JT Money began making noise in his native Miami nearly ten years ago, but with his solo debut, "Pimpin' On Wax," Jeffrey Thompkins has surely taken his music to the next level.
JT is a founding member of the Poison Clan, a group that recorded for Luther "2 Live Crew" Campbell's now-defunct Luke Skyywalker Records and was responsible for such club hits as "Shake Whatcha Mama Gave Ya" and "Dance All Night." Now signed as a solo artist to Dallas Austin's Freeworld Entertainment, JT can finally smile about his career. "It feel good after the long wait, you know," the rapper said of finally putting out his solo debut. "'Bout time. It's 'bout time, baby."
So why has it taken so long for rap fans to be able to hear songs like JT Money's current hit "Who Dat?" The rapper disbanded the Poison Clan in 1996 due to a dispute over business practices with Luther Campbell and since then has been attempting to forge a name for himself as a solo artist. In 1997, JT recorded a demo and shopped it around in an effort to get a recording deal. After seeing several possibilities fall through, the persistent rapper finally saw a light at the end of the tunnel.
That light was provided by Atlanta-based music mogul Tony Mercedes, the man responsible for the club anthem "Dazzey Dukes." Mercedes has also worked with Tag Team ("Whoomp! [There It Is]"), and more recently, R&B act Pressha. Mercedes would eventually hook JT up with super-producer Dallas Austin, the man behind acts like TLC and Monica. Austin, who remembers roller-skating to JT Money's early work with Poison Clan, was glad to sign the legend of Southern rap to his Freeworld label and bring his music to the masses.
"He's getting what he deserves," Austin said of JT. "I mean, JT's been in the game for a long time. He's just a great person. He's a great rapper, and the whole nine. We're excited about him."
JT's album was primarily done by the time he hooked up with Austin, which was what intrigued the producer most about the project. "I was like, 'Damn, you got an album already,'" Austin recalled. "That's what really got me into it. I saw JT being an artist. A long-term artist." While Austin did add some of his own flavor to the album on three tracks, a majority of the beats came from Chris "Tricky" Stewart (who produced "Who Dat") and She'kespere (who handled TLC's "No Scrubs").
For JT Money, he's still doing what he does best with this new solo project. The only difference is the folks around him. "I got a bigger machine behind me," JT said, referring to Dallas Austin and Freeworld Entertainment. "I'm doin' what I always did, make music. And I got different producers now. It's like, when before I had cats in the 'hood who made beats, you know, and I rhyme over them and throw a hook [on the song]. But now it's like I'm working wit' actual producers now. I got some bangin' beats, though, and you already knowin' I'm spittin' that JT Money. So it's tight."
From the title of his album, it's obvious that JT's "Pimpin' On Wax" contains a plethora of rhymes dealing with the topic of sexual prowess, something that JT has been speaking on since his work with the Poison Clan. And now that he is being recognized on a national level, JT decided to take it back to his roots and do what he does best.
"I had to put it down the right way," JT explained. "Before, when I did all my independents and stuff, I felt like I wasn't heard. In the 'hood it was like, 'Yeah, J. You raw, boy. Whoop whoop whoop.' But I don't know.... It's like, now is my time, you know? So we gonna just start on over. And we gon' dictate the game now. We gon' set the pace. It's cool."
