The Inspiration of Now
The Inspiration of Now
S1 E1 // Guest: JRDN KING (Hip Hop Artist)
JRDN KING is a Los Angeles based hip hop artist and co-owner of the Dojo recording studio in Hollywood. Check out all of JRDN KINGS work/projects and links to his work on our website:
Welcome to the inspiration of now podcast. I'm your host Timur Bootzin. And my goal is to inspire you through the different perspectives of each guest. Our guests will vary from musicians, entrepreneurs, filmmakers, athletes, artists, you name it. Each episode. I will be bringing on a new guest who I've been inspired by in one way or another. And want to share that inspiration with you. This season is proudly sponsored by Adam audio, German precision engineered studio monitors for any studio size, shape, or budget on this episode of the inspiration of now, I'd like to welcome our guests, Jordan King Jordan. Welcome to the show. Jordan King Cole runs a studio in the heart of Hollywood called the dojo studio. He's a recording artist, recording engineer. I love his music. His music is awesome, and he turns out to be a super talented actor.
Guest (JRDN KING):Thank you, bro. Thank you. To be honest. Well, we'll start this way. Um, when you first came to the studio to do the video, uh, I mean the movie I was just, that was surprised, cause I didn't know what to expect. And then you asked me to be in it and you know, we got into a little motivating speeches and we did all the motivating stuff and inspiring stuff and it was just man and made me feel good. And then you asked me to use my music and it just, everything came together. When I seen the full project, I just, I felt it was, it was such a pleasure to be included in that project. So I just wanna start out by saying thank you for that. Now you got me on the new project and then I just want to say thank you for that. And you know, shout out the expression for now, like inspiration of now. Let me
Host (Timur Bootzin):Man. Thank you Jordan. And I really appreciate that, but thank you so much for the kind words and it's a pleasure to have you. So here's my question. I've known you for about a year now, I've listened to a ton of your music. How did you even get into music in the first place?
Guest (JRDN KING):So I moved to this new neighborhood and I was a new kid and I made friends with this one kid, cause he was like the only person I was trying to make friends with me or whatever. And he made music. Right. And he was with a group who made music in their house so that they weren't making music at a studio. It wasn't like, you know, professional, nothing like that. It was just in the house, on a computer with a computer mic in the back room closet. You know, I went there one day after school. And how old are you? 14. 14. And I just seen them all writing. They're like picking beats, writing, recording, you know, they, they did all the editing themselves, you know, they did the, like, it was just, that was what I, when I seen like, this is cool. What the hell is this? And then I just started to like go over more and more. And then one day, uh, they actually, one of the, the leader of the group was like, Hey man, like you ever think about rapping? And I was like, I mean, you know, it's whatever I thought about it, but I don't know if I want to rap. Like, I'm just like I played football at the time. Yeah. I was a football player at the time. And um, I was like, nah, I don't know. But that same day, like later on in his session it was eating at me. So I picked up the pen and I just started writing rhyme words. I didn't even, I didn't even start writing like music or just bars. It was just rhyme. Whereas I just wanted to see if I can think of words that rhyme fast enough or you know, even if I had it a couple of a couple months went by of me just writing in class, writing in school, writing at home, just cause I was just writing now on my notebooks. I got passion. Yeah. It was just always just, I was just trying to rhyme now. And then that's when that happened a couple months. And then I just, it was, I was a full blown rapper. Like I just wanted to make music and I started recording. I think it was like three or four months later. I started recording with them and the computer in a closet or whatever it was, it was good. But we got into a personal situation, you know, I really don't wanna speak on it, but it was kind of like, it was more like intimidation cause they didn't really want me around. Cause I have, I have more drive. Like I was knocking on the door more than them and I was trying to record more than them. You know what I'm saying? I have more, more music than them and it just kind of happened like that. But then we branched off and it just, it just stayed with me. I just didn't, I, I never stopped everything every time I had a pen in my hand and I was writing it on my pants. I was writing. I was trying to get a napkin writing on my aims. They just kinda, from there I was 14 years old and now I'm the only one. I'm the only one still wrapping out that group. I'm the owner. Yeah.
Host (Timur Bootzin):Wow. And I find that pretty interesting. And a fan of going back to what you were saying about having more drive. I think maybe in a ways they were like, like, wow, like maybe they didn't know how to react to someone who had that much drive when they were the one who let you into their group in the first place.
Guest (JRDN KING):I was looking at it like that. Like why don't, why don't I motivate y'all.
Host (Timur Bootzin):I would look at that as you know, when you cross paths with that group, you started out making music with as a challenge. But as you were getting older and you started progressing with your rhymes and your lyrics and all your music, what were like some of the challenges that got in the way of you making music? What's what, like, what were some of the challenge
Guest (JRDN KING):Money man, money was the first one because again, like I didn't have somebody that was had a studio. I didn't have somebody that could record me. I didn't have somebody that was just there. And that's what they did. You know, I did that, especially when I went through that situation with w with, with what I went, who I went through with or whatever, and I didn't have access to the studio as much, you know, I still just kept writing and whatever. I got myself a laptop, I got myself a computer. I mean a microphone. I got myself on YouTube and you know, it's like, I wasn't, I was learning how to do it because I just had that passion. And then I think the struggle was not having the money at first to get this stuff, you know? And then when I got this stuff, learning how to use it. Right.
Host (Timur Bootzin):Yeah. I would say learning the technical aspect is definitely a challenge, but let's say you record a full verse on one of your songs you spent the whole day and this was the one you just hit it, but then you didn't hit record and the whole time it wasn't recording, I'm sure you experienced something like this, but do you think having redo that song or what you went through made you a better artist?
Guest (JRDN KING):So actually, all right, so this is, that's a good question. And um, I give all the credit to my grandmother, I would say because my grandmother always had this saying, she always said like, if, if something didn't happen or if something went wrong while you were doing something, or if you were late to something or, you know, if something didn't go your way period, like that's the Lord's way of saying like I'm protecting you from something or do it better, or, you know, just kinda those positive affirmations. And that's what I tell myself all the time since she's been gone. And it's like, if I'm recording a song and the program shuts down or the computer crashes and restart. So something like that, you know, I was telling myself, well, that's God telling me I was being stubborn because he kept telling him something, obviously something was going on before that. And I was redoing it and whatever the case is, but I could've done it better. And I was being hard headed and I needed his help. So boom, shut it down. You know what I'm saying? Bring it back up. But that's just, that's just what I tell myself, keeps me motivated to not shut down and close my computer and quit the session and possibly not make that song and sorry, hit song or, you know, whatever the case may be.
Host (Timur Bootzin):Yeah, totally. Yeah. I really liked that attitude you have, because something that can be considered if setback is actually an opportunity to make something right,
Guest (JRDN KING):Like bingo, you just said this, right? So that me telling you that made me think of a situation. It must have been like over 10 years ago when I had a sidekick, uh, it was raining outside
Host (Timur Bootzin):As a quick note, anyone under the age of 25, including myself, basically a sidekick is an early seller.
Guest (JRDN KING):My sidekick was full of this new album that I was making. And I was so proud of this album. So confident I had like every verse written in there, I had nothing else saved on anything else, but that sidekick ran out the car was running up the stairs to the house and the psychic fell out of my pocket. So out of my pocket and drop down two stories, two stories of stairs down into like, I don't want to say that maybe a three inch puddle, everything was gone. I had to start over. I never remembered another rap again from that thing. But I was only mad for five minutes. You know, I was literally on that for five minutes. It's like, you know what? It's all good. I'm a rapper. This is what I do. If I'm mad that I just lost 12 songs, 15 songs, 20 verses or whatever, bro, I need to quit. Cause it's not, it's not what I need to be doing. If I'm getting mad at 15 songs, when these rabbits that are out now got 1500 unreleased songs, I gotta, I gotta step it up. That's what kept me moving.
Host (Timur Bootzin):I see. Wow. Wow. I know, I know for many other people, like in that moment, it's like all this hard work and I just lost it all. Like,
Guest (JRDN KING):Believe me, man. I've thought about that too. I'm Jesus. And I'm like, nah, I've definitely gotten mad and all that stuff, but, but it doesn't really last that long with these, those of
Host (Timur Bootzin):Right. Right. I see what you mean. Yeah. Evolving as an artist is super important. And speaking of evolution, I knew about a year ago, I knew you as gems, but now you go by Jordan King. You briefly tell me what that transition was for and what, how that affected you.
Guest (JRDN KING):It was, it was really, it was a period of my life where I felt like, I think it was time for a change. It was, it was more time for like reinventing myself because who Jim's was on the East coast and, and who he was before for, you know, my whole teenage and young, early twenties was just kind of like a hot head. He was just a survivor. You know, he was going through what he went through and where he was at in life. But then coming over here and living over here and, you know, meeting my fiance and you know, just building a family and being around who I'm around and you know, being a partner at the studio and just all these new changes in my life made me want to just say, I think it's time for a rebirth, you know? And it's just time.
Host (Timur Bootzin):Right? Yeah. So speaking of a rebirth and you know, a lot of what we've discussed is opportunities. Why do you think it is so important that you create your own opportunities?
Guest (JRDN KING):Cause nobody can take it from you, man. If it's given it can be taken. You understand if you make it, who can take it? It's like the same thing. It's like the same thing. When I'm you, you know what I'm saying? Like, uh, teaching man, how to fish, he can eat forever. Give him manifests. You could eat for a day. You know what I'm saying? It's kinda like the same situation. It's like, if I give, if I just make the food for you, how the hell are you going to know how to feed yourself tomorrow?
Host (Timur Bootzin):Right, right. No, I really liked that saying very powerful before we get into our next topic. I want to share one of Jordan King songs, my house, a perfect transition into our next topic.
Guest (JRDN KING):[inaudible] and I want to say my first class,
Host (Timur Bootzin):I'm not even joking with you. I've listened to that song. Well, over a hundred times, well, over a hundred times, like, ah, there's everything about it. Love. I love that song. I love that song. So I mean like one of the things that I love and one of the lines is chasing all my goals and I love that because I it's not, Oh, I'm chasing my dreams. You chasing, you're chasing your goals and that. And whenever anyone asks me, Oh, what are your dreams? I say, Oh, I don't really have dreams. I have goals. And that's what I love what you put in there, chasing your goals. But that the main thing, I dunno, if you guys all caught it, got a baby on the way. So I'm going to leave the floor to you. All yours, Jordan,
Guest (JRDN KING):Man, I got my daughter on the way he Barrow him. I'm so happy right now. I'm just blessed, man. I'm so blessed. I feel they're moving. I feel they're dancing around, you know, she has me talking. It's just, it's a beautiful thing, man. I've been waiting, I believe waiting to have a solid family and all my little brothers and sisters, you know, with the, with the exception of the two youngest, they all have kids and I'm the oldest of seven and I don't have kids. So I just think it's time, you know? And I feel like a girl is going to change just how I view life and how I move and how acting, you know, just everything. Right?
Host (Timur Bootzin):Yeah. And bringing a new life into this world is like, that's a huge responsibility. And as an artist, how are you mentally preparing yourself?
Guest (JRDN KING):I'm calming myself down. How I talk in music. Um, calming myself down. How I talk to people in general, just calming myself down and getting ready, um, to bring another person in his life. I mean, into this, into this life that really just needs me. It needs me at my best. So I just been working on myself and changing and my music's changing in the way I think is changing. The way I talk is changing. You know, I'm just preparing to get into grind mode like this it's time, you know, more time for games. It's time to go.
Host (Timur Bootzin):And, and speaking of which, I know you, you've been super focused on your music, you know, grinding every day. So do you worry that having a baby will take away from your focus on your music career?
Guest (JRDN KING):Not at all. I got a studio in the house, man. You know, I got a studio in the crib. So if I ever feel like I got to put something down or I mean, I'm always writing, I got a phone full of verses. So I even got little note pads laying around the crib with little verses in them. So I'm good. I'm always gonna make music. I really just feel like having a daughter or having, yeah. Having a daughter is just going to keep me in the house more, you know, wanting to be around her. So it's going to, I think to be honest, you want my honest opinion, this will make me make more music now I've got different things to talk about. Now I got a cool little video I could put together my baby.
Host (Timur Bootzin):Yeah. Yeah. Ah, that's, that's so awesome. Jordan, congratulations to you and your fiance and bringing this new life into the world is going to be so amazing. But real quick, Jordan, we're going to take a quick break and we'll be right back.
Guest (JRDN KING):Yeah.
Host (Timur Bootzin):This season is proudly sponsored by Adam audio. Adam audio was founded in 1999 in Berlin, Germany. Since then the company has been developing manufacturing and distributing loud speakers in the field of professional audio. You can find precision atom, audio monitors, and a world class studios around the globe. We're back here with our guests, Jordan King Jordan. So I know you're a super positive guy. Everything we've discussed has been awesome. But has there ever been a time that you wanted to give up or quit music?
Guest (JRDN KING):Um, there's one there's one time I was going through a situation with my nephew and I was going to adopt them as son. He had passed away and um, we really didn't have too much money for the funeral. So I had taken me as per my own hands to go get some money and I got in trouble and I was living with who I thought was, you know, family at the time. And I had all my studio equipment there, had all my clothes there. I had everything there. And when I, when I cleared all my trouble and everything and I got back to the house, all my stuff was gone. I had been kicked out. The locks was changed and all that kind of stuff. And that really set me back because I that's, when all the homeless thing I went homeless and I didn't have a job. And it was just, I went through that whole period of time. That's what set it off, you know? And I couldn't, I didn't really think about music. I couldn't really do music. I didn't have nowhere to record no way. I didn't have nowhere to live. So I wasn't thinking about music. I just didn't make music for like a year.
Host (Timur Bootzin):This wasn't just discouragement. This is someone trying to push you down and not let you get back up. What was it in particular like the thoughts you had in your head that made you overcome this specific challenge?
Guest (JRDN KING):I couldn't let somebody that I considered close to me do that to me and then hold me down. Like I'm not, I just can't be held down like that. So I felt like I, you know what, let me just get this. Let me get, let me get it back. But I went through a long period of time with just anger and resentment and being angry and wanting to get back at everybody. And it was just like itching at me. Like every time I was like bitter old man, every time a song would come on, I can, I can do better than this. What is this? Blah, blah. And then I got all my shit back. I met more people and they let me stay at their house for a little while. Recipes, my show on blood passed away, um, car accident. But that was my guy. He let me stay at his place for a little bit. We got to make it music and it got my passion back.
Host (Timur Bootzin):Right? Wow. That's really inspiring Jordan. And uh, I help a lot. Our audience took away new perspectives from just alone, what you had to go through. So what I like to do at the end of each episode is end up sewed with a quote that I've asked the guests to prepare and how this quote inspires him. Jordan, what is the quote you've been inspired by?
Guest (JRDN KING):Alright, so it says it's by Zig Ziglar, right? And it says what you get by achieving your goals. It's not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. To me, it's it sounds like this, right? At first it sounds real cocky. It sounds like a, you know, you're nothing until you become successful, right? No, break it down. What you get by achieving your goals is not as important as what you become by achieving your goals. It's almost like it's the same as what don't kill you makes you stronger. Right? So it's more like when you achieve your goals, right? What you become on that journey, what you go through, what you endure until achieving your goals is what makes you, and then when you achieve goals, that's what sets you apart, how you will,
Host (Timur Bootzin):Right. Wow. That's a powerful quote. And I love your, uh, interpretation of that quote that wraps up this episode. Jordan, thank you for the great insights and all your stories and for the motivation and new perspectives. And thanks for being on this episode of the inspiration of now,
Guest (JRDN KING):Man, we gonna get it, man. Shout out, shout out my boy, Timur and the inspiration and now, and you know, we got to do it. Yes sir. Yes, sir. A lot. I got a lot coming. So stay tuned. Really? That's all I gotta say.
Host (Timur Bootzin):If you want to check out more of Jordan King's work, go to our website, the inspiration of now.com for links to all his work
Guest (JRDN KING):Inspiratio of now.com. Log on!
Host (Timur Bootzin):Once again, Jordan King. Thank you for being a guest. Thank you for the inspiration, the new outlooks I've been inspired by you just through the time I've known you through this podcast and thanks again. And I look forward to our next time.
Guest (JRDN KING):Stay tuned, man inspiration and how we appreciate y'all.
Host (Timur Bootzin):I want to end this episode with the song by Jordan King called 40.
:Thanks again for tuning into this episode of the inspiration of now. I hope you took away a new perspective and motivation from our guests. I want to thank Adam audio for being the season sponsor, Ru productions for creating our theme song and Michael P. Cox for mixing and mastering this episode. On season two, we will be taking questions from our audience that our guests will answer. Go to our website, the inspiration of now.com. See how you can submit your questions. I look forward to our next episode and I'll catch you all on the next one.