photo by steed media service

Rapper, Colors

The streets of Little Rock, Ark., seem to be decaying by the second. Thousands of misguided youth stand aimlessly on corners in the midst of a crumbling city. They willingly barter their futures for a volatile present that offers small hope and very few opportunities outside of the ever-growing gang culture. For many Little Rock youth, success can only occur when abandoning the city that was the birthplace of the 42nd President of the United States, Bill Clinton.

"There aren't too many ways to make money legally in Little Rock," SL Jones says of the city that he grew up in. "If you're not selling drugs or in a gang, you're probably going to be a mechanic or construction worker."

SL Jones decided to leave Little Rock to pursue music in Atlanta. After recording several tracks at Stankonia Studios, his songs caught the ear of Grammy Award-winning rapper Killer Mike. He soon found himself on tour and appeared on Killer Mike's critically-acclaimed double CD, I Pledge Alliance>.

"Being with Killer Mike, I didn't get immediate light as a rapper, but I got to understand the business," SL Jones says. "I was like a sponge [just] soaking up game. But I also asked questions and paid attention. If you don't ask questions - most of the time - they won't tell you."

"A lot of people get local fame in Little Rock, but that's it," he says. "We have yet to have someone to really blow up in music. I'm not in this for fame, but I think people will finally pay attention." - amir shaw

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