Today we’d like to introduce you to Mason Jar Muzik.
Hi Mason, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
In 2010, lifelong friends DJ/Producer Todd “TDubb” Williams and lyricist Shane “Big City” Harrelson came up with an idea to start a label called Mason Jar Muzik under the idea that everything from the south that’s good typically comes out of a Mason Jar. Did they think why not music? Performing as a solo act through Charleston for years, eventually, paths would cross with fellow solo hip-hop artist Dusty Roadz. After some talks amongst the three, in 2015, Dusty would shortly after joining Shane in MJM.
“The branding just felt right,” says Dusty Roadz when asked about why he decided to join the label. Not long after Dusty joined a very close mutual friend to both parties, Micheal “Waterboy” Whitledge would also become an addition to the label given that his style was so different from Shane and Dusty. The three would begin their path as a super hip hop group doing shows and recording material for upcoming projects. In 2018 the group would find promise in adding a Live band for their shows. Bringing in veteran musicians Jason “Kong” Benton (drums), Randy “House” Reagor (guitar), and Chris “V” Viera (Bass) immediately doors would open to what would become a very positive year for MJM. In 2019 they participated in Battle of The Bands in Charleston SC.
A competition that would put them up against 50+ other bands from up and down the east coast. MJM would end up sweeping the competition through quarter-finals and finals to win the whole thing in convincing fashion. With that win, they were granted the opportunity to open up for Charleston 98 Rockfest, the biggest local music festival in the city. Gaining traction after this event they would go on to open for major recording acts such as Colt Ford, Nappy Roots, Second Chaynce, P.O.D, and many many more. 2019 was capped off by MJM throwing their own Concert at the Legendary Music Farm. Falling a few heads short of a sold-out crowd the sky was the limit for MJM.
Then in 2020… covid hit. Completely canceling gigs for the upcoming year things were looking down for the guys until they got a special call. Inviting them to play for a live stream from the Performing Arts Center in Charleston SC. This was a dream come true and given the circumstances this was a chance to keep fans engaged with the new music and try to keep some sort of relevance in the music scene. The live stream would go to be a huge success.
Immediately following the PAC show they begin working on their new upcoming album “Baggage Claim” all while performing at booked shows once things opened back up. The album is slated to drop at the end of summer or early fall.
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
Nothing worth being proud of comes easy. With that said we have had a number of things happen that could have derailed us completely. From replacing the bass player twice to dealing with covid, like many musicians it was a challenge.
It definitely brought us closer as a family and taught us that with hard work and perseverance anything can be worked out. We are blessed to be in the position we are in today.
Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Mason Jar Muzik is a collective of musicians who have found a way to fuse multiple genres of music into one sound. We have elements of rock, hip-hop, and even some country in our music. Our live shows are our bread and butter. We often tell folks in order to get the full Mason Jar experience you have to come to a live show. Things that stick out as far as what we are proud of… Definitely winning Battle Of The Bands and opening Rockfest.
Selling out The Windjammer multiple times with our good friend Randall Fowler as the headliner. Performing at the Performing Arts Center, and performing at the Coastal Carolina Fair, are things on a local level that most artists dream of and we are proud to say we have done these things together.
What sets us apart from the rest is really the fact that you can’t pinpoint what exact genre we are. It’s not rock music, it’s not rap music, it’s Mason Jar Muzik. We like to think we have started a new wave for the younger generation to latch on to and take it places it’s never been before.
Any advice for finding a mentor or networking in general?
Our support team is hands down the hardest working loyal team out there. We run our own social media pages and mostly book our own shows.
But we have created great relationships with promoters of all genres In the city and we firmly believe if you are good at what you do the talent and music will speak for themselves and if the people want you, they will find a way to get you there.
Contact Info:
- Website: Facebook.com/masonjarmuzik
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/x_masonjarmuzik_x/?hl=en
- Youtube: https://youtube.com/channel/UC-zUbVXUg1omUDMXLrhwZwg
- SoundCloud: Check out Mason Jar Muzik on #SoundCloud https://soundcloud.app.goo.gl/tniuY
