Journalist 103
Journalist 103 (born Detroit, Michigan) is an American rapper and lyricist. After starting his career as part of the hip hop crew Mountain Climbaz in 1997, he later joined the hip hop group The Left. He served as primary lyricist on the group's 2010 album Gas Mask, which Sputnik Music named as one of the Best Underground Hip-Hop Albums of 2010.
In 2012 he released his debut solo album Reporting Live on Babygrande Records. With guest appearances by Freeway, Saigon, Fashawn, and production by Oddisee and Snowgoons, lyrically the album addresses diverse themes and incorporates a number of hip hop subgenres. According to BonusCut.com, "His rhymes are laced with social, economic and political anecdotes, and are an example of why hip-hop is educative." Journalist 103 is currently working on his sophomore solo album, also to be released on Babygrande.
Early life
Journalist 103 was born and raised in Detroit, Michigan. After developing an early interest in music, his cousin X-Gov was one of his first inspirations to go into rap, exposing him to artists such as DJ Premier and Gang Starr. He went on to listen avidly to artists such as Proof, Royce, and Phat Kat. Other hip hop artists influential in his youth included Ice Cube, The Wu Tang Clan, and Eminem. Rapping by the age of eleven, he initially rapped under the name J Clip before changing his moniker to Journalist 103. Stated Journalist 103, "I earned my name from one of my old high school teacher's. We had to do a brief commercial in written form. When I submitted it she read it and told me I was a really good writer and that I should be a journalist. So the name just stuck with me ever since." He attended Detroit Central High School, and by age eighteen he was beginning to go to shows and market his music.