MP3: J.R. Donato – “Mad At Me” (Prod. by Sledgren)

The North Chicago Rapper Shares the Fourth Single from Upcoming Fast Money & Freedom EP, Debuted by GoodMusicAllDay

09.21.2015

The Song:

Taylor Gang rapper J.R. Donato drops his latest track, “Mad At Me,” in lieu of his upcoming Fast Money & Freedom EP, which is scheduled to release this Friday, Sept. 25th. Produced by Sledgren and premiered by GoodMusicAllDay, Donato’s fourth single is a laid back thumper twisting a vocal sample with 808 slaps. The 21-year-old North Chicago rapper reflects on his affinity for weed and women while acknowledging his allergy to wackness. “When the people who doubted and didn’t believe in your vision from the beginning wonder why you don’t fuck with them, they get mad at you,” Donato explains. “That’s what the title of this song was inspired by. I go through that a lot.”

“Mad At Me” follows “I Suppose“, the HipHopDX-debuted “Life So Sweet,” and the DJBooth-premiered “Make It Count.” While past projects have found Donato teaming up with Wiz Khalifa, Ab-Soul, and Iamsu!, Fast Money & Freedom symbolizes a coming of age for the rapper. Prior to teaming up with Khalifa’s Taylor Gang Ent., Donato had been taken under the wing of Chi-Town legend Twista, who embarked on a regional high school tour that gave a teen-aged Donato his first platform to perform. On Fast Money & Freedom, Donato revisits his roots in Chicago and propels himself forward as a capable solo artist.

Rapping since the age of 13, J.R. Donato started off early with his regional hit “500 Degrees.” Still, his peers didn’t take him very seriously as he was distributing CD’s of his music at school – finding the music he worked to make on the floor or in the garbage didn’t deter his ambitions, rather it pushed him to take things a few steps further. After mentoring from Twista, the teen-aged rapper that garnered attention for rapping over Lil Wayne beats was coming into his own. He soon crossed paths with Wiz Khalifa back stage on the Under the Influence Tour. Wiz later enlisted J.R. for a feature on his Cabin Fever 2 mixtape before signing him to Taylor Gang Ent. Now with eight years under his belt, Donato is ready to show everyone his sound and talent.

Listen to “Mad At Me”: https://soundcloud.com/jrdonato/mad-at-me

Check out the GoodMusicAllDay premiere: http://goodmusicallday.com/blog/2015/9/21/jr-donato-mad-at-me

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Please contact Michelle or Rory if interested in speaking with J.R. Donato.

JR Donato Background:

At just 21 years old, Chicago’s J.R. Donato already has more than eight years in the rap game under his belt. By 13, he’d already landed a local hit, “500 Degrees,” under the name Young JR. During his junior year of high school, JR caught the attention of local legend Twista, landing a spot on his tour. Wiz Khalifa 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 newest project, Fast Money & Freedom, there are no features; It’s a cohesive eight-song project that still shows JR’s versatility—from Atlanta-leaning trap rattlers to guitar-tinged stoner jams—and tells the story of his city from the eyes of an introspective North Sider with a lot of life experience at a young age.