Unocoolbro’s Iconic Mix of Rap and Jazz Dominates the Music Scenes
Born Jonathan Boone, Unocoolbro, is a fast-rising musical artist setting the scenes with original sounds and lyrics. Currently residing in San Francisco, the North Carolina native had his first exhilarating taste on the stage in Virginia. Describing the moment he found his passion for making music, he said, “Going to a place where no one knew who I was and how they perceived my music, and how the crowd reacted, it was a freedom I’ve never experienced before. So I was hooked after that.”
His musical journey began in a round-about twist of fate. When he was a freshman in college, his mother lost her home and lived out of a hotel. At that point in his life, Unocoolbro was trying to transition from street life into college life, but with his mom losing her home, he went back to the streets to help her out. As a result, he spent time out of classes and lost his scholarship. Fortunately, he was given a second chance to continue his education. While juggling classes and helping his mom out, his brother ventured into music, and that was where Unocoolbro got a chance to share his story. He started recording music, his unique sound and lyrics gaining him a fanbase of music lovers.
As his musical career kicked off, Unocoolbro’s initial stage name was Jonathan, as he could not decide on a cool nickname. However, friends and acquaintances started hailing him as “Unocoolbro” due to his calm demeanor and effortless vibes, and the moniker stuck. So he made it his social media handles and even his website. His music style is influenced by iconic artists such as Biggie, Outkast, UGK, Jay-Z, Kid Cudi and can be described as luxury trap music as it uniquely blends live music and jazz with a lot of live instrumentation.
With a native American heritage and an Immigrant father from Jamaica, music is a way of expressing Unocoolbro. “Music gave me a voice and freedom my ancestors fought for. Life inspires me. Everything that happens in the world influences the music I make,” he states.
Through his music, Unocoolbro tells riveting tales of his childhood growing up in literally the poorest place in North Carolina. “I always saw the rawest yet purest environments. And that transfers over into my music. I’m super transparent about my struggles, and yet I want people to know me in purest form,” he shared.
His last music project, “Continue Watching,” was inspired by all the events of 2020, from the riots, race wars, covid, lockdown, and the elections. At the time of the song’s release, he said, “This project was about being human at a time where so much was going on. I wanted to showcase every emotion when dealing with the outside world and media. This project was more about a ‘what if’ America burned and someone would’ve found my album in the rubble.”
In addition to making music, this multi-dimensional creative is also a screenwriter. “When it comes to creativity, I’m always creating whether it’s waking up to write down my thoughts and turn them into music or writing a movie when rap gets boring,” he says. For leisure, he engages in outdoor activities such as hiking, basketball, skateboarding, etc.
For Unocoolbro, music changed his life as it gave him a renewed purpose to share his story and help others find their voice. In the coming years, he wants to continue making music, paving the way for their business ventures and setting up a new market for music in Carolina. Set to premiere in 2022, the artist is putting out a movie, “Padlocked.” Additionally, his new music project “2 Piece & A Biscuit” is soon to hit the airwaves.
To learn more about Jonathan “Unocoolbro” Boone, visit his Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter. You can also watch his videos on YouTube.
