Sometimes, music is just in the blood. And there’s not a whole lot you can do about it. Once you’re born with it, it’s be a crime not to follow your instinct and create music, as your soul dictates you to.
That’s what Chantly Jones is doing. Coming at us out of Charlotte, North Carolina, Chantly Jones is one of the biggest up-and-coming names on the local rap scene. Tracks like “I Grind” and his latest “I Been On” offer fascinating insight into a life that has been with its fair share of difficulties. In frequent conflict with the local authorities and landing a stint in prison, Chantly Jones realized there was a bigger purpose, something he wanted to pursue with every fiber of his body. That, of course, was his great talent for music, which he’d most likely inherited from his father, who taught him to play the guitar.
In fact, music was always a part of Chantly’s life, placing him frequently in and out of bands, and even getting him to forego a promising future as a basketball player, in order to pursue his artistic calling.
His latest release, the song “I Been On” attests for everyone to see that Chantly Jones made the right choice. Starting off slow, the tune spirals into a melodic and rhythmic beat that stays in your mind long after you’ve put your headphones down.
The lyrics pack a powerful punch and you’ll have a hard time not singing along, or at the very least nodding your head in agreement. Here’s the thing about Chantly Jones’s music – it gets to you. An honest story about providing for your loved ones and finding strength to go on, “I Been On” appeals to a vastly broad audience, precisely because of its universal subject line.
It’s also got an appealing beat that wins over even those listeners who aren’t particular fans of the genre.
And Chantly Jones isn’t just an accomplished singer. He is also a skilled songwriter, penning lyrics that are often evocative, yet catchy. He is also a talented dancer, sportsman and lately, record producer, with his new business, Open Season Records (a nod to his considerable passion for basketball). He’s even the owner of a successful urban clothing line that reflects in many ways the life he sings about in his songs.
While there’s no telling where life will take him next, we’ve little doubt it’s going to be somewhere great.