JD Era facts for kids

JD Era (born April 15, 1985) is a Canadian rapper and songwriter. He is known for his strong lyrics and unique style. JD Era has worked with many famous artists like Nas, Gza, and Kardinal Offishall. He has also made several songs with his longtime friend, the popular rapper Drake.

In 2008, JD Era won the Best Rap award at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. He also won a big freestyle competition called TAG Records’ Survival of The Freshest. He has released many mixtapes and singles. In 2013, his album No Handouts was nominated for a Juno Award for Rap Recording of the Year. This is one of Canada's biggest music awards.

Early Life and Start in Music

JD Era was born on April 15, 1985. He grew up in Mississauga, a city near Toronto, Ontario. From a young age, he loved rap music. He especially enjoyed groups like Wu-Tang Clan and their song "C.R.E.A.M.."

He started rapping when he was about fourteen. By sixteen, he was writing his own rhymes. As he got older, he began to freestyle in local rap battles. Freestyling means making up rhymes on the spot. He always knew he wanted to be a rapper. He said he just wanted to get better and loved the music.

A friend named Bad Nuze helped him record his first songs. JD Era said he never looked back after that. His stage name, "JD Era," has a special meaning. "JD" are his initials, and "Era" means a period of time. He uses it to say, "it's my time." Around 2003, he signed with his manager, Mike "Major" Malabre.

Music Career Highlights

Early Years (2005-2010)

One of JD Era's first challenges was moving from battling other rappers to writing full songs. In 2005, he recorded his first singles, "Ride Clean" and "Take Me Home." These songs were played on Canadian radio stations like Flow 93.5.

His first mixtape, Prince of the North, came out in 2007. A music video for his song "Paper Chase" helped him become more known across Canada. In 2008, he won Best Rap at the Toronto Independent Music Awards. He also won the TAG Records’ Survival of The Freshest freestyle competition. He later won the Marc Ecko Freestyle Competition too. Around 2008, JD Era and his manager became part-owners of Black Market Music Group. This company works with Universal Music Group.

In 2009, his song "25th Hour" was on a mixtape. Around 2010, he was part of a group called Wise Guys. This group included other rappers like Bishop Brigante and Drake. They were known for some "diss songs," which are songs that criticize other artists. In 2010, he released the mixtape I'm Coming to America. This helped him gain fans in the United States. It was even nominated for Best Mixtape at the Flow 93.5 Real Frequency Awards.

Mixtapes and Touring (2011-2012)

JD Era released his mixtape Th1rt3en-Black Tape in 2011. Music videos for songs from this mixtape, like "You Know This" and "Fame & Fortune," were popular on music TV channels.

For two years, 2011 and 2012, JD Era wrote the theme song for Court Surfing. This was an NBA basketball show on The Score network in Canada.

In 2011, he met the famous rapper Raekwon from the Wu-Tang Clan. Raekwon had heard about JD Era and wanted to meet him. Later that summer, they went on tour together. They performed in many cities across Canada and the United States. In 2012, JD Era released the song "Payday 2," which featured Raekwon. By 2012, JD Era was the only Canadian artist signed to ICE20, Raekwon's record label.

No Handouts Album (2012-2013)

In 2012, JD Era started working on his album No Handouts. Raekwon helped him choose the songs and producers. Famous producers like 9th Wonder worked on the album. No Handouts was released on October 2, 2012.

Several music videos were made for the album, including one for the song "Smoking Good." JD Era then toured across Canada to support the album. In 2013, No Handouts was nominated for the Rap Recording of the Year at the Juno Awards.

New Music (2013-Present)

In 2013, JD Era was a guest artist on a song called "Unorthodox" by Tony Touch. This song also featured Ghostface Killah, RZA, and Raekwon. The album it was on reached #14 on the Top Rap Albums chart. He also appeared on "Kill Kill Kill" by Mad Child, which reached #3 on the Canadian charts.

In December 2013, JD Era went on his "Do You Know Mary?" tour. He performed live with many well-known artists over the years. These include Nas, GZA, Drake, Method Man, Rick Ross, and Mac Miller.

His mixtape Barz Vol. 1 was released for free online in March 2014. Music videos were made for songs like "Rice In Chinatown" and "That Ain't My Style." At the same time, he launched his website, EraDay.com. As of 2014, he continues to work with Black Market Music and his manager, Major.

Personal Life

JD Era lives in Mississauga, Canada. He has also spent time living and working on music in New York City. He has performed in the United Kingdom as well.

Awards and Nominations

Discography

Solo Albums

Singles

Guest Appearances