You may have seen aspiring rapper Julien Paul, otherwise known as J.Lye, around B.U. performing at parties or even filming his music videos on Comm. Ave, but not everyone knows the guy behind that effervescent smile and navy blue Boston hat.
Some would even be surprised after watching the video “So Real” that Julien, who appears to be confidently striding down the busiest street on campus, actually felt even the slightest bit uneasy during the shoot with so many eyes on him. “I have to be comfortable with everyone watching me if I’m going to make it, though,” Julien said with a laugh.
A sophomore in BU’s School of Management, Julien spends whatever free time he has working towards his ultimate goal of getting signed to a major label. “I want to get to the point where I can share my music with a lot of people all over the world, more than I do now,” he said.
And he is well on his way to attaining that end, with a growing base of fans from as far away as Australia and Israel. Three years ago Julien started his own music blog that now get 4,000 hits a day. “I created those so that I could give my opinion but mix my music into that, and they are what I credit to my fan base being so broad,” he said.
Julien got his start at the age of thirteen when he went to a school to learn about hip-hop production from local rapper Kabir Sen. “He taught me a format for songs, and ever since then I loved it,” Julien explained, the passion for his music evident and genuine.
Although he doesn’t produce songs or make beats, Julien has a process to making his music. “I go on the Internet and look at different producers to see their beats. I search everywhere until I find something that inspires me and once I find one with a sound I really like, that’s what I start to write to.”
“Lyes,” his latest music video, has lyrics that Julien based off of his first relationship. “Everything I write is someway connected to me. I can’t write about anything that has nothing to do with me. I started writing ‘cause I needed a way to express my emotions.” That is why he created his stage name, J. Lye, which stands for “Just Live Your Emotions.”
Living in Cambridge his whole life, the BU environment has proved critical to Julien’s work and style. “I include it in all of my songs. I really try to represent it. I feel like I will always live in or around Boston, but clearly I want to travel. See all these different places, share my musical in all these different places,” he added.
Julien typically performs two to four shows per month in the Boston area, whether it be with a band or a DJ, paying jobs or free concerts. “I try to make it a good show, and whenever there is any type of benefit thing, I love to do that too,” he said.
What’s next for Julien? Well, keep an eye out for his second mix tape, which is slated to come out this spring. It is appropriately titled “Compete Until Success,” which is exactly what he plans to do.
“Things move really quickly. With every video I put out, more opportunities have presented themselves to me. I am going to keep working until something happens,” he said, flashing a smile.
For more information about Julien and his music, including upcoming concert dates, check out: www.facebook.com/iamjlye