EARLY LIFE

JP REYNOLDS (born Rodney Jeremiah Reynolds) is an innovative artist, rapper and songwriter with an eclectic sound. Born in Cleveland, Ohio to Rodney J. Reynolds and Rev. Dr. Lillian F. Reynolds, JP’s parents were told that he would be born brain dead after not receiving enough oxygen to his brain. After defying the odds and surviving, JP was given the middle name “Jeremiah,” after the prophet. Like his namesake, JP would become a storyteller and man of faith.

He spent his early years in Cleveland, where he was raised in the baptist church and surrounded by family. It was there that he found his faith in God and love for music.

When he was eight years old,  JP’s family relocated to Mount Vernon, NY. He played saxophone, sang in his church choir and played in the school jazz band. In 1998, his Aunt Ree introduced him to Lauryn Hill. The Miseducation of Lauryn Hill album became one of JP’s early influences. A model of a spiritual, hip-hop album that featured love songs, deep lyrics and gospel vibes, JP describes the album as “music that touches your soul like you’re in church.”

In his teenage years JP Reynolds attended a prestigious college preparatory school, which pushed him academically and socially. While he lived in a predominately black, middle-class community, his school community was predominately white and upper class. He learned the complexity of code-switching, balancing the nuances of navigating various communities each day. JP was consistently reminded of who he was and found grounding in his identity through connections to music.

During his 40-minute commute to school each day, JP’s headphones blasted lyrics from Jay-Z, OutKast, Kanye West and the Ruff Ryders. He’d later take these hip hop influences and blend them with the jazz, funk, gospel and soul he was exposed to through his family and the church, creating what would later be called “rap gumbo.”

COLLEGE YEARS

JP holds a B.A. in African-American Studies and an M.Div. from Yale University, where he was the recipient of multiple awards and honors including the William Pickens Prize. He received the prize for his senior essay entitled “I Know of No Better Way to Express the Struggle of Our People:  King, Hughes, and the Poetics of the Civil Rights Movement.” The paper explored previously undiscovered creative work and correspondence between Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and Langston Hughes, revealing the rich relationship between the two historic figures.

While at Yale, JP was a member of the 2006 Ivy League Championship football team where he was a running back for 4 years; he was a charter member and president of Yale Black Men’s Union; and he became a member of Kappa Alpha Psi Fraternity, Inc. It was at Yale that JP informally launched his music career. He recorded mixtapes out of his dorm room closets and performed at local showcases.

MUSIC CAREER

Self described as “a ‘Soul’ man, JP’s love for the nuances of hip hop music reflected a different era. Thus, he stood out on the hip hop circuit because of his poetic cadence and desire for live instrumentation. “As a saxophonist, I think about my cadence as reminiscent of John Coltrane, with the feeling of a Gordon Parks photo,” JP said in an interview. “My show on stage aims to give you the electricity of Tina Turner.” JP challenges expectations and changes the way people experience hip-hop’s rich, vibrant, complex culture.

Beginning with his crowdfunded debut Guavamatic Space Dream (2016), JP Reynolds boasts both a discography and a stage presence that feel vintage and futuristic at the same time. In 2017, JP formed The PEACEANDPOWER Band with music director and bassist, Criston Oates. With the band, JP Reynolds gives audiences what the New Haven Arts Paper called a “baptism by music,” as well as what Folded Waffle called “a sonic journey that transcends conventional boundaries.” Propelled by people power, JP Reynolds has produced multiple national tours in the homes of fans and supporters. These Kitchen Sessions began as a way to promote his second project Rap Gumbo (2019).

After the first round of Kitchen Sessions were halted by the pandemic, JP Reynolds teamed up with DJ + Producer BACHTROY for Stir Crazy (2020), an experimental fusion of house, rap, funk, and electronic music. Next was Soul Raps (2022), a collection of songs that employ a traditional hip-hop formula of soulful beats, thoughtful lyrics, and rhythmic cadences. And the debut album with his backing band, Peace and Power Planet (2024), features original songs they developed for the stage over the course of 6 years on the road along the East Coast in performance venues, basements, churches, and outdoor festivals.

CREATIVE WORK

JP Reynolds is the Principal at Peace and Power Media, a creative consulting outfit committed to a clientele oriented towards social advocacy, public intellectualism, cultural storytelling, and community activism.. After meaningful post-college experiences in ministry and education, his continuously-unfolding creative path as a rapper, poet, songwriter, and performer propelled him into a world of professional design, consulting, and strategy. JP’s work in visual communication was first recognized during the creation and production of his solo music projects, as well as the independent tours, music videos, merchandise, and marketing campaigns that accompany them.

JP works with multi-hyphenates, who engage him to elevate their public profiles, actualize their visions, and polish their visual identities. He has developed websites, pitch decks, audio + video assets, copy, and brand strategy for clients such as Tarana Burke, Tricia Rose, McKinnon Literary, Apollo Theater, OBSV Group, and The Gates Preserve. In addition to his work with Peace and Power Media, JP joined his family’s business as Chief Creative Officer of ALN Productions, a multimedia company developing films, documentaries, television and short form content.

Community initiatives

Since 2014, JP Reynolds has supported young people in pursuing passion and purpose through various initiatives and partnerships with organizations and communities within the non-profit sector. With consideration of his varied skill set, unique network, and abundant faith life, he approaches his activism work with a lens of liberation. And his commitment to social justice often overlaps with his music experiences, creative projects, and brand partnerships.