Born in Long Beach, California, USA, Jerry Afemata is an R&B/reggae singer who performs under the name J Boog. The singer, who is of Samoan descent, is known for his deft combination of Island music and Jamaican reggae with elements of rock and hip-hop on his hit records.
Afemata may have been born in Long Beach but he was raised on the tough streets of Compton. The man credits music and his family with keeping him on the straight and narrow, and the combination of the two was what first sparked the young Boog’s interest in singing and performing.
Boog was four years old when his sister took up piano lessons, and there was something about the music that fascinated him even at that age. He would watch her play, learn along with her at the same time, and soon after he found that he could sing along with her playing note for note.
After that, she started playing from a Bob Marley songbook and from then on, all bets were off.Afemata was hooked, he began singing wherever he could, but only took it seriously as a career prospect after high school.
Fast forward to 2007, where a trip to Hawaii and a chance meeting with legendary reggae singer George Veikoso (AKA Fiji) led to Boog handing the veteran singer a mixtape he’d been working on. Fiji got Boog to perform for the staff of South Pac Records, and they began working on Boog’s debut album the day after. Literally.
As if that wasn’t fairytale enough, his debut album “Hear Me Roar” went on to chart in the top ten of the Billboard Reggae albums chart, and his second effort, 2011’s “Backyard Boogie” topped it. He’s truly one of American reggae’s hottest talents, and it’s only getting hotter from hear on out.
Richard Bean
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