The Rise of Jus10

Hip-Hop is a genre of music that has been rapidly growing and changing over time. It went from artists performing on street corners and battling, to artists recording themselves on their phone and uploading music to Twitter. Each generation comprises new hip-hop artists, and each artist contributes to hip-hop in their own way.

Justin ‘Jus10’ Alexander is a senior mass communication major focusing on audio production here at Frostburg State University. Alexander says that at the young age of six years old, he began to rap. Inspired by artists like Drake, he began to take his music seriously during his senior year of high school in 2013. When asked how he would categorize his music, Alexander said, “it’s soulful; normally when people listen to it they tell me that they can relate to it.” Using his talent, Alexander expresses himself through the music that he creates.

Alexander not only expresses the way he feels about certain things in his songs, but he also talks about situations that he has been through in his life. Some of the songs that the artist creates also talk about problems that are going on in the world. In 2016, Alexander released his mixtape, Here Goes Nothing, on the music streaming app Spinrilla. The mixtape, which was designed with a picture of the artist himself, was also added to Apple Music, another streaming service.

Since the release of his 2016 mixtape, Alexander has released five more mixtapes, one of which is titled Lord Forgive Me, released in 2017. The mixtape is composed of 13 songs and can be found on Apple Music. His most recent mixtape was released in 2018 and is titled This is Goodbye. This is Goodbye is composed of seven songs and can also be found on Apple Music. One of the songs featured on the mixtape is titled “10PM in Frostburg (Final Chapter).” In the song, he talks about how things have changed for him over the time he has spent at Frostburg State University. One of these things is a student organization here on campus.

Alexander is the president of Creative Minds, a student organization that focuses on showcasing the creativity of the students on and off campus. Under the leadership of Alexander, the organization holds multiple events throughout the academic year that allow students to showcase their talents to the general student body. The organization also holds events that allow students to learn different skills as well as prepare to take on creative opportunities in the future.

When it comes to how he prepares for performances, Alexander says, “I pray and just meditate.” The young artist has performed at a number of events on Frostburg’s campus and earned the respect of his peers. During the 2017-2018 academic year, Alexander performed at the Annual African Student Association Pageant.

Juggling performances, presidential duties, and mentoring is hard work, but Alexander has one more major obligation: school. Being a college student is no walk in the park. One must learn how to balance their responsibilities and use their time wisely. Alexander says, “it is stressful; when you are doing your work, all you focus on is your music in your mind, but it is worth it.” Being a mass communication major focusing on audio production, Alexander has the ability to enhance his music with his knowledge. There are not a lot of artists who are able to say that they have received an education in the audio field and are able to produce their own music.

In his song “10PM in Frostburg,” Alexander mentions that he has helped a lot of other artists. Being the president of the Creative Minds organization, he is able to mentor other artists that are a part of the organization. To upcoming artists, Alexander says, “just be yourself and work every day. Even when you are busy, try to find time for your music, because you are only going to get better.” It is things like this that put Alexander in the position to not only be a great leader, but also a great artist in the future.

Making his way to the top, not only academically, but musically as well, Alexander says, “in five years I hope to be rich, living in New York, and musically being known as one of the most creative artists.” As of right now the artist is not working on any major projects but is promoting his past two mixtapes. Both mixtapes can be found on Apple Music, one being titled Black and the other, as mentioned earlier, is titled This is Goodbye. Justin ‘Jus10’ Alexander is on his way to the top, so be on the lookout for more music from the young artist. Be sure to also look out for his organization, Creative Minds, as they keep us entertained with their events throughout this academic year.