We were lucky to catch up with Jonathan Jackson recently and have shared our conversation below.
Jonathan, thanks for joining us, excited to have you contributing your stories and insights. We’d love to hear about the things you feel your parents did right and how those things have impacted your career and life.
My parents just let me do me and supported my endeavors even if they didn’t agree or understand. Loe them to death!
As always, we appreciate you sharing your insights and we’ve got a few more questions for you, but before we get to all of that can you take a minute to introduce yourself and give our readers some of your back background and context?
I am one of the premier Djs here in the Atlanta music scene who’s career has expanded over 3 decades. I’ve helped brake many records from artist ranging from Outkast to Jeezy to Lil baby through radio and mix tapes. My early journeys included djing in the strip club circuit.Magic City was my first job thanks to D.C. the brain supreme of “whoomp there it is” fameI am one of the founding members of one of the first independentATL hiphop labels Big Oomp Records.. I’ve been very instrumental among many creatives in shaping the sound of Atlanta Hip hop. I’m unapologetic in the artist and music that I support and my journey has shown in my plethora of accolades. Once i was almost fired from radio for playing the unreleased song of Outkast’s 1996 hit “Elevators” .I have special skills in developing artist Legendary and up and coming. I consult labels and producers as well as teaching.I’ve been a brand ambassador for a many of things and companies from Red bull Sound select to remy martin.I wear the curation hat as well. I was involved in the “50 years of Hiphop” movement through out atlanta working with the Mayor and the city of atlanta on various projects. I am known as the “Stamp of approval” due to my appreciation of artist and music. People trust my ears and direction which is a blessing I am a fan first.
Let’s talk about resilience next – do you have a story you can share with us?
In the early 90’s hiphop was not popular on atlanta airwaves. It was a genre that would have an hour slot time reduced to bassically late night listening for the kids. As a Dj my street presence was strong, my mixtapes along with my partners Mc assault and Big Ooomp were flooding the market through out Georgia and the southern region.This popularity caused program directors to start giving me calls and thus the my radio began.This lead to me playing music that was from the neighbor hoods around southwest atlanta such as the early Outkast records. As my radio career began so did my bookings out of state. This early period of 93 94 Dirty south music was unpopular. pass the Dixie Line My sets would contain east coast and west coast HipHop but when I ventured off into my dirty south sets they were not politely received. A lot of times I would get booed. ON the radio side of things it was the battle of getting HipHop on local music on the airwaves and as a traveling Dj the world was prejudice against a form of HipHop that would currently dominate popular culture. I felt as if I was marching with Dr. King and John Lewis. By the late 90’s hiphop radio became an institution and money maker and I was awarded the fisrt all Atlanta mix show which furthered my mission of support “the 5oclock traffic jam”
Any insights you can share with us about how you built up your social media presence?
social media presence starts first with your state of purpose. You have to know what you believe in.!Great product is transparent with viewers which leads to converting them to consumers. Basic things logos and artistic looks of your social media out lets should be the telling extension of your beliefs . Consistency and content is king. period as well as a spokes persion or yourself to promote your talent.
Contact Info:
- Website: djjelly.com
- Instagram: therealdjjelly
- Facebook: therealdjjelly
- Linkedin: therealdjjelly
- Twitter: therealdjjelly
- Youtube: therealdjjelly
- Other: twitch and Tik Tok- therealdjjelly