Within the not so distant previous, Jon B walked into Nas’ London live performance anticipating merely to benefit from the present, however he left with a reminiscence that stitched their careers even tighter. The R&B singer recalled how the Queensbridge legend welcomed him backstage after performing with a full symphony orchestra. That they had a particular historical past that made the link-up a lot extra particular.
“They bought Jon B right here to see you,” he remembered listening to. Nas responded with a smile, “R&B Jon B? The singer? Inform him are available.”
The reunion sparked dialog about their 2001 collaboration on “Finer Issues,” a monitor Jon B crafted particularly with Nas’ fashion in thoughts. The sleek music blended R&B textures with suave-street storytelling.
“I wished a pocket just like the ‘Avenue Goals’ tempo. I cooked it up particularly for him,” Jon B instructed AllHipHop in WonWorld Studios. “He was on it. Two verses. He wrote the music twice, truly, dedication like Pac.”
Watch Jon B discuss Nas on the 20-minute mark beneath.
Jon B mentioned Nas’ precision within the studio was unforgettable. He rewrote his verses to achieve an ordinary solely he may attain. “That closing rap…hearth,” Jon B mentioned, reciting the bars with admiration.
That second and others underlined Jon B’s enduring dedication between R&B soul and Hip-Hop. His profession took off within the mid-Nineteen Nineties with hits like “Somebody to Love” and “They Don’t Know,” however his collaborations with Hip-Hop figures has distinguished him from others. He labored with Tupac Shakur, Nas, Fats Joe and, extra lately, Rick Ross. These hyperlinks have cemented his crossover viability.
Three many years later, Jon B continues to push ahead with integrity. His newest album, 2024’s Ready on You, marked his first studio challenge in additional than a decade. The opus is basic R&B, dwell instrumentation and grown-man songwriting. Past his singing, the album underscores his evolution as a producer and arranger.
Jon B credit Hip-Hop tradition for shaping him from the beginning.
“I grew up with hip-hop within the ’80s—truck jewellery, breakdancing, locking, graffiti, the DJ…there’s nothing prefer it,” he mentioned.
He admitted that rap has at all times been in his musical toolkit. “I wouldn’t name myself a rapper, however rap is a musical device for me. I’ve enjoyable freestyling, been doing it for years,” he mentioned.
For Jon B, the hyperlink between Hip-Hop and R&B—and extra broadly so-called city tradition—has at all times been genuine, not only a enterprise technique. Tt’s been a artistic lifeline. With Ready on You, he reminds longtime listeners and newer ones he’s again like he by no means left, very similar to Hip-Hop’s biggest MCs.
