Jon Connor facts for kids
Quick facts for kids
Jon Connor
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| Birth name | Jon Kevin Freeman Jr. |
| Born | April 13, 1985 Flint, Michigan, U.S. |
| Genres | Hip hop |
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| Years active | 2005–present |
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Jon Kevin Freeman Jr. (born April 13, 1985), known by his stage name Jon Connor, is an American rapper and music producer. He has released many mixtapes and albums throughout his career. Some of his well-known works include The Blue Album, which was inspired by Jay-Z, and The People's Rapper LP, inspired by Eminem.
His first studio album, Unconscious State, came out in 2013. Soon after, he signed with Dr. Dre's record label, Aftermath Entertainment, from 2013 to 2019. In 2015, he became more famous for being featured on Dr. Dre's album Compton and The Game's album The Documentary 2.5.
Early Life and Musical Beginnings
Jon Freeman Jr. was born on April 13, 1985, in Flint, Michigan. His father was a musician who later became a Christian minister, and he was Jon's first musical inspiration. Jon Connor has shared that he grew up listening to local music groups from Genesee County, Michigan, like Top Authority and MC Breed.
He went to Flint Powers Catholic High School.
Building a Music Career
Starting Young
Jon began writing songs when he was just ten years old. In middle school, he started selling his own mixtapes from his backpack and his mother's car. By age 14, with his mom's help, he started his own independent record label called All Varsity Music. When he was 16, he used money from odd jobs to build his own music studio at home.
First Mixtapes and Collaborations (2005–2010)
On January 1, 2005, Jon Connor released his first official mixtape, The Calling, Pt. 1: The Prequel. He then released Everybody Hates Connor in 2006 and The Calling Pt. 2: The Second Coming in 2008. In 2009, he teamed up with basketball players Mateen Cleaves and Jason Richardson, and Kendall "Young Sav" Freeman, who is a vice president at Rick Ross's Maybach Music Group. Together, they officially started a record label.
On September 29, 2010, Connor released his fourth mixtape, Jon Connor as Vinnie Chase: Season One, which was inspired by the TV show Entourage. This mixtape was mostly produced by Connor and Optiks, a producer from All Varsity Music. Other rappers like Saigon and Consequence were featured on a remix of his song "The Message".
New Projects and Recognition (2011–2012)
On July 12, 2011, Jon Connor released Salvation, an album he made with producer Rob "Reef" Tewlow. This album received good reviews from music critics. Later in 2011, Connor released his fifth mixtape, Season 2, which was a follow-up to Jon Connor as Vinnie Chase: Season One. This mixtape had guest appearances from GLC and Freeway. It was downloaded 130,000 times in just three months.
In 2012, Jon Connor started his "Best in the World" mixtape series. On February 14, 2012, he released The Blue Album. On this mixtape, he rapped over instrumentals from Jay-Z's "Blueprint" albums. He told MTV that he wrote the entire mixtape in four days. Critics praised his lyrics and energy.
On April 13, 2012, he released The People's Rapper LP, the second mixtape in his "Best in the World" series. For this one, he rapped over classic Eminem instrumentals. This mixtape also got positive reviews. After its release, Connor went on tour in the Midwest United States with rapper Big K.R.I.T..
On July 26, 2012, Connor released his eighth mixtape, While You Were Sleeping. This mixtape featured original music produced by Connor and his team, The World's Greatest Music, Optiks, and Brix. Connor said this was his most personal work so far. In late 2012 and early 2013, Jon Connor toured with American rapper Xzibit, which eventually led him to meet the famous producer Dr. Dre.
Signing with Dr. Dre (2013–Present)
In early 2013, Jon Connor shared that he was working on several projects, including his first studio album, Unconscious State. On July 2, 2013, he released Unconscious State through All Varsity Music. The album featured guest artists like Danny Brown, Freddie Gibbs, Royce da 5'9", and Talib Kweli. The album did well, reaching number 35 on the US Billboard Top R&B/Hip-Hop Albums chart.
On July 20, 2013, it was announced that Jon Connor had been working in the studio with Dr. Dre. Connor told MTV that they connected immediately. After working together for several months, Dre signed Connor to his record label, Aftermath Entertainment, which is part of Interscope Records. Jon Connor officially announced his signing during a freestyle rap at the 2013 BET Hip Hop Awards on September 29. His performance was highly praised.
On March 18, 2014, Connor released another surprise mixtape in his "Best in the World" series. This mixtape also received positive reviews. On April 14, 2014, he released BestInTheWorld: A Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. Vol 1, where he rapped over beats from The Notorious B.I.G. songs. Connor was also chosen for the 2014 XXL freshman class, which highlights new and upcoming hip-hop artists.
In January 2016, Connor released a song with singer Keke Palmer to bring attention to the Flint water crisis. In May 2019, Connor announced that he was no longer signed with Aftermath / Interscope and planned to release new music independently.
Musical Style
Jon Connor is known for his powerful and honest lyrics. His style has been praised by many famous rappers, including Busta Rhymes, The Game, Scarface, Nas, Rick Ross, and fellow Michigan rapper Big Sean.
Discography
Studio Albums
| Title | Album details | Peak chart positions | |||||||||||
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| US R&B/HH | US Rap | US Heat. | |||||||||||
| Unconscious State |
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35 | 24 | 7 | |||||||||
| SOS |
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— | — | — | |||||||||
| SOS Part II |
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— | — | — | |||||||||
| "—" means the album didn't chart or wasn't released in that area. | |||||||||||||
Collaboration Album
| Title | Album details |
|---|---|
| Salvation (with Rob "Reef" Tewlow) |
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Mixtapes
- 2005: The Calling Pt. 1
- 2006: Everybody Hates Connor
- 2008: The Calling Pt. 2: The Second Coming
- 2010: Jon Connor As Vinnie Chase: Season 1
- 2011: Season 2
- 2012: Best in The World: The Blue Album
- 2012: Best In The World: The People's Rapper LP
- 2012: While You Were Sleeping
- 2014: BestInTheWorld: The Late Registration of a College Dropout Who Had a Dark Twisted Fantasy of 808s and Heartbreak
- 2014: BestInTheWorld: A Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. Vol. 1
- 2021 Best In The World: Delirium
- 2022 Best In The World: The N Tape
Singles
As Lead Artist
| Title | Year | Album |
|---|---|---|
| "High" | 2011 | Non-album singles |
| "Pull the Plug" (featuring Statik Selektah) | 2013 | |
| "Fresh Water For Flint" (featuring Keke Palmer) | 2016 | |
| "I’m Back" (featuring Dr. Dre) | 2018 | |
| "The Pain" | 2020 | |
| "Priceless" | ||
| "Q Love" | ||
| "Wild in the Streets" (with Chris Webby) |
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| "Angels & Demons"" (with Locksmith) |
2021 |
Guest Appearances
Jon Connor has also been featured on songs by other artists, including:
- DJ Kay Slay – "Redemption" (2011)
- Statik Selektah – "Samuel L Jackson" (2011)
- Jarren Benton – "Billion Bucks" (2012)
- Talib Kweli – "Makes No Sense" (2013)
- Statik Selektah – "Alarm Clock" (2014)
- The Game – "Moment Of Violence" (2015)
- Dr. Dre – "One Shot One Kill" (2015)
- Dizzy Wright – "Apart of the Plan" (2017)
- Chris Webby – "HipHop Legend" (2018)
- Busty and the Bass – "Go So Far" (2020)
