K'Jon

Music is everywhere and is everything. It is also alive! Music has been the one constant social and emotional thing that drops us to our knees, put us on our feet, have us cry out in pain and even shout to the top of our lungs with joy. It has brought us together in victories and defeats, consoled us in dying times and joined us together in holy matrimonies. "Remember a song and you will remember a place and time in your life". That is a quote from music's soul stirrer, R&B singer/songwriter K'Jon. He will forever be linked to many people for his hit song, "On The Ocean", which gave him a #1 song on the radio for six weeks straight. Amazingly, his last album "I Get Around" also debuted at #1 on the Hip Hop/R&B album charts and later made Billboards Top 50 R&B/Hip Hop Album of 2009! The album was so well received by audiences nationwide that K’Jon was nominated for the Best New Artist category at the 2010 NAACP Image Awards.

“On the Ocean” was the spark that ignited his career to new heights. According to Billboards year end issue, the single was the #2 Hot Adult R&B song of 2009 and also made the largest jump to the #1 spot on the Neilsen ratings, beating out platinum selling artist Alicia Key’s 2001 debut single “Fallin”. In addition, K’Jon set the record for the longest run on Billboards Hot R&B/Hip Hop Song with “On the Ocean”, surpassing platinum selling artists Usher’s single “You Make Me Wanna” and Mary J Blige’s single “Be Without You”, which logged at 75 weeks! Very impressive for a first time major release and Detroit's son is set to sail again after his “ship came in” with so much success.

"This Time" around, however, K'Jon will do it with his own label (Up&Up Records) and indie power house Shanachie. The forthcoming album entitled "Moving On" is much anticipated after a seemingly "out of nowhere" success story by K'Jon. But it didn't happen overnight for the CEO & producer who is also responsible for writing all of the songs he's ever published. With two independent album releases (This Is Me 2006 and the #1 independent album The Ballroom Xplosion 2007), three mix tapes (Yes Sir 2005, The Making of A Hoodlum 2008 and The Detroit Connect 2010) all released under his Up&Up Records label, a feature on the 2Fast & 2Furious Movie/Soundtrack (Miami 2004) and a national release (I Get Around 2009), the stage is set to see if K'Jon can woo his fans again! Ironically he proposed this question on his first single off the new album, "Will You Be There?"

"Will You Be There?", produced by K’Jon and newcomer Letorion Paul is a song that is packed with emotions! You are moved, some with tears as this piano laid track filled with a throbbing base line and accompanied by flute and guitar, stirs the soul! What is the meaning behind the song? K'Jon replies, "It's been difficult for many people the last few years..., tough times with people going thru many changes. I'm not excluded from these things. As a matter of fact, It's been extremely hard for me even though "On The Ocean" had done well. I was very disappointed my last time out! I felt a lot of people knew the song but didn't know me. There wasn't an effort to associate or connect me with the "Ocean" song at maximum visibility. Although I wrote it, performed it and co-produced it, some in my camp felt I didn't deserve it. So I wasn’t able to capitalize financially like expected. I also wanted people to know the range of my creativity, because I am Hip Hop, I am R&B and I am soul. I vowed that if I got into this (music) game again, I would do my best and I would expect the people around me to do their best as well! All I can say is that you need a committed strong team to win or should I say win big…, and so I'm moving on”. And hopefully K’Jon is moving on to bigger and better things.