MUSIC
It was the music. I n the days before the world would get a glimpse of him as Jx Hines, Joshua Hines would head to church on Sundays in Fort Pierce, Florida with his seven brothers and sisters to listen to his father, Terry, lead the masses in prayer and song. While the cadence in his father’s sermons could move mountains, it was his singing voice that would leave an indelible mark on young Joshua’s soul. Standing in front of his congregation, his father presented a powerful yet soothing presence, gifting an inspiring aura that could heal with its spiritually charged powers. And while Jx Hines’s infectious R&B, soulful sound is reminiscent of Miguel, Marvin Gaye, Chris Brown, and Usher, it was Terry and Shirley Hines (his mother) who would drive the earliest and strongest influences of his future path. “I experienced love at its highest form,” Jx says. “My parents have been married for 36 years and are still going strong. All I have known is love. And in a world where it seems we have gotten away from this, love still means something.” Make no mistake about it — Jx Hines and his “Making It Cool to Love Again” message is blowing up. Riding the wave of new releases like On My Way and Fireflies , the 27-year-old artist with an old soul is pushing his way in to music mediums everywhere
that. If we can feel all of the negative out there, I know we can embrace the positive.” The music, the message, and musician are just the sort of package deal that Peter “Stoney” Maynard was looking for in his new Atlanta record label, Black Scorpion. Cutting his industry teeth as the head of executive protection and road manager for Young Jeezy, Maynard set out to find artists with socially responsible messages in today’s divisive times. “When you see the Black Scorpion label, I want you to know you will be listening to the best music and lyrics out here,” says Maynard, who partnered with entrepreneur Louis Von Rippon to kick the label into motion. Since teaming with Jx, Black Scorpion has helped push the artist and his music upward, including landing Hines on New York’s DJ Flex’s Top Ten list and being named the opening act for R&B singer K Michelle. As for Jx, the future is filled with the promise of taking his music and brand to the next level, including film, fashion, real estate, and community outreach. “Music is the footprint, it is where it all starts for me,” he says. “We have an opportunity to make a real mark on the music world, so it is the vehicle that will lead the way.” That is why his relationship with Black Scorpion is bursting with so much
It means so much when you have love in your heart. I want this generation to feel that.
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promise. “Someone once told me that, ‘The world is small when you know good people,’” Jx says. “I intend to keep hanging around good people to get where I want to go.” Like any old soul knows, keeping the path you want to travel always in your sights is just good business.
and attracting the attention of artists like Zoey Dollaz, Deniro Farrar, Maino, Da Baby, Anthony Hamilton, and DJ Luke Nasty, all of whom have collaborated with him. That is a long way from his days drumming for his father’s church band and those dorm room jam sessions at Johnson C. Smith University (JCSU) in Charlotte, where he and a friend set up their closet as a recording studio to kill time in between football and track practice.
The intimate sessions, usually including some friends and teammates, helped him set his sights on bigger things. And it was not just being a recording artist. Jx wanted his music to be something that could make a difference in a time when things (education, politics, music, and movies) appear to be spiraling out of control. “It all comes down to love,” he says. “It means so much when you have love in your heart. I want this generation to feel
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