Joel Kesean

Joel Kesean
Joel Kesean performing in Los Santos, 2018
Background information
Birth name	Joel Kesean Glover
Also known as	J-Dash, Lil Robin
Born	(1988-07-23) July 23, 1988 Port-au-Grégoire, Île d'Émeraude
Origin	Los Santos, Rizealand
Genres	hip hop conscious hip hop progressive rap South Coast hip hop jazz rap
Occupation(s)	Rapper singer songwriter record producer actor record executive
Years active	2005-present
Labels	Continental Records Too Tuff Records International Alpha Wolf Entertainment trulife enterprises
Spouse(s)	Kuseka Glover (nee Asanti)
Children	2: Mambiza (daughter; born 2018) Amsalu (son; born 2020)

Joel Kesean Glover (born 23 July, 1988), professionally known as Joel Kesean, is a Emeraudian-Rizealander rapper, songwriter, singer, music producer, actor and record executive. He is most well known for his often socially conscious lyrical content and his experimental muscial style that often pushes the boundaries of hip-hop. He is held in high regard by many of his contemporaries within hip-hop and the wider music world, and he is often labelled as one of the greatest rappers of his generation.

Joel was born to Jeoffrey Glover and Yolene Dubuisson, the latter of which was the cousin of Robin Gautier, as her father and his mother, respectively, were siblings. Born in Port-au-Grégoire and raised in the Los Santos, San Andreas area, he began his career at the age of 17 performing first under the name Lil Robin as a nod to his "Uncle" Robin Gautier and then as J-Dash before finally dropping his stage name and performing under his first and middle names. He first gained regional fame after signing with the Irving-based independent record label Alpha Wolf Entertainment in 2008, releasing a series of mixtapes and EPs until the release his debut studio album Proclamation, in 2010, all of which displayed the conscious hip-hop that would come to define his career. He first gained international fame after featuring on Jaydee Walker (who performed as JD at the time) and Dandre Bates's hit 2011 single "Rappers in Verlois" and after his 2012 album Lost Santos, which recounted his upbringing in the poverty ridden and gang filled Los Santos. He would follow Lost Santos up with his 2014 album How We Survive, which tackled the social realities of the Bahian diaspora over a jazz/neo-soul/ randé influenced sound. These albums would both perform well on international charts and be critically acclaimed, all but solidifying Joel's celebrity.

After releasing the critically acclaimed and commercially successful albums F*CK and Street Messiah in 2016 and 2019, respectively, Joel announced in March 2020 that he would take a brief hiatus from making music after the death of his mother Yolene, who he had been very close to. His hiatus came to an effective end after he formed his own record label, trulife enterprises, and executive produced the self-titled debut mixtape of the new group, trulife collective, which was made of most of the label's signees, in late 2021. In late 2022, he would announce that a new yet-to-be-named solo album was on the way and slated for a 2023 release.

Early Life

Joel was born in Port-au-Grégoire on 23 July, 1988. At the time of Joel's birth, his parents lived in Port-au-Grégoire with his mother Yolene's relatives. They would raise Joel in Port-au-Grégoire until moving to Los Santos, his father Jeoffrey's hometown, in 1992 while Joel was 4 years old. Joel grew up in Los Santos an only child, spending much of his childhood living in the impoverished and gang-filled Bahian majority neighborhood of Davis. While never joining a gang himself, many of the friends he grew up with were gang members.

Joel was first introduced to hip hop at a young age by his father Jeoffrey, who was himself an underground rapper who performed under the moniker Immatuer (sic). Joel has credited his father as his primary inspiration as a boy, and has also labeled him a major influence on his own rap career. A young Joel was also inspired and influenced by South Coast rappers who came into prominence during the 1990's, including (but not limited to) Prof. Paul, Kool-K, and Tupak Love, the latter of which also being of Emeraudian descent.

Being inspired by both his father and others, Joel would begin freestyling around the age of 9. He began writing his own songs at age 11, having been introduced to poetry by his Language Arts teacher who would connect it to hip hop. Joel would graduate from Davis' Memorial High School in 2006, electing against going to college to focus on his then burgeoning rap career.

Career

2005-2009: Early Career

• Begins career under Lil Robin moniker, self-releases first full-length mixtape in 2006
• Drops Lil Robin moniker in favor of J-Dash in 2007
• Signs with Alpha Wolf Entertainment in 2008 after impressing with a feature verse on a song with Rontay Fuller (professionally Rontay), who was a signee to the label
• Releases another mixtape in 2008
• Drops J-Dash stage name in favor of his birth name, Joel Kesean
• Releases self-titled mixtape in 2009, which earns him widespread regional fame

2010-2012: Proclamation, Breakthrough, and Lost Santos

• Spends much of 2010 touring with labelmates and producing songs for numerous rap artists
• Releases debut studio album, Proclamation, that summer, catching the attention of Prof. Paul and Tupak Love, who both gave him a co-sign
• Releases collaboration mixtape with Rontay in 2011 titled Free Birds
• Works on the production of Jaydee Walker and Dandre Bates's collaboration album, is offered a verse on one of their singles for the album
• Accepts the offer and records his verse
• Song goes viral and suddenly Joel is the hottest new act in hip-hop
• Signs deal with major record label Continental Records in 2012
• Releases major label debut Lost Santos to near universal critical acclaim as well as widespread commercial success, cementing his celebrity