Musician Information: In The ‘Mississippi State of Mindz’ Mr. Mindz’ Artist Biography In The ‘Mississippi State of Mindz’ Mr. Mindz’ Artist Biography You’ve heard of the New York state of mind. However, have you heard of the “Mississippi state of Mindz?” What is it? For that answer, you have to ask Mr. Mindz himself, a hip hop artist, audio engineer and producer from Mississippi. Mr. Mindz explains the term, “I create a mood in my melodies, meaning in my messages - and a state of mind in my muse.” How do you achieve this state? It’s easy, take a drink from a cup that is always half-full. Deeply inhale each intoxicating vapor of his mix of muse… and you’ll be in the “Mississippi state of Mindz.” Mr. Mindz was born Frank Jones, Jr. in Leland, Mississippi. Leland is located in the very heart of the Mississippi Delta. Situated along U.S. Route 61, The Blues Highway, it's rich in musical history. Mr. Mindz grew up amidst fields of cotton, the sounds of blues and soul, and the laid-back atmosphere of the “hospitality state.” The oldest of four siblings, he made his entrance into the world of music at the age of ten shortly after losing his father. “For me, music was a sort of therapy.” says Mr. Mindz. Music was a way to find out answers to life’s mysteries and misfortune for him. The beats and lyrics flowed deep and quick through this youngster, just as the waters in the great river near his childhood home. Together with his best friend, Yuran Sanders - also known as Grand Finale - the two children began writing verses. This routine would occur daily as Jones recalls, “I was ten. Grand Finale was eleven. The verses needed work - even the beat was off, but we knew the practice could make it perfect.” By the age of twelve Mr. Mindz was working in his first legit track with Grand Finale. They recorded it on a Kmart microphone plugged into an old computer. The technology intrigued Mr. Mindz, and he invested in studio software for his computer. By the age of fourteen, he was reading every audio engineering book he could find. Mr. Mindz was soon cooking up his own new style of music. It was a rare blend of southern hip hop and r&b. In 2003 when he collaborated with Grand Finale to write “Got a Problem.” They realized the song’s potential. They also knew they could do better with the right equipment. With this in mind, Mr. Mindz began saving money to build a home studio and create a label that would be called Major South Productions. About a thousand dollars later, they both had access to some of the same type of equipment the pros had. Together with Grand Finale, and another friend Rex, they began working on their first mix tape. “We made three-hundred copies of the mix tape, and they were scooped up almost right away. They loved it,” explains Mr. Mindz. From 2003 through 2008 Mr. Mindz recorded over twenty mix tapes. The success of the mix tapes culminated with victories in radio contests at 94.3 FM in Leland, and 106.3 in Greenwood, Mississippi. This new-found attention also earned him an appearance in Royalty Magazine the same year. In 2007, he released a CD entitled Emotions. Emotions had a major impact on Mr. Mindz as he explains, “For the first time, someone that had bought my CD came back to explain how my music helped her find solutions to her problems … it was a profound moment for my music.” In 2008, Mr. Mindz released The Navigator. It was a fourteen-track LP that continued his evolution of style. With a sound that hit hard, and smooth melodic vocals it also revealed his skills as producer and engineer. In 2010, Mr. Mindz released Mo Money. It would be a new apex in his southern hip-hop. With a mix of soul, r&b and verses with a message, Mr. Mindz continued to push his own creativity to higher levels. He explains, “I wanted Mo Money to rattle the listener’s soul – to make them really feel the music.” Tracks such as the erotic “Licky Lick” combined with the retrospective themes of “Take a Seat” and “Wrong Crowd” to create a diverse mix. During the winter of 2010, Mr. Mindz completed his latest project, Winter’s Warm Touch. Mr. Mindz explains the goals of the album, “I’m sending a message in each song on this project; it may be a political statement or a story that teaches.” Indeed, the tracks on this release can melt the coldest soul. The title track, “Winter’s Warm Touch” is perhaps the key single on the entire album. With it’s addictive hook and clever lyrics, the song points out the lesson to be learned from the coldest of the cold. “There is definitely irony in how cold can teach a lesson on how to be warm – whether it’s a cold soul, or attitude – in the end the warm wins out,” explains Mindz. As a producer he lends his skills to Sony’s Executive Music Group. Working under the production name of “Da Bang Man,” he also continues to collaborate with many other artists. In late 2010, Mr. Mindz joined Musician Music Group . You would think that Mr. Mindz would let his recent success get to his head. However, he remains humble and respects his musical gifts. Mr. Mindz’ muse embodies the soulful, honest sound he set out to write when he was a child. It is hip hop with a twist. It’s with soul and passion that Mr. Mindz keeps his fans wondering what he will do next. The only thing they know is it will be done in “The Mississippi state of Mindz.”

Influences: 2 Pac , Biggie , Jadakiss , Nas , Jay Z

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