HipHopOnDeck Interviews JP One| @chosen1Jackpot

Detroit lyricist and Gifted & Talented, LLC. founder and CEO, JP ONE (short for Jackpot Tha Chosen One) presents the B. Hughes-directed music video for “Win or Lose”, the BJ Gates-produced lead single from Fire & Brimstone, his forthcoming project featuring Boldy James, Chel Strong, Pierre Anthony, Nep Jennings, Street Pacino, Motivation, Gain Green, and Rail Fresh. The production on the first installment of a trilogy set to be released this year is largely handled by his personal DJ/Producer, Pig Pen, but BJ Gates, Flamin Lacez, and SPC Productions also lend a hand. Following the death of his father at five months, JP spent most of his childhood in foster homes and juveniles. In his early teens, he was signed to Motown legend Barrett Strong’s Blarritt Records, but soon after found himself facing a nine-year armed robbery conviction. He released a mixtape exactly four weeks after his release. Three years later, he has several mixtapes under his belt, including Gifted & Talented (listen on Audiomack) and I Am Legend (listen on Audiomack). He was recently nominated for Best Hip-Hop Artist at the Detroit Underground Hip-Hop Awards, while Gifted & Talented was nominated for best full-length project. According to JP, “‘Win or Lose’ is all about doing what you have to do to reach your goals. Most people have no real aspirations in life, so they will shoot your dreams down. They don’t believe it until they see it. If you spend your whole life worrying about what other people think, you will never reach your full potential, because people are going to hate you if you win and hate you if you lose, so it’s best to do what you gotta do.” Fire & Brimstone drops March 9th on Gifted & Talented, LLC.



How did you get your name Jackpot Tha Chosen One?

I got the name Jackpot Tha Chosen One through a few transformations. I was using my initials and calling myself "ACH Tha Jackpot". I started working with a local record label owned by Motown legend Barrett Strong, but before I could sign a deal, I went back to juvenile. I came home after a year and after rapping some of my new music for Mr. Strong, he said, "Man... You were just ACH when you left. Now you JACKPOT." I thought it had a nice ring to it, so I rode with it. The album I was working on was called Tha Chosen One, so I would say it at the beginning of songs and the moniker stuck, although I left the label and never released anything from those sessions.


What do you think is the number one thing you need in order to be a great rapper?

The number one thing you need in order to be a great rapper is a good and distinctive voice. Lyrics and flow come in a close second and third, but a dope voice could hide a lot of flaws. Most good rappers can't pick their beats right, so they end up losing a lot of potential fans. 


What rappers in the game do you have the most respect for these days and why?

I have the most respect for Jay-Z, Nipsey Hussle, Yo Gotti, Kevin Gates, and the other guys who got it out the mud. I have nothing against record deals, but that's too much like working for a someone else. I'll join a partnership with a bigger company, but I will never give up control over my own destiny. 


What are you implying in the title of your forthcoming album Fire & Brimstone?

With the title Fire & Brimstone, I am implying the death and rebirth of the common misconception of rap or hip-hop music. People expect for all rappers to fit a certain mold and I'm not a street rapper or a hip-hop rapper. I'm a real lyricist that is somewhat a hybrid of the two. The Fire & Brimstone trilogy is destroying and rebuilding.


Any advice for rappers on the come-up?


The best advice I can give rappers on the come-up is to invest in themselves. People always look at the word INVEST and think monetarily, but time and effort is a huge investment, too. You need to be fully committed to being successful or you're never going to get to the finish line. There's a million obstacles to overcome in order to reach greatness. Most people give up or settle before they reach their goal. That's what sets people like me apart. I take everything in stride and keep it moving. If you don't have that type of attitude, you're going to concede before you accomplish anything worth talking about.

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