You may not yet have heard of him but hip-hop artist June has been makin’ moves for some time now. This South Bronx based sensation has been spittin’ rhymes since he was a wee thing (think kindergarten wunderkind on the mic) and has stuck with this passion ever since. A sought-after songwriter, as a teenager he ghostwrote lyrics for bigger names in the game, then transitioned into singer extraordinaire, vocal expression never far from his heart. When he met music producers the Soundmen, June’s sound really took off and it’s been hits and no misses ever since. June’s latest single with Remo the Hitmaker, the catchy, Auto-Tune heavy “Watch My Moves” recently leaked to local radio stations in New York and soon found its way onto the Internet; look for it on iTunes soon. With his giant smile, infectious laugh and winning attitude, it’s difficult not to fall for this complete package comprising personality, talent and drive. Beyond his solo success, June has collaborated with several well-known’s, among them multi-platinum producer Ron Browz and platinum DJ Webstar. Read on to learn more about this educated, opinionated and entertaining up-and-comer.
“The background I come from showed me history. I went through hip-hop different from the average dude my age. I know my history, as opposed to just doing rap…”
Format: How’d you get started in music?
June: I come from a music background. My parents owned a nightclub when I was young, like 6 years old. When I first got turned onto music I was about 7 years old. My brother was about 11 or 12 at the time. My brother [used to sneak] out to the DJ booth [and] DJ. My brother snatched me up, ‘yo, get on the mic while I DJ!’ The club was jam-packed. So, I go up and start rappin’. Everybody’s lookin’ up, like, ‘who the hell is that?!’ We rockin’ the crowd. My mom recognize[d] my voice and she whooped my ass. It was well worth being able to hone the crowd. That’s when I realized that was somethin’ I wanted to do.
Format: What happened next?
June: From that point on, I worked on my craft as much as possible, started recordin’. That’s when I started doin’ the writin’ thing, up until I was about 18 or 19. I started writing R&B. I didn’t know better at the time; I was unaware of royalties. I was blind, very naïve. I figured [to get paid] $500 to do somethin’ I love has gotta be the life. Eventually I started doing it the right way.
Format: With whom have you worked?
June: Ron Browz, DJ Webstar, Pesh. . .
Format: You and Pesh have got something in the works right now, correct?
June: We have the “Bubble Pop” single. We havin’ a big party in one of the biggest strip clubs in the Bronx. It’s comin’ up April 29th. [Pesh] has a record that we’re gonna skyrocket.
Format: What else do you have going on presently?
June: My single that I’m workin’ on right now [featuring] Remo the Hit Maker. He produced [my track] “Watch My Moves”. We co-wrote the chorus together, but he’s singing [it]. I got two verses.
Format: And you are also working on an EP, right? Can you tell me a little more about that?
June: The EP I’m gonna put out will be a street EP. It’s gonna cater more to the hip-hop crowd. A lot of my [tracks] are a little trendier sounding. This one’s gonna be a little tougher, a little darker. It’s still gonna have the pizzazz of June. It’s not gonna take away from my authenticity.
Format: Who might guest perform on this EP?
June: The only features that might be on there will be my immediate, ‘day one’ people, like Pesh, Remo [and] Kool. Soundmen did 95% of the production; shout-out to Scott Durday and Justin Jamison. When you hear the shit we put together, it’s crazy. The EP will have probably 15-20 tracks.
Format: Usually an EP is considered short.
June: We’re breakin’ the mold, man. At the rate we’re goin’, every day we got another hit record. We work all day.
Format: So when is this due to drop?
June: Monday April 26th 2009 is the official Internet release date, but it broke on Hot 97 last week.
