Jamaal the RX: Producing, Podcasting, & Passion for the Phoenix Music Scene
His involvement in the Phoenix music scene came as a surprise since he spent so many years observing from the shadows, but Jamaal the RX’s prominent presence in the Valley has since become unquestioned. Part music producer, part content creator, and part podcast host, he magically finds time for it all, forming connections and strengthening the music community in the process.
Jamaal started podcasting out of sheer necessity. Local producer platforms like Beat Labs and Beat Mecca Phoenix did their best to keep the opportunities flowing, but with closures due to the COVID-19 pandemic, in-person producer shows and events dwindled, opening up the market for Jamaal to swoop in and create a platform of his own. Inspired by the very organizations that helped him get his feet wet in the producing sphere, Jamaal created the Valley of the Beats podcast.
“It started as a place where [producers] can do not only our thing as far as showcasing beats, but also..have a little bit of the journalism side as well,” he says.
Since its beginning, Jamaal and Valley of the Beats co-host Mylez Taylor (a.k.a Taye) have interviewed nearly 40 producers, musicians, and deejays, their quarantine project quickly becoming a platform for community, exposure, and outreach. Their monthly “Open Aux” events – which give producers a 7-minute time slot to showcase their beats – have similarly become beacons of connection and engagement for local talent.
Jamaal has met so many amazing artists while coming in and out of the podcast studio, but it wasn’t always like that. His reserved, homebody nature made it easy to wash, rinse, and repeat his daily routine of work and school, his anxiety high and his passion low.
“I wasn’t focused on anything else but that,” he says. “And then, you know, that gets old and you get a little bit older and you realize like, oh, I can't be doing this forever, [I need to] actually get out and grow and be a better person and…meet up with people. I can't sit in the house and complain about this, that, and the third.”
To say he’s accomplished all of these intentions would be an understatement. In addition to Valley of the Beats, Jamaal is also the co-founder of the Ctrl Room podcast, a member of the Phoenix Psypher, and producer for the up-and-coming group Clouds Don’t Cry with Indi Clouds and Benny – which is to say nothing of his actual day job and side hustles that pay the bills. A day off is as rare as a double rainbow, and yet, Jamaal is happy to give up his free time.
“I wouldn’t consider it a sacrifice,” he says. “I would love to…make music [or] beats full-time, but…it’s very difficult. [But] you do it for so long that it’s somewhat less about the money. It’s just about having passion for music and having a love for the music community.”
Jamaal has since grown to over 2.5K combined Instagram followers between his platforms and has no plans on stopping. His most recent and highly-anticipated project with Clouds Don’t Cry features a slowed-down version of a groovy Japanese beat and the sultry Spanish stylings of Don Modo. Watch and listen to the Toshi Flow music video today and let Jamaal’s skills speak for themselves.
