 YEARS?

JUXX DIAMONDZ: GOALS IN FIVE YEARS IS TO BE BETTER THAN WHAT I AM NOW, HITTING BIGGER STAGES MAKING A MARK IN THE INDUSTRY, MAKING SURE EVERYBODY AROUND ME IS DOING THEIR THING AND BEING GREAT... THEM RECORDINGS AND BBMG!