Grammy nominated rap artist Joyner Lucas is a born entertainer. His fluid flow, impeccable wordplay and unbelievably vivid storytelling has made Joyner one of the most exciting talents in rap. The 31-year-old Worcester, Massachusetts native is one of the most influential creators in the rap world, with millions of followers, a never ending stream of original music, and collaborations with talented peers such as Eminem, Chris Brown, Timbaland, and Logic.
Joyner’s trajectory in the industry can be traced back to his childhood. His earliest memories are of his love for music and rap, “My aunt used to pay me $1 to rap Busta Rhymes’ “Whoo Hah” in the living room in front of her friends. I used to always hear music around the house and I knew I wanted to be involved when I heard it.”
“He’s really doing things that no other artists - especially in hip-hop - is doing right now.” Boi-1da
“They made a music studio where I would record in my spare time,” he says. “It wasn’t until 2012 or 2013 that I wanted to use music as a way to touch people and make them change their perceptions by giving them an alternate point of view and perspective.”
In 2015, Joyner’s mixtape, Along Came Joyner, was a turning point in his career, closely followed by the release of his break-out viral video for his song “Ross Capicchioni.” Th track chronicled the real-life, near-death shooting of a Detroit teen in verse one, and then told the same story from the shooter’s perspective in verse two. It’s all very reminiscent of a young Eminem and earned Joyner over 5 million streams across Spotify and YouTube.
With his big break came a steady stream of success. His 2016 single “I’m Sorry” which starred spoken word artist Suli Breaks proved a sensation on Spotify and YouTube, followed closely by another stand-out “Happy Birthday.” With each release Joyner established him as an influential voice of a generation confronting the realities of a polarized society.
“With a mix of storytelling, conceptual risks and emotional depth, 508-507-2209 makes a strong case for being one of the best major label rap debuts of this year ..” XXL Magazine
Joyner’s sophisticated lyrics are reflected in “Half-Nigger” a song dealing with the complexities of being bi-racial, and culminating in the extraordinary “I’m Not Racist” his Grammy-nominated hit, a powerful and controversial commentary on racism.
To help create opportunities for other artists like himself, Joyner co-founded Tully with his manager Dhruv Joshi. Tully is a songwriting application currently serving over 100,000 artists. The company's vision is to strengthen artists' control over their music by providing digital tools to give them transparency in all aspects of the music industry, from creation to distribution.
Joyner Lucas is one of the biggest independent rap artists in the world and he's only just beginning.