Jason “Juice” Williams is unquestionably one of the most talented independent vocalists and lyricists in America. A native of Augusta, Georgia and affectionately known as “Juice,” Williams has been dazzling audiences across the state of Georgia with his astounding vocals. His talent gained large recognition as he performed for various events at Albany State University in Albany, GA, as an English major at the prestigious historically black university. With each word Mr. Williams sings, he communicates a powerful and compelling story. His raw singing aptitude is a distinctive fusion of the vocals we’ve experienced from acclaimed artists like Jamie Foxx, Tank, Lyfe Jennings and Sam Cooke—while delivering a sound that’s uniquely his own. It’s only a matter of time before a major record label signs this impressive artist.
Juice’s vocal prowess and his ability to articulate a story through song ranks second to none. R&B music lovers are familiar with the excellent job that Keyshia Cole and Mary J. Blige do in rendering heartfelt stories through song. Mr. Williams gives us similar types of potent narratives but, of course, from a black male voice. His training as an English major at Albany State University shines through his vocals; ASU’s English professors elucidate for students the techniques renowned canonical and non-canonical writers, including African American authors, employ to make their works enduring touchstones. In the works Jason writes and sings, one can see the effort he takes to touch audiences in lasting ways similar to those used by the classic authors he studied. Juice proves that training at a higher education institution can be truly beneficial to one’s vocal talent and evolution.
On Juice’s 2005 album 100% Concentration, “Kill For You” evinces his masterful storytelling through song. In this song, he provides his audience with an emotional and compelling narrative about how much love the persona of the song has for his woman. In the opening forty seconds, his amazing vocals communicate the persona’s relentless and passionate devotion to his woman. The persona conveys that he loves his woman so deeply that he’s willing to kill anyone who would attempt to do harm to her and thwart their union.
Additionally, on 100% Concentration, “Made Her A Woman” gives the listener a chance to hear a zealous story about the difficulty of overcoming heartbreak and severing ties with someone you have loved. As with “Kill For You” and all of Juice’s work, the listener is never left disappointed while engaging with “Made Her A Woman.”
Mr. Williams demonstrates his prodigious writing and singing talent on his A & J Live (2002) album. One song on the album he penned and performed is “Intentionally,” one of Juice’s most popular songs. The persona of “Intentionally” laments the loss of a woman he dearly loved. At the end of the song, the persona is not sure if he can ever trust a woman with his heart again. We need more serious songs from the black male perspective that capture the emotion and pain of losing someone we love, as this song does. Black men are hurt in relationships—not just black women. If one would do a quick survey of the songs composed in the last ten years about relationships that failed, those songs are written primarily by women. We need a black male artist like Juice to continue to share with us the sensitive side of black men that’s often overlooked and/or considered not to exist.
Purchase both of Juice’s aforementioned albums, 100% Concentration and A & J Live, on CD Baby, and subscribe to his YouTube channel, Juice Soul. Follow, contact, and engage with him on Twitter @JuiceSoul. Juice is a phenomenal artist and “the next big thing” to take the R&B and soul scenes by storm.
–Antonio Maurice Daniels
Antonio Maurice Daniels is a Research Associate and Ph.D. student in Educational Leadership & Policy Analysis (ELPA) at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. He blogs regularly for his cultural commentary blog, Revolutionary Paideia. His works have been featured widely in academic publications and for popular online publications, including The Fresh Xpress, Mused Magazine, Up 4 Discussion, From Ashy to Classy, The Black Man Can, Healthy Black Men Magazine, and etc. Follow him on Twitter at @paideiarebel.
