Noa James facts for kids

Noa James, whose real name is Jamie Wilson, is a rapper from the West Coast of the United States. He lives in the Inland Empire area of California.

Early Life and Challenges

Noa James faced many challenges when he was young. He lived in an orphanage for a time. A very important moment for him was when his grandfather passed away. These experiences shaped his life and music.

Starting a Music Career

Noa James started rapping when he was 13 years old. He began as a successful battle rapper. People knew him for his strong and clever lyrics. After five years, Noa wanted to become a recording artist. He knew he had many stories to share through his music.

Over the years, Noa's songs have told his own life story. This has made him a leader in musical storytelling. He has a powerful stage presence and is well-known in the Inland Empire. He is also a big part of the underground hip hop scene in Southern California.

Black Cloud Music and Early Albums

Noa James joined Black Cloud Music in May 2010. He worked with five other artists who shared his passion for music. Together, they started a new musical movement. Before joining Black Cloud, Noa released several independent mixtapes.

His first official album with the label was called Beautiful Darkness. Fans and other artists liked it very much. This album showed different sides of Noa's personality. Beautiful Darkness became available in many record stores. You could find it in Los Angeles, the Inland Empire, and Las Vegas.

In May 2011, Noa released Intelligent, Elegant, Elephant: Humble Power. This project became very popular online. It followed his first big performance at the Paid Dues hip hop festival in San Bernardino, California. Around this time, Noa was also featured on the front cover of IE Weekly magazine. Later, he was featured in XXL Magazine's "The Break" section.

Becoming an Independent Artist

In early 2014, Noa James decided to leave Black Cloud Music. He became a fully independent artist. This meant he would manage his own music and career. In March 2014, he organized the first "Common Ground" tour. His promotion company, BrickToYaFace, presented the tour. Other artists like Curtiss King and Stevie Crooks joined him. This was a big step for Noa as an independent artist.

Noa continued to book many shows and grow his "Common Ground" showcase. He also released a collaboration project with Curtiss King. They formed a duo called Pterodactyl Jones. Their album, Pterodactyl Jones, was released in November under Murs’ new record label, Label316.

Continued Success and New Ventures

The year 2015 was very successful for Noa James. He performed at popular events like Low End Theory, RhymeFest, and Broke LA. He also joined Murs, King Fantastic, and Red Pill for the West Coast part of Murs’ "Have a Nice Life Tour." He even opened for the famous group Jurassic 5 at Club Nokia.

After these successful performances, Noa released "Buu’s Hungry." This song was inspired by the popular show Dragon Ball Z. He also released a collaboration EP called L.I.T (Leaders In Training/Love Is Truth) with artist Fredo.

In 2016, Noa continued to perform a lot. He opened for his idol DMX twice. He also performed before artists like 2Chainz, Raekwon, and Murs. Through his company BrickToYaFace, Noa kept organizing events. They even curated a special set for the Rhythm & Rhyme Experience.

Noa's seventh independent release was his EP, 3 Bullets in a Golden Gun. This EP was released exclusively with HipHopDX. After this, Noa signed a deal with The Order Label, which is part of Alpha Pup Records. He also started a new project: hosting the "ORCAstrated Podcast w/ Lesa J." This podcast helps independent artists.

The year 2016 was important for Noa. The original venue for his "Common Ground" showcase closed in September. This tested his love for organizing shows.

In 2017, Noa performed at the Tucson Hip Hop Festival. He also became an official SXSW artist and performed with The Cool Kids. Under The Order Label, he released his first EP, Peace of Cake. He also released a collaboration EP, GnarlyOrca, with fellow label artist Cam Gnarly.

Noa found a new home for "Common Ground" after the first venue closed. However, he decided to end the showcase completely when the new venue closed in July. This was a difficult but important decision for his career. With the end of his event organizing, Noa focused more on his own music. He also made his "on screen" debut in the rap competition show "Versus" on the WAV Media app.

Notable Performances

Noa James has performed at many venues across the United States. In early 2011, he campaigned to perform at the Paid Dues festival. With the help of his fans, he was asked by independent hip hop artist Murs to perform.

In the summer of 2011, Noa and other artists from the Inland Empire went on the "Humble Power Tour." They performed throughout Southern California. This was Noa's first tour, and he booked it himself.

Noa continued to perform at many events, including:

• Culture Magazine 420 Event (2011 & 2012)
• Paid Dues Pre-Party at House of Blues Sunset (2012)
• A two-month tour across the United States with Murs, Prof, and Fashawn (2013)
• His second independent tour, "It's The Common Ground Tour" (2014)
• Sunset Strip Music Festival (2014)
• Low End Theory (2014-2017)
• RhymeFest at the Fox Theater Pomona (2014)
• Broke LA (formerly Brokechella) (2015)
• His second national tour with Murs for the "Have a Nice Life Tour" (2015)
• Tucson Hip Hop Festival (2017)
• SXSW official showcase with The Cool Kids (2017)
• His third independent tour, "Pacific Breeze Tour" with Vel The Wonder (and more artists)

Noa James has opened shows for many famous artists. These include Action Bronson, Jurassic 5, Freddie Gibbs, Murs, 2 Chainz, DMX, and The Cool Kids. He has performed in many states across the U.S., including California, Arizona, New York, and Texas.

Helping the Community

Noa James also organizes several charity events every year. He supports programs and shelters in his local communities. One of his annual events is "Toys for Tots." This event helps Veronica's House of Mercy, which is a nonprofit organization. He also organizes food drives to help people in need.

Discography

Albums

• Sounds of a Monster LP (2009)
• Beautiful / Darkness (2010)
• James For the Win Vol. 1 (2011)
• Pterodactyl Jones (2014) (with Curtiss King) (as Pterodactyl Jones)
• Granny Said (2018)
• Majestic Travels Of OrcaMane & OGIE (2019) (with NugLife)
• Dirty Gospel (2020) (with Cas1)
• King Kaiju (2022) (with Local Astronauts)
• The Sea King (2022)
• King Orca (2024) (with AudioKing)

EPs

• In Blanka Mode EP (2009)
• Intelligent Elegant Elephant: Humble Power (2011)
• The Adventures Of Young Orca (2013)
• Fat Boy Love Letter EP (2013) (with Gypsy Mamba)
• Leaders.In.Training/Love Is Truth (2015) (with Fredo)
• 3 Bullets In A Golden Gun EP (2016)
• Peace Of Cake (2017)
• GnarlyOrca (2017) (with Cam Gnarly)
• Cherry Yellow Glow (2018)
• Phone Rang / Dumb Lit (2018) (with Aye Brook)
• The Love Was Never Hidden (2020)
• OrcaMania 30,000 EP (2020)