This is my story. My words, my music. . .my life.
I’ll begin at age 16. Thanksgiving of that year was the miraculous conception of the musician in me - jammin in the barn with my brother, my uncles, and my cousins. My cousin taught me a bassline from some Green Day song that took me an hour to learn, and we jammed on that for another hour. It changed my life. I needed to rock. I begged my parents for a bass guitar for Christmas that year. They thought it was just a phase, but a few months of nagging and they began to take me serious. One week before Christmas, my parents drove into the city (NYC) to Manny’s Music and bought me a Fender Precision (Squier) bass.
Two days after Christmas I found myself in my guitar player friend’s basement attempting to play cheesy pop-punk songs. We were bad. The next two or three years were spent with a plethora of guitarists, drummers and singers. We formed band after band after band. Through it all, we began writing our own songs, and actually learned how to play our instruments.
These years also birthed the emcee in me. During study hall, spanish, calculus and maybe a few other classes, I turned to writing lyrics to help pass the time. I found it very natural to write in rhythm, and being a natural thinker, wordplay and punchlines immediately followed. My newly begun relationship with Jesus Christ also opened a ‘world’ of inspiration for me musically and lyrically.
A year or so after I started playing bass, I decided to try my hand at songwriting. Frustrated with the limited capabilities of songwriting with a bass guitar, I borrowed my brother’s electric, and bought a cheap acoustic guitar. Immediately after learning a few basic chords, I realized that the possibilities were endless. I could (and eventually would) write songs in whatever style, however I chose, whenever I wanted. I fell in love, hard. I got addicted, heavily.
I eventually finished high school and went on to The County College of Morris (CCM) to get an associates degree in Music Theory/ Technology. While continuing to better myself as an artist and musician, I learned the ins and outs of a recording studio. Playing different instruments in different bands, my college days passed rather quickly.
After receiving my degree, I moved with two good friends to Tucson, Arizona - as some would say to “find myself”. Anyone that has previously tried to accomplished this knows that to “find oneself” really means to stop caring what other people think, and start making decisions for yourself. . .good or bad, right or wrong. During this time, I WAS able to make some important decisions. The most important was recognizing that making music was my ultimate destiny, and a recording studio was my road to get there.
I moved backed to Jersey the following summer, as planned, to work with my father in the family business. Super Stuff Party Rental. Gathering all of the money I had been saving for years, along with a little financial help from my family, I bought a LOT of recording gear. Set up in my parents basement, I was now able to do exactly what I wanted, how and when I wanted, with the help of no one. Start to finish, I was completely, musically, self-sufficient.
The next 5 or 6 years let me truly explore the different avenues of emceeing, producing, songwriting, recording, mixing, sampling, sequencing, and every other minor but important detail involved in my chosen discipline. I know you’ve probably heard it in every other bands’ bio, but I truly have created my own sound. I’ve taken all of my talents, all of my influences, and blended them into one entity. The host is known as Jive the Universal. For now, let’s call the music “Alternative Hip-Hop” or “Progressive Rap”. . . whichever your flavor.
Jump ahead to the present time and I find myself with a gorgeous wife, 4 amazing boys, a house, a full length album, and an immaculate recording studio. Can I get an Amen? AMEN! I am truly blessed. Not blessed like I want you to think I'm humble, but blessed like God Himself has truly blessed my life.
I would love for you to enjoy my music, or my story. I would also love to hear from you. Use the Contact Form to say hi, or to get me on a track (or try). If you would like me to engineer/produce your next album or single, check out my studio. . . The Stiz.
Thanks for reading, if you made it this far, and thanks for checking me out. I will continue to thank the Lord Jesus Christ for what He has done on the cross for all of us. In all I do, I pray that it is glorifying to God, for without Him. . . I am nothing.