When you think of artist like Tupac (2pac) Shakur, Chad (Pimp C) Butler or Lamont (Big L) Coleman, this what you are going to get out of John (Suspect) Reynolds. Born and raised in Kansas City, Missouri, John was born and raised by a single black woman and grandmother Marla Reynolds and Christine Johnson. John came up in music as far as church choirs, Saturday mourning cleaning jam sessions and of course a mother who had an over 2000 CD and tape collection. John recalls going to blockbuster music, CD warehouse, best buy etc. and seeing his mother spend hundreds of dollars at a time with CD’s at home that hadn’t been touched yet. Buy the time John was five he set up his 1st computer and DJ’d for the grown folks spades parties.

“The first groups that had me infatuated with hip hop was Brotha Lynch hung, Kriss Kross, Bone Thugs n Harmony and Death Row Records. I would buy the CD’s and play them until the ribbon on the tape broke or the CD was scratched to hell. Kansas City is little California so I wasn’t really into east coast music. Raised in private school and lived in the black community was a difficult thing to go through. At school people tell you your ghetto and at home they say you act white. This is what made me who I am today, just the mindset of having to fit in in both worlds. Kansas City in the early 90′s was notorious for crips and bloods. Parade Park where I came from was a crip neighborhood.

I met my first mentor in 2001, Mr. Reece. He would just let me come to his house and watch him make beats, write etc… Mr. Reece never left home and I didn’t understand, one day I went to his house and his mother was crying and I’m like o shit what’s up. He went to jail for 10 years for shooting someone. This was a day we were going to record. He was the only person I knew that was serious about music and actually sat down with me to help me. At this time I just said ok, I’m going to do this music on my own and represent my boy. I went to the local liquor store and saw some local artist CD’s behind the glass. I bought a few and just started calling number. Seeing a cd in a liquor store to me was like these dudes got money, cars etc… that’s what I want to do. Come to find out these guys I’m calling and just regular people and put theirs CD’s out when they have a day off of work. Outside looking in it was backwards. I needed to understand the music business.

2002 was my biggest year as a developing artist because I met a friend named Tory Logan. When I met Tory he had a pretty boy presence, athletic like a Jock! He was in the same thing we was going through so was I, living in the hood and going to private school. He got around to showing me his CD and I was in awe by what I heard it was the best music an artist ever played for me before. I rapped for him and a month later we had an album done together. We paid 80 for 4 hours made 12 songs and put it out like a world wide CD that Tuesday! We made about 600 buck so we reinvested for the next release. Tori had a great dedication in the beginning, but what I wasn’t realizing was he had another life with, sport, drugs and girls. I didn’t have this problem all I wanted to do is make music, maintain a C and have money to take pics and buy beats! Once again I’m back to being solo. Emotionally I am becoming unstable because every good thing coming my was is being taken away.

I finished high school in 2003 and moved straight to Florida to pursue my dreams. I attended full sail college for 8 months before I failed out. I met a lot of people in this time period because I came to Florida alone and I am extremely social. Buy the time I was finished focusing on school I was in a different studio everyday working with different artists or doing shows. By the time I was 21 I recorded over 150 songs and wrote them all myself. Poor financial decisions forced me to go back to Kansas City in 2005. I went back home and made my name, I had a chance to sit in the studio with local big shots such as Mac Dre, Yukmouth, Messy Marv, Rich the Factor, Fat Tone etc… I would go to every open mic that the pitch magazine had to offer. I just stayed in the music scene, I am so dedicated to music I have to know 5 or six people just to stay occupied. They wanna make music once a week so this would keep me occupied everyday.

A machine is what they call me now. I know how to make excellent quality and in a timely fashion. The only things holding me back from being an artist professionally is exposure and a shot to do it. The best word to describe my work ethic with my music is an understatement. I am the the best at what I do and the first person who recognizes it will be set! Suspect is what the scene needs a good role model, positive,cool and dedicated icon!”

From his choice of production, to his lyrical content, Suspect show why he is the Soul of the Hood. -Melodic

I’m Italian and white from Salem, Oregon moved to cali when I was 13 been here ever since. Cancer:Zodiac sign. Fave artists/My Inspiration:Brothalynch & Mac Dre

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