THE PEOPLE'S RAPPER | Jon Connor

INTERVIEW TERRELL “REALIFE” BLACK PHOTOGRAPH LINDSEY AYOTTE

Jon Connor has never shied away from bringing depth and authenticity to his music, blending lyrical skill with powerful social commentary. Hailing from Flint, Michigan, his journey in hip hop has been shaped by the city’s resilience and the community’s struggles, reflecting a purpose-driven artistry that resonates far beyond the stage. In this conversation, we go back to Connor’s roots, exploring the influences that shaped his style, the lessons learned from his time with Dr. Dre’s Aftermath, and his unwavering dedication to raising awareness about social issues. As he gears up for the release of Food For The Soul, an album that promises both substance and soul, Connor opens up about his growth as an artist, the themes behind his latest project, and the legacy he hopes to leave in hip hop. Dive in as we uncover the mind and music of Jon Connor.

VALIDATED: A native of Flint, Michigan, what’s your earliest memory of hip hop culture?

JON CONNOR: As a native of Flint, Michigan I feel like any area that is predominantly black is hip-hop culture, you know hip-hop comes from the struggle. Just being a native of Flint, Michigan you are surrounded by hip-hop, not just the music but the way we talk, the way we dress, our mentality of wanting to make something out of nothing. So just being born in Flint, Michigan your surroundings are the essence of hip-hop culture. My earliest memories of being in the neighborhood and just watching the older cats listen to MC Breed, The Dayton Family or whatever local artists we had at the time. Those will probably be my most vivid earliest memories of hip-hop culture, but overall just existing and just being in Flint is hip-hop culture.

VALIDATED: You’ve been in the game for a while now, but take us back to the beginning—what made you pursue a career in rap, and what were some of the key moments that confirmed this path for you?

JON CONNOR: My father is a musician so I always wanted to do something involving music, but my dad was naturally talented at the drums, the guitar, and piano. Me, not so much. I had to figure out what my lane was in music. I could play keys by ear but not well enough to form a band or anything like that, so when hip-hop came along I found a passion and a love for it. The first album that made me want to rap was Master P’s “TRU 2 Da Game” and so I just found a passion in it and I remember being on the school bus and the kids would freestyle and one day it was my turn to freestyle and I did it and I found that I was actually kind of talented at it. The bus went crazy and just getting that confirmation from the other kids on the school bus let me know that this was something that I could get really good at. I thought if they like that first freestyle I did… if I practiced and I knew I could get better at it so the passion that I felt after listening to Master P mixed with the confirmation I got from the kids on the bus it was like oh this is what I want to do.

VALIDATED: Which MCs influenced your style, and what, if anything, did you borrow from them?

JON CONNOR: I’m truly a student of the game. I’ve been influenced by so many different musicians and emcees, to name a few: 2Pac, Jay Z, Pastor Troy, Mac & Fiend (from No Limit), The Hot Boys, Big Pun, Master P, Biggie, Soulja Slim, NORE, Nas, Twista, Kanye West, Three 6 Mafia, Bone Thugs N Harmony, DMX… I think what I borrowed from them was the fearlessness to be yourself, craft your own style, be unapologetically YOU on the mic, and don't be afraid to not sound like anyone else.

VALIDATED: You’re from Flint, Michigan—a city with a lot of history and struggle. How has your hometown shaped you as an artist and as a person?

JON CONNOR: How Flint shaped me as an artist was to have that never give up spirit, that never say die attitude, that no matter what life throws at you, learn from it and keep going. In Flint we’re naturally hard workers. So I applied that blue-collar work ethic into my music career. How hard I watched my mother work, how hard I watched my grandfather work all played into my work ethic. It was like if they can work that hard doing a job they hate then I can work my ass off doing a job that I love.

VALIDATED: Your music blends lyrical precision with social commentary. How do you approach writing your verses, and how important is it for you to make sure your message resonates?

JON CONNOR: Honestly I give all glory and praise to God for anything that I create or say on the mic. My process is the same with every song, I go in and allow my brain to be a blank canvas, the music comes on and the words are just given to me, they come to me out of thin air, it’s crazy. (Laughs) The process of creating something out of nothing in that way, I can only give all credit to God. It’s very important to me, if I help one person with my music then I feel like I’ve accomplished a lot because then they’ll take what they learned and spread it. So every little bit counts and it’s very important to me that through my art I contribute to leaving the world a better place than I found it.

VALIDATED: Signing with Dr. Dre's Aftermath was a pivotal moment in your career. Can you talk about how that opportunity came to be and what you learned most from collaborating with Dr. Dre?

JON CONNOR: That opportunity came to be because I just released my project “Unconscious State" in 2013, 2014 and it had charted on Billboard. It got the attention of Xzibit and he played my music for Dr.Dre and he became interested and the rest was history. What I learned most from collaborating with Dr. Dre would be don’t second-guess your ideas, if you believe in an idea commit to it fully, exhaust your brain with all possibilities before you say that you’re done with something and when communicating in general put facts over feelings.

VALIDATED: You've experienced both the major label system and life as an independent artist. How has your time in both parts of the industry been, and what do you see as the key advantages and disadvantages of each?

JON CONNOR: I love being an independent artist. My introduction to the game was as an independent artist. I started selling my CDs in high school, even before that I was selling cassette tapes in elementary school. So I think I’m most comfortable being independent because that’s how I was first introduced to being compensated for making music. It's just simple… there is no middleman, I sell you something, you give me the money, it's easy. As an artist in a major I feel like there’s too many cooks in the kitchen, there are too many hands in the pot. I feel like there’s just a lot to mumbo-jumbo that’s there to confuse the artist and to trick them out of getting what they are owed and what they are worth and I’m not really fond of morally unjust business practices.

I think the advantage of being on a major label is that they have the resources to spread your music all across the world and that creates more opportunities for you to make a living. I think the disadvantage would be the amount of dishonest people that are trying to rob you that you have to tolerate in order to get a fraction of the money you’re actually owed.

The advantage of being independent is you are your own boss, you make your own hours, you get the majority if not all of the money. Pretty much you eat what you kill and how much you eat is all based on how much you’re willing to work and I love working hard and being accountable for my own destiny… Being independent was made for me.

And at the same time a disadvantage of being independent is that everything falls on your shoulders, there is no help, there is no huge machine making sure you’re song is everywhere and making sure your music is getting played 1 million times a day. You literally have to make sure that you are on your job every single day. you can’t let up, you can’t slack off, everything is pretty much based on you and how hard you work but that can be overwhelming at times.

VALIDATED: You’ve been vocal about the Flint water crisis and its impact on the community. How do you use your platform to raise awareness for social issues, and do you feel a sense of responsibility in doing so?

JON CONNOR: I use my platform to raise awareness by talking about it on my social media and in my music. I do feel there is a responsibility for anyone who has a voice, has a platform or has some kind of medium where people are paying attention. You owe it to the community that you came from to be the voice for the people who feel like they don’t have a voice.

VALIDATED: You’ve touched on personal struggles in your music. How do you deal with the pressures of fame and mental health while maintaining your career?

JON CONNOR: Therapy, I think everyone in show business needs therapy. They need a therapist, they need someone to talk to for sure but honestly the older I get my connection to God is stronger and stronger and my relationship with God honestly is how I deal with the things that come with being an entertainer, because it’s truly somethings on earth that only God can fix and only God understands… So therapy and having a strong relationship with God.

VALIDATED: Looking back, what do you want your legacy to be both as an artist and as a person? What message do you hope people take from your work?

JON CONNOR: I want my legacy as an artist and as a person to be “He did his best to inspire people to do the right thing.” The message I hope people take from my work would be God is real. We are forever evolving and growing, never give up and stay true to who you are.

VALIDATED: Your upcoming album ‘Food For The Soul’ sounds like it’s going to be a powerful project. What inspired the title, and what message are you hoping to convey with this album?

JON CONNOR: What inspired the title was the fact that on this project I didn’t want to focus so much on what would make people dance but more so on what would make people think. I wanted to feed people's souls with this album as far as good energy. I feel like in today’s world with social media and everyone having an opinion on different platforms, spiritually we digest so much harm from material that I just wanted to put something positive back into the spirits of all of those who listen to this project. I just felt like rapping, I just wanted to make a lyrically solid hip hop album that left you thinking but also charged you up to continue on your path. I think the message of this album is to tap into your higher self, stay focused, don’t give up, stay driven, appreciate others, appreciate the differences in other people and how you can learn from them, appreciate the opposite sex, appreciate other races. Appreciate other cultures, respect each other, learn from your mistakes and just keep going. The title is a reflection of what I hope people get out of this food for the soul, nourishment for the spirit.

VALIDATED: What are some of the key themes you explore on ‘Food For The Soul’? How important is it for you to deliver thought-provoking lyrics with your music?

JON CONNOR: One key theme I’m glad I spoke about on this project is to appreciate everyone and embrace what makes them different. In a song I have called “The Great Design" it talks about how men and women are both necessary. There is no superior sex when it comes to life and the evolution of the human species, we need each other. In today’s world there’s so much man versus woman, which sex is better and it’s all bullshit. Man needs woman, woman needs man, end of story and I’m glad I got to make a song that instead of bashing the opposite sex I do my best to celebrate and explain what role each of us plays in this great design, hence the name of “The Great Design”. There’s also a song called “So Much Pressure” where I talk about the pressures of parenting and how the missteps of parents can lead to the flaws in one’s character or the flaws in one’s personality and how we as adults have to be extra cautious of what we allow our kids to see and what type of behaviors we expose them to because they are like little computers and they’re watching how they should behave, how they should talk to each other, how they should resolve conflict and if we are a bad example then those characteristics will become normal to them and that will just become a part of their everyday personality. It’s a lot of pressure on being a parent and I’m glad I got to talk about that.

It's very important to me to deliver thought-provoking music because the songs will be here long after I’m gone and that’s the case with every musician. We have to take into consideration what our voices will be saying to future generations when we’re no longer here in the physical form to justify the songs or make excuses for making self-destructive music. What are you gonna be saying to future generations of people when you’re no longer here in the physical form? Is your music helping people? Is your art continuing to help humanity grow or are you continuing to be a destructive force even when your physical presence isn’t here? Because that would fucking suck so I just try to make music that is conversational that will continue to help generations long after I’m gone.

VALIDATED: Can you give us a sneak peek of a couple of tracks on the album? Which songs do you think will resonate most with your audience and why?

JON CONNOR: Yeah, I got you. The first single with me and Daylyt called “Every Day” is about to drop, after that we’re going to drop a joint with me, Stalley and Jada Ali called “Red Velvet” and after that “413” produced by Dj Silk. You know that’s hard to say what will resonate the most with my audience. Hopefully they enjoy the whole project, if they’re anything like me they’ll be a different song that hits them in a different way on any given day but I just hope they enjoy the full project.

VALIDATED: How do you see ‘Food For The Soul’ contributing to or redefining the sound of hip hop today? What do you hope its impact will be on the culture?

JON CONNOR: Honestly, with “Food For The Soul”, production wise, big shout out to my dawg, Dylan Kusch who did the majority of the project. But I really just wanted to make a very nostalgic early 90s straight forward boom bap hip hop project. I wanted it to feel like an early 90s hip hop album with sprinkles of 70s soul. I didn’t want it to feel pop in any way and I wanted the production to be a reflection of that. So I hope people appreciate it and are willing to musically jump in the time machine with me and just enjoy a pure hip hop album. It’s not anything other than what it is… It’s a hip hop album. Dope production, dope lyrics, no gimmicks. As far as the impact that I hope that it has on the culture, I just hope it inspires people to make what they feel like making. If you feel like making a hip hop album, make it, if you feel like singing on your songs, do it. Music is an expression of oneself and I think sometimes that gets lost in the chase for sales and numbers and Billboard chart placements. Just make what the fuck you feel and either people going to like it or they not. Your job as an artist is to continue to create. Create from that place in your spirit that is having fun doing what it wants to do and “Food For The Soul” was the album I felt like making at this particular point in time. I’ll continue to make albums and will continue to have these discussions with each project being distinctly different than the one before.

VALIDATED: With each project, artists evolve. How does this album reflect your growth as an artist, both lyrically and personally?

JON CONNOR: The last project I did “III”, I really focused a lot on that album on storytelling, not just lyrically but with the production, there were a lot of intricacies and moving parts to the “III” project. So with “Food For The Soul" I just wanted to get back to basics. I felt like creating but also giving my brain a rest a little bit production wise, not saying that the production is lacking, just saying I wanted to create something that was in your face and a little unapologetically RAW. The growth in this project is my comfortability in being able to consciously say I’m going to do a certain style of hip hop and leave it at that and not overthink it and be happy with the results because the results were exactly what I set out to do and nothing else.

VALIDATED: You’ve emphasized the power behind the message in this album. What do you want listeners to take away from ‘Food For The Soul’ after they’ve heard it?

JON CONNOR: I want people to take away a feeling of optimism, determination, drive, belief in oneself and the power of what you can manifest and create. I just want people to feel good after they listen to this album. I want them to embrace their fellow human after they listen to this album and I hope it inspires whoever listens to it to go hard at whatever it is they’re trying to accomplish on their journey as well and I hope that this album can be a soundtrack to somebody's success story.

VALIDATED: There’s a lot of anticipation around ‘Food For The Soul’. How does it feel to know your fans are eagerly waiting for the drop, and what would you say to those who’ve supported you along the way?

JON CONNOR: I am truly blessed! I am truly humbled! I am truly grateful to have a loyal fan base of supporters who anticipate my art still to this day and I’ll be making music until I can’t anymore and that’s my way of giving back to them for supporting me. My dream is to make music that helps them to accomplish their dreams. So it feels amazing! To be able to have an impact on just one person‘s life is a miracle so to have a healthy fanbase is like the highest form of confirmation that I’m walking in God's purpose for me. What I would say to them is thank you, thank you with all my heart and I will continue to create music for you as long as y’all want to hear what I have to say… I love you.

VALIDATED: With a project like this, how important is it for you to engage with your listeners directly? Do you plan on doing anything special around the release to connect with your fans?

JON CONNOR: Absolutely, I’m gonna have a direct phone line for my supporters so that I can stay in direct contact with my supporters to update them on upcoming projects and events. I’m “The People’s Rapper” so anything I can do to build and make that bond stronger between me and my supporters I’m always gonna do it. There’s definitely an email list that my supporters can sign up to on my home site connorculture.com but the big thing with this project is probably going to be the direct phone line and also this will be the first project that I release on connorculture.com so it’s gonna be a cool way to grow the audience and grow our relationship with each other.

VALIDATED: After ‘Food For The Soul’ drops, what’s next for you? Are there any plans for tours, visuals, or additional projects that we should keep an eye out for?

JON CONNOR: “Food For The Soul” is actually going to kick off a campaign I’m gonna do called “52 Weeks” where I release music every week for the next calendar year starting with “Food For The Soul” and I have so much music, so much content that’s going to be coming in this next calendar year that it’s gonna be crazy! Also season two of my web series “The Road To Legendary” will be on connorculture.com. And growing “ConnorCulture” as a brand with different web series and web shorts but the big focus is “52 weeks”, singles, EP’s, and full projects for the entire calendar year.

VALIDATED: How do you want ‘Food For The Soul’ to be remembered in the context of your discography and the wider hip hop landscape?

JON CONNOR: I want “Food For The Soul" to be remembered in the context of my discography as the project that set off the new era of my drive and desire to leave a mark on hip hop.

VALIDATED: As we wrap up, what would you say to anyone who’s looking to experience Jon Connor for the first time?

JON CONNOR: I’d say have an open mind, enjoy some good music, let the art be what it’s supposed to be which is a centerpiece to invoke conversation. Have fun with it, let it inspire you and know that each song and each lyric was made with the intention to serve God‘s divine purpose which is love and growth.