Most successful musicians at a time in their life will make
a song/album about the benefits and drawbacks of fortune and fame. He is known
to confront and tackle this subject before his first album was finished.
What looked like a very daunting future was overturned into
a promising and bright future for this 18 year old London Singer/Rapper. Since
the beginning of 2005 Jesse has become hip hops golden child. His mix tape
‘Only Me’ was one of the hottest releases on the web this year. He even reached
No.3 in the chart with his single ‘she’ll be calling’. As well as chart success
and internet hits and fame he has also made it into competing for awards. He
was nominated for 4 Grammy Awards in which he won 3 of them, beating Lil Wayne,
Jay Z and Eminem. His achieved so much for a 18 year old especially when he
hasn’t even released his first album.
“I won’t lie…2005 had to be the craziest year of my life. I
mean everything just happened so quickly. I still wonder how on earth I made I
through that year” he said whilst sipping and swirling his dark red wine
relaxed on the new Gucci sofa he treat himself to. I watched him as he gazed
straight ahead through the window of his Los Angeles Apartment. He gazed out
the awesome view of the city; this view had to be worth a few millions. Well
after the Multi-Million bid companies had for this young star he can definitely
afford this. Not bad for an 18 year old.
Jesse Afadi grew up in New York. It seemed that he was
destined for greatness he had stared in many shows as a child and was writing
and performing his own songs at the age of 10. He slowly moved away from acting
and started to concentrate on music. He was a big fan of Michael Jackson and
desperately wanted to follow in his footsteps. He slowly started to work on his
mix tape in which he perfected and released it in 2005. A lot of stress for a
young boy who had to tackle both music and school work.
“I went to a black slightly ghetto school in Boston. Some of
us dreamed of being successful and some of just wanted manage and make it
through life. Well ha when I look back now for some of us success was a dream
which could never come through, especially when you lived in a rundown
neighbourhood in Boston”
Jesse’s success story was down to determination and dreams,
the determination that he would one day be successful. He lived with his single
mother In Boston, she had two jobs and seemed to work every day. His father was
a musician and song writer who encouraged and guided Jesse as he pursued his
dream of one day making it as a somebody in the music industry, something in
which his father was not quite able to do.
“Wow, My Mum?....My mum was a tough lady, raising up a child
on her own, paying for bills and food. I’m really grateful to her, really grateful.
She’s a organised woman; she always made a plan and stuck to it. Everyone loves
her, everyone. Then there’s my dad, he always had visions and goals and set out
to meet and achieve them just like my mum. He had the motto ‘Failure is not a
option’, he refused to give up. Personally I felt closer to mum, she was always
there for me, especially when I began to rise, I always ran to her for advice”
As time passed Jesse felt the urge to live life and be free.
He wanted to be like the other rappers and singers in the music industry
“As I started to grow as a musician I felt the goal of
success was actually in reach. I mean, as a 18
year old you want the money, clothes, cars and houses. That’s what the
media portrays happiness to be like” he said looking straight into my eyes.
“C’mon tell me who doesn’t want to have a bit of fun, party, drink and travel?
Everyone does of course. But as a young man you just want to live life to the
full, make up for things you’ve missed out on” he said as he smiled and pour
himself some more wine.
For a young guy he’s come a long way. Being signed to Jay
Z’s Roc Nation Label, high profile collaborations with stars such as Jay Z, Lil
Wayne, Trey Songs and Rihanna. Things could not get better.
“Being signed to Jay Z’s label has to be one of the biggest
achievements of my life. When I got that phone call I thought it was a prank, I
was almost about to drop the phone” he laughed. “But I thought I recognised the
voice from somewhere, so I listened a bit more. And yeah, I got signed. When
mum heard it she cried, in fact she came down to congratulate me. I felt that I
had finally made her proud” he smiled “Family comes before anything in my life.
And i’ll go to the extreme to make sure my parents are happy and I’m sure
they’ll do the same. And once I’m settle, I’m gonna treat my Mum like the queen
she is and my Dad like the King he really is.”
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