21 Questions w/Jehuniko

DEF!NITION OF FRESH has the pleasure to introduce you to one of the most talented emcees in the game Jehuniko. The rhymes he brings to the table are made passion, energy, and hours of writing about life experiences that can bless others in life's situations. Jehuniko is the type of emcee that truly has the passion that is driven by the HipHop movement. Jehuniko is an artist to look out for....Enough talking and now it's time to get to know Jehuniko.


What's On TV? First off, let me start off by telling you thank you for supporting my music like you do and really everything you do for hip hop. In answer to your question, I don't watch TV and haven't since I was a kid. However when I am traveling, I like to lay in bed, order room service & check out the Discovery Channel & National Geographic.

What's On The Playlist? In the gym or out running, I need a go hard soundtrack so it's alot of Pantera, Deftones, Young Buck & Future. When I am cooking or working at home it is Erykah Badu (the live album), Damian Marley, TOK, Sizzla, Portishead, Tres Coronas and lots of interviews. I like listening to the Combat Jack Show, NPR Mic Check, TED Talk interviews, MMA/UFC related interviews, speeches from global business leaders, marketing gurus, real history stuff not that corrupted version of history. I'm just a sponge for knowledge. It's nice to give my ears a break from 24/7 music so I listen to alot of interviews.

What's your guilty pleasure? Order room service when traveling? Watching the latest videos on the Thrasher Magazine site, Ride Channel & Berrics Site every night before I go to sleep. Not really a guilty pleasure, more of a way to put my mind to sleep.

What's your pet peeve? People who don't use their blinkers while driving, thieves, human rats, people at the gym playing with their phones at the gym while others are waiting to use the machine they're on.

Favorite Flick? Avatar, The Doors movie, The Jerk, 300, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory. The only movies I tend to see are kids movies with my daughter. We go to the movie theater often but it's whatever movie she wants to see. We recently saw this movie Monkey Kingdom filmed in Thailand I think. It was put out by Disney and showed monkeys going into peoples houses stealing food, crossing busy streets via electric wires, it was so tight. I had to beg my daughter to see that one instead of our normal cartoon movies/kids movies. Oh yeah, the NWA movie was tight! I saw that on a date, I was so hyped watching the West Coast come to life in a theater.

Favorite Artist? Bjork because she is so unique, Damian Marley, The Weeknd, Tupac, any of the vocalists from the Buena Vista Social Club, KRS-One, Prodigy from Mobb Deep, Erykah Badu, Capital X, Cormega.

Favorite Group? Gangstarr forever, rest in power Guru. Mobb Deep-that Free Agents mixtape, Black Sabbath forever - nights in Europe walking the streets solo looking for food on my 1st European tour long ago, The Doors, Pantera, Deftones.

Favorite Producer? Sid Roams, 808 Mafia, Scram Jones, the guy who produced Portishead's music, Illangelo who did much of the Weeknd's 3 mixtapes.

1st rap album you ever purchased? Mobb Deep. I purchased others with gift certificates as a kid but music wasn't really a part of my life then. Later on, as music became an escape and subsequent voice for my thoughts, it was Mobb Deep and others who spoke for me.

How old were you when you first spit your rhyme? I started singing in bands at 19 & found spoken word & later writing /recording hip hop songs as a proper outlet. I had been writing stories/poetry since I was 13.

How would you describe your music? I always rated dancehall vocalists for making their voices into instruments. Michael Rose from Black Uhuru was an early influence and Bone Thugs & Harmony as well. My intent was to do the same with my vocal performance. I want to give people that energy, be it a go hard soundtrack or something melodic with personal content. I have been called the Mexican Eminem, the Mexican Drake, that I sound like Bizzy Bone, compared to Lou Reed or Leonard Cohen but I don't sound like anyone but me. Maybe you hear my influences at times but my unique sound is as much a detriment as it is a blessing. I really enjoy painting pictures with my words, this coupled with raw storytelling and perhaps even something message oriented. I'd rather uplift people than destroy them and share some kind of life experience so that maybe people won't make the same mistakes that I did. 

1st Job? Renting beach stuff at a skate shop when I was 11 years old. I'd sit outside with my skateboard all day and talk to tourists. I would skate about an hour away to the beach to go work during the Summer. I learned the importance of work ethic early on as my Mother was a single parent receiving no help from my father at all. I lived with my Grandparents also and observed an insane work ethic that even if my Papa was sick, he'd always go to his job working construction. He was so hardcore about it, I loved it!

How has your life changed since becoming a rap artist? I learned the power of your voice. I always knew this factor existed but was so humbled when it landed in my lap. I'm just so humbled that people place value in my words or confide me in me as a result of the words & experiences I share. A good example is my song/video "20 Years Old" which discusses domestic violence & rape. People from around the world participated in the video. The US, Canada, Europe, The Middle East and the message was heard loud & clear. Also, being thanked for arriving in a small snowy town in northern Denmark, being told my lyrics fit a person's reality in Mexico City, having people take the time to tell me how my lyrics help them through hard times, it chokes me up honestly. I don't take it lightly it all. I'll read these comments or messages and just be blown away. I'm just so honored to incite such an exchange of thoughts and ideas.

Hidden Talent? I have painted for most of my life, I enjoy cooking and train in martial arts.

Favorite Meal? Mexican food after going to Europe, cold fruit & aloe vera juice after training, having a picnic on the beach with my daughter. I am really into eating as healthy as possible though and it is a huge part of my life. I'm in the gym and training 6 days a week.

Dream Date? Theoretically, because I haven't done this yet but take her to drive go-karts. The fast ones with the windy race track so she can race me & cut me off. This for sure would incite laughter and allow us to engage as true friends before anything else. Maybe a Caribbean beach at night to watch the dark waves & pretend we are sitting on the moon talking about the nightmare that is Monsanto, the upcoming Avatar sequel & anything else that comes to mind.

My Greatest Love? My daughter.

Favorite Sports Team? I'm not into sports but I do watch UFC / MMA fights.

Favorite Websites? Definition Of Fresh! I always check the UFC site, Thrasher Magazine, Ride Channel, illuminati2g, The Berrics site & all the sites that support my music. Check my Twitter time line for that.

What are your influences? My mother, my daughter, my brother, my Nana, my Aunt Marlene, all my friends, 5 years of sobriety, people like Dolores Huerta, Sub.Marcos, KRS-One, Guru of Gangstarr, Jesse Hazelip.com, Miguel Martinez, David Knikols, Capital X, Gabe Rosales, Shihan Price, my carnal Wally Lawson, people who work the hardest jobs yet always seem to be smiling/singing while out & about, people who see the vision & bring it to life. The single parents who handle business in a responsible way, the loyal couples who build solid foundations. So many people to name & things that inspire me. 2 books that really lit a fire in my mind for different reasons were "The Celestine Prophecy" & "48 Laws Of Power."

Any Last Words? Bittersweet Volume 2 drops in a few weeks. Rest in power to my brother ForShow. He believed in me so much & was instrumental in bringing my visions to life. We traveled together & created many videos. The last thing he created before passing was an animated video which will drop soon. He is known around the world for his art & outlook on the world and his spirit will forever be alive in my family. Respect to Anura, Preston, Wade, Demarcus, Knikol, South Africa's Mr.Sakitumi, Carlos Peralta, Gabe Rosales, Miguel Martinez, Karega Ani, Mike G., Nicaragua's Spooz & Roke for believing in me! Lastly, thank you to my supporters around the world. Your feedback on my heartsong means the world to me! Thank you DOF again for sharing your platform! Be sure to check out the below links:

Upcoming Project/Projects:

Bittersweet, Volume 2

Dropping September 21st, 2015

Featuring West Coast legend Sick Jacken of the group Psycho Realm 

Production from:

 - Preston Middleton who has worked with Destinys Child, Scarface & more

 - Anura Neysaidurai who has worked Parliament, dead prez

 -  Rejected Rhythemz who have worked J.Cole, Lil Wayne, Big Sean & more

 - Gabe Rosales played guitar / bass and has worked with Incubus & more

 - Carlos Peralta Jehuniko's longtime production partner

 - Mr.Sakitumi South Africa's premier DJ / producer who is currently on a global tour with Jeremy Loops

 - Karega Ani who works with Jehuniko

More Information About Jehuniko: 

Website: http://jehuniko.com
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Jehuniko1 
Youtube: http://www.youtube.com/user/Jehuniko

Instagram: http://instagram.com/jehuniko