JonOne: DJ & Music Producer
Up-and-coming NYC local star Jon Madray, known as JonOne, stopped by Music Matters Media ‘s weekly podcast to chat with Lisa Holahan about the ups and downs of fame, his thriving career, exploring different avenues of the entertainment industry and his rising popularity as of late. Hailing from Hollis Queens, New York the 25-year-old has been on the turntables since the age of thirteen. Mainly known in the EDM world of DJ’s, he cites a wide range of musical influences including Caribbean and Reggae. With a lengthy resume already under his belt, the producer’s journey has been a plentiful one.
Jon followed in the footsteps of his father who was also a former DJ and as his interest grew, so did his talent. In his mid-teens, as his musical genius began to take flight, he then began experimenting with different sounds and technology, which eventually led to teaching himself how to play a variety of instruments. Multi-talented by nature, Madray was always a fast learner and still describes himself as “a student of the game”. Realizing his potential early, he began to focus solely on becoming a better producer. In time he began solidifying his individual style, which can be considered a refreshing mix of Electronic and Caribbean dance music. Madray who is of Guyanese descent has never been afraid to push the envelope when it came to individuality. As a result, he is bringing a new angle to the EDM world. He expressed that playing a number of different genres early in his career is what began to get him recognized. Once people began to take notice, being versatile is what helped him gain popularity.
Still, just halfway through his twenties, Madray has played in venues and shared the stage with many acclaimed DJ’s that many aspiring DJ’s could only dream of, such as Major Lazer, PartyNextDoor, 3LAU and Laidback Luke. Madray also collaborated with the late great Grammy-award-winning producer Avicii, whom he describes as a tremendous influence of his. When asked about his advice on success, he said, “Stick to what works for you. Be yourself. Embrace your style, and be confidant in who you are. This creates empowerment.”
Jon also touched on the pitfalls of the industry and the grind not always panning out when you might think it will, but how staying the course is the key.
“You never know when that one extra-long night when you were up until 4 a.m. working on your craft, then you have to get up at 8a.m. for a full time job…well that may have been the night that the right person spotted you.”
Lastly adding, “Keep at it! And just DO it.”
It is this optimistic and humble yet go-getting attitude that has seemed to set the aspiring actor apart thus far. Yes, he does that too! He will make his big-screen acting debut in Creed II this fall. In addition to the wildly successful release of 2017’s ‘Peace, Love, Carnival’ EP under his belt, the flourishing disc jockey is busy these days with the popular ongoing Monday Mixtape Series, as well as being casted in his first TV series this year, Billions. Though he is exploring various creative projects, music is where it all began. So we asked the multi-faceted producer and DJ why music matters to him, to which he replied, “It’s a good, fun vibe that takes you away from everything. Music matters because it’s an escape.”
* To listen to our interview with JonOne: Click here to listen to our interview*
*To learn more about JonOne please visit his website at: www.Jononemusic.com*
Written By: DeShonna Watson
Originally published at https://musicmattersmedia.com on September 4, 2018.
