Meet Jaron Smalls: Singer/Songwriter & Producer

We had the good fortune of connecting with Jaron Smalls and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Jaron, what role has risk played in your life or career?
Taking a risk is similar to jumping off of a cliff, believing undoubtedly that there is some type of cushion already in place to brace your fall whenever you land. Risks create moments in our lives that allow us to outgrow the comfort of our own complacency. If I would have never taken the risks I had taken in life or in music, it would be impossible for me to be the man and or artist I am today. Although I had the opportunity to grow up around musicians and vocalists, pursuing music as a career full time created such a heavy anxiety for me, because of all the unknown factors that come with thriving in the music industry. Taking risks for myself meant missing a few meals for a few days, sleeping in the car some nights, going two years without a place to stay, getting taken advantage of by labels, saying goodbye to certain relationships, losing money on gilded opportunities, etc. However, these experiences created an indescribable drive in me, which caused me to grow immensely as a person/entrepreneur and also opened a plethora of doors that were closed before. In the moment, it felt depressing and lonely, truthfully, but I took these risks believing that the end result was already achieved, as insane as that sounds. I was taught to walk by faith before I could walk on my own two feet. That is attributed to God and my amazing mother and father, Lila and Jonathan Smalls. Today, I create music independently still, produce for artist Mante, write references for other artists, and collaborate with Prolific, CEO of Prolific Productions, and Giovanni Music in production/marketing for international artist Jack Doyo, CEO of New Nairobi Records, along with serving as project management for Dakotah Aiyanna. The risks that I had taken created more opportunities for me than I could have imagined and made it possible for me to be able to assist other creatives and brands in their growth as well.

Can you open up a bit about your work and career? We’re big fans and we’d love for our community to learn more about your work.
I am an independent artist by way of Bowie, Maryland, creating music in the Queen City of Charlotte, North Carolina. I began my career singing background on Bobby Jones Gospel on BET in Washington, DC for its last two seasons. Soon after, I pursued my solo/independent career as an artist and a producer in the Hip-Hop Project in Raleigh, North Carolina, which was sponsored by the Justus League, comprised of 9th Wonder, Chaundon, and many others, during my freshman year of college. After my freshman year, I transferred to UNC Charlotte, where I worked out of the dean of students office and aided the curation for various events and platforms for creatives and local independent brands to assist in the promotion of their careers. Upon graduation in 2019, I started working in collaboration with DJ Moon of Crash Dummy Records for production and artist development with apprenticeship from T2 Bassline and then began writing for a few artists in the industry.

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
My itinerary always consists of studio time either at Rare Sound or Loud House Studios when I am in Atlanta, Georgia, but I only record at Prolific Productions when I am in Charlotte, North Carolina. The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My Family Friends
Eichelberger Marketing Group
DJ Moon
DJ AJ
T2 Bassline
Prolific & Prolific Productions
Giovanni Music
Jack Doyo & New Nairobi Records
Reece Hodges
Troy Thomas

Website: https://www.jaronsmalls.com/

Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/iamjaronsmalls

Twitter: https://twitter.com/iamjaronsmalls

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/iamjaronsmalls

Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCXzpxJ3EzFdscQCVNpNBoUA

Image Credits
Reece Hodges Troy Thomas