Memphis Jelks

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Jacoby "Memphis" Jelks, aka J-Smoove, grew up in Lauderdale County, TN (approximately 65 miles north of Memphis) in a small town called Ripley. Over time, he honed his skills as a DJ, music producer and recording artist. Given the name "Memphis" by the legendary Chuck D of the GRAMMY/ RRHOF rap group Public Enemy, Jelks is poised to become a memorable artist in the Hip Hop genre, respectfully.

 

Upon releasing two studio albums, "Call Me Up" and "The Last Classic" under the Memphis based label Portra Records (Johnny Scott), J-Smoove went on to release several underground albums and mixtapes as an independent artist under his and his two brothers' (Kilo Slang and Q-Bol) record label, dubbed "Ori-G-inO Records", meaning "Original Records". The success of these albums, ultimately lead to MJ landing numerous amounts of gigs in and around the city of Memphis. As fate would have it, Jelks would eventually catch the eye of Memphis rap legend Al Kapone and crew. The result was Jacoby performing at more upscale venues and events, which would include the Beale St. Music Festival, as a background vocalist for Kapeezy.

 

It was during this festival that Memphis Jelks had a chance meeting with Chuck D that would positively change the trajectory of his music career forever. Together, they released the Memphis Grizzlies themed anthem, titled "Swamp Ball" in which was played during Grizz home games in the Fed Ex Forum during the 2015 playoffs versus the Golden State Warriors. Soon after, MJ would sign with Chuck D's Spit/Slam Label Group and release his self- titled album titled, "Memphis Jelks" (Apple Music).

 

Today, Memphis continues to make important hip hop music and also heads a band named "Memphis Jelks & The GrindStax". TGS’s mission is to bring together “Grind” (metal) and “STAX” (soul) music and fans to inspire a new genre that defies race, religion and political views. They’re currently preparing to perform live at events all over the world.

 

Taking a cue from Public Enemy, Memphis Jelks' content can be found via his website, memphisjelks.com, as well as spitslam.com and all social media/ streaming platforms. In the words of the great Chuck D, "If the community doesn't support the arts, then the arts can't support the community". Please continue to support Memphis Jelks.