This 26-year-old out of Birmingham claims to have the perfect balance of street and conscious content. Get familiar with Jabo...

Standout: "Flex"

Also check out: "Chill"

And: "Make It Work"

Name: Javan Micah Ishman

Age: 26

Hometown: Birmingham, Alabama

I grew up listening to: Pac, Big, UGK, Nas, Jay-Z, T.I., Jadakiss, OutKast, Goodie Mob, Cash Money, Dipset, Snoop, Joe Budden, Fab...Pretty much anything I could get my hands on. I never discriminated on East Coast, West Coast, or Midwest music. I embraced it all. I listened and learned from all the different forms and genres of hip-hop.

Most people dont know I: Have a college degree. When people think "rapper" they think "uneducated" for some odd reason. What they fail to realize is that a lot of their favorite artists went to college and are well educated.

My style has been compared to: T.I. and Bun B with a little Nas sprinkled in here and there. I have been told that I almost have a perfect balance of street and conscious content. I can go hard on a street record or a club record, but I can also touch the soul on a heartfelt record, or serenade the ladies on a love ballad.

My standout records and moments to date have been: The entire experience. From the grind, to building the buzz and getting confidence, to the stage. Just the whole rise and grind experience, but if I had to pick one, I would say getting a feature from Yo Gotti on my record "Drop" and just getting a chance to meet and work with legends such as Carl Thomas and Slim Thug.

My goal in hip-hop is: To help erase the stereotypes of the art form and the artist. Hip-hop is a very delicate and sophisticated form of music. Even though today it may seem that any and everybody can make a song or post a YouTube video, hip-hop is still a very complex art form and when done with time, thought, consciousness and awareness of how it affects the masses, it can be used to uplift the community and bring attention to issues that are important to it's consumers. My goal is to touch as many as I can in a positive way through music, and be one of the most respected lyricists from the south.

I'm gonna be the next: I dont know, the next great artist I hope. Just the next guy to leave imprints of greatness in the game at a high level.

To check out more of my music: Follow me on Twitter @Jaboent and download Alabama Talking 2 on LiveMixtapes.
 

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