To followers of r&b music within the 90’s, there’s little question that Jon B.’s album “Cool Calm down” is taken into account a traditional. The album was memorable for his largest hit, “They Don’t Know”, but additionally for his collaboration with 2Pac on “R U Nonetheless Down”. In an interview we did with him years in the past, he shared with us the story of how he initially linked up with 2Pac and the way this track got here collectively:
Jon B. Oh man, Pac was on the bus, he had this RV that he had, a type of movie RVs that they’ve for the films when they’re filming movies and stuff like that. He was up on this bus, and it was Ok-Ci and JoJo, Johnny J, relaxation in peace, and his spouse. Wow, it was 2Pac, it was Sway and it was Tech, they usually have been all up on there. 2Pac had all these ladies comin up on the RV and going within the again room and being again there for 10 to 15 minutes and coming again out and being like ‘What up Jon B.!!!’ *Laughs* And I used to be like ‘Yo man you wildin man!’ And I used to be simply enjoying my observe and Ok-Ci and JoJo, I had already met them earlier than, in order that they have been already cool with me and every part.
It’s all love, and I’m sittin there, and 2Pac comes out and begins free styling to certainly one of my beats and I used to be like ‘Yooo!’ This is sort of a actual easy beat that I’ve, known as “Down and Out on Lonely Avenue.” That is again earlier than “Are U Nonetheless Down,” that is the top of ’95. Yea man, so he begins rocking to this beat, and Sway and Tech and everyone, we’re all listening to him, and he goes ‘How the hook go, how the hook go?’ And I’m like *Sings* ‘Down and out, On lonely road, Down and out, On lonely road.’ So he begins going ‘okay, okay, you bought me down and out, on lonely road.’ And I used to be like ‘that’s straight’, the unique 2Pac report that by no means obtained recorded that ought to have. *Laughs*
It was like on the spot, like okay, Jon B. and 2Pac gotta get it in within the studio in an actual approach, as a result of that is magic proper now. And Ok-Ci and JoJo have been on the facet going ‘aaaahhh dammnnn!!’ That was a phenomenal reminiscence ? Two weeks later we have been within the studio and three hours after being within the studio, we had penned the observe that Johnny J, my man resting in peace proper now, we simply misplaced him a number of years in the past, the producer of the observe of “Are U Nonetheless Down,” my good buddy. However together with my man 2Pac, relaxation in peace. Backside line is, that was a report that each one in all took about seven or eight hours to complete.
2Pac additionally, I wished to let folks know, he did sing, yall simply by no means obtained an opportunity to listen to him sing an excessive amount of. However he was the one who got here up with that hook *Sings* ‘Woman it’s alright child’ And I used to be like ‘Yo, what’s that!’ And he’s like that’s the way it goes, that’s the melody proper there. Large up man my man 2Pac resting in peace, Johnny J resting in peace, “Are U Nonetheless Down” , that’s certainly one of my, it’s kinda like it’ll by no means get higher than that, however I look to the long run and the current, working with cats like DJ Quik it’s nearly like full circle. Coming from working with a cat like 2Pac, again to coming to working with a cat like 2Pac, who labored with 2Pac, whose favourite rapper is 2Pac, DJ Quik, gotta massive my man up.
So as to add, Jon talked extra about what 2Pac meant to him in one other interview after we spoke with him:
Jon B.: Working with Quik is all the time a pleasure. It’s nearly like a blessing as a result of I by no means obtained an opportunity to do a video with 2Pac. We labored within the studio collectively on “R U Nonetheless Down” however two weeks later he obtained shot. To have the ability to do this track with him was an amazing feeling, however after he handed it was nearly like you will have a full meal on the desk after which somebody simply flips the desk. That doesn’t even contact near the ache I felt over that state of affairs, and that’s why I work on that track on each present I do. Nonetheless, I wished to return to that blessing and the essence of that chemistry of what it was prefer to work with somebody who had a lot admiration for the west coast as a rapper. 2Pac was an actual poet and had an actual approach with phrases whether or not it’s violent or peaceable.