J-ROCA

Jalil “J-Roca” Travis is a recording artist, song writer and actor from Detroit, Michigan. Growing up and being raised in single parent home in some of the toughest neighborhoods in the city, J-Roca knew he had a purpose to fulfill. By the age of 3 J-Roca began to show an interest in music and by the of 5 he fell in love with rap music, art and football. It was only a few short years later that J-Roca began to write his own music, however, he still lacked the confidence he needed to express his love for music in front of others. J-Roca finally found a way to showcase his skills when he began battle rapping around the age of 13. Taking on any and all competition, from the football field to the Rap battle grounds, J-Roca impressed so many people with his skills and began to show them off for bigger crowds like Detroit’s annual Summer Jamz concert.

Freshman year of high school proved to have its up and downs for J-Roca as he was able to begin recording, but was transferredto different schools as crime in the city rose and his grades dropped. At the age of 14, J-Roca met a friend who had a home studio and allowed him to experiment in the booth. By the age of 15 his popularity had spread when he recorded his first song. J-Roca then dropped his first completed project in the 11th grade, it was mixtape with a combination of both freestyles and written songs, and he was able to sell his cd at school in the  hallways of the school.

By the time J-Roca started recording his second mixtape, he found himself a freshman at Tallahassee Community College, where he was able to make some connections to get his project finished and ready for the world. J-Roca went back home to Detroit for the summer breaks and promoted his songs in various clubs, which in turn produced more opportunities for him and allowed him make even more connections.

Life as an adult back home in Detroit started to get rough for J-Roca. He was forced to move back home and get a regular paying job, temporarily. His job didn’t last long and the 21 year old found himself putting down the music, and making a way back to hustling on the streets. Street life was dangerous and over the years J-Roca started to lose friends to gun violence which pushed him to start working on music again. By the time J-Roca got back in his zone the music industry was changing, technology was improving and listeners were looking for a different sound. New changes lead to a new sound for the artist, he came out with the song “Carried Away” and was able to travel and perform the song in other cities. The reaction and support from the crowds in other cities gave J-Roca the motivation he needed and the industry buzz necessary to take his career further. He began seeking professional management and was able to acquire representation from one of the biggest artist managers in his hometown, and soon was solidified with a hit record.