JR Writer

Running the streets of Harlem, USA and rhyming since he was able to put a pen to paper, 20 year-old Diplomats member JR Writer is making a mark in hip hop that can not be erased.

At the age of sixteen, JR chose rhyming over basketball. His family and friends offered help and support, and they encouraged him to pursue a career in music. Selecting the name JR Writer as his stage name, the J and the R are his initials and Writer from the combination derived for his love of rhyming.

Growing up in the Douglas projects on 100th Street and Columbus Avenue, life was no ballgame. Writer had spent the majority of his teen life in and out of juvenile facilities from the ages of thirteen to sixteen. Things changed for Writer when he realized his calling as an artist. As a victim of the hustle on the streets of Harlem, his life experiences included assault, robbery, hustling, and more. “It was after getting locked up two weeks following a year and a half bid that I decided to go hard as a rapper and get my life together,” recalls JR.

It was while locked up that JR Writer began to hone his skills as a rapper to then begin sketching his future as a recording artist. “COs (Correctional Officers) took notice of my skills as soon as I arrived at the facility. Not even four days in the joint, I was being transferred with the support of COs to other jails to battle other well-known kids who were also labeled as being nice because they saw my drive and ambition." Earning his respect early on, JR’s gift of gab landed him in favorable hands during his bid.

Coming home fresh off of the additional eight months in a juvenile center, JR Writer was introduced to a new hood in Harlem. During that time, his mother and brothers had moved further uptown to 130th and St. Nicholas. “The high school I attended was new and I had a fresh start to practice my skills and prepare for the rap game I desired. So, battling other rappers during lunch breaks and after school became a normal routine for me.”

In 2003, as word soon spread of JR Writer’s slick delivery of words while cruising in and out of rap battles, multi-platinum rapper Cam’Ron of the renowned group the Diplomats soon got wind of the young wordsmith and immediately snatched him up as a group member.

With increased visibility as a new member of the infamous Dipset, JR continues to still battle local rappers such as J Mills and other up & coming signed artists for respect. Besides traveling along with the Dips and appearing in their videos such as “Push It,” Writer continues to perform on public access shows and during club dates, making him a favorite in the group.

With his debut single, “Bird Call” featuring Cam’Ron spinning out of control on radio waves throughout the country, JR Writer¹s highly anticipated debut album titled History in the Making is expected to be released in January of 2006. He also was featured in the current video playing on MTV and BET called, “Dust Out/Get Down” as the next generation of the Dip Set.

A Harlem native, Dominican rapper J.R. Writer grew up listening to Big Pun, Big L, and his all-time favorite, 2Pac. As a teen he worked the Harlem hip-hop circuit hard, appearing on local access cable television shows and joining every open-mike competition he could. It was at one of these battles that he met Cam'ron and Juelz Santana, members of a crew known as the Diplomats or Dipset. Cam'ron had just signed a deal with Roc-a-Fella, Santana was unsigned heat, and the first Dipset mixtape was still in the works, so no matter how impressed Cam'ron was with Writer's fast and furious style, he was unable to take on new talent at that moment. Writer appreciated the praise but didn't believe Cam'ron was serious when he promised to call back once Dipset was settled. It didn't take long for Dipset to explode, and only a month later, Cam'ron made good on his promise. Soon Writer was appearing on a new Dipset track, "Squalie," which would eventually land on Santana's 2003 album From Me to U. He was now a member of the Dipset family and appeared on the crew's numerous mixtapes. A year later, he introduced his own Writer's Block series of mixtapes, landed some tracks on the Diplomats collection Diplomatic Immunity, Vol. 2, and appeared as a guest on Cam'ron's album Purple Haze. His aboveground full-length debut was supposed to hit the streets in 2005, but it took until 2006 for the ambitious History in the Making to land on the Koch label. After the fourth volume of Writer's Block, he hooked up with Babygrande for the fifth volume of the series, as well as 2008's Politics and Bullshit. ~ David Jeffries, All Music Guide