J Morris has enough energy to power a fleet of hybrid cars, enough soul to raise a church roof, and enough music in his blood to contaminate the average man. And, featuring IAMSOULFUL and Mischa, the Canadian hip hop artist harnesses it all into his latest single, “Lockdown.”
Drawing on his years of music and entertainment experience and stories to tell, J Morris’ latest track is a fiery hip-hop collaboration that keeps its foot on the pedal the entire way. With hard-hitting lyrics and a mesmerizing hook, “Lockdown” swims between the lines of upbeat to mid-tempo hip-hop. J Morris lays the foundation with a clear-cut lyricism that upholds his stance on maintaining his passion for the art in a world that tries to hold you back.
Weaving through the punchy verses are IAMSOULFUL and Mischa — two powerful rappers with momentous influence. Adding their creative flair to “Lockdown,” these two powerhouse performers bob and weave in the buoyant vibrancy J Morris carves out.
J Morris was born in Ottawa to a hard-working mother and the reputable Ras Lee, a legendary reggae singer, in the low-income housing projects of Centre-Town, finding hardship as second nature as music.
Through his musical ventures, Morris co-produced the city’s first hip-hop DVD series, “Hold It Down,” in 2004, as well as “Cap City” in 2009. These productions led to a career in radio for Morris has he climbed rank with shows like The Wordlife Show on CKCU 93.1 FM, The B.R.L Show on CHUO 89.1, and Bring Ya Eh Game on CIUT 89.5 FM. Through these outlets, he was nominated and received an award for Local Talent Development in 2009.
Much as J Morris’ music reflects the struggle of hardship and overcoming the obstacles of life, his day-to-day activism and regard for human life mirror his humility and his roots. Through this altruism, J Morris founded The Annual Hip Hop Food Drive to service his community while also giving musicians a platform to perform. He is also the Music Director and Co-Founder of Cranium Arts Project which operates Cranium Festival.
With this, you get a sense of perseverance throughout the track. Perhaps it’s through the hardships that early life presented to a young J Morris. Maybe it’s the challenges that come with breaking through a crowded music scene. It could be a mishmash of both of those things.
Either way, “Lockdown” provides encouragement many people in similar situations need: “You just gotta maintain.”
“You can feel it in your soul when the passion hits / I’m fighting for a cause, I’m an activist…”
“I want all the violence just to stop now / and the world to be in peace after lockdown.”
