Icon

Born and raised in the Los Angeles area, iCon was surrounded by music. A friend of the family's, Focus…, had began working for one of the most known record companies, “Aftermath Entertainment,” as a producer when iCon was 12.

Although Focus… was often away from Los Angeles promoting and working, iCon still attended several studio sessions whenever possible and learned the production side of music at an early age. iCon began playing instruments at age 5 when he attended Baldwin Hills Elementary School; he went on to win his first music scholarship at age 7 and knew he wanted to live his life around music at age 10.

After graduating from high school at Alexander Hamilton Music Academy, iCon started making moves with independent labels and working with a few high school friends that also shared the same dream. Right out of high school, he started selling beats locally for a couple of hundred dollars to keep money in his pockets without getting a “day to day” job and stopping his creativity. Although, things were not moving the way he would have liked them to. So, after a year of sweat, blood, tears and a few misunderstandings with Independent Labels, iCon decided to take matters into his own hands and work alone. “Promoting myself has been one of the best career decisions I could have made. Trying to work with managers with more established clients than you, it gets pretty tough when the producer feels like he is being pushed off by the wayside. Especially, when you have the talent, drive, and passion for the art,” says iCon.

As iCon’s talent, drive and passion grew, it led him to currently work with people from publishing companies such as, Bug Music and Hollowstone Music, where he is currently negotiating a deal.

In 2007, iCon began working with a group called “The Jerk Boiz,” who from his understanding, created a dance entitled “The Jerk.” iCon liked the movement and had an idea of creating a song that expressed what jerking was. This is where he co-produced as well as co-wrote a song for he and a member of the group, "AD,” entitled “Im Nice (jerk wit it)." iCon says, “This song was never promoted properly, and led to another talented group (New Boyz) taking advantage of the movement in 2009.”

iCon’s work has appeared on every mixtape, as well as album The Jerk Boiz have put out around Los Angeles since that time. His work has also been heard on other projects from talented local acts like, (L-Rich) “Try to Hard” and “Let it Bang,”(Mischif‘s) “What it Do” and “Gutter Lane,” as well as a previous A.Fam Records/Aftermath Entertainment artist, (Pro-Verb’s) “Sexy Lady.”

What makes iCon stand out is his diversity. iCon went on to comment, “I don’t want to be someone who came in, placed a few hot beats and features, then gets thrown by the wayside. I have a serious passion and love for my music and I want to be known for just that; my music! I don’t want to sound like the rest. Sounding like the rest will only make you disappear with the rest when a new style presents itself to the world. I want my name to be mentioned among greats like JD, Kanye, J Dilla, Dr. Dre, and The Neptunes. Not just, ‘Oh that’s that guy that made that one track.’ That’s not my goal.”

iCon keeps his music fresh by relying on his moods for inspiration. “Everything I make is based on my emotion at the time,” he says. I was feeling creative when I made Mischif’s (What it Do),” says iCon. “That’s why it has a bit of everything in it. It’s dark, with a sense of gutter emotion, and has piano in it to lighten up the mood a bit. If I’m in a good mood, it’s most likely going to be R&B, Pop or Soul. Emotion is the trigger for me.”

iCon plans to make an impression on the entire industry, disregarding the genre. He said, “This year I plan on going hard and moving as fast as I can, while still making solid decisions and creating quality music. Lots of producers these days have forgotten that quality is huge; and part of that quality is getting the raw sound from real instruments, not just synths!" iCon says, “I just want to live up to my talent and be a great Entertainer, Producer, Songwriter, Artist, all of it.”

At a young age, playing 4 instruments and having his discipline, he is well on his way.

Credits:
(Mischif) "What it do" "Gutter Lane"
(L-Rich) "Let it Bang" "Try To Hard"
(Pro-Verb) "Sexy Lady"
(Jerk Boiz) "Im Nice (Jerk Wit It)"

Soon to come: "Lee Charm"

Check iCon out Online - Myspace - Twitter