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The School Newspaper of Franklin High School

Pantherbook

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The School Newspaper of Franklin High School

Pantherbook

The School Newspaper of Franklin High School

Pantherbook

Jon Connor

XXL Magazine has had some pretty big names on their freshman covers in years past like Kendrick Lamar, Big Sean, J. Cole, MGK, ScHoolboy Q, etc. But this year, next to up and coming rappers like Rich Homie Quan, Isaiah Rashad, and Ty Dolla $ign, is Jon Connor.

Jon Connor is a Michigan rapper with real flow that is similar to Eminem and Royce Da 5’9. He raps about bringing hip hop back and he’s doing just that. In his mixtapes The Peoples Rapper, Best in the World, and A Tribute To The Notorious B.I.G. Vol. 1 he pays tribute to the rappers before him (Eminem, Kanye West, Biggie) by taking their beats and putting his verses over them.

Honestly, this man is the next big thing. All of his music is great, his mixtapes are some of the only ones I can listen to every track and still want more. Connor says that “if this song makes you want to go back and listen to the Eminem version then my job is done, at least you’re listening to good [music] again”. That is just what he is doing.

Jon Connor is signed to All Varsity Music, Aftermath Entertainment, and Interscope Records. He is working with Dr. Dre at Aftermath Entertainment, which has molded some of the best rappers of our generation. 50 Cent, Kendrick Lamar, Eminem, The Game, and Snoop Dogg have all had careers raised by Dre. So Dre working with Connor is something to watch out for.

Connor was featured on the 2013 BET Hip Hop awards cypher. After the show he revealed to MTV that he’s “driven by the craft and not by the money” which is an essential part to his work. He comes out and says that he is not going to be a sell out and do it just for the money like many other rappers do.

In this interview he speaks highly of Dre and how he crafted his work based on the culture and influencing others and not doing it just for the pay check. Part of the reason why Dre signed Connor was because he saw a true talent in him that many people would have passed up on because they thought he couldn’t make them money.

He is someone to watch out for- not just anyone can make the XXL cover. Most of the people on these covers in the past have gone on to have great careers and Jon Connor is going to be one of best from the XXL 2014 cover.