Today we’d like to introduce you to Jamar Phillips.
Jamar, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I am originally from Richmond, VA. I have been singing since I was three years old but got a little more serious about music when I took up songwriting and dancing at the age of nine. I’ve always seen myself being an entertainer for as long as I can remember and wanted to embody every aspect of being an artist like the greats before me. Honestly, my parents did not want me to work in the music industry at first and at 16 I started sneaking around to home studios to record music after school. A lot of the places I recorded at were amazed at how fast I could not only write but how well I put songs together in a short time. In the midst of that, I caught the attention of a local independent label that signed me after spending one hour with me during a writing session.
Unfortunately, I chose to part ways with the label due to creative differences in order to pursue a chance to properly display myself as artist and to finish school. A year after graduating a college and many failed attempts to jump-start my career in my hometown, I abruptly quit my bank job and decided to relocate to Atlanta, Ga. Moving to Atlanta was probably one of the best decisions that I made because I learned so much about the business of music, how to think outside of the box and how to trust my instincts. Since moving here I dropped my first EP “Multi-Plex,” which was such a pivotal chapter for me after losing my job and my grandmother while creating that project. That was probably one of the hardest times I had to live through but help me discover how strong and dedicated I was to succeeding as a music artist.
We’re always bombarded by how great it is to pursue your passion, etc – but we’ve spoken with enough people to know that it’s not always easy. Overall, would you say things have been easy for you?
It has not been an easy road, at all! Lol. But I definitely would say that any journey without struggle was never worth traveling. Some of my personal struggles has definitely came with relocating to Atlanta and not knowing anyone in the music industry. That’s hard enough especially when you feel you’re great at what you do and you want someone to take you seriously as an artist and appreciate the creativity that you bring. In that same breath, it’s also hard to find someone who creatively gets where you are trying to go and knows how to help you move to the next level. I’ve had a lot of producers who tried to mold me into singer who was either always sad or over sexualized which is not what I wanted to do. Some of my biggest inspirations like Michael & Janet Jackson, Missy Elliott, Usher & Aaliyah all had a very unique lane that’s upbeat and fun for the most part and that’s the kind of lane I’ve wanted to accomplish for myself. I am proud to say that I feel that the team that I am working on my current EP with gets how I want my music to sound and knows how to make it happen.
We’d love to hear more about your work and what you are currently focused on. What else should we know?
As an artist, I think what’s sets me apart is the way I approach music. I’ve never wanted to be that artist you would only expect to sing, write or perform a certain way and be able to predict what I’m going to do. It’s one thing to establish your lane but it’s only worth it when you’re able to travel that lane to new areas that you haven’t expose yourself to.
Has luck played a meaningful role in your life and business?
I honestly don’t believe that luck has played a role in my life more than attracting energy. You have to really attract what you want in life and keep focused on that. You can’t expect to get to the great things the future has to offer you by worrying about what didn’t work in your past. I honestly believe that more each day and I believe that’s how I ended up working with my current team. Just to generally include everyone involved in my process currently.
Contact Info:
- Email: jamarNmusic@gmail.com
- Instagram: @JustJamar
Image Credit:
@dre_h0nch0z, @ciarraphotography
Suggest a story: VoyageATL is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems, so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
