J. Kwest music video I Am (Obama)
Many selves become one in Christ. If this is true, J.Kwest has been all of the above and one very fine leader for many years now. Born and raised on the Southside of Chicago, Julian DeShazier always had a passion for music and developed an affinity for poetry while sitting in the pews at New Faith Baptist Church. What does he think about his early writing?
“I was terrible. Period.”
J was never discouraged however, and through practice and God’s grace his habit morphed into a gift. During high school he met BreevEazie, a gospel hip-hop artist who took him under his wings, giving J his first appearance on the critically acclaimed Baby Food (2001). At that moment J.Kwest was born.
J continued to hone the craft while at Morehouse College, where he graduated in 2005, Summa Cum Laude, Phi Beta Kappa. In J’s words, “I became a man at Morehouse. Rap and preaching were cool, but the most important thing I developed was a LOVE for LIFE.” This love and a passion to serve God’s people led him to turn down Harvard after graduation to pursue music full-time. At the same time he released an EP entitled 20/20: The InVision (2005), and PureMusic was born.
The ministry of J.Kwest has been a blessing ever since. A 2007 Holy Hip Hop Award Winner; featured on allhiphop.com, Rolling Out and BlackGurl Magazine; featured on the Dr. Maya Angelou “Oprah & Friends” XM program and celebrated as “Living Black History” by Urban Ministries International; an Ambassador to the National Hip Hop Political Convention and the Children’s Defense Fund; and is receiving airplay all over the country and around the world. J.Kwest has also shared the stage at MegaFest, Fla.vor Fest, and the Taste of Chicago.
Currently a M.Div student at the University of Chicago Divinity School, J.Kwest is also a Fund for Theological Education Ministry Fellow and is working with youth at Covenant United Church of Christ and Trinity United Church of Christ in Chicago.
J.Kwest is the leader of the PureMusic Movement.
