WHAT J.O.T. WAS CALLED TO START BACK IN 1997 IN RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA(EXACTLY, ONE YEAR AFTER GRADUATING COLLEGE FROM NC STATE), HAS WENT FROM A HUMBLE MUSIC CAREER TO A GROWING RECOGNIZABLE BRAND THAT IS SLOWLY MAKING HIS PRESENCE KNOWN & FELT IN THE MUSIC INDUSTRY.
Cancer Survivor, Book author, CHRISTIAN Rapper/MC, North Carolina native, North Carolina State University College graduate, Record Label CEO, Music Producer, DJ, Ghost Writer for other music artists, FCC licensed, Clothing line designer/owner.
J.O.T. aka GRANDE GATO aka JAMES O. TERRY JR. wants to encourage & give both young and old people in the world hope, and let them know that with faith & perseverance the impossible can become possible (J.O.T. knows what he is talking about because he was able to complete a CD album immediately after his Cancer went into remission). J.O.T. started writing what GOD had done because he held on to his faith (J.O.T. praised GOD even when he thought he was going to die and believed that is why he was healed just as JOB in the bible was healed because JOB praised GOD too when he thought he was might die). This soon led J.O.T. to write his testimony in the form of song lyrics and put it to music (As he does with all of his trials and tribulations he has overcome through the power of the LORD). 1996 was the year that J.O.T. turned his life over to Christ and decided he wanted that to reflect in his music. That same year J.O.T. officially started up his Christian based company, SOUL-FULL PRODUCTIONS (The reason he spelled the company name with a hyphen in the middle and the letter L twice at the end of the name was to let the world know that his "SOUL" was "FULL" because he displayed the WORD OF GOD through what he did.) With three different subsidiary branches to SOUL-FULL PRODUCTIONS (Clothing line, Literature, and Record label branch) J.O.T. always believed it was important not to get comfortable in the ministry and continue to grind and work hard for CHRIST. As the first artist to come out on his independent record label, J.O.T. RECORDS, J.O.T. put out ten CD albums, four CD singles, and five 12” vinyl records (entitled NORTH CAROLINA STREET HEAT Presents…volumes 1, 2, 3, 4 and 5). J.O.T. also has a music video which was shot on film near the college university, NC STATE, he attended. Today J.O.T. has been heard on major FM radio stations, SIRIUS satellite radio, and has appeared on major television news stations. J.O.T. has performed live in both Miami, Florida (In 2003 at UMOJA FESTIVAL, in 2006 at I/O ENTERTAINMENT LOUNGE) and North Carolina (In 2002 at BENTON CONVENTION CENTER NEW YEAR’S EVE CONCERT hosted by 97.1 FM’s A.C. STOWE, in 2006 at CENTRO CRISTIANO OUTDOOR CONCERT, in 2007 at the TWIN CITY RIB FEST, in 2008 at the HISPANIC FESTIVAL “FIESTA”, in 2009 at NC STATE’s “EL SALSABOR” event, and also in 2009/2010/2011/2012/2013 at the DIXIE CLASSIC FAIRGROUNDS). J.O.T. published his first autobiography entitled, ABOUT J.O.T., in 2004. In 2006 J.O.T. had another book published called BREAKING STEREOTYPES. In 2007 he produced the first online issue of his contemporary Christian SOUL-FULL magazine. The following year in 2008, J.O.T. put out a double book which he co-authored with his business partner. The double book contains two front covers (One cover is titled I COULD HAVE GOTTEN REVENGE BUT I DIDN’T and the other cover is titled PEACEMAKER). Another book, the fourth published for him & second for her, titled PRESS ON(MAKING A WAY OUT OF NO WAY) & I HAVE A STORY TO TELL(AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF CRYSTAL R. DUPONT), was released in 2012. The duo has several cd albums out both on itunes & also in select retail stores. The SOUL-FULL PRODUCTIONS brand is not just a logo on their products it's a movement. Lives have been touched through the holy spirit in different racial ethnic groups, genders, social classes, & languages. J.O.T. & MS. CRYSTAL feel SOUL-FULL because they are spreading CHRIST/CRISTO through what they do.