Baltimore, MD has long been a breeding ground for some of Hip Hop’s most authentic and unfiltered voices, and Big Jon, born Jonathan Harris, is steadily carving out his place within that legacy. At 32 years old, Big Jon is turning a lifelong passion into a focused and intentional career, fueled by discipline, personal experience, and an unwavering commitment to his craft. Raised in a strict Christian household and shaped by years of feeling like an outsider, his journey is rooted in resilience and self-discovery. From early songwriting influenced by faith to deeply personal records inspired by loss, adversity, and identity, Big Jon’s music reflects growth, honesty, and purpose. In this interview, he opens up about his upbringing, his return to music, and the experiences that continue to shape both his sound and his vision as an artist.
Q: Where are you from, and how did your upbringing influence the person you are today?
“I was born and raised in Baltimore, MD. My upbringing definitely had an influence on the person I am today. I was raised by my parents who raised me in a Christian household, were very strict and disciplined when I was growing up. While I didn’t agree with some of their methods, it did help me understand the kind of person I wanted to be. In Middle and High School, I was often bullied and outcast for being different and not wanting to be part of the in crowd as I found some of their behaviors and actions to be immature and stupid, as I wanted to do what was right and be my own person. It also helped me evolve from my songwriting were originally I used to write Christian songs, but as I matured overtime, I wanted to use my personal experiences for my music in a mature, sensitive topic.”
Q: At what point did music shift from something you enjoyed to something you knew you wanted to pursue seriously?
“After graduating from Towson University in 2019 with a Bachelor’s Degree in Media & Broadcast Production, I started working for a local TV Station in Baltimore, FOX 45 owned by Sinclair Broadcast Group. I wanted to work in the broadcast field to gain higher and bigger opportunities. However, I was met with constant rejection and dealing with a toxic work environment and in a workplace that didn’t allow me to grow or gain new opportunities and not getting better paying jobs elsewhere. That’s when in 2024, I decided to make my return to my love for music to pursue as a career. My love for music and songwriting never left me and I always wanted to return, and dealing with the job market, toxic workplace and wanting to honor my mom who died in 2021 due to pancreatic cancer, gave me the courage and motivation to go back to my roots.”
Q: Who were some of the first artists or sounds that inspired you to start creating your own music?
“There are many artist that inspired me to create my own music. Growing up I listened to guys liked Jay Z, Kanye West. Ludacris, 50 Cent, but the most inspirational and influential rapper that inspired me the most is Eminem. I feel Eminem’s lyrical story telling has helped me alot with my songwriting and storytelling in terms of balancing serious topics and comedy. Kanye’s fantasy style approach also has been helpful where it helped me stand out in terms of songs I want to write and very creative storytelling and direction and I believe that what makes me and my brand unique from other artist.”
Q: Can you walk us through how you began writing and recording music in the early days?
“It all started when I was 16 years old way back in the summer of 2010. My love for Hip Hop grew when I entered Middle School, my English Teachers were big into Hip Hop and it became a huge influence on me. One summer afternoon in 2010 I just began writing songs and it just clicked with me. Afterwards I began performing at school events and even events my old church held in Baltimore. Originally my songs were Christian based using beats of other artist such as 2 Chainz, Nicki Minaj and Lil Wayne. I attempted to record other tracks but lack of financial stability and wanting to focus on school prevented me from doing so but still had a passion for songwriting and Hip Hop.”
Q: What challenges did you face at the start of your journey, and what kept you motivated to continue?
“For me, the challenges were not having the right network or people to work with to help with where I want to go with my music career. I’m also on the spectrum, where I learn things differently compared to others and I often struggle to learn new things on my own, based on my learning developments. Even now it’s still a struggle building a fanbase on my own, especially without any help or anyone to understand my condition, but my faith in GOD and the support from family, friends and people who have followed my music have been very helpful with my journey and keeps me goin to put in work on making music and getting my name out there.”
Q: How would you describe your sound and message to someone hearing your music for the first time?
“My sound is more lyrical, with a baritone and raspy voice. Back in my church days, I was a member of the choir where I was in the baritone section despite some wanting me to be more tenor or soprano, but many told me to stick with my natural voice and overtime, I accepted that and was proud of the voice that makes me who I am. For those who’s listening to my music for the first time, I want them to know that my music is unique compared to other rappers out there, and I’m all about creating high quality music that many can enjoy.”
Q: In what ways do your personal experiences show up in your lyrics and creative choices?
“Many personal experiences show up in my lyrics and creative choices. My songs starting with Rise Again is about me overcoming struggles and making a return to music and wanted to make that sound to help people bounce back from adversity or defeat. Sponsor is about saying goodbye to an old friend due to betrayal, while remembering the good times we had. Spirits is about honoring my mom and to help people deal with losing a loved one and Persona is about showing who I am as a person where I view myself as a loner, but when I’m making music and performing I’m a completely different person and think of my rapping as an alter ego. It’s been very useful in helping me write my songs and overall creative direction to showcase what I went through in my life.”
Q: What lessons from your early years in music still guide how you approach your career today?
“Just being myself and not letting people put me down for who I am. I believe in myself and I always will and won’t let that derail me from my goals. I also understand that many people are different, especially like I mentioned before, I’m autistic and learn and operate differently from others, but never let that bring me down and do what I believe is right from my heart.”
Q: What does making music allow you to express that you feel you couldn’t express any other way?
“Making music allows me to be more open about myself in an energetic way. Like I mentioned earlier, I’m a loner and prefer isolation only with a certain group of people I can trust. However, when making music, especially when recording and performing on stage, I feel more open, energetic, and free to be myself without any interference, or influence from other people. I feel like I’m in my own world and can show my wild side that many people have never seen before. I’ve done that multiple times and people were shocked to see me like that but loved my songs and performances. I feel more confident as well knowing that when I’m in the spotlight, I can be the person who I want to be.”
Q: For new listeners discovering you now, what’s the most important thing you want them to know about who you are as an artist and a person?
“For new listeners discovering me for the first time, the most important thing I want them to know about who I am as an artist is that I take my craft seriously and want to bring energy, strong lyrics and emotions to my music. I’m very passionate about my music and care about Hip Hop and want to bring that quality back into the genre. I want them to know I’m a hard-working person, filled with determination, motivation, and show that dreams can become a reality.”
Big Jon’s story is one defined by perseverance, self-belief, and a refusal to be boxed in or overlooked. Through faith, discipline, and an honest reflection of his life experiences, he continues to build a body of work that prioritizes substance, emotion, and lyrical integrity. His music serves not only as self-expression, but as a source of motivation for anyone navigating loss, isolation, or the struggle to find their place. As he continues to grow and expand his reach, one thing remains clear: Big Jon is an artist who takes his craft seriously, honors the roots of Hip Hop, and is determined to leave a lasting impact through authenticity and purpose.
Stream and Follow Big Jon:
- Here I Come EP – stream here
- Level Up – stream here
- Persona – stream here
- Don’t Mess With the Flock – stream here
- Cosmos – stream here
- Instagram: @thetruebigjon
- Website: https://www.bigjonmusic.com
