J. Cash and Jon Young Interview: “Orlando’s Finest”

YALL ARE FROM ORLANDO FLORIDA WHICH IS KNOWN MAINLY FOR DISNEY AND BOY BANDS, HOW DOES ORLANDO HIP HOP DIFFER FROM OTHER PARTS?

J. Cash: The music has nuttin to do with Disney or anything like that, we just trying to make good music for people from all over to enjoy. We rep Orlando a lot but thats cuz we love our city, we got pride for where we from, and there’s a lot of talent down here that goes overlooked.

Jon Young: Disney is fun as hell, you ever been? And did you see all the chicks N’Sync & Backstreets got? Even the gay one! (Laughs)

OF COURSE I BEEN TO DISNEY LOL! WHO IS YALLS INFLUENCES IN THIS MUSIC?

J. Cash: I don’t really have anyone I style myself after in this rap thing, but my influences in looking at this music stuff like “Wow I wanna do that” goes back to Mo-Town and stuff like that. Everytime I hear a Temptations song it makes me want to make a hit.

Jon Young: I’ve been a fan of music before I can even remember. My parents had crates of old 45’s and LPs. We had everything from Thriller, to Funkytown, to the Top Gun Soundtrack, all the top 40 stuff and I instantly feel in love
with music.

It’s one of those things that can’t be explained. My brother is also a musician, he’s 6 years older than me so I always looked up to him. He was recording and doin shows since he was 14, before Pro Tools & all that. I used
to drop horrible sounding tracks on his Fostex 4-track recorder. He showed me there was more to life than just doin the 9-5 thing, that you could actually live a dream.

HOW DID YALL 2 MEET EACH OTHER?

J. Cash: We had met freshman year in high school waiting for a class. Both of us shared the same interests in cars and music so we just clicked well.

Jon Young: Yea, I was in a new school and knew nobody and him & his boy took me under their wing so to speak. I was into lowriders and No Limit Records & so we
instantly became friends.

YALL HAVE A HUGE FOLLOWING ON MYSPACE AND WE READ THAT YALL SIGNED A MAJOR DEAL WITH DEFIENT ENT/WARNER BROS. HOW DID THAT DEAL TURN OUT?

J. Cash: It didn’t (laughing) I don’t really want to get into that, but we aren’t with them and just doing our own independent thing. And on the MySpace thing… yes we have a lot of listeners and fans on MySpace, but just like any other musician there’s people all across the country with our songs on their mix CDs and MP3 players ya know. We are not just “MySpace artists” as some people like to label us, I dunno what that’s about.

Jon Young: Yea, a lot of it was a big waste of time but we got a bit of a glimpse into the industry and we got some nice equipment out of the deal so it wasn’t a total loss. But we’re doin’ a lot better now. Gettin’ more shows, up on iTunes, and we can make the music we wanna make!

ARE YOU OR WERE YOU GETTING OFFERS FROM OTHER LABELS?

J. Cash: Some, nothing too serious, these labels want you to have a hit already spinning and bumping in the club before they wanna work withcha… n by then, you don’t even need the label really.

Jon Young: Yea, we’re gettin offers but we can pretty much do all the things they’re offering on our own. So kids, if you get offered a deal saying….”we’ll get you on iTunes and all that,” don’t listen because you can do that on your own, you do not NEED a label anymore!

HOW DO YOU FEEL ABOUT THE STATE THE MUSIC INDUSTRY IS IN RIGHT NOW?

J. Cash: It’s flooded. Just like the economy, it’s all messed up. There’s too many people doing it. We’re lucky to have gotten in and known when we did.

Jon Young: Life seems to have a lot to do with timing. Had we jumped in the game right now, I doubt you’d be interviewing us. The industry right now is in
situation where there’s more artists than fans. Everyone wants the spotlight, it’s cool to have dreams and aspirations but I think people & artists forget to be fans. When I was a kid I would literally skip school to go buy
new releases. Now people feel like they’re better than the artists they once looked up to. But I’m sorry, a poorly executed freestyle on a 50 Cent beat on YouTube IS NOT MUSIC!

WHAT PROJECTS YOU GOT OUT NOW AND WHAT DO YOU GOT COMING?

J. Cash: Our albums are for sale on our MySpace pages and
www. jonyoungmusic. com There’s a free MIX CD for download on our pages. Ringtones are being put in all phone providers as we speak so search our names, we’re probably in there or will be soon. Itunes of our classics going up, a whole new album going up there too and we’re pushing too singles, Rent Money and Dance Floor.

Jon Young: Yea, this new album….it’s nutty. The songs were recorded over the span of a year so you get a good amount of range. After sittin’ down to get ‘em
mixed & mastered I realized that this is probably our best release yet. A New Era, comin’ sooner than you think!

IF THERE IS ONE PERSON YOU COULD WORK WITH WHO COULD IT BE?

J. Cash: Timbaland cuz we’d make a hit from that (laughs) and I always wanted to do a song with Weezer, I think that’d be cool.

Jon Young: I hear that! Instant smash! (laughs). I’m gonna have to go with Gym Class Heroes. I know they would put me to shame on the song but that’s okay, they’re amazing.

WORD ASSOCIATION- TEL ME THE FIRST THING THAT COMES TO MIND WHEN YOU SEE THESE NAMES

J. Cash:

LIL WAYNE – Overrated
THE RUNNERS – Hits
SHAMROCK – Grindin
LIL WYTE – Oxycotton
PLIES – Goon

Jon Young:

LIL WAYNE – Uninteresting
THE RUNNERS – Anthem
SHAMROCK – Hustler
LIL WYTE – Crunk
PLIES – Florida

WE THANK YA FOR YOUR RESPONSES, ANYTHING ELSE BEFORE WE ROLL?

J. Cash: Thanks to all our fans for the ongoing support, and please, PLEASE stay requesting us to your radio and club DJs cuz THEY need to see there’s a demand for us if we ever gonna blow up and get the music everywhere.

Jon Young: We realize nobody owes us anything but if you truly enjoy our music and want to see us go further in our career, then please help us spread the word. Whether it’s to the kid sittin next to you in Math class, or the DJ at
the bar or club you go to every weekend, just spread the word about us. We appreciate your support more than we could possibly express, without y’all we would’ve never seen our dream become a reality. And keep checkin’ your iTunes for us, THE LEGACY VOL. 1 is coming, A NEW ERA, and plenty more to come!

Jon Young & J. Cash, 407s Finest!

www. myspace. com/jonyoungmusic
www. myspace. com/officialjcash
www. myspace. com/jonyoungandjcash
www. jonyoungmusic. com