On July 2,
1981, Jarvis Taylor was born in Duke Medical Center. As a child, he always
liked music, growing up his parents listened to artists like, Ray Charles, Al
Greene and Stevie Wonder. This is where Jarvis said he, “developed his soul and
rhythm,” he said, “as a little boy you could find me in the bathroom looking in
the mirror with a brush in my hand, just putting words together… It was like me
getting to know myself.”
As Jarvis
got older, his lyrical skills developed, and he would soon be known in his
neighborhood as a lyrical beast. At only age 14, he had already made a name for
himself in his hometown, Henderson, NC. He
said, “People in my neighborhood would ask me to rap and when I was finished
they all looked astonished.” He said, “they couldn’t believe a young boy like
me had so much talent and aggression.” He talks about how his aggression
stemmed from seeing his family struggle. Two years prior, his mother had to
stop working due to a severe case of epilepsy, leaving his father as the sole
provider of a family of five. He admitted, “It got so bad we were wearing hand
me down cloths and vacations were out of the question.” He said, “I just wanted
more.“ He began hanging with a crowd whose forte was to get money by any means
necessary. He said he would “rob, steal and write rhymes,” but that lifestyle was
short lived.
On Jan.
9, 1997 at age 15, Jarvis Taylor was arrested for robbing a convenience store.
On May 5, 1997, he was convicted and sentenced to do 5 years in the Department
of Corrections. He blurted, “I was so young I thought I would get a warning, a
second chance, but when I was behind those bars I had to adjust to that
lifestyle. It wasn’t until later after being around so many criminals I wanted
to change.” He spent his years in prison writing and perfecting his style, and
on May 5, 2001, Jarvis “Jay Real” Taylor the artist was home. He said, “I
remember coming home and my father saying, “Jay you better get a job” I looked
at my father and said Sir I want to make music…”
Since then,
Jarvis has attended barber school, and he enjoys cutting his two little boys
hair. He is currently a student at St. Augustine’s College, where he studies
theater and film, all the while never forgetting his original goals. In 2006,
he was featured on North Carolina’s freestyle battle for four consecutive
months. In 2007, he performed live at North Carolina Central University; in
that same year, he participated in the BET freestyle battle and won. Over the
past years, he has recorded numerous albums; performed album singles in many
local and out of state clubs and is currently working on his ultimate goal in
life.
“Sick for
Cash Music Group” is Jarvis’ most recent accomplishment. He is one of the
original founders and owners of this latest record company. The company’s
objective is to work as an umbrella company for up and coming artists wanting
to start their own label. They will fund, promote and manage smaller labels
seeking exposure. In the future, the company plans to be commercial, as is Def
Jam and Universal Records, producing unique talented artists out of North and
South Carolina.
In life, “it’s
so much competition, you have to be the best to get that spot, and I’m the
best… I’ve pushed myself even when society turned their back on me, so I feel
like I can already say I’m the best. When times get hard just focus on your
dreams and aspirations, speak it into existence. I’m living proof you can
prevail.” (Jarvis “Jay Real” Taylor)
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