Today we’d like to introduce you to J Randy
Hi J, so excited to have you on the platform. So before we get into questions about your work-life, maybe you can bring our readers up to speed on your story and how you got to where you are today?
I started with a drum set at the age of three, got my first guitar at 10 years old. Music was always pumping through my blood, although no immediate family members played any instruments or wrote music before. I grew up in New York and I played as many shows as I could with any and all projects at all venues from the Bitter End to the Continental to the Village Underground and many more. I started out as a singer/songwriter, but also was into punk, metal, rap, as well as postpunk, new wave and pop music. The first established producers I worked with were the Berman brothers, Frank and Christian. I went on to record with Benji King of Scandal.
My New York years as a musician/songwriter were filled with house party performances and as many gigs as I could book in Manhattan. I started to realize that I had to make my way to LA. In 2008 I flew out on a one-way ticket and crashed a Bone Thugs and Harmony concert with my acoustic guitar. https://allhiphop.com/news/rocker-crashes-bone-thug-show-ends-up-on-tour/ – My life was never the same again.
I immediately was invited on tour and began recording at Fourth Street recording studios in Santa Monica. I would link with hundreds of producers over time from Tim Pagnotta, Thomas Queyja, Mark Batson, Nicholas “Aqua”McCarroll, to Chris Seefried and more. I was a red light management artist for 6 years where Peter and Adam Raspler became my mentors as well as Bruce Flohr. Peter took care of me and I lived in his home for years as we worked. I had a vision of starting an anti-genre music label so I did that – M.O.B. Music Collective (Music Over Business). I always dreamed of releasing any type of music I wanted so I produced all kinds rather than be limited by genre or the music industry. I have produced / written with Patrick Stump of Fall Out Boy, Fever 333, Citizen Cope, Crazy Town, Orgy, DJ Lethal of Limp Bizkit and House of Pain, DJ Kilmore of Incubus, 311, Onyx and more. We are just under 100 releases at M.O.B. within five years. The LIP Studio where I record is located on Skid Row and owned by my partner, Thomas Queyja. Our coproduction studio also in charge of Mixing and Mastering is located in Calabria, Italy with my partner Andrea Rullo known as R-Low. We currently have locations in LA, New York, Italy, and Poland. I am a multi instrumentalist who performs all the music on the tracks and I even sing on many of them collaborating with some of the most established artists and emerging talent.
I wanted to create a safe place for artist and musicians to totally be themselves outside the pressure of a major label or a publishing deal. I’ve never signed a record deal. I run my own independent label and we have releases every single month with no stop in sight. Punk mafia is a project I started to create awareness about mental health, sobriety, and self-care. The sound of Punk Mafia dances along the lines of disco punk to a punk metal vibe. I play all instruments and vocals and tracks are mixed and mastered by Andrea Rullo , my partner in Punk Mafia. We also release music once a month from that project as well. We have been featured on Apple and Deezer playlists on every single release and we are super thankful for that. Some days I’m making hip-hop, some days I’m making Reggaeton, some days I’m making punk rock, some days I’m making metal, some days I’m making rock, some days I’m making pop. I record the music, I produce it, and I write it. I handle all the art and A and R delivering songs to the finish line. I’m also continuing to produce and write with some of the biggest bands in the world. It’s a pleasure to make music and I look forward to what the future holds.- J Randy (M.O.B. / Punk Mafia)
I’m sure it wasn’t obstacle-free, but would you say the journey has been fairly smooth so far?
It has not been easy to get to this point, but I take pleasure in hard work and showing up every day mind body soul and spirit to create the best music I possibly can. I’ve struggled with alcohol and mental health issues and I’m finally in control of my sobriety and just having a big heart that has been used through the years to give people their sound. And to learn my own, which is many. I’m forever grateful for my sobriety and my loved ones.
Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am known for my ability to produce any sound demanded and to play any instrument including guitar, synth, bass, drums, vocals and more. I work in analog and digital. My style of music is fusing hip-hop with funk with pop with new wave with postpunk, like a musical chameleon. I’m able to provide all services of production and songwriting in any style every day. I built a community of over 50 songwriters and co-producers. This means everything to me, so I guess you could say the collective is my own music union.
In terms of your work and the industry, what are some of the changes you are expecting to see over the next five to ten years?
Being that I am completely independent it is very exciting about our current licensing TV and film situation with all of our original music. I’ve already worked with HBO, the NFL, as well as scored many independent films with both projects, M.O.B. Music and Punk Mafia. This music can create the perfect soundtrack for video games, television, and film and in having licensing control I’m able to create opportunities that most major labels and most publishers can’t. In 5 to 10 years I can see us handling all major sports, all major films, as well as creating that top-tier songwriting production in house service any team would be in demand for.
Contact Info:
- Website: www..instagram.com/punkmafialove
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/mobmusiccollective
- Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/3vSeS3NsnQhceuHCesjx05?si=89va-bMUQRCYrDm4-4i2Jg
