J-Wonn

Born Jawonn Smith and performing as J-Wonn or alternately Jwonn, the Jackson, Mississippi native crafts modern southern R&B marked by his youthful vocal tone. He spent his upbringing in a single-parent household, attending church regularly and participating in choirs. Later exposure to R&B and rap drew his attention without severing ties to gospel or the classic southern soul and blues that shaped his approach. Released in 2013, the single “I Got This Record” gained regional traction through nonstop road work. Savior Music Group issued the matching album in 2014. Further tracks followed in 2015 and 2016, among them the ballads “I Need a Grown Woman” and “Lord I Need to Talk to You,” the uptempo cut “We Gone Party,” and the slow jam “Daddy’s Girl.”