Cadillac Don and J Money

The history of Southern Hip Hop is replete with duos that have made an indelible mark on rap music and popular culture. Over the years, legendary artists such as UGK, Outkast and Eightball & MJG have moved crowds and millions of units while, at the same time, helping to set the foundation for the current explosion of Southern Hip Hop. Cadillac Don & J-Money are the next hot Southern twosome to arrive with their debut album, Look At Me, due for release November 7 on 35-35 Entertainment and Asylum Records.

Born in the Northern Mississippi town of Crawford Mississippi, a small country town where everybody knows everybody, both Cadillac Don (born Donald Sharp) and J. Money (born Tiyon Rogers) grew up poor in single parent homes. Music like blues and R&B took center stage in their lives, but as the two childhood friends grew older, they gravitated toward Hip Hop. Cadillac Don lists Big Daddy Kane as his chief influence, while J. Money cites LL Cool J and Tupac as major influences.

“We have listened to music all our lives and groups like Eightball & MJG and UGK have been nothing but and inspiration to us," explains Cadillac Don. "We feel like we want to continue the history and continue to take Hip Hop to another level along with these other great artists that have pave the way for us. We started out a lot like those groups – hustling, trying to become heard by someone who would just give us a chance.”

Cadillac Don’s love for Hip Hop was so strong, that at the age of six he and his older brother would sneak out the house and hit the streets at night, break-dancing in front of adults for money.

After finishing high school, both Cadillac Don and J-Money attended college with full scholarships for baseball. They pursued professional baseball, but the prospect didn’t appeal to either one of them. An injury sidelined J. Money’s dream, while the lure of a steady job as a high school art teacher benched Cadillac Don. While music had been a hobby to them in the past, the two decided to develop their rap skills with the hope of one day becoming rap superstars.

“In my free time I was developing and typing raps between classes,” says Cadillac Don, whose name is derived from his love of classic Cadillac cars. “I often said that being a Black man from Mississippi I would have to make a choice – that is either jail or make something of myself – so I followed my dream. I met Big Fruit, the producer, and he began showing me things on the keyboard and how to work the Triton and Pro Tools, and I started learning to record myself.”

Meanwhile, J-Money was involved with a The Crawford Boys, who became one of the town’s most popular rap groups. While he enjoyed his time with the group, J-Money decided to pursue a career as a soloist. That’s when Cadillac Don introduced him to Big Fruit. “My man Cadillac hooked up with Big Fruit,” says J-Money. “One day I decided to go by the studio, and when I heard the beats, I thought they were unreal. I was like, with his beats, my hype and Cadillac’s flow – we could go somewhere.”

Initially Cadillac and J were going to be solo rappers, but because they were such good friends they would often do guest appearances on each other’s songs. “We would sound so good together that Big Fruit suggested that we should be a group,” says Cadillac Don. Under Big Fruit’s direction, the duo begin to carve out a unique sound that captured the ears of rap fans through out North Mississippi. Their sound also caught the attention of 35-35 Entertainment’s CEO Clarence Weatherspoon, also a native of their hometown.

The lead single from the album, “Peanut Butter & Jelly,” is built around a hypnotic joog beat and menacing piano chords and a steel pan melody. The song celebrates the supped up rides with the candy paint and tan leather interior. With the initial success of the song, they recently released the second single "Look At Me" to gear up for the November 7 release date of the album. With the praise they are receiving, Cadillac Don & J-Money are more than confident that they will be major force in music in coming years.

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