Photo courtesy Bronson Jones
For most, music inspires the soul, but for Bronson “Israel” Jones, his soul inspires his music.
Jones, a Florida A&M University student, is a sophomore English major from Gainesville who works as an independent artist keeping the roots of hip-hop alive.
Jones has been writing creatively since he was nine years old and started to explore music as a personal art form at the age of 13. As a member of Voices Poetry Group and an independent hip-hop artist, he has continued to explore music in more ways than he knew possible at FAMU.
The meaning of “Israel,” being the one who wrestled with God, serves as an accurate depiction of the trials he has faced in his lifetime, according to Jones.
“Music is a form of therapy for me,” said Jones. “The personal experiences I’ve experienced at FAMU have given me more than enough subject material to write about.”
Jones began to turn his life experiences into musical projects because of one of his biggest inspirations in life: his sister. After finding that the person he was closest to was able to turn life into art, he was inspired to do the same with music and has shown his dedication to doing so.
“Before I got [to FAMU], I trapped myself into a mindset of only being able to make one style of music,” said Jones. “But being around so many genius artists here has inspired me to try new things in my artistry.”
FAMU’s culture has contributed a sense of versatility to Jones’ artwork that he has used to his advantage in the projects he has dropped while being at the university. With his ability to change his style from contemporary bass-heavy beats layered with self-aware lyricism to an old-school rhyme style on songs like “Alive,” Jones accomplishes a conscious flow that nudges the listener to replay his tracks, showing different layers to the artist.
“You can tell he’s influenced by underground and smooth 90’s rap, but he also incorporates a modern twist,” said Ayanna Clayton, Jones’ best friend. “His flow and choice in beats sometimes can allude to that.”
Jones’ dedication can be seen through the number of projects he has released thus far and will continue to throughout his musical career.
Jones has already released a compilation titled, “The Collection, Vol. 1” and a few other singles on all streaming platforms. He currently has a few projects in the works, including “BRON” and “Gangstas & Evils.”
“Bron works extremely hard. I’ve seen him record several versions of the same song until he was satisfied,” said Jabari Capers, another student-artist at FAMU. “I can tell he’s always immersed in his craft.”
Jones continues to release music and perfect his craft by exploring different aspects of himself within the music he releases and through live performances.