In this episode of The Truth In This Art, the guest is LuvJonez.

About LuvJonez: Portland, Oregon–based instrumental hip hop producer and beat maker whose work weaves a nostalgic, down-tempo blend of musical influences drawn from his cultural roots, extensive travels, and artistic experiences. Beyond music production, he founded and runs A Beat Happening, a free, monthly, all-ages, inclusive BIPOC and LGBTQIA2S+-centered music producer and DJ showcase built to connect artists across the city.

In our conversation, LuvJonez talks about how time on the East Coast, in the Pacific Northwest, and around Caribbean culture shaped a sound that doesn't sit neatly in one lane. He remembers going to beatmaker showcases in DC and New York before moving to Portland, watching producers just share their music with no ego and no competition — something that stuck with him long before he had any plans of his own.

He talks about his approach to making beats as less about chasing a style and more about following a mood, using the process to decompress and work through his day. It's a "no style is my style" kind of thing, where the genre-blending isn't really a decision so much as a byproduct of everywhere he's lived and everything he's taken in along the way.

He also gets into how A Beat Happening came together, noticing that rappers in Portland had plenty of platforms to perform, but producers and beat makers didn't really have anything built for them. The idea started small: approach a local record shop, no money involved, no tickets, just a chance for beat makers to get on stage.

LuvJonez reflects on the show now reaching its nine-year anniversary, having hosted over eighty events and featured more than four hundred local Portland artists along the way. For the anniversary, he changed things up — rather than booking individual artists like usual, he invited other music collectives around the city to share one lineup. He talks about going into it unsure whether everyone would say yes, and how surprised he was when every single collective agreed, turning the night into a rare moment where the city's music community showed up for each other instead of competing.

Be sure to follow LuvJonez on Instagram, Bandcamp, and YouTube to keep up with his music, and follow A Beat Happening on Instagram @abeathappening or at abeathappening.org for show archives, photos, and videos from over four hundred featured artists.

Image courtesy of Subject. 

The Truth In This Art is supported by William G. Baker, Jr. Memorial Fund, the Maryland State Arts Council's Creativity Grant and Mayor's Individual Artist Award - Creative Baltimore Fund (Baltimore). 

Host: Rob Lee
Music: Original music by Daniel Alexis Music with additional music from Chipzard and TeTresSeis.
Production: