At his grandmother’s house, a seven-year-old Justin Hart stumbled into a freestyle session his two uncles were having in the back room. They were sitting on the floor with other family members in a circle. In the center of the circle was a tape recorder to document the session. His uncle, Jr. asked if he wanted to join in. Reluctant to agree, he shook his head no and said he just wanted to watch. The session continued. The two uncles were going at each other, both trying to display that they were the more developed artist. A couple more rounds went by. Again, his uncle Jr. asked if Justin wanted to try. He secretly wanted to show both of them up and be the dominant one. He shyly agreed. Justin stepped into the circle, pressed record, and began his very first freestyle in white, Power Rangers pajamas. The freestyle was basic of course. However, it marked the start of a dream, a goal, a revelation. Justin, the beginning of the 90’s babies, was born in Oakland, Ca. He immediately moved to Okinawa, Japan and finally found a home in Long Beach, Ca. He is a military brat by both parents. His mother was in the Air Force, and his father was a Navy officer, who quickly turned into an overseas sensation as a rapper. As a youth, Justin was told he could not be a rapper or a DJ. He had to write in secrecy. He wrote rhymes in class, freestyled on his way home, and dreamt of stardom at night. Somewhere in the mix of running away from home, selling marijuana, and a basketball scholarship, the music had become lost. His grandmother had sabotaged Justin’s scholarship, and he was forced to live in his car for about two years straight. Survival had become his first priority. He wrote in his car and recorded occasionally, but nothing came of it. Eventually, Justin got enough support from his family and friends to get him into California State University Dominguez Hills. He moved into the dorms and had become engrossed in his studies. In wasn’t until his mother passed on February 27 th, 2010, that he woke up. It temporarily immobilized him. A young, black man losing his mother at nineteen is devastating. Justin, who didn’t know what else to do, began drinking heavily and documenting his pain in lyrical form over beats. He shortened his name to Jay Hart. His content was full of hurt and the wisdom of a young adult forced to grow up prematurely. Jay decided to join with an R&B singer in a group called,”TheTeam.” “Lifestyles of the Rich and Lameless”, their debut mixtape, was a small success. Jay left the group shortly after to go solo. The music you hear currently is his best work to date. He is working on a solo EP set to be released Fall 2012.