It’s Wednesday afternoon in Texas. That means it’s a hundred and hell degrees outside, but you’d never know it by looking at Derelle King. He’s smooth, calm, cool. He seems shy at first, until we start talking about music. His demeanor changes instantly and we spend the next 45 minutes talking about every artist from the early 90’s up until now. He’s surprised at how much I actually know about music, and I learn a few things from him. Give and take, you know. Gradually we start talking about him, since that’s what we’re supposed to be doing anyway.

When he first started writing rhymes and performing more than 10 years ago, Derelle went by the stage name Relle. However, as most of you know, there’s already a few of those around. One day Relle was talking to a friend about changing his name and the friend suggested JusOne, meaning that even though there were other Relles in the game, Derelle was the best so there was really “Just One.” From that day forward he was known as JusOne.

In 1997, at the tender age of 16, JusOne began writing poetry and eventually rhymes. He was told by friends that he had a great voice and that he should get into music. He took that advice to heart and along with a lot of encouragement from his grandmother; he decided to give it his all. During this time, the passion JusOne saw in Jay-Z, Nas, Biggie, and Tupac influenced him to make music that his listeners could feel. When I tell him that I don’t like Nas he stops me in my tracks. He laughs and we go off in a whole new direction and start talking about how important lyrics are versus a beat. We agree that a hot beat can draw attention to your track and can be the difference between a banger and a blowout. JusOne says he’s a sucker for melodic beats with strings, and when I mention “the violin chick” he says, “Hell yea!” We talk about her for a minute and we agree that he should do a track with Miri Ben-Ari, better known as the Hip Hop Violinist. Miri has done tracks with Twista, Jay-Z, Kanye, Busta, Britney, and Mariah, just to name a few. We talk about Justin Timberlake and I tell him I don’t like him either. We argue about lyrics, beats, artists, and life. Then he tells me I’m a great debater, another way of nicely telling a woman she’s opinionated. I like it though because I am. I’m picky about my music you see, and that’s why you should listen to me about JusOne. I’m co-signing this one, it gets my stamp of approval, it’s allowed on my iPod, i can dig it. Keep reading kids, and maybe I’ll give you some ear candy when we’re all done here, ok?

I ask JusOne what motivates him and he instantly starts talking about his daughter, Asya, who is 3. JusOne says he grew up without a father and spent half of his life without his mother. He says that he won’t have the same for Asya and that he wants to make sure she has a beautiful life. He’s also motivated by his brothers and sisters and says he wants to show them that anything is possible if you just go get it. He says his last stream of motivation comes from the haters, and he does it for everyone who says he couldn’t do it, that he would never make it, and encouraged him to give up on his dream. With so much motivation this guy has to succeed!

I think you can easily call him a success, although he probably won’t agree yet. JusOne signed with LongGreen records in February 2007, an independent label based in Oakland, CA and Dallas, TX. He’s got big dreams and wants to be more than a rapper, more like an entrepreneur. The rap game is fickle and he knows it first hand. He says he can see the bullshit coming a mile away though, and he “cancels it immediately like a stolen credit card.” With that being said he wants to become more like a mogul, but one thing at a time.

I ask him what’s in his iPod, and he answers, “My album.” I dig it. He says he also has Lil Wayne’s “The Carter 3” and Jay-Z’s “Reasonable Doubt” on it too. Sounds pretty good to me! You can tell from his selections that lyrics are big with this guy. I ask him what his “back in the day” jam is and he asks me not to laugh and admits that it’s a tie between Warren G’s “Regulate” and DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince’s “Summertime.” He describes the tracks as his “feel good music.” We laugh at ourselves and reminisce about old music from when we were kids.

We start talking about his new album and I tell him that we’ve heard that he’s got tracks on the album with Too Short, Jazze Pha, Pink, Vernadine White of Earth Wind & Fire, B.G., and J. Sabin. He starts acting all funny and wondering how I got the info and I have to explain how I have this crystal ball and sometimes I play with tarot cards and all. He laughs and says he can’t confirm or deny anything, just that he wants to make music that people can relate to forever. We’re not leaking anything, but we know what’s up JusOne!

As we wrap the interview up I ask him for a few bars and he’s ready like Freddy. He starts spitting fire like a komodo dragon and I start smiling instantly. The mark is on him. He’s the truth.

“My swagg spells arrogant I walk and talk like I’m da shit/ make these sweet sundae rappers do a banana split/ look at my click mama wanna balla take ya pick/ all my dawgs pitbulls like Michael Vick/ what you think we hustle for money homey not the fame/ new rocks new rings new chains/ if you could do the same you would do the same/ but you can’t do the same homey you lame/ life’s good hey I love it I’m supposed to smile/ hip hop is not dead, I am the poster child!!!!/ I touch paper then I blow it like a EZ wider/ hey the booth is my bitch so I’mma cum inside her!”

I’ll leave that alone because I think it speaks for itself. Here’s a track we managed to get our hands on. Take a listen and get ready to go cop the album coming to a store near you REAL SOON! JusOne. That’s all we got to say.

JusOne – I’m On Fire