Journalist

Philadelphia rapper Journalist, whose real name is Rafiek George, gives much of the credit for his success to his mother, who supported her five sons and provided a strong example of what it means to be determined and to work hard. By his middle-school years, his dreams were sharply divided between careers in music or the NBA. In 1995, with his high-school diploma in hand, he made his choice and set out to snag a recording contract. Until opportunity came knocking, he supported himself with jobs as a public speaker and youth counselor. While employed by Children's Hospital in Philadelphia, he took part in a number of talent shows. Two years after graduating from high school, the rapper earned his first paycheck from performing when he triumphed in a talent search held at New Jersey's the Stardust Ballroom. By 1999, with Julius Erving, Jr. as his manager, Journalist auditioned for Charles Suitt, a vice president of Universal Records. Soon he was a member of the company's stable that also included young artists like <a href="spotify:artist:2gBjLmx6zQnFGQJCAQpRgw">Nelly</a> and Juvenile. Unfortunately, his career did not take off as expected and the rapper moved to Motown. Scribes of Life, his debut Motown release, featured Journalist's version of the <a href="spotify:artist:0ty0xha1dbprYIUAQufkFn">Patti LaBelle</a> hit "On My Own." ~ Linda Seida