Official BIO according to JoneZen :
” Jonezen, a Detroit native, has called California home for almost a decade. He discovered his love for music in the 4th grade when he wrote his first lyrics. The road his passion would take him would be an unpredictable one filled with success, failure, ups, downs, fights, injuries, heartbreak, and everything in between. Including an alcohol addiction that almost took his life and landed him in rehab.
Before Jonezen entered rehab and the world of recovery, he spent the past 7 years performing and writing music with his group Outta-Control. His life was exactly that — Out Of Control. Drugs, parties, late nights, long tours, daily drinking, injuries, run-ins with the law, arrests, and fights all became the norm. Jonezen embraced the ride as his group started to gain recognition in South Lake Tahoe, CA. And along side his band mates Jonezen made a name for himself in the underground Hip Hop scene.
During his career Jonezen has performed over 400 times, toured and recorded with platinum artists, American Idol singers, licensed material for use in TV and film, been nominated for the San Diego Music Awards Best Hip Hop album, performed for Source Magazine and the American Cancer Society, received press in numerous publications, been featured on major mix tapes, taken the stage with hip hop legends including Swollen Members, Mixmaster Mike of The Beastie Boys, Pigeon John, Blackalicious, Collie Buddz, The Pharcyde, Living Legends, Zion I, Saigon, Sweatshop Union, One Block Radius, and more.
By the age of 24, Jonezen’s drinking habit had taken control of his life. His days began with violent shakes and cold sweats until he had a drink. He quite literally could not function without alcohol. In 2011, after another arrest and a doctor telling him that he would die if he continued to drink, Jonezen moved to Los Angeles in an attempt to get his life back on track and his drinking under control. Despite several attempts to get sober on his own, sweating and shaking the alcohol out of his system for days on end several times, his efforts failed and he found himself in a position to either die from alcohol abuse and be cut off from his family or enter rehab. He chose rehab.
Jonezen was in the process of recording his second solo album and insisted that he be able to bring his recording studio with him to rehab. He did and during his time in treatment he recorded two albums. “Live From Rehab”, which was released as a free download, and “Beautiful Disaster” which has yet to be released. While in treatment, Jonezen got the opportunity to work with platinum recording artist and producer FamBody (Father MC). Upon meeting Father MC, the two instantly connected and shared a similar story. The single the two produced, “Buried By Six”, landed Jonezen a record deal with Famous Records that he signed while he was still in treatment.
With a new lease on life and the best part of his music career still ahead of him, Jonezen is getting ready to release more recordings done in treatment on a second “Live From Rehab” album and putting the finishing touches on “Beautiful Disaster” which is scheduled to release early in 2013. The album is sure to be his best work yet. His lyrics paint a picture and tell a story that is told in an honest and true to life manner, with a delivery that is smooth and precise. From writing songs that carry a message and tell his story, to writing the next big summer party track, his diversity lends itself to every area of Hip Hop. In the words of an old friend and promoter who discovered Jonezen and his group Outta-Control:
“DOPE. Best s*** yet. Keep up the path your on. Skys the limit!” -Billy LateNiteProductions
** Official Interview **
D.Cox : I was reading your bio on reverbnation. Overall, you have been in the music industry (Hip Hop) for 10 years who (or what) initially inspired you to begin your career as a hip hop artist?
Jonezen: ” I wrote my first lyrics in the 4th grade and began playing guitar shortly after that. I’m one of those people that just loved music from an early age. I remember when I was really young I used to blast House Of Pain “Jump Around” and literally jump around my parent’s apartment. I loved that joint. From there it was on. I knew what I wanted to do. Once I was old enough my band and I (Outta-Control) moved from Detroit, MI to Lake Tahoe, CA. We finished recording our first album, started booking our own shows and doing the damn thing. It was one of those things where I knew what I wanted to do from an early age, went for it, and never looked back.”
D.Cox : You born as the name Chris Jones. How was JoneZen born ( the story behind the stage name)?
Jonezen: ” Jonezen actually came out of rehab. (I just got out of treatment where I signed my deal with Famous Records) In the Outta-Control days I didn’t really have a stage name. We were Outta-Control and that was that. My nickname was PP and the crew just called me P. So when Outta-Control decided to take a break and I decided to keep putting out material as a solo artist I needed a name. For my first disk P.eP Talk I used my real name. (Chris Jones) I got WAY to many MIIIKEEE JONNNESSS comments so I had to switch it up. When I was in rehab my good friend and owner of Delta 9 Clothing said: “Why don’t you call your self Jonezen”? (Making reference to my last name and FEENING or JONESIN for a drink/drug. Which worked perfectly being that I was sitting in a treatment center) I ended up spelling it Jone-ZEN because I had been reading this book on Zen philosophy while I was there and everybody had been telling me that I was super calm and never seemed stressed. (Which is odd sense I have “Outta Control” tattooed on my chest) Never the less, it seemed like the perfect name.”
D.Cox : Your bio indicated you participated in major projects, such as performances in over 400 major shows ; toured and worked with platinum artists; American Idol singers; had songs use in television and film and more. Can you name which songs that played on which television shows or network and film? And can you Identified who were the platinum recording artists you worked with and what is the main lesson you learned from working with those artists?
Jonezen: ” I licensed a track off my first solo disk P.eP Talk called “Look Me In The Eyes” to a CBS affiliate. The song was used on a show called Karma Butler Presents American Dance Legend. The girl (Lindsey Nash) who sings the hook was on American Idol the year that Carey Underwood won. I am also the front man in an LA based Hip Hop/Rock group named “Straight Jackitt”. (www.facebook.com/straightjackitt) Our songs “Not What You Think”, “Vote For Me”, “You Belong To Me”, “Killing Me To Live”, and “Bleed Black” have been used in movies such as 200 MPH, Born Bad (A Lifetime Original) 2 Headed Shark Attack, Big Foot, and Hold Your Breath. My original group, Outta-Control, and I have recorded and toured with Mad Child of Swollen Members who is a platinum artist. I have also worked and/or performed with artists like Sweatshop Union, Living Legends, Marty James of One Block Radius, Dilated Peoples, The Alchemist, Zion I, The Pharcyde, Blackalicious, Souls of Mischief and others. You learn a lot from working with and touring with other artists. I pay attention to what they do on stage, how they work the crowd, how they interact with other members in the group while they perform…. tons of stuff. It’s dope when you develop a relationship with them and get to kick it with them in the studio while they record. You get to shoot the shit and be a part of the creative process. I’ve learned some engineering and recording techniques looking at mixes they would do and paying attention to how they lay their stuff down.”
D.Cox : I have listen to your hot tracks on Reverbnation, and there are two tracks that really caught my attention: “ Beautiful Disaster” and “ Look me in the eyes” . Can you explain to me and your fans the meaning behind the tracks and the inspirational messages?
Jonezen: “Look Me In The Eyes” is an easy one to explain. Lindsey and I dated while we were working on an album together. The relationship got pretty serious and like couples do, we fought. After one of those fights we wrote that song. I think it sums up a lot of arguments couples get into. It’s really her saying “Look at me how could you think I’m lying? You know me.” And the guy sort of saying: “Yea my bad I know I was tripping about nothing”. Pretty standard I think. “Beautiful Disaster” was recorded in treatment and is set to release on a mix tape called Live From Rehab. I think you can sum that track by listening to the intro. It’s got that Al Pacino sample from Any Given Sunday where he’s saying “we’re in hell right now but we can fight our way out”. That’s exactly what I felt like. In that track I am talking to a lot of people. People in recovery, my old friends, and anybody like me. It’s got that anger in it. It talks about the way I used to live, people I know, things I used to do, and how those things are still a part of my story and my mentality. Then the hook comes in and sort of changes the tone. It’s not on a “yea F*** this give me a drink when I am out of here” tip. It’s really acknowledging that I see things got pretty out of control but this disaster can be beautiful is I want it to be. A re-birth. I think it’s also a statement track. It’s me saying: “go ahead and lock me up in this rehab center and throw away the key but I am still recording. Still making music. This is for me people!”
D. Cox: Finally a lot of artists say, “When you experience the momentum once in a life time per event”. How do you feel to have those opportunities “The Momentum “which allow you to be successful in your own right in this industry?
Jonezen: ” That momentum is almost like a drug itself. It’s empowering. It’s hard to explain how you feel when you start to make some moves and you’re playing big shows, getting some guest features, selling some music, people know your name. It’s amazing. It feels like your dreams are coming true. It definitely inspirational and keeps you going and working harder. That being said it can also be your enemy. Nothing will stay good forever. I’ve had so many ups and downs in my career and I have seen people throw in the towel because of them. I’ve managed to use everything that’s happened, or not happened, as motivation, as momentum. If things are going great then good lets work harder to keep that ball rolling. And if things aren’t working out and stuff is falling through then its time to figure out what isn’t working and why so I can get that momentum back. Having momentum keeps you motivated to keep that momentum going. And a lack of momentum is motivation to step your game up. In my experience it’s paid off to use everything, good or bad, to your advantage.”
In order to keep up with the latest on JoneZen , follow his social network links :
http://www.facebook.com/straightjackitt
https://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/jonezen/id548530435
FUTURE UPDATES :
The Live From Rehab mix tape, which was recorded in treatment, will drop in early 2013 followed by the official album Beautiful Disaster.
Beautiful Disaster is set to release on Famous Records.
My single “Buried By Six”, which is produced by Father MC, was recorded while I was in rehab, and landed me my deal with Famous Records, is available now on iTunes along with my album P.eP Talk.
RE-FUTURE UPDATES ( LATEST on March-April 2013 )
Albums available for review upon request. Please contact crjones84@comcast.net
2) ” April 5th in Los Angeles, CA @ The Good Hurt Nightclub in Vencie Beach. (Part of the Live From Rehab Tour) which has already hit Lake Tahoe, CA, San Diego, CA, Bakersfield, Ca, and has more dates to be announced. Live From Rehab was presented by Coast2Coast Mixtapes and a new track coming out with MadChild of Swollen Members in April.”
OFFICIAL FEATURE 
Yeah baby. That’s our boy! From the fellas in Straight Jackitt!