Young artist uses YouTube success to launch new rap music career

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OCEAN COUNTY, N.J. – It’s rare to find a 14-year-old with enough talent that he already has years of success under his belt in the entertainment industry. But that’s exactly what Hunter James brings to the table as he prepares to release his debut EP on Jan. 7.
 
James is a fresh and young hip-hop artist out of New Jersey who already has thousands of Twitter followers and tens of thousands of viewers on YouTube thanks to a successful YouTube channel called “Hunter Vlogs TV” that he’s parlayed into a successful career over the past two years.
 
“It’s a channel that does a lot of funny skits and challenges, but I’ve been slowly transitioning into making it more of a music channel,” James said. “I’ve always loved music my whole life, but it wasn’t until I started messing around with some beats in FL Studio one day that I really got hooked. Eventually I started to rap and I really fell in love with that. I listen to rap music because I like the vibe and sounds, but I really love a good rap song that has a story in its lyrics.”
 
James said he recognizes how hard it is for a young person to break into the music industry and have a long-lasting, successful career. But he hopes that he’ll be able to break the mold, so-to-speak, and use his existing fanbase as a foundation for growing that musical career into something far-reaching.
 
“I know I’m young, but I want to show people that no matter how young you are you can create music that people will like,” he said. “I’m trying to inspire other kids and let them know that they don’t have to wait until they’re grown up to do something big. People will take you seriously no matter how young you are if your music is good enough.”
 
James describes his music as a “laid-back, relaxed style with rapping in it.” He produces his own beats and usually uses the instrumentation to inspire the lyrics. His EP, which will be called “HJ,” will feature five songs that will display his variety as an artist. The first single, “Cold World,” features acoustic guitar with “raspy singing combined with rap.”
 
“It’s a song that says no matter what happens in the world – no matter what happens to you every day – it’ll all work out,” James said. “The sun comes around after the rain.”
 
The second single is called “Alone,” and James said it’s a song that starts off sad but builds to a happy resolution.
 
“It’s a song that tells the story of an old man who has never really loved anyone,” James said. “He’s 70 years old and he’s been alone his whole life. He’s trying to win the lottery so that someone will love him, thinking that if he has a fortune they’ll love him. Toward the end a girl finds him without knowledge of any kind of financial fortune, and they fall in love. I try to make all my music tell a story like that, because I want my music to have a meaning and be engaging.”
 
Recently he was able to perform live at The Bitter End to a sold-out show in New York City. It was his first live performance, and the experience is one that he said was indescribable. It was a moment that he knows will live in his memory forever, and which has served as an inspiration to work harder and create more music so that he can re-live many more of those moments over the years.
 
Fans who want to find out more about his music releases or future live performances can follow Hunter James on social media on Twitter and Instagram. And fans who want to sample his music can visit his YouTube channel.