Veteran music producer J.J. Brown steps into the limelight on his solo debut full-length Connect The Dots. being released worldwide November 10th, 2009 on Well Done Entertainment in association with 5G Productions.
Armed with over a decade of industry insight, and production credits for artists from the underground hip-hop scene and the mainstream alike, there is no need to wonder why Brown's album garners first-class support from featured guests like multi-platinum seller Gym Class Heroes front man Travis McCoy and pioneering rap legend Craig G.
Connect The Dots., which combines Brown's "golden era" hip-hop sensibility with his eclectic new-age creativity, is sure to earn the attention of all urban music consumers. Visually, the album artwork incorporates hand drawn portraits by Adam Wallenta (the artist responsible for the official Public Enemy line of comic books) of every featured artist on the album. Musically, J.J. Brown calls on Philadelphia power lyricist Reef The Lost Cauze, longtime collaborator louis logic, Bed-Stuy ambassador Poison Pen, the gruff voice behind numerous memorable hip-hop hooks Block McCloud and many more. The lead single and music video, Gender Bender, boasts support from established Canadian rap starlet Eternia and the latest songstress to burst out of New York City's budding Lower East Side pop-fashion scene, Miz Metro.
Of the album title Connect The Dots., Brown explains, "the phrase connect the dots actually comes up a lot in the studio, because 99% of this industry is hustle, and the harder you're grinding, the more people you end up knowing. The real trick is to be clever enough with how you connect all those dots to make yourself a part of the most fruitful network possible for where you're trying to go. My album came together just like that, from every guest appearance to all the VIPs behind the scenes making it happen."
Brown first began connecting dots as a child growing up in New York's entertainment industry. His creative talents were channeled through his charisma in front of the camera, earning him spots in touring theatre, radio commercials and television shows. His impressive childhood acting resume also includes film work, such as bit parts in New York Stories (which found Brown working with renowned director Francis Ford Coppola) and Rocky V. When he wasn't on set, Brown was happy to be a regular kid playing drums in his junior high school marching band alongside best friend and future business partner Dan Maier. Through their formative years, it was a fascination with music and how it's made, that planted the seed for what is now 5G Productions.
The business partnership began to take shape when the two became roommates while attending Penn State University in 1998. Maier's passion for all things technical, combined with Brown's natural albeit unconventional production techniques, lead to the completion of two demo albums that Brown produced and Maier engineered and mixed. The projects featured local talent the two had discovered while spinning records on College Avenue. The newly formed roster of talent included a battle M.C. named R-SON the Voice of Reason, rapper/singer/songwriter the1shanti, and a freestyle fanatic with a knack for punch lines, louis logic.
Out of these early connections came the production duo's first taste of commercial success in 1999, when 12" singles recorded with louis logic and -later that year- the1shanti were picked up and released by budding indie labels Superregular Recordings and Soul Spazm Records respectively, to critical and consumer acclaim. Brown and Maier used their quickly growing resume to open the door to the majors, and in 2000 were granted their first shot at mainstream success producing for Mr. Cheeks (Lost Boyz) on his solo debut for Universal Records.
It was during this process that Brown and Maier officially went into business as 5G Productions based out of New York City, and solidified their spot in the hip-hop ranks by releasing work with Apathy, Celph Titled, The Demigodz, Majik Most, Dutch Massive, J-Zone, Poison Pen, Skitzofreniks and numerous other 5G discoveries.
The two also flexed their ability to shape entire albums by executive producing what is widely recognized as an indie rap classic Sin-A-Matic by louis logic, Alcohol/ism by The Odd Couple and the louis logic & J.J. Brown magnum opus Misery Loves Comedy on Fat Beats Records, which set the tone for what is now commonly known as the hybrid rap sound (blending multiple genres into one seamless product.) This was a milestone for logic and Brown, as it was the first time they were presented as an official group with Dan "The Deacon" Maier as sole engineer and mixer.
J.J. and Danny continued showcasing their talents with two remix albums starting with Re-Release Therapy, on which the two innovatively matched up the vocals from the Grammy award-winning Ludacris album Release Therapy with beats constructed solely of Jackson 5 samples. The creation garnered the attention of Luda's manager Chaka Zulu who, along with the mixtape community, considered it the blueprint for the current mash-up culture. This lead to a phone call from Gym Class Heroes front man Travis McCoy, who asked 5G to remix the band's chart topper As Cruel As School Children with beats composed exclusively using elements from the legendary Hall & Oates catalogue. The finished product caught the attention of Daryl Hall and John Oates, and resulted in a live performance that found the celebrated duo and Travis McCoy exhibiting 5G's hard work.
With the blessings and respect of the music industry in tow, Brown and Maier set out to construct their most elaborate effort to date, Connect The Dots., which is a multimedia showcase of everything the duo has learned thus far, and introduces Brown as a front man in his own right. There is simply something for everyone on Connect The Dots., giving current J.J. Brown fans what they've been anticipating, and the unsuspecting listener an all-encompassing project from a headliner who is sure to win their devotion.
Band Members
J.J. Brown (DJ/Producer/MC) & Dan "The Deacon" Maier (Engineer) are collectively known as 5G Productions
Website
www.WellDoneEntertainment.com
Influences
Phil Collins and Genesis, Michael Jackson and the Jackson 5, Hall & Oates, Timbaland, Public Enemy and The Bomb Squad, The Beatles, N.W.A., Ice-T, Journey, Stevie Wonder, Bob James, Ramsey Lewis, Quincy Jones, J. Dilla, Swizz Beatz, The Police, Led Zeppelin, Outkast and Isaac Hayes
