The General J.Als

About The General J.Als

The General (expired link) was born James E. Allen II, on September 15, 1984. Raised by his dad, James Allen Sr., a hardworking man who taught him to value life and those around him. His mom passed away when he was only four, but he still holds a very vivid memory of her. The General (expired link) grew up in Flint, MI, one of the most dangerous cities in Michigan, and has one of the lowest unemployment rates in the country. “Being from Flint has really showed me that you have to go get what you want out of life. Flint is hard and if you don’t work hard for what you want, you’ll never have it.” says The General (expired link). He has started traveling to focus more on his music and producing.

The General (expired link) started playing the saxophone at an early age. He began teaching himself how to play the piano, by mimicking what he heard on the radio. Eventually he started producing songs and playing them for his friends, and soon started selling beats to local artist. It wasn’t until 2008 where The General (expired link) started writing seriously. “Producing is my first love, writing came later. We used to all get together freestyle, beat box and then pretty soon I just started writing,” says The General (expired link). In the Fall of 2009, he recorded his first mix-tape, “U Gotta Love It” Vol. 1. Constantly in the studio, The General (expired link) was gathering skill as a writer, taking his influences, like 2Pac, Notorious (expired link)., Common, Scarface, Jay-Z, Emenim, Andre 3000, Nas, Kanye West, Ludacris, Joe Budden, Lupe Fiasco, and using them to shape his own style. “I Listen to a lot of different music,” he explains, “My interest has always been in music that I can consider genuine. Real music separates itself from the garbage, and that is what I stride to pursue throughout my career. Real Music!!!”

Becoming more and more popular in the mid-west, The General (expired link) began to have an ever-increasing local audience, Producing and recording continuously. In 2010 he hooked up with local artist and long time friends, Slim Jakson and Jai Chitta, to form the group The Certified Paper Chasers. The Certified Paper Chasers is a independent Record Label that has gain a lot of attention around Michigan. The three different styles blend and forms a sound that has never been heard. They have recorded many songs and released their first album, “CRTFD”, in the summer of 2012. “Being the Vice President of a label is a lot of work, but working along with others that has the same hunger, and same focus is a very valuable asset in this music business,” he expresses.

In 2012, The General (expired link) released his second mixtape, “U Gotta Love It Vol. 2.” Which features songs, “What Winners Do” and “I Get Lifted.” He is currently recording his debut Album, “U Gotta Love It” The Album, which will be available in 2014. “Progression is a must,” says The General (expired link). “Being able to improve is very important to me. I have to keep making good quality music, and keep getting people excited to hear my music.” The General (expired link) shows every element of a successful artist, he’s a producer, writer, graphic designer, and engineer. The depth and quality of his songs, shows that his music is from the heart, where he invites you to see where he’s been and where he’s going.

-UGottaLoveIt