THE REAL THER.I.P.Y. : Albany Native Releases Some Therapy of His Own
Atlanta, GA (October 15, 2006) – Not yet down from the high of producing nearly all the tracks on Field Mob’s “Lightpoles and Pinetrees,” Ken Jo secured a spot on Ludacris’ “Release Therapy”. On the track “Woozy,” the Albany, Georgia native pairs his southern influences and Luda’s clever rhymes with the seductive vocals of R&B bad boy R. Kelly – a feat many producers only wish to accomplish. But the story doesn’t begin here.
Ken Jo was first influenced by his older brother’s (also a rapper), taste in music; hip-hop classics constantly came from the speakers in his home. A classically trained percussionist, he combined this craft with his natural knack for computers, thus placing him on the trail to becoming a platinum producer in the making.One half of the duo THER.I.P.Y. (an acronym meaning The Radiance is Purely Yours), Ken Jo, got his first taste of creating in a studio with his new partner, Paul D., in 1999 after winning a local radio station’s rap competition. The result was a four-track demo entitled “Overdose,” which earned them respect amongst music lovers in the region and gave them the confidence to self-produce their first album, “Off the Rip” (2000), in the attic (dubbed the Southern Chamber) of Ken Jo's childhood home.
By creating a new sound, somewhat reminiscent to that of southern trendsetters like Outkast and the Goodie Mob, Ken Jo is more concerned about making quality music than he is glorifying the glamorous face that hip hop has adopted in the past years. The success of the group’s second underground release, “Strictly For Da Streetz” (2002), garnered attention from the masses and secured them opening spots for major recording artists T.I., Cee-Lo from Goodie Mob, Bone Thugz-N-Harmony, Lil' Flip, 3-6 Mafia, Trick Daddy, Chingy, Freeway, and others. Ken Jo has surely become a living legend, in his own right, in the South Georgia region.
Ken Jo’s credibility within the industry warrants the need for him to sit with the likes of other hip-hop production elite. His production was blessed with the lyrical presence of 8 Ball and MJG, Playaz Circle, Pastor Troy, and BG. He’s also acquired a production publishing deal with Sony/ATV Publishing, through Read and Write Publishing, which is owned by Disturbing The Peace (DTP) executives, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris, and Jeff Dixon – all proof that Ken Jo’s relevance is not unnoticed. The third and upcoming album, “Cornerstone Jones”, a definite hip hop classic, will hopefully shed more spotlight on his somewhat overlooked talent.
myspace.com/theripy
