Many artists dream of becoming truly free and independent in expressing their arts, but only a few manage to turn these dreams into reality
any artists dream of becoming truly free and independent in expressing their arts, but only a few manage to turn these dreams into reality.
Indonesian hiphop artist Joshua 'Jflow' Matulessy is one of the lucky few.
His third album, #REFILL, which was recently launched, is more than just a compilation of songs. It's a statement of artistic freedom.
The album, according to Jflow, is produced, marketed and distributed using a 'very indie' spirit ' meaning that from the production phase to its final distribution phase, it's all done by Jflow and his team.
The physical look of the album is unique. While most recording albums in the market come in the form of CDs or digital file downloads, Jflow has packaged his new album in the form of a key-shaped USB.
'The key-shaped USB is a symbol that this album 'unlocks' the door that restricts musicians' artistic freedom,' Jflow said during a recent concert to launch his album in Jakarta.
#REFILL is the second solo album fully independently produced and distributed by Jflow, after Dreambrave in 2011. His first album, Facing Your Giants, in 2008, was produced by a record company.
Going fully independent, Jflow said, was the most viable option for hiphop artists in Indonesia if they wanted to maintain their idealistic integrity.
The hiphop music segment in the country is very narrow and therefore, it is very difficult for artists of this genre to find a recording company that is willing to record their albums and distribute them, he added.
Jflow's stubborness to stay true to his artistic freedom might sound like a big gamble to other artists, but so far, it has rewarded him massively.
One of Jflow's songs from his Dreambrave album, 'Tonite', is featured in the Rush Bros music video game. Another song that he composed, 'Rise and Fall', is also being used by Manchester United soccer club as one of its theme songs for a campaign.
Jflow's success and his drive to stay independent are molded through years of struggles of defying the odds and tribulations in his life.
Born in Jakarta, the 34-year-old rapper had only seven years to know his father, John Joshua Matulessy, before he passed away. Since then, Jflow's mother, Susanti Martha Wilaya, raised him and his two older sisters alone.
'My mom is a hero for me. She is tough on the inside but soft on the outside. She is the reason that I could go through college and get to where I am right now,' Jflow told The Jakarta Post during an interview.
Jflow started to learn about being independent after he graduated from senior high school. Despite his mother's best efforts to work day and night, she just could not find enough money to put Jflow into college.
'My mother told me that if I wanted to go through college, I had to do it on my own. I then tried to look for universities with reasonable tuition fees but all of them, at that time, were very expensive. I almost gave up,' he said.
He then read an ad in a newspaper, saying that the Pelita Harapan University (UPH) was providing full scholarships for only 40 students. He applied even he was barely meeting the needed grade requirements.
'A week later, I received a call and was told to take part in a test. There were 400 other applicants and by God's grace, I passed and received a full scholarship.'
Obtaining a full scholarship at UPH's school of social and political sciences was only the beginning. If he wanted to keep the scholarship, he had to be involved in all campus-related activities and book a grade point average (GPA) of at least 3.25 out of 4 every semester.
'My home was in west Bekasi while UPH was in Karawaci. I had to leave home at half past four in the morning to get to my campus by eight using public buses,' he recalled.
'I did homework, papers and studies for tests in the bus. My college life honed my time management skills and really molded me to become an adult.'
It was during Jflow's college years that he found hiphop ' introduced by one of his canteen buddies, Saykoji, who is also a well-known rapper on the country's music scene.
'Saykoji and I met in late 2000. We had no money back then, so we often shared our food in the canteen. He was my canteen buddy and he introduced me to hiphop,' Jflow said.
He said that before meeting Saykoji, music and hiphop were not his passion.
'My passion was soccer and it was the main reason why I maintained good grades. I just wanted to finish all my tasks as soon as possible and to the best I could because I wanted to have more time to play soccer,' said the man, who finished college in three-and-a-half years and scored a 3.3 GPA.
'After I learned about hiphop, which allowed me to channel all my thoughts and emotions, from Saykoji, I fell in love with it and started to learn more about it.'
At first Saykoji did not like Jflow's style of using notes while rapping but eventually decided that it was his unique style and that was when the name 'Jflow' was coined.
'I rap with a flow of notes because I used to be a church choir member. Saykoji initially told me to ditch the note flow but it was too difficult for me to do so. Eventually, the style became my trademark and I can say I'm the first rapper in the world who raps with note flows.'
Jflow said that when he started rapping, he did not look up to any rappers because the hiphop culture was relatively new to him. But as his career progressed, American rapper and producer Jay-Z became his idol, who he wanted to emulate.
'I admire Jay-Z both as a musician and a businessman. He is an example of how a hiphop artist should develop a career,' Jflow said.
Jflow said he was confident he would reach his dreams to become an internationally acclaimed rapper like Jay-Z.
'I always dreamed of visiting Manchester United's Old Trafford stadium as a kid. Through hiphop, I achieved that dream,' he recalled of the trip he made last year.
'If there's anything I've learnt from using hiphop as my career choice, it's to never give up on your dreams.'
To learn more about Jflow's latest album, click jflowrighthere.com
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