Today we’d like to introduce you to J. CATALYST.
Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Music has always been a major part of my life and played an intricate detail in my upbringing. So In between football and theater class in high school, I took a liking to writing my own original lyrics to some of my favorite songs on the radio. Some of the first songs I remixed were Stand-up by Ludacris, Charlene by Anthony Hamilton, and Thug Style by Ciara, to name a few. Thus, an emerging artist was born; from then on I started doing open mics at Spoken word events, and later evolving into more music-related showcases. I’ve tackled many shows, opened up for Major Artist, wrote and recorded hundreds of songs, won several music competitions, and networked my way around Dallas and New York to get to where I am today.
I have always had an outgoing personality, so I have never been shy of performing on any stage, I have always been ready to perform at a moment’s notice and share my music with the world. I have always been known for my stage presence and the experience I was able to create with the audience.
One of the biggest struggles I encountered as an artist was finding the right engineer, so I decided to take matters into my own hands and invest in myself. I went from YouTube university to taking weekend classes at guitar center to enrolling in Sound Engineering school at Media Tech Institute and gaining my degree in Audio Engineering. Shortly after graduating, I landed an internship with Quad Studios in NYC. It was During this time I really got exposed to the professional Music Industry, every day I would sit in on recording sessions with some of the biggest names in the music business; I learned first-hand from Grammy award-winning engineers and was able to hone in on my craft as an engineer and further expand my abilities and network as an artist.
After my internship with Quad, I landed a position as a Senior Engineer for Platinum Sound Recording Studio in New York City. Once I was settled in this position and really got exposed to the Music Industry, and after years of experimental trial and error learning from hands-on experiences about brand building; I was finally able to co-create and launch my team’s first official brand & label: Crown Etiquette Organization (C.E.O).
CEO is a Brand that represents Elevation.
Hints the Motto: “Elevate your Standards!”
It is built to inspire individuals to embrace their internal confidence to the highest degree of expression.
We are currently focused on the development of our Music Artist Roster with upcoming names like Childsplaynogamez, Wendeezy, Lil Dayvid, and my own new music releases.
Other aspects of the brand and company are focused on production, created for music licensing by our in-house producers, Rare Canvas & Zinget Laserstorm. Brand partnerships with major sponsors, clothing merch launch, and other content creations, such as my one-on-one discussion Series titled “Crown Talk”; where I have in-depth conversations with industry professionals such as my first guest, Iconic Rapper DMC of the Legendary Group: Run DMC.
With so much time invested into this industry and knowledge learned from my experiences along the way. This is simply the beginning of the next chapter of great things to come in the Legacy of J.CATALYST.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall, and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Early on, it was hard to convey my vision to industry professionals. Not just Music professionals; but also friends and family. Everyone knew I was extremely talented, but no one was trying to take my vision seriously. There is no road map in making music as a career choice, so finding what worked for me was a journey as well as finding the right people to trust and work with. This is a highly complex and sometimes dirty industry, and the wrong people will take advantage, steal and discourage you from reaching your goals.
Even being in the music industry does not guarantee that everything you want to do within your career will be supported and taken seriously. This is an industry that has many highs as well as its lows, but you will come to find that it is truly up to your self -commitment to push through your trials and tribulations to achieve all that your heart desires.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a Recording and Performing Music Artist with over two decades experience in the industry. I run An Entertainment Label and Boutique Brand known as Crown Etiquette Organization. We specialize in Artist Management, Recording, Producing, Mixing & Mastering Records. I am also a content curator representing DFW through a music and Tech community called “The Digilogue” based out of New York, where I curate music playlist showcasing DFW music artist through nationwide & international marketed playlist. I am also a senior recording engineer who has had the pleasure of working with some of your favorite artist today.
Before we let you go, we’ve got to ask if you have any advice for those who are just starting out.
Great things take time to manifest into full form, so don’t beat yourself up on the time it takes to check off your goals. For time is of the essence, but you have nothing but time to do great things with your life, but don’t rush your process. Take your time no matter how long it takes. Also invest in your craft, business, and vision. Who is willing to invest in you if you’re not willing to invest in yourself! And always remember, before anyone believes in you, you must first trust and believe in yourself!
Pricing:
- Online Mixing – $150-$300+
Contact Info:
- Website: https://linktr.ee/jcatalyst
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jcatalyst/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jcatalystworld
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jcatalyst
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/user/catalyst8288/videos
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/j-catalyst
- Other: https://solo.to/jcatalyst
Image Credits
Biana Truman
Mark Valdero Photography
Jason Broussard
Jakar Weaver
Butch B.
Wendell Thornton
