J Trey

J Trey has never been your average Hip-Hop show; just ask the lone emcee in the group JT. “J Trey has always been different from anybody else on the planet. Not just musically, but in about every way possible. No one has ever seen 3 white people make R&B, Soul, or Hip-Hop music the way we do, and no one from our region has ever made it anywhere period.” But that has all changed.

If you haven’t heard of the multi-talented R&B/Hip-Hop sensation J Trey, you’re one of few. Coming together back in the early part of 2000, J Trey initially consisted of singer JB & emcees JT & Skylar Johnson. After signing with management teams out of New York & L.A., J Trey released their debut album “The Time Has Come” on independent record labels A+9 Records out of Bakersfield, CA, and Eastside Muzik Inc. out of Portland, OR. In early February 2003 the group ventured out on a tour, making stops throughout the Midwest. The singles “Welcome to the I”, a tribute to the trio’s home state, and “Drift Away”, a remake of the classic rock hit by Dobie Gray both received significant radio play and created quite a buzz throughout the “commercial underground”. J Trey received interest from Atlantic, Arista, and Artist Direct Records. Milkdaddy from AfricasGateway.com had this to say, “Overall, this is the kind of album that can prove to be special over time. I also imagine that in order to experience J Trey you need to see them live. They just come across as strong live performers. (The Time Has Come) is a well rounded release that would appeal to a wide range of people.”

In late 2003, female vocalist Jasmine was added into the mix and along with JB & JT, the trio is J Trey. The group serves up an interesting sound that is truly one-of-a-kind. With JT’s exceptional style of emceeing and Jasmine & JB’s amazingly soulful vocals, these guys are just getting started. Hailing from Davenport, Cedar Falls, and Carroll, Iowa, you might already have preconceived notions about the group. “Who comes from Iowa, says JT, wellJ Trey does”. The group describes their influences to be artists such as DJ Quik & the Neptunes all the way to Lauryn Hill, Jagged Edge, and even Bonnie Raitt. If you were to try to describe their sound, they could be labeled as “R&B Soul with a lot of Hip-Hop influence.” But no matter how you describe it, you have to admit that these 3 are talented. “Oh yeahyou can’t act like you don’t like it”, says JB. Known for their engaging live shows & incomparable stage presence, the group is currently wrapping up their second project & preparing for bigger things.

The sophomore release from J Trey is entitled “Jaze Reign”, and is currently being finished in Catamount Studios in Cedar Falls, IA. The group is currently in negotiations with labels for promotion & distribution on the album as well as booking agencies for a few new tours that are in the works.

The J Trey mission is to expose the world to new ideas and bring people together through their music & dreams. Crossing cultural & state boundaries, many people would have thought success to be impossible and their goals too lofty. But in music, anything goes & “how could we have not seen J Trey coming.” -Ichabod from Hip Hop Infinity