Jerry Fealofani Afemata (born 1983), better known by his stage name J Boog, is an American-Samoan

reggae Reggae () is a music genre that originated in Jamaica during the late 1960s. The term also denotes the modern popular music of Jamaica and its Jamaican diaspora, diaspora. A 1968 single by Toots and the Maytals, "Do the Reggay", was the first ...

singer and songwriter. J Boog has released three albums that reached the top ten of the ''Billboard'' Reggae Albums chart, debuting with ''Hear Me Roar'' in 2007. His next two albums, ''Backyard Boogie'' (2011) and ''Wash House Ting'' (2016), both reached number one on the Reggae Albums chart.

Early life

Afemata was born in

Long Beach, California Long Beach is a coastal city in southeastern Los Angeles County, California, United States. It is the list of United States cities by population, 44th-most populous city in the United States, with a population of 451,307 as of 2022. A charter ci ...

and grew up in nearby Compton with six siblings in a Samoan American family. As a child, Afemata became interested in

music after seeing his sister play the

Bob Marley Robert Nesta Marley (6 February 1945 – 11 May 1981) was a Jamaican singer, songwriter, and guitarist. Considered one of the pioneers of reggae, he fused elements of reggae, ska and rocksteady and was renowned for his distinctive voca ...

song " Jamming" on the piano. His siblings gave Afemata the nickname "Boog", a play on "boogie" and reference to him not being able to sit still. Afemata first sang for an audience at age nine when his mother had him and his sister sing the

Whitney Houston Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963 – February 11, 2012) was an American singer, actress, film producer, model, and philanthropist. Commonly referred to as "Honorific nicknames in popular music, the Voice", she is List of awards and no ...

song "

One Moment in Time "One Moment in Time" is a sentimental ballad by American singer Whitney Houston, written by Albert Hammond and John Bettis, and produced by Narada Michael Walden as a promotional song for the 1988 Summer Olympics in Seoul, South Korea. It was re ...

" at a family reunion. Afemata attended

Paramount High School Paramount High School is a comprehensive public high school in Paramount, California, USA. It is part of the Paramount Unified School District. The school serves students in grades 9–12 on two campuses, West Campus for 9th grade students and ...

, enrolling because his parents registered him with his cousin's address in neighboring

Paramount Paramount (from the word ''paramount'' meaning "above all others") may refer to: Entertainment and music companies * Paramount Global, also known simply as Paramount, an American mass media company formerly known as ViacomCBS. **Paramount Picture ...

. While in high school, Afemata began listening to

hip hop Hip-hop or hip hop (originally disco rap) is a popular music genre that emerged in the early 1970s from the African-American community of New York City. The style is characterized by its synthesis of a wide range of musical techniques. Hip- ...

and the ska punk band Sublime. After graduating from high school, Afemata worked at an

oil refinery An oil refinery or petroleum refinery is an industrial processes, industrial process Factory, plant where petroleum (crude oil) is transformed and refining, refined into products such as gasoline (petrol), diesel fuel, Bitumen, asphalt base, ...

near Los Angeles and sang at nightclubs outside of his regular job.

Music career

During a 2005 vacation in Hawaii, Afemata met Fijian reggae singer George "Fiji" Veikoso and provided a mixtape of his to Veikoso, who had a positive impression listening to it. Recording as J Boog, Afemata collaborated with Veikoso for his 2007 debut album ''Hear Me Roar'', which debuted on the ''Billboard'' reggae albums chart on March 1 and peaked at no. 8 on March 22, 2008. J Boog found more success in 2011 with his self-titled EP that peaked at no. 3 on the ''Billboard'' reggae albums chart in July 2011. In October 2011, his second album ''Backyard Boogie'' debuted on the top of the reggae chart. ''Backyard Boogie'' featured the singles "Let Me Know", "Let's Do It Again", and "Sunshine Girl". "Let's Do It Again" was later certified Silver by the

British Phonographic Industry BPI (British Recorded Music Industry) Limited, trading as British Phonographic Industry (BPI), is the British recorded music industry's trade association. It runs the BRIT Awards; is home to the Mercury Prize; co-owns the Official Charts C ...

(BPI) in 2022. J Boog's 2013 EP ''Live Up!'', reached no. 3 on the reggae albums chart. Then in 2014, J Boog collaborated with Hawaiian singer

Anuhea Rylee Anuheakeʻalaokalokelani Jenkins (born December 10, 1985), known professionally as Anuhea, is a Hawaiian musician, singer, and songwriter. Early life and education Anuhea grew up in Makawao, Hawaii on the island of Maui. She is of Hawai ...

and reggae band SOJA for the single "Easier". In April 2016, Boog's EP ''Rose Petals'' topped the Reggae Albums chart. Then in November 2016, Boog released his third album ''Wash House Ting'', his first full-length album in five years and second straight to reach the top of the Reggae Albums chart. In 2023 August 31, Afemata performed In Anchorage, Alaska at the Alaska state fair. Boog performed "Siva mai " and the crowd loved it . Shortly after, Afemata performed "Ganja Farmer " who he dedicated to his older brother .

Discography

* ''Hear Me Roar'' (2007) * ''J Boog - EP (2011)'' * ''Backyard Boogie'' (2011) * ''Wash House Ting'' (2016) * ''Pennies From Heaven'' (2023)

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Boog, J Living people 1983 births Reggae singers American reggae musicians Musicians from Long Beach, California Musicians from Compton, California American people of Samoan descent