Audio

<p><strong>JamBallaz Biography</strong><strong> </strong></p> <p><strong>words by John Public</strong></p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <hr size="2" /><p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Humility and dedication have carried many of the world&rsquo;s most beloved performers from modest beginnings to iconic levels of fame.&nbsp; And while success can often push those two intangibles aside, the great ones remember the struggle upwards, drawing on it to find balance.&nbsp; Having endured their share of hardships, the Jamaican-born members of JamBallaz understand that balance and are using it to bring an even greater message to the people: Think Big.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Founding members Joel T and Ice met in Ocho Rios, Jamaica, while attending York Castle High School.&nbsp; The two teens found they had a common bond through hip-hop and developed their craft in local contests and ciphers, eventually gaining enough notoriety and inspiration to officially start a group.&nbsp; TY, another local emcee, was impressed with the duo&rsquo;s abilities after seeing them perform in a battle; he actually stepped in on their behalf to settle a dispute after the contest.&nbsp; Upon learning of his vocal talents and seeing how he&rsquo;d vouched for them, Joel T and Ice immediately welcomed TY as the third member of JamBallaz, completing their signature sound.&nbsp; Fate had brought them together, and the pursuit of a shared &ldquo;Jamerican dream&rdquo; was born.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>JamBallaz combine the soothing Caribbean rhythms of the late Bob Marley with the varied pop sensibilities of stars like Sean Paul and Akon.&nbsp; The trio was able to establish a significant following in Jamaica, helped by steady radio spins on the famed Irie FM.&nbsp; But after reaching a point where they felt they&rsquo;d done all they could in their homeland, the group decided to make the move to America.&nbsp; JamBallaz left the island nation in the summer of 2005, settled in Paterson, NJ and immediately cut their first mixtape, &ldquo;United Rudeboyz of America,&rdquo; with Pyramid Sound Studios.&nbsp; The project became a runaway hit in Jamaica, but the buzz didn&rsquo;t quite translate to the A&amp;R&rsquo;s and industry ears stateside.&nbsp; This just provided fuel for the fire.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>Over the next two years, the group continued to push forward, battling financial setbacks, bogus contracts and almost every other challenge an independent group could face.&nbsp; JamBallaz remained steadfast and continued to work, however, driven purely by their passion for music.&nbsp; They formed a new philosophy to &ldquo;create music for everyone,&rdquo; believing no one should be left out of enjoying their songs, and dedicated a second mixtape, &ldquo;ExtraTerrestrial,&rdquo; to that new ideal.&nbsp; They worked to perfect their process, as well, opting to formulate verses in their heads and then allowing their natural freestyle abilities to take over while recording.&nbsp; This &ldquo;puzzle-piece&rdquo; approach was a unique experience and positioned them for a new chapter in 2010.</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>With confidence high and their buzz continuing to build in the streets, JamBallaz recently launched an Internet campaign and the mentality of the group is more focused than ever.&nbsp; They&rsquo;ve always had an unwavering belief in themselves, and, combined with the lessons of their homeland and a raw, uncompromising dedication to music, have begun work on a third mixtape, &ldquo;The Concrete Jungle.&rdquo;&nbsp; They&rsquo;ve developed a more up-tempo style of reggae for this release that&rsquo;s light on its toes but speaks to the heart of the group&rsquo;s struggle.&nbsp; Due out early this summer, the tape will play more like an album and consists of several original cuts, including new singles like the sexy &ldquo;Her Bed&rdquo; and the heartfelt &ldquo;No Talk.&rdquo;</p> <p>&nbsp;</p> <p>&ldquo;All of us came to America to show that through hard work, you can accomplish a dream,&rdquo; Ice said in a recent interview.&nbsp; &ldquo;We know who JamBallaz are, we know where we came from.&nbsp; My brothers and I are more than what people see and hear; all of us are, and people should believe that!&nbsp; That&rsquo;s the heart of our music.&nbsp; Everyone needs to dream in color, to see a larger picture.&nbsp; I&rsquo;ve always said big men think big, and small men think small.&nbsp; We are not small men.&rdquo;</p>