Memphis, Tennessee rapper J. Ferb is making moves, as he readies his next project, Chase the Dreams, Not the Competition.
A former deejay and cousins with Yo Gotti, the young rapper eschewed his docket at the SXSW festival in order to record more videos for his project. In an interview with MTV UK, J. Ferb discusses the project, in addition to what music influenced him and the role of social networking.
“I am inspired the most by the words of Lauryn Hill, Nas, Mos Def, Common, Amy Winehouse and Kanye,” said Ferb in the interview. “The revolutionary Lauryn Hill displayed throughout her MTV Unplugged material really put a lot of morals in perspective for me as a young one. Other than that, I can’t forget Yo Gotti and Jay-Z. I studied their deliveries more closely than anything coming up.”
AD LOADING...
“Oh and that woman Mary Jane, her beauty reveals something new to me every day,” added Ferb.
“As far as collaborations go, I worked closely with a few select producers who crafted my sound,” said J. Ferb of Chase the Dreams, Not the Competition. “The main contributor being the homie Tobi, with T.A.S.K. Productions out of Maryland, noted for his close work with Naledge of Kidz In the Hall. As far as features are concerned there won’t be many. This being my first widespread project, we wanted to convey my story without random features interrupting the story line. It’s a puzzle and every piece fits for a reason.”
Much like other artists these days, J. Ferb offered his opinion on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. “I don’t know, see it’s tricky. I’ve gotten in trouble on Twitter with some people before, because I just talk. I just say what I feel, you know? My Facebook and Twitter accounts were personal to me when I first got them and I would like to keep them that way for as long as possible. There are those times when I feel like I have something I want them to hear or show, I’d want my friends to come out to, but I still say my thoughts. We have pages specifically for “promotional purposes” but I enjoy the personal convenience of networking and keeping up with old friends on these sites.”
AD LOADING...
Chase the Dreams, Not the Competition is due out on April 20. Follow J. Ferb on Twitter at www.twitter.com/J_Ferb.
