Today we’d like to introduce you to Jeriah Dunk.
Hi Jeriah, thanks for sharing your story with us. To start, maybe you can tell our readers some of your backstory.
My love for rap and hip-hop started in high school while listening to artists like Lecrae, Lupe Fiasco, Eminem, among many others. As a 16-year-old, I would write original poetry and rap verses to Eminem beats that I found on the internet, as well as beats from artists like Timbaland, Drake, and Lil Wayne. This was the era of mixtapes and remixes, so I was all about them. I would write raps in my classes and rap them with my friends. I was just a kid from Southern California having fun with music, and I loved it.
I had been a part of the orchestra from elementary to high school; this gave me a foundation for music theory and musical arrangement. During my junior year, one of the musicians in my section showed me GarageBand for the first time, and within one sitting, we produced, wrote, and recorded a whole song. It was terrible, but that experience inspired a lifelong pursuit of music creation.
I didn’t have a MacBook or a microphone, but I did have a first-generation iPod touch and I purchased an app called Beatmaker. I would listen to songs, reverse engineer them, and create my own original music based off of what I heard. I didn’t want to just make any music, I wanted to make quality music that inspired people. From the beginning, I would incorporate my faith in God into my sound. By 2009, my senior year in high school I wrote, recorded, and produced my first album; an 18-song project using Beatmaker, EarPods, and Audacity on my parent’s PC.
I was constantly making beats and got to the point where it was normal to make 2 to 3 beats a day. After graduating from high school, I moved to Iowa, where I majored in graphic design while continuing my musical ventures. By the time I started school, I had my second project well on the way, and as a freshman, I connected with multiple other aspiring rappers at my school. We formed a group, and within 4 years of college, I would produce, write, and record 3 solo albums for myself (47 songs), 8 albums (50+ songs) for various other artists, and produce over 250 beats while performing at various venues at or around the school. I did all of this while being a full-time student-athlete. This is also where I cultivated my skills as a designer, photographer, artist, and video shooter/editer.
After I graduated with my B.A. in Graphic Design, I moved back to California where I continued to create music, but it was different now because I was back to making music on my own. My output slowed a bit, but the drive was even greater because I had a new passion to improve and create quality music that had purpose. During this time, I began to work as a teacher and video creative while continuing my music creation in my spare time. I released an EP, “Since You’ve Been Waiting,” the year after graduating from college, which showcased my growth as an artist along with my newfound video editing abilities.
After my 2015 release, my perfectionism got the best of me, and this delayed my next project until 2019. In 2018, my car was broken into, and all of my video editing equipment was stolen, along with my laptop containing all of the music I had ever worked on. This was devastating, but it also was the spark that ignited a new passion to create and release new music. This is when I wrote my most popular song, God is good. “Last month, I lost everything, but God is still good on everything.” This was my breakout track for my next project, “Into The Light,” which featured another upcoming artist Kaadenze. This song propelled my music forward and continues to remind me that God is good no matter what the circumstances.
After 2019, my next projects were centered around important moments in my life. My 2020 album titled “Home” was focused around the struggles of Covid, finding a ‘home’ in a newly isolated world, and the joy of getting married to my incredible wife. This project contained some of my most popular songs, like “Motivation Music” and “In The Making.” The following year, 2021, would consist of multiple singles released while experimenting with new sounds.
In the beginning of 2022, my wife and I endured the pain of multiple pregnancy losses. There are no words to describe the pain of a loss like this. The day after we found out about our first loss, I wrote a song called “SOMETHING BEAUTIFUL.” This marked a change in our lives and a change in my sound as an artist. 2022 was a year of pain, growth, and attempt to Hold on to hope. I would continue to release music with the song and music video for “LET YOU GO” while still hoping for a child of our own. in August of 2022, I released my album HOLD ON along with another music video for the title track “HOLD ON”. This is easily the most raw and intimate project I have created to date.
In 2023 I released 7 new songs which included a 3-song project called “NEVER FAR AWAY” highlighting the incredible blessing of our beautiful baby boy born in March of 2023. I’m now in the process of finalizing my newest full-length album “GRATEFUL” which includes singles that have already been released (“COMING THROUGH”, “REINVENT”, “DIRT”, “ELEMENTAL”.) This project is a strong contrast to HOLD ON sonically but will hopefully make you want to listen over and over again. It still has a positive and uplifting message but with some serious grit and attitude to it. I’m extremely proud of this project as a whole. GRATEFUL is definitely a rap album, and I can’t wait to show it to the world. GRATEFUL is set to release in March of 2024.
We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
Definitely not a smooth road. I’ve had to learn a lot of the techniques that I know now on my own, but have gotten the help of a lot of amazing people on the way. As far as life situations, there’s been a lot of pain and blessings, as highlighted in my story. In the end, the journey is worth it. There is just a lot of growth, pain, and learning on the way.
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
Professionally I’m actually a video editor for a Christian broadcast company called Trinity Broadcasting Network. I get the opportunity to film and edit creative content daily and worked on shows like the Dove Awards, K-Love Awards, Praise, among others. I really enjoy it and get to use my gifts to reach millions every day.
Creatively, I’m a musician/artist. I seek to make quality music that inspires and motivates. I write, produce, record, mix, and master all of my own music. I also produce, mix, and master other artists, as well as collaborate with other musicians.
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/jayrahmusic
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jayrahmusic/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jeriahjayrah
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCpC0bJOPhhjCLiwR9ik96MQ
