Jay Rock – American singer, songwriter, and producer
Jay Rock’s real name is Johnny Reed McKinzie, Jr. He was born on 31 March 1985 in Los Angeles. Not much information is available about his childhood. During the teenage years, Johnny enjoyed music but spent the majority of free time on the streets with criminals. He was arrested twice and barely avoided jail time. The aspiring rapper was part of the Hunter Blood Gang. It’s surprising the McKinzie managed to graduate from high school.
In the interviews, the rapper says that the life on the streets pushed him in the direction of rap. It was prestigious to write lyrics and read rap among his friends. Besides, the type of life he led in his teenage years helped Johnny come up with deep and realistic texts.
Jay Rock began his career in 2005. At that time, he signed a contract with Top Dawg Entertainment but later switched to Asylum Records. For some time, Johnny worked with the band Black Hippy. Besides him, the lineup included Kendrick Lamar, Ab-Soul, and Schoolboy Q. Rock acquired a priceless performance experience and then decided to pursue a solo career.
Between 2006 and 2009, the artist released eight mixtapes. He worked with different artists to earn popularity. However, none of the albums managed to make it into the charts. The rapper didn’t give up and continued recording new songs.
