Check Out Jared Beasley’s Story

Today we’d like to introduce you to Jared Beasley

Hi Jared, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My musical journey began many years ago when I was around 17 years old. As I grew up playing sports mostly, I was always an avid listener of music. I found out early that going very far as an athlete wasn’t realistic. During sometime of my junior year we had a teacher that came from the inner city alternative schools to our suburban high school. She took to my writings and was one of the first people to push me to starting writing raps. Before that I never thought a white kid from the suburbs was “allowed” to be a rapper. According to her I had blessings that other students she taught never had. Education, intelligence, vocabulary.

I started writing songs and recording them at my house on a karaoke type stereo system in my parent’s basement. I would bring them to school and show friends, and let’s just say I didn’t get the best responses. It made me go back and try to refine my craft.

In those early years, I would meet many different rappers that I would collaborate with and form groups. Many came from outside of my area I grew up in, frankly, because not many people rapped where I was from. I think we all learned a lot from each as other as we grew as writers, I mean we all believed we were going to someday be superstars. We would make terrible recordings and go play them in cars and stereos thinking we were great.

At some point I decided we needed to make a step up and go to a real recording studio and make real songs. I opened the Yellow pages, as we didn’t have Internet or resources, like we do today, and just happened to stumble across the studio where many of Kansas City’s best rappers were recording. We would go as a group, who’s the white guy? The producer? I got that a lot growing up in the rap scene. We started working with local producers and engineers until we got original music.

As we worked to make real recordings, many group members and artists that I would work with would come and go for various reasons, yet I learned something from all of them in some way. The only one that has been with me pretty much from the beginning to end was Allen T. Hickmon.

The first show I performed was at my high school, the beginning of senior year, and my classmates seemed to be very impressed. Impressed enough that someone told my parents, as I didn’t tell them we were performing, as they weren’t necessarily very supportive of the music genre I chose. We grew a lot that year working with different producers and would actually record a few songs at local studios.

But there was a moment in time that really made me think this is what I want to do. In Cancun, Mexico I won a rap contest during Spring Break of my senior year. The crowd seemed huge; in reality it was probably around 2,000 – 2,500 people based upon information I gathered later. It was then, the feeling of being in front of that many people that were feeling what you were doing that hit me. I even screwed up a chance to be on MTV after someone saw me perform, that’s an entire story on its own.
I would perform again at my high school and even after graduation I would continue writing and pursuing the dream. I would battle at college parties, rub shoulders with bigger, local names, yet never had the confidence to really perform again. The stage fright and anxiety I guess took over the mind. Years would pass and I realized I was living just that a “dream.” So I went back to school and got my degree in graphic design.

While it had always crossed my mind that designing for other artists could be a lane, I didn’t realize where it would take me. I started working with artists all over Kansas City, designing album covers, posters, logos, etc. And then a particular event happened where a friend of mine asked me if I wanted to design logos for a new engineer/producer in town. Well, Aaron Connor wasn’t just any engineer/producer. He was coming from being in LA for over a decade and not only being multi-platinum, and a Grammy winner, but his claim to fame was from working with one of my favorite groups of all time, Bone Thugs-N-Harmony. Who Aaron luckily took me on their tour bus to meet at one point.

As we completed the logo and started to become what ended up being a lasting friendship, I decided why not take this shot. We traded my time creating his logos and business cards for studio time. The plan was to make one song, as I felt the opportunity was grand. Well, that one song, people loved. And after that, it was now a mission to complete a “real” album, and that’s when Wyatt was born. Because of mostly financial reasons, we would work on that album for 3 or 4 years it seemed, all being directed by Aaron. Mostly through trade of design work, the album involved everyone from classically trained pianist, gospel singers, rock-n-roll bands, hip hop heads, gangster rappers, R&B singers, folk rock singers and more. The album was unique. It ended up being titled “They Killed Wyatt.”

The name was very symbolic, as the entire time we were working on completing this album; many things in my life were tearing me down. Weather it was relationships, career choices, lack of support or just people telling me my whole life that I wasn’t “supposed” to be doing this. But the place I found the most joy was being in the studio and being creative, working with other artists to create something unique.

A few songs actually would gain attention from a couple major labels, but nothing would come to fruition, as they wanted me to be something I wasn’t. I would promote the music and release through social media outlets at the time, and even pressed up 300 copies to sell and distribute, but for some reason, I never really performed again.

After a year or so after the release, I started to realize that this probably wasn’t going to turn into that super stardom that a young boy would dream of. So I stopped writing and recording, and went and got a job, a job that would end up being the career path that I am in now, selling alcohol.

Many years later, I got the urge to start writing and recording again. But I couldn’t be Wyatt, as he’s dead. So I became Jett, a name that kind of stuck after my nephews couldn’t pronounce my real name. Jett was to be the phoenix rising from the ashes, with a newfound motivation to connect with people through music. I started making songs that most would tell me were the best I’ve ever done, they were different, and were catchy. Well, not catchy enough. Through promotion on social media and walking into radio stations themselves, the main single would only get limited airplay, usually late nights.

As time went on I wasn’t sure where this was going, if anywhere, but I knew I loved making music. I loved how it made me feel. It was an outlet for me. But it wasn’t catching people’s ears or hearts.

And then I moved to the Cayman Islands. I needed to get away from Kansas City, a new beginning, and a fresh start. I lived there for the upwards of nine months, that time was cut short mostly by Covid. While I lived there though I learned a lot about myself, a lot about different cultures and what the world is like outside of the American bubble. I even befriended many musicians who I call friends to this day.

As I navigated coming back home during the pandemic, as we all did in some way, I started to realize that maybe music just isn’t for me, not even many of my close friends knew my songs. Aaron would tell me, “Not everyone who writes and records music is a superstar you know.” But for me, it was more about bonding with people, it was sharing an emotional connection, and for whatever reason, my songs didn’t induce that feeling.

At some point around 2021, I decided that it was time to put the pen down, the mic down, whatever you want to say. It had almost become a burden to me, something that I could never get to work. Something emotionally draining. Something that I was associated with almost everywhere I went. Anytime I went anywhere and saw people from my past it was “you’re so talented, why didn’t you make it?” Well, there are a lot of reasons.

On Instagram I started a series to help put this entire thing to bed. It was unreleased verses or songs from almost 25 years of writing. It led up to near my 40th birthday, where I decided to release one last song. It was titled “My Peace Out.” Funny enough, it was probably my most popular song amongst any that I ever released.

So to wrap this up, as this may not be a “success” story, it most certainly is a “success” story. I may have not had all the money, fame, women, etc. etc. etc., but at the end of the day I can say I’m proud of everything I DID accomplish, I’m proud of everything I ever released. I’m proud I experienced things that many people couldn’t fathom. I’ve seen things I probably shouldn’t have, and I have stories to last a lifetime. And most importantly, nothing can take away the PEOPLE I met along this journey. The diversity molded me into who I am today. I’m thankful for that.

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?
I would say to mostly read my story I wrote. Attempting to be “successful” in the music industry may be one of the hardest things to do, especially a white kid from the suburbs in at the time especially, a predominantly black dominated genre.

Gaining respect from your peers, connections from fans, and the struggle to overcome anxieties are some of things I struggled with the most.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know about your work?
I am a regional sales manager for a craft brewery. I specialize in creating relationships with others in the business I’m in. The product is great and I’m very versed, but the relationships are what makes me successful. I’m most proud of getting to a point in the business where I’m respected amongst the people I care to be respected by. I was never really given a chance, as many others had, and I bust my *ss to make sure people know what they passed on.

Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
Finding a mentor has always come naturally for me. I guess my only advice would be to be open to opportunities, especially at a younger age. I think many people are scared to “jump” sometimes and leaves them complacent in what they find comfortable. Take a chance, take a risk. That “network” will go further than any board meeting or zoom call.

I guess that didn’t really answer the question. What worked for me is find someone that YOU find successful. Someone that you not only respect in your profession or career path, but as a person. I was once told, “it doesn’t matter how much money or stuff you have, because at the end of the day, your life, what people most remember anyone for is if they were a good person.

Contact Info:

• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jettmusickc
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jettmusickc
• Youtube: www.youtube.com/@jettmusickc or www.youtube.com/@wyattwords