Jay Ball - LB FAM

Jay Ball & Chocolate

Royalty Magazine: What's good? How's life treating you?

Jayball: Life's good, treating me well.  Thanks.


Royalty Magazine: Before we talk about the New Year, let's reflect back a little on 2012. What do you think you will remember most about 2012? What were some of your greatest moments or accomplishments?

Jayball: Spending more time with my son and he plays a lot of sports.  Seeing him win his football championship.

Royalty Magazine: Tell us one thing that you will do differently this year than previous years before? If you had the worlds attention at this very moment, what would you say? What would you want them to remember about you most?

Jayball: Changing the people I be around.  Never give up on your dreams .. I also have a lot I want to accomplish and some are coming to fruition now.

Royalty Magazine: You are part of the Lost Boyz family, what is your role and how did the LBFAM stand out as a movement?

Jayball: People call me the LB general.  I am trying my hardest at keeping this LB stuff going as a whole between TAH AND LB FAM DAY ... As a movement LB started as a fam.  If you needed a place to stay, you had one at that time.  We took care of each other, we are our brothers keepers.

Royalty Magazine: After Freaky Tah's death in 1999, the Lost Boyz effectively broke up...Can you tell us what where your thoughts during that time? How did his death impact or affect you by being his brother?

Jayball:  That is my oldest brother, he is my best friend.  Losing him messed me up terribly.  I started drinking more even getting hospitalized behind it.  My brothers death affected many in that way...people were just devastated .. How could Lost Boyz group be the same without Tah...the unity had left, Cheeks was doing his own thing and he didn't visit us at all.  It was different.  Cheeks went in a different musical path and it was just awry.

Royalty Magazine: What was your reaction to DJ Spigg Nice's 37 year prison sentence? What was the fans reaction during this time?

Jayball: Spigg would always visit me after Tah passed him and Lou the most.  I thought Spigg was making music and to hear that he was incarcerated for robbing banks, it seemed impossible because I always saw him around .. As for the fans I would say not seeing Spigg in vids with cheeks or not hearing his name in songs, they might have not felt the same about Spigg.

Royalty Magazine: Tell us a little bit about Tah day and what it represents? For someone who has never been, briefly tell us what one should expect to see as well as experience?

Jayball: When Tah was alive he would throw parties and cook out while people were playing softball in the community park, so in turn we did what Tah did in the same park & same community in his honor.  We do it on the day of his birth, not the day he was taken from us as to still celebrate his life!  

Rochdale park...mid May...music, thousands of people from all over, food (as I am on the grill), performances from known and unknown groups as well as a few DJ's...from Starski to Grandmaster Vic and others.  There is also lots of activities for the kids.  It's just a day to come out and show love.

Royalty Magazine: You work so hard to put together Tah day. Why is it so important for you to keep Tah’s memory alive? How important is it for his legacy to continue to live on in the world of hiphop?

JayBall: It's important to me because he is my brother and to keep his legacy going is something the kids and the community look forward to.  It's also important to let people be aware of how short his life stopped before he got to expand his horizons in the music world.

Royalty Magazine: Freaky Tah along with many other great artists’ lives were cut short before their time, how will you use your voice to turn this negative situation into a positive? In your eyes what can the hiphop community do to make change or bring awareness? What can the fans/supporters do?

Jayball: Bigs mom has the Think Big foundation and my family received a crystal heart.  This foundation dinner is more for the moms who lost sons in hip hop, and I went to accept what was given to our mom who has passed away.  I think people should bring foundations to forefront and give more speeches at schools and community centers.  I also think the fans and supporters should continue to come out to functions and support what the families do to keep the persons legacy going.

Royalty Magazine: Freaky Kah, Tah’s son is an upcoming rapper. What advice if any, would you give him coming onto the scene? What similarities do you see between him and your brother? How does Kah stand out as an artist and why should people support his music?

Jayball: Only advice I can give him is to stick to what he believes in musically wise.  

The looks are extremely similar and his ambition is like Tahs when it comes to the music.  He's rhyming about different things and what is happening today from his view.  Support his music as he is trying to follow in his fathers footsteps. 

Royalty Magazine: Speaking of hiphop, how have things changed from back then until now? What are some negative as well as positive things you have witnessed in the world of hiphop?

Jayball: Back then hip hop was about partying and having fun.  Now it's about guns,  a lot of violence, chains, girls and these drugs such as molly etc that are not good or positive messages.  I would love to see hip hop come back to fun & bring back the essence park jams.  Beefs used to be on wax, now its more in the streets.  I'd just like to see the fun come back.

Royalty Magazine: LB Group reunited in 2010. How important is this for hiphop? What can groups coming up today learn from the LB FAM?

Jayball: I have no answer for this question.  A group can't reunite when two members can not be in it.

Royalty Magazine: Any advice to upcoming artists or groups who may not have a financial or major backing looking to break into the industry?

Jayball: Work hard and save your money. The industry has changed...Do videos and do it yourself.  Use the internet to your advantage.

Royalty Magazine: Any last words, comments or shout outs? Any misconceptions or anything you want to touch basis on that we haven’t already? And how can people get Tah shirts and keep up with the latest news?

Jayball: First of all I want people to keep supporting my movement for what I do for Tahleek.  Shout outs to the LB Fam worldwide and may they strive to be what they want in this world.  Shout out to yo Taz for giving me the opportunity to speak my mind.  Shout out to PB for always holding it down.  

I want people to recognize what I do.  I have heard of many people claiming they do Tah day when they don't participate in any way, no money, no presence, etc.  My shirts are called Tahbllin shirts!  You can hit me up on facebook @ Jayball Grant...website coming soon!  You can also join the RIP RAYMOND FREAKY TAH ROGERS page on facebook, where you can see the tshirts, keep up with the movement and others love as well as pictures of him. 

Shout out to my Son Devin Grant, my sister's Chocolate & Chace.  My nieces & nephews, the Douglas, Grants, Rogers & Dejusus families.  My LB & 134 All Stars Family.

Royalty Magazine: Thanks for your time. Much Love & Respect. 

Jayball: Ditto


written by
TazDatMC for Royalty Magazine