Life & Work with Jonathan Morgan

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jonathan Morgan. Them and their team share their story with us below:

J. Morgan is a prolific artist based in the Bay Area. Since 2008 the emcee has been making noise throughout California and beyond with his tireless work ethic and consistency. He is equipped with vivid lyrics, quality production, and exceptional rhyming skills. J.Morgan’s lyrics convey a musical diary of sorts; his records are honest, personal and touch on matters close to the heart. J.Morgan matches these songs with cinematic videos that are anything but average. Over the past 10 years, J. Morgan has been consistently headlining his own shows and supporting touring artists like Andre Nikatina, Locksmith, J.Lately, Equipto, and Berner. Described by The Source as a “rhythm and rhyme slinger” he has a passion for music that is felt in every track.

J. Morgan, born Jonathan Albert Morgan, is an American rapper from the San Francisco Bay Area known as J. Morgan or J-Doe. J. Morgan was born April 6th, 1989, in Daly City, California. He lived between San Bruno and San Mateo until the age of 7 when his family moved to Santa Rosa, California, where he resided until the age of 14. His parents’ divorce ultimately lead to another move back to San Bruno, California, which is where he attended and graduated high school. He graduated from Pennisula High School in 2007. Jonathan entered the hip-hop scene under the alias J-Doe (John Doe) in 2009 with his debut mixtape, Money Be Da Motivation, presented by Goldtoes Entertainment. He is better known for his more recent releases as J. Morgan, such as Human, Demons, Livin’ Lyrics, Can I Live, and a variety of self-written/produced music videos cleverly paired with captivating songs. J’s name switch came in 2015 and stemmed from his growth as an artist. The name change was symbolic in the sense that J.Morgan had found himself and was no longer J-Doe (an unidentifiable person) and essentially separating the old art from the new. J. Morgan was fascinated by music and performing arts at a very young age. He started writing lyrics in elementary school but wouldn’t learn to develop them into songs until his high school years at Cappuccino High School. There he would partake in endless freestyle sessions with other kids, and he started to emerge himself in the local Hip Hop scene of the San Francisco area. It wasn’t until he graduated from high school that he got the chance to be in professional environments where he honed his songwriting skills. Since 2010, he has released mixtapes, singles, solo albums, and collaborative works with various hip-hop artists from the USA and Canada. J. Morgan has been described as a “prolific rhyme slinger” with a “musical diary of sorts; his songs are honest and personal and they touch on matters close to the heart.” His 2010 mixtape Money Be Da Motivation featured Bay Area legend San Quinn. His 2011 mixtape More Bars In More Places included the popular song Vodka In My Coffee which resulted in his first professional music video filmed and cut by 4Reel Films (Josh Blacman). From 2011-2015 he released 6 collaborative albums with recording artist and producer Heroe Diah Pyles titled J-Doe As Captain Morgan, Make It Count, The Way I’m Feeling Now, Read Between The Lines, Faded, and More Problems Than Money. In 2013 J. Morgan and Heroe opened up shows for Ras Kass, The Jacka, San Quinn, Berner, Sellassie, and Love Rance. In 2015 he made the name switch to J. Morgan and started a new era of his music. He began working with producer/songwriter Bryce Graven aka Shiesty which helped develope a distinct style and sound. Together they created J. Morgan’s debut solo album Human. Shortly after the Human release Morgan traveled across the United States on the Bourne Madd Tour, performing alongside J.Lately, Telli Prego, and Hugo Monster. In 2016, J. Morgan was a part of events that included many emerging emcees along with Equipto and Locksmith. J. Morgan released a two-part EP titled Demons and continued producing cinematic music videos like The Trap and Echo. In 2017 J. Morgan toured the USA again with A-Plus from the Hieroglyphics and dropped the album “Livin’ Lyrics.” He started working with San Jose-based producer STIFE and then released the Can I Live album, which featured Lil B, Stinje, Locksmith, Dismissedfit, and other notable artists from California. There are many releases that have not been mentioned as well. J.Morgan’s music label, Grown Up Entertainment, is an independent label in which he releases his music and clothing.

We all face challenges, but looking back, would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
It has not been smooth, and it has been a lot of work to stay motivated and inspired. Creating music can be very therapeutic, but the business is very stressful. Trying to reach new fans, create music, and stay sane at the same time is a skill that musicians and artists have to master in order to maintain a level head throughout everything we have to do. I’m still not as elevated as I’d like, but I keep working at trying to improve my sound and creativity. 

Appreciate you sharing that. What else should we know about what you do?
I am a musician, but I also run my own entertainment company, which I release music through and produce my own music videos. I also put on my own shows and events in the Bay Area. I’m known for my entrepreneurship, music, and videos. I’m proud that I’m able to fund, produce and promote my own music and events. I really love everything I do, and I always put my all into my work! 

How do you define success?
A strong work ethic and the will to always learn from your peers. You never know everything, and if you can humble yourself and truly believe that, then you will be able to pick up game from everyone you encounter. You need to always be working and learning! 

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.jmorganmusic.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jmorganmusic/
• Facebook: https://m.facebook.com/RealJMorgan/
• Twitter: https://mobile.twitter.com/jmorganmuzic
• Youtube: https://m.youtube.com/c/jmorganmusic
• SoundCloud: https://m.soundcloud.com/jmorganmuzic