WHO IS DEMUN JONES
Demun Jones is a Southern music star with a unique hip-hop sound. His music is driving and energetic, with all tracks sprinkled with good vibes, fun lyrics, and a little country twang. Releasing music under his own name and previously with the Rehab collective, Demun’s music highlights the massive influence of hip-hop on every corner of America. Whether you call it country hip-hop, Southern hip-hop, or even hick-hop, Demun Jones is one of the genre’s leading names.
EARLY YEARS AND INFLUENCE
Born as Matthew David Jones in Jones County, GA, Demun discovered his love of music from a very young age. He remembers walking and dancing with his mom while listening to music from the Commodores, Hall & Oates, and Marvin Gaye. One artist made a bigger impression than any other, however, with Demun’s life changed forever when he discovered Michael Jackson during his primary school years. Demun had his first performance at 8 years old, breakdancing at a talent show in the cafeteria of Gray Elementary School.
His love for music grew as a teenager, with Demun pursuing his passion for beats and dance as hip-hop culture spread across America and the world. He joined the dance group PSD-Power Supply Dancers, performing at festivals and concerts and opening for artists like Run-DMC, C+C Music Factory, and DJ Jazzy Jeff & the Fresh Prince. He also worked as a background dancer for the Atlanta rap group Prime Suspects, which gave him insight into the industry and the courage to break out on his own.
Demun began writing his own beats, lyrics, and songs around this time, discovering his individuality by rapping over an acoustic guitar. Despite his love of hip-hop, Demun was a homegrown country boy who grew up surrounded by animals, hayfields, and big open skies. While he was listening to N.W.A., Tupac, and Wu-Tang Clan, he also drew inspiration from Black Sabbath, Led Zepplin, Jimi Hendrix, AC/DC, Marvin Gaye, and Johnny Cash. According to Demun, while “I couldn’t sing like Otis Redding or play the guitar like Jimmy Page…I knew I could try to rap like the Beastie Boys.”
MUSIC RELEASES
Demun Jones released his debut self-titled album in 2006 on Attica Sound. This was followed by Light in 2011 on Average Joes Entertainment, with the same label releasing the Jones County album in 2014 and the #Beast album in 2016. Demun Jones also did some collaborations during this period, working with Upchurch for The Oven album in 2018 on RAHHH Records and also with Adam Calhoun on the Crazy White Boy EP on RAHHH Records and ACal in 2019.
Over the last few years, Demun has released a number of singles, EPs, and albums. The Country Rap EP cemented his genre in 2020, and the Southern Son album came out to an appreciative audience in 2021. The Family First album came out in September 2022, and the Target Practice EP was released in December 2022. Demun Jones was also a member of Rehab from 2006 to 2014, performing rap vocals for the group during their most popular period. He was part of the group when they hit the charts with the “Bartender Song” single and Graffiti the World album.
MUSIC AND LEGACY
To understand the music of Demun Jones, it’s important to identify the connection between hip-hop and country music. While these two musical worlds seem like polar opposites, they both rely heavily on narration or storytelling. Although Demun had never been to Compton, listening to West Coast rap inspired him to get creative and write about his own life in Jones County. Instead of faking it like so many others, he brought hip-hop music to his home in the heart of Georgia. According to Demun, “I’m giving you country stories told through the lens of rap music.”
