We got to sit down with J. Wells hailing from the West Coast. He’s worked with artists such as Snoop , Kurupt, Mac 10, Dub C pretty much the whole west coast has done work with him including the queen of the west coast Keyshia Cole. We go on to speak about his plans for his label Bonzi Records. He tells us about the record he has with UK superstar Estelle. We go in on how he got in the door being musically raised by J-Ro of the Lics and being the lil brother of the best of West Coast Legends.

24: Do you think if you were to have stayed in Chicago you would’ve have come this far?

Jwells: Nah i think moving to LA was apart of my destiny. There were a lot of things giong on in my family and when I was twevle years old and I was damn near in a sitaution where I didn’t have anybody because my grandma passed away. My mom had drug issues and she really wasn’t able to be the parent. My eldest brother stepped in and brought us out to California with him and his family. That was pretty much how I grew up. He introduced me to a lot of people in the music industry and through that I met a couple cats and I met J-Ro from the Alkaholics, he took me under his wing. I was almost rescued because growing up on the South side of Chicago if anybody ever been there they would know ain’t much opportunity out there. It’s kind of a tough place to come from. I think it was part of my blessing

24: What is your definition of progress?

Jwells: Progress is finding the next step and doing everything it takes to get that next step. You gotta set goals and you gotta meet all the small goals in between, then you got progress

24: You’re a rapper and an amazing producer. Which field do you consider easier and why?

Jwells: I just feel it comes naturally. I use to lock myself in the room for years just making beats and producing, owning my whole craft. Just being in a situation at a young age where I was traveling a lot working with a lot of R&B artist. I worked with Ne-Yo early on, I did records with Keyshia Cole. I just learned so much as far as production dealing with record companies. Being an artist is just something I wanted to do. Kurupt used to always encourage me to rap cause he heard me a couple times, he was like you need to rap. So I was with it and got in to it and it worked out. My biggest love is being a entrapanuer and owning my own company. Thats my love out of all of em cause thats something I can build up to some body else and let them build it. My company Bonzi Records has been around since 2005 and is just growing and growing. I learned a whole new part of the game, I learned media retail, radio, I learned all of that to how to make an artist come out.

24: ‘Digital Master vol. 2.1’ was released April 14th of this year. Why would you advise the world to go buy it?

Jwells: If you want good musi,. there’s Estelle, Snoop, Dub C, Kurupt, Mack 10 and I got new cats on there Stylistic Jones, my boy Mister, its a great album. If you liked ‘Digital Smoke’you will like it, it’s an album that flows all the way through but it’s a lil more diverse. More of a broader spectrum.

24: you’ve work with OG Snoop to the new face of Estelle on this project. what was it like to have that blend on the album?

Jwells: It was great. One thing you notice about working with great artists with talent is that you don’t have to do as much work. They produce and have a talent of their own. It’s more of a collaboration. One person plays their part I play my part. Its just come together, it’s like magic.

24: We know Estelle is a very talented overseas artist. How did you go about having her on the ‘You Don’t Love Me’ record?

Jwells: Estelle and I been friends since way back in the day. I use to go to over to London all the time like 2002 and she would come over here.We were working together, doing records together and coming up together. it’s a record I had for a minute and I just decided to put this on this project. She blessed it and let me know it was all good. Thats how that pretty much came about.

24: Your music has made it onto a couple of t.v. shows and soundtracks. When you received news like that the first time. What was your reaction?

Jwells: Blessings. The biggest one we got was in the movie ‘Be Cool.’ That was a record we did when I was younger, like 19 or 20. That was a record that was so much fun when we made it. We did it in a lil grimey lil studio and we were all there grinding it out and getting down. When I heard it was going to be in such a big Blockbuster movie, that’s when I learned the value of these records. You never know which is going to land up in a show or a movie. I learned alot, it was sort of enlightening.

24: Being that you were a rapper first. Have you ever made a beat for somebody and was like I’m just going to keep this?

Jwells: Nah for me, I’m a producer first when it comes to the business. So if I feel like I can sell this beat to somebody, I would sell it before I kept it for myself. The way I think is I can always make another one. If I can take this record and get on a 50 Cent or an Outkast album, I’m going to do that first because thats a business move. The end of the day I’m a business man. What I do though, when I do make a beat im always rapping to it, being that I start rapping I can picture how somebody can flow or this certain artist can bust to this.

24: With technology today, everybody is emailing over tracks, sending files and all that. Are you one of those producers or you believe in the old fashion come through to the studio ?

Jwells: I would love it if it was like that. It takes over so much that alot of records are recorded that way. It’s not something that prefer, but I have to go with what the times are doing. Some records are recorded like that and some are done in the studio with the artist, to vibe it out. I love doing that. I remember sitting in the studio recording Snoop and Nate Dogg these the cats I grew up too. Just watching them work it was a honor. You dont always get those situations like Keyshia Cole, the record was presented to her and me and Ron Fair mixed the record while Keyshia was on tour doing what she was doing.

24: When you were younger you were the protege of a producer by the name of J-Ro . What effect has he had on your career?

Jwells: JRo kept me grounded. He was a humble cat, he taught me a lot bout the game in general, what I’m going to have to deal with. He introduced me to a lot of people. J Ro took me at sixteen and took me under his wing as a producer. He taught me Hiphop. Early on when I was 19 the Lics were on the Puff Puff Pass Tour. JRo introduced me to Kurupt and Daz and they embraced me as family too. He definetley opened up doors.

24: You and Kurupt are partners. How is it to work to work with him and why do you think ya’ll mix so well?

Jwells: Man working with him is just fun. He’s just an easy going cat. He’s a talented cat and such a great producer. A lot of my song structure came from him. When it came to making a West Cost song banger. Just classic shit he learned from Dr.Dre that he passed on to me. Shouts out to homie Kurupt.

24: Talking bout mixing well. Who is your favorite artist to work with?

Jwells: I would have to say Snoop. He just so cool it’s just like he makes you feel comfortable. The weed is good( laughs) but he puts the record together so smooth and you learn a lot being around that guy.

24: I ask every producer this. Just opening the network. What artists haven’t you worked with that you would want work with?

Jwells: Ice Cube. I say that because I damn near worked with every body in the west coast but I haven’t worked with cube. So Cube we gotta do one together lets make a classic.

24: What it is in the future for you? What can we expect?

Jwells: Just more executive moves. Seeing my name more as an executive producer. My name behind a lot of projects building my company as an young entreprenuer . Release this record ‘Inebriated’ in the next few years. I aint gon do it like Detox I’m a get it out in a timely fashion. But just like Detox good things take time. When I come with that solo record I want it to be perfection.

24: Any last things you wanna say to the world?

Jwells: Check me out at www.Myspace.com/JWellsmusic or www.BonziRecords.com. The album is in stores go get it.