Take Note is a spotlight series that features musicians that can arguably be labeled ‘underground’ and that deserve your attention. This week, our pick is Jon Bellion.
Who: Jon Bellion
If you’ve never heard of this man, then you may have heard of his work. Collaborating with big name artists and delving his spirit into a wide array of musical genres, Bellion is an up and coming New York song-writer and hip-hop artist. He is signed with Visionary Music Group.He is responsible for the chorus of “The Monster” by Eminem featuring Rihanna and won a Grammy in 2015 for it. You can also recognize his input in Cee Lo Green’s “Robin Williams,” Zedd’s “Beautiful Now” and Jason Derulo’s “Trumpets." Bellion’s influences range from Coldplay to Kanye West, the latter of which inspired him to drop out of college and pursue music.
Why give him a listen?
I may be biased, but he is by far one of my favorite musicians. Bellion carries an aurora of authenticity – he composes and produces all of his own music. He doesn’t put profit above music and he’s an explorer of the jungles of mixing genres. The music is hard to label, but it’s an indie cross of hip-hop, pop, and electronica.
Catch an earful of him before he muddles in the mainstream, which he definitely will someday, to claim you’re hipster. He deserves a much larger audience. Keep an eye out for his fifth mixtape in the coming months, they’ve all been free to digitally download so far.
My top three suggestions for you
1. Dead Man Walking
This one is my favorite solely because of the humorous lyrical genius.
2. Human
I can become very introspective, and so can Bellion.
3. Woke The F*ck Up
Currently, this is his hit song. It was inspired by his troubles with a woman.
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