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At just 22 years old, Chicagoâs J.R. Donatoâborn Demetrius Gordon, Jr.âalready has more than nine years in the rap game under his belt. But this isnât just nine years of hallway freestyles and playground ciphers: by the time he reached his twenties, J.R. had already been mentored by hometown hero Twista and signed by Wiz Khalifa to his Taylor Gang label. From swiping his dadâs Tupac CDs out of the family car to begging his grandma for a copy of Get Rich or Die Trying for Christmas, JR was surrounded by music at a young age in his hometown of Waukegan, just north of Chicago. Soon, he was determinedly handing out burned CDs of his own music to his classmates, recorded at his dadâs studio; finding his hard work left scattered on the ground by disinterested peers only fueled his ambitions. By 13, heâd already landed a local hit, â500 Degrees,â under the name Young JR. Not long after, JR caught the attention of Twista, Chicagoâs first bonafide rap star. He joined the veteran on high school tours throughout Chicago, spreading his buzz from the North side and beyond and seeing his city from a whole new perspective.
[wpex click for full bio]Rap from Chicagoâs North side often falls under the shadow of the cityâs other regions, especially following the explosion of the South side-centric drill movement in recent years. But the Chicago experience extends far beyond any one sector of the city, and while JRâs music doesnât fall under the umbrella of a nationally-recognized subgenre like drill, he likes it that way. âI didnât come up in that era when drill started popping off,â he said. âBut thatâs not really shit to me. I like the fact that my come-up is gonna be different.â JR’s career began blossoming by his junior year when he found himself on tour with local legend Twista. Sure enough, the young MC soon crossed paths with Wiz Khalifa, one of his biggest inspirations. Wiz quickly became a mentor to JR, featuring him on his 2012 Cabin Fever 2 tape and signing him to his Taylor Gang label, where he remains the only Chicagoan of the crew. JR spent the next couple years touring with Wiz and the Gang on his Under the Influence of Music Tour, the opportunity of a lifetime for a Midwesterner still in his teens.
On his 2014 mixtape North Pole, JR featured a range of guests, from Wiz to Ab-Soul to Iamsu!. But on his next project, Fast Money & Freedom, there are no features; heâs determined to prove he can hold his own with no co-sign or outside help, even from his mentor Wiz. Itâs a cohesive eight-song project that still shows JRâs versatilityâfrom Atlanta-leaning trap rattlers to guitar-tinged stoner jamsâand tells the story of his city from the eyes of an introspective North Sider with a lot of life experience at a young age. âIn Chicago, Fast Money & Freedom is the perfect way to describe how we look at life at 17, 18 years old,â he explains. âA lot of people drop out of school because they canât go to school without getting into a fight thatâs gonna lead to a shootout. So motherfuckers end up focusing on other ways they can feed their family. Thatâs our mindstate here: fast money and freedom. We canât think about college and all that slow motion shit. We gotta get it right now.â
JR built of that success this year, releasing his latest project Why So Serious?, out via LiveMixtapes. Inspired by Heath Ledgerâs portrayal of The Joker in The Dark Knight, JR shares The Jokerâs ability to live on the edge and laugh in the face of adversity. Packed with head-nodding, percussive flows, rhythmic hooks, and clever lyrical couplets, Why So Serious? is a level up for Donato, boasting the strongest bars and song craftsmanship of his career. The tape features appearances from Wiz, Sosamann, and Levi Carter. JR also contributed to TGOD VOl. 1, a collaborative mixtape released by Taylor Gang in October after they signed a label deal with Atlantic Records. JR appears on three songs on the tape, including the opener, his solo trap banger âAll Winter.â But for a rapper with almost a decade of experience before he could legally drink, JRâs still a 22 year old who loves Chicago sports teams, can quote any episode of Martin by heart, and likes vibing out in peaceful scenariosâmaybe under the influence of some psychedelicsâwhere he doesnât have to worry about the troubles that shade his hometown. âThatâs what weâre working hard forâto distance ourselves from as much negativity as we can,â he emphasized. âIf I could smoke weed with everybody in the room and get them to feel like Iâm feeling, thatâs my idea of a good day.â
[/wpex]Press Releases
On Tour with Kap G, JR Donato Enlists Wiz Khalifa, Ty Dolla $ign, & More for New EP”
On Tour with Kap G, TGOD’s J.R. Donato Shares a New Hustler’s Anthem with Wiz Khalifa”
Wiz Khalifa, J.R. Donato, and Chevy Woods Have Money and Weed to Burn in “The Man”
Taylor Gang’s J.R. Donato Going on Tour with Kap G, Releases “Can’t Tell Me Nothin” Video
Taylor Gang’s J.R. Donato Can’t Figure Out Who to “Trust No More”
J.R. Donato is a Joker and a Smoker on Why So Serious?
For J.R. Donato, The Trap Stays Open Like 7-11
Codeine, Mountain Dew, Weed: All That J.R. Donato Really Needs
Taylor Gang’s J.R. Donato Throws Down in His Hometown in “Not for None”
Debuted by Mass Appeal, the 21-Year-Old Chicago Emcee Follows His Fast Money & Freedom Project With A New Visual
Wiz Khalifa Grabs Taylor Gang Up-N-Comer J.R. Donato for the “Outsiders” Remix, Debuted by 2DopeBoyz
A Behind-the-Scenes Look at the Making of the 21-Year-OId Taylor Gang Rapper’s Fast Money & Freedom EP
The Taylor Gang Rapper Releases Visuals for Sledgren-Produced Track off His Recent Fast Money & Freedom EP
The 21 Year-Old Chicago-bred Taylor Gang Rapper Teams Up With Producer Sledgren For a Hazy, Hypnotic EP
The North Chicago Rapper Shares the Fourth Single from Upcoming Fast Money & Freedom EP, Debuted by GoodMusicAllDay
The 21-Year-Old North Chicago Rapper Shares the Latest Video Single From His Fast Money & Freedom EP, Debuted by HipHopDX
The 21-Year-Old Taylor Gang Rapper Shares the Sledgren & RMB Justize-Produced Second Single From His Forthcoming Fast Money & Freedom Project, Debuted By DJBooth
