Rooted in authenticity, J.R.Clark is changing the hip-hop industry. The rap artist based in Virginia Beach, Virginia is proving that as an independent artist you can deliver an impressive body of work, an original sound, collaborate alongside major artists, and build a huge following — all without the support of a major record label.
J.R.Clark’s music style and inspirations come from artists such as Rick Ross, Curren$y, J.Cole, Dave East, and Nipsey Hussle. Beginning his career as a musical engineer, Clark has familiarity with music production and creating sounds for musicians. Years later, he is pursuing rapping and has released multiple successful projects. In 2018, he released “Sunset Symphony,” which features notable artists such as Smoke, DZA, Stalley, and Cookin Soul, gaining him a great deal of recognition in the underground scene and the attention of mainstream artists and record labels. From there, he released “Antique Summer,” which featured notable artists such as Curren$y and Fendi P. His feature with Fendi P, “The Re-Up,” has become a club anthem in the tidewater region of Virginia and New Orleans.
He has headlined next to Pusha T., 50 Cent, Calboy, Gunna, Da Baby, and more. J.R.Clark has goals and aspirations to establish partnerships with record labels and media brands to continue to leave a mark on the industry with his record label, Vintage Sound Entertainment. Now, J.R.Clark celebrates his new debut project, “The Motivational Type,” in which he delivers organic, assertive lyrics that touch on topics of financial freedom, business elevation, and dark times.
Find out more about the talented artist, his new album, future projects, and his insights on being an independent artist thriving in this ever-changing music industry:
The Knockturnal: Tell us more about what it means to be an independent artist.
J.R.Clark: I would say being an independent artist is spending your own money and developing relationships. I don’t have a budget for a major label, but I have money to make what I’m doing look right and make people want to attach themselves to it. Being an independent artist is doing research, spending your money, networking, and building relationships with journalists. When you’re an independent artist, it might take you a little bit longer to reach certain goals, you have to take an extra step because you don’t have that machine.
The Knockturnal: Apart from Rick Ross, do you have other inspirations from within your circle growing up?
J.R.Clark: Not so much, the hip hop scene is not really big in the Virginia Beach area. Usually I use social media as my inspiration.
The Knockturnal: How has music influenced your life?
J.R.Clark: It motivates me. Sometimes, being an independent artist, times get hard or you don’t really see your results in a week’s time. You might not see results in two weeks’ time. You may not see results in a year, but you gotta keep going. I just think, damn, I have been doing music for seven years now and it’s starting to maybe catch on. So I would say, my daily life is just to keep going, just keep being motivated with it, get that tunnel vision and anybody who doesn’t share your vision, they’re not for you.
The Knockturnal: You have been a studio engineer for the majority of your career. How has that has helped you in your career as an artist now?
J.R.Clark: Being an engineer, I always knew how music was supposed to sound, sonically. Transitioning from a studio engineer to a rapper was difficult for me because I couldn’t rap. A lot of the people who came to the studio thought I was a rapper because I had the jewelry, I had the nice cars, I had the professional studio. I decided to shut my studio down and just focus on recording myself and learning how to rap. I was going to try and write songs. Coming from engineering to a studio, I already had a leg up. I didn’t have to pay for studio time because I had a studio. I know what songs are supposed to sound like, I know how they are structured, I know the process of it. I know the process of mixing and mastering and whatnot. Going into the rapper world I didn’t want to mimic the sound from the club or the radio. I wanted something that fits my personality. I never want people to see me and then when they hear my music, they’re like, something is not connecting with who I am as a person.
The Knockturnal: What were some challenges that you’ve encountered when working with producers to find that sound?
J.R.Clark: I wouldn’t say that it was too much of a challenge, but I would just say shopping for a lot of different producers. The challenge was trying to get the producer to actually think outside of the box, be creative, and try to make something that’s fresh, organic, and new.
The Knockturnal: How important is authenticity and having that “fresh and organic” sound as an independent artist?
J.R.Clark: It has to be organic, it has to be original, and it has to be fresh. I feel like I have room to grow, flourish, and to expand. Me being original doesn’t cap me off because a lot of rappers that I hear mimicking other rappers, their music is short lived, they have a small window. Next thing you know, in six months to a year, they are not really mentioned. I just make sure that whatever I’m doing is authentic and fresh. Nobody has these types of beats — that’s what I kind of hang my hat up on.
The Knockturnal: Your new album The Motivational Type is out now. How does it feel?
J.R.Clark: Now, it feels good. We are getting a lot of good feedback from fans who’ve been with me since day one that are saying that my flow has evolved. It sounds good. It’s definitely motivational and each song has a different vibe. It is not 11 songs with the same energy and the same vibe. I can play for people that are in their 40s and 50s, I have music I can play for teenagers, I have music for people in their 20s and 30s — pretty much for everybody. If you don’t like my music, it may not be for you, but you can’t say it’s not good because it is different. I feel like each song is for a different audience and a different demographic.
The Knockturnal: Was having each sound reach each demographic based on research you’ve conducted? Or is this something that you know based on your fans and how they understand your flow and know what to expect from you?
J.R.Clark: I will say both. Going back to being a studio engineer, I like old Jay Z’s music, Nas, J. Cole, Kendrick Lamar, I’ve studied those rappers and I’m like okay they drop albums every two or three years, but when they drop albums they still outsell and outdo your favorite rapper that’s putting out mixtapes every year and whatnot. I ask myself, how are they able to do that? They don’t make the same kind of cadence, it’s not the same vibe. It’s something different on each track, they’ve kind of touched on different topics. So every song might not have been for everybody, but one or two songs on these albums is going to be for the global masses. So I use that approach and look at my analytics — what are people listening to? What do people want to hear from me? I took that and gave them what they want to hear from me but also introduced them into a whole new light. In this album I’m talking about ownership, finances, owning your masters, staying true to your sound, a lot of different stuff for where I am in life. I feel like that’s what I have to talk about. I can do club music, yes, but that’s not really my go-to. There’s already a million rappers who are already talking about that stuff. I will talk about something different. I’m okay if my music isn’t played in the club.
The Knockturnal: Which song is your favorite from the album and why?
J.R.Clark: I will say “Life Ain’t Fair.” That was one of the first songs I put out with a video at the same time when I was doing pre-orders back in December of 2021. It had that trap beat, heavy 808 type of feel that people want to hear. But at the same time, I’m still giving you substance, I’m giving you lyrical content, I’m still talking about something when you really listen to it. It introduced people to what the album was going to be about before the album was even released.
The Knockturnal: What would you say was the most challenging part about producing this album, if any?
J.R.Clark: It wasn’t too much of a hassle, I had fun doing it. A lot of people who came to the studio and heard it before it was out were saying that I definitely rapped about what I wanted to rap about and that I picked the beats that I really wanted to hear myself on. It wasn’t too much of a hurdle or hassle, it was just me really tapping into who I am as an artist and how I want people to see me.
The Knockturnal: As a studio engineer, you’ve said that a lot of people thought you were a rapper because you had the ‘look.’ How has this image helped you with your brand in your career?
J.R.Clark: It helped because the stuff I rap about and the people who know me know that it’s authentic. It’s a matter of me getting a major machine behind me and really putting the lighter fluid on what I already had going on. I would say that the transition was definitely easy. However, it wasn’t a fly by night, it took time, research, dedication and consistency.
The Knockturnal: What are some of your future plans that you have with this album? Are we talking about tours? Concerts? Years to come with more production of music?
J.R.Clark: Right now I’m in the process of doing a show opening up to Tyler the Creator in Norfolk, Virginia at the Chartway Arena. I will be opening up for Rick Ross, he’s supposed to be here in April. On a bigger scale, I’m in the process of talking to a few major record labels. I’m trying to get Columbia Records or RocNation or even Interscope Records because I feel like once you have the machine behind you, you have no choice but to go up from there. Everything is connected, nothing is off.
The Knockturnal: When communicating with record labels, have you ever felt a sense of pressure and feeling like you have to conform to any suggestions that they prefer you to follow?
J.R.Clark: No, not yet. If I was a brand new artist who never put a song, video, or anything out, then yeah, I can see them suggesting stuff. But, where I’m at now, a lot of people call me the East Coast Nipsey Hussle because of the stuff I rap about and the stuff I stand for. I’m open to suggestions but I’m not going to change my sound or change what I am trying to do to fit in. Once you do something that’s not really from the heart it doesn’t last too long. I feel like your fans and people who have been with you since day one, they can sense when you are doing anything for the look, the social clout, or even the money.
The Knockturnal: How do you stay true to yourself in this ever-changing industry?
J.R.Clark: That’s a good question. I wouldn’t say that I get depressed, but me being online a lot, I’m like man, how can I get there? I wish I had this or I wish I had that. Sometimes when I see this type of stuff I go you know what? Let me step back for a minute. It may not be my time for that yet. So I would say just staying true and not looking at everyone else’s situations and trying to fit it into your own lifestyle. You just have to turn a blind eye to certain stuff and stay focused. Everything comes in due time. When it’s your time, it is your time. When it’s your time, you just have to be ready to move on it.
The Knockturnal: Would you say that there has been growth for upcoming independent musicians that are making their way into the music industry?
J.R.Clark: There’s always room for growth. That is what it’s all about. Growth and evolution. You can’t do the same stuff for five or ten years. The world isn’t set up like that. Nothing stays the same. You have to know how to be able to adapt, but at the same time you have to make sure you’re not adapting and changing for the worse. You have to elevate yourself and graduate to a new level that’s beneficial to you.
The Knockturnal: What is one piece of advice or key takeaway that you’ve learned that you would offer to other upcoming independent artists or individuals interested in becoming an independent artist?
J.R.Clark: I will say you have to invest in yourself. You have to have 24 hour access to a studio. It’s 2022, nobody really pays for studio time. Invest your money into social media, Google ads, and reach out to journalists — that’s what I have done in the past. I like to read, so I would read an article and search the author up and reach out to them. Also, don’t spend your money frivolously on things like fake social clout such as buying fake likes or followers or paying someone to verify your account. I just recently got verified. I woke up one day and was like, oh snap! I didn’t pay for any of those things. Never try to buy your way through the door. It’s not going to happen like that. You have to have your music. When people Google you, you have to be able to pop up. When people pull up your Spotify, Apple Music, or Tidal, your music has to be there. You need professional photography, you need videos. It’s a building block. Nothing flies by night. Yes you can, but when you go up very fast, you are going to come down very fast.
“With this project I really enjoyed recording it and spending countless hours mixing and listening to it. And at the same rate, I wanted to give listeners quality music they can grow with and take them down a different avenue with topics that speak volumes about staying committed to your goals and not giving up during dark times — whether mental or financial — you have to follow up and keep sharpening your craft because quitting is not an option.”
– J.R.Clark.
The Motivational Type is out now and available on all streaming platforms.
