The son of a Christian death metal record label owner, John Reuben spent his youth in a trailer park and a farm that doubled as a church/outreach program for troubled youth. He spent a lot of time with youth from the East Coast who helped turn him on to the golden age of hip hop. John spent his formative years writing poetry and admiring his older brother’s ability to turn a profit with his baseball card collection.
By the age of 18 he had started his own indie label, had released several EPs recorded by himself and other artists, and with his brother was running a hip hop night at a local club on the Ohio State campus.
Just before his 20th birthday, John packed up his recording gear and moved to Hollywood where he survived by doing extra work for movies and television. If you look close enough you can see him appearing in such classics as "Rocky And Bullwinkle", "Buffy The Vampire Slayer", "Melrose Place", and "Clueless." After receiving interest from a handful of labels, John returned home and signed a deal with Gotee Records. Since then, he has released numerous albums, toured the world, got married, and worked with his brother to produce comedy shorts, including the mocumentary "The Professional Rapper."
In 2000, Gotee released John’s debut LP, Are We There Yet?, an album that captured the young artist’s quick wit, personality over fun hip hop beats, along with some darker leanings as well. His second album, Hindsight, picked up where his last album left off, exploring his early 90s hip hop influences while delving into alternative pop. In 2003, John produced Professional Rapper. Some say this project is where he truly came into his own, incorporating more live instrumentation rather than samples and loops. He continued to pen lyrics with personal themes and an increasingly eclectic musical soundtrack on his next two albums, 2005's The Boy Vs. The Cynic and 2007's Word Of Mouth, both of which earned him enthusiastic reviews from the music press.
His last album was 2009's Sex, Drugs And Self-Control. Produced by John and his drummer, Seth Earnest, the album was recorded at his home studio in Ohio. With live instruments and drum loops, John achieved a sound that suggests the influence of artists like Beck and the Dust Brothers. His personality once again set this album apart lyrically and brought it to life. At times broodingly dark and at other times the life of the party, Sex, Drugs And Self-Control gave listeners a glimpse of who he really is.
new cd single| Posted December 28, 2009
Loved the new single from John Reuben! If this is any indication of what the new cd would sound like, then I'm in.
changing the game| Posted December 28, 2009
Reuben has taken after his record label boss tobyMac in creating diverse music.In the world of hip-hop and rap you find tons of songs with the same sound,but not with reuben's music.John Reuben makes his music diverse with tons of unique instruments,collaborations and meenings behind songs.I look forward to whenever Reuben puts out a new album,because it's sure to be loaded with fun and excitement.
A breath of fresh air| Posted December 28, 2009
John Reuben has brought change to a musical genre that has needed it for some time now. With his lyrics and music, he has quite literally breathed a breath of fresh air into the Christian Music industry.
!| Posted December 28, 2009
Very unique artist, I love hearing his songs because they bring something different to a genre that doesnt tend to change a whole lot.