About Icarus Jones

Icarus Jones never has been shot in the face. In fact, he’s never been shot anywhere, and he’s not a drug dealer, gangsta or thug. A Stockton Christian School graduate, Jones is a wiry guy with a mop of brown hair who works as a roadie for Thomas “She Blinded Me With Science” Dolby. He’s also a phenomenal rapper — arguably one of the best in Stockton. “I write for the common man/who thinks uncommonly/and spit it for the cats who used to ask what was wrong with me,” Jones raps on his forthcoming album, “Smokesignals and Satellites.” His smart, straight-forward rhymes and head-bobbin’ flow make you want to stand up and testify for hip-hop. Jones, born Justin Newsom, performs in Stockton recently when Dolby takes a break from the road. He said he began listening to rap in high school, when friends introduced him to artists like Bronx pioneer KRS-ONE and Southern California gangsta legends N.W.A. Their depiction of inner-city struggles intrigued him. “It was, at the time, completely different,” Jones said. But Jones also realized that, unlike those rappers, he couldn’t rhyme about life on the city streets. He hadn’t lived that in Stockton “One thing a lot of people told me, be true to yourself,” Jones said. “Be different.” The result is lyrics that move from old-school boasting to self-examination and Common-like conscious rap. It’s art with a tough heart. Jones’ choice of collaborators also sets him apart in the local rap scene. He’s performed with a live band - the Jones Family Band - and he’s sat in with Stockton old-time/folk/soul group the Second String Quintet. “It’s easy to get bored at shows, rapping over beats with a DJ,” he said. On CD, Jones also has worked with a variety of producers, including Stockton’s world music-influenced No Shame.

- Ian Hill, 209Vibe, March 2, 2007

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