J Xavier

Young Houston rapper J Xavier had racked up an array of entertainment milestones by the time he reached his early teens, drawing notice from figures as varied as Beyoncé’s father and manager Mathew Knowles and the national Congressional Black Caucus. He also conceived and hosted his own program, Young Generation Television, conducting interviews with numerous A-list celebrities, recording artists, and athletes. Born Justin Xavier Harris in April 1992, he grew up amid siblings who shared his musical bent; his father worked as a singer and bass player while serving as a pastor engaged in community affairs. That church environment shaped Harris’s abilities, teaching him both vocal technique and drumming. At age 11 he issued his debut album, I Gotta Be Me!, under the name Lil’ J Xavier. Its tracks stayed upbeat and encouraging, occasionally urging youth toward civic participation or celebrating his preferred sports franchises.

His rising profile soon turned him into a Houston favorite. The city’s mayor designated February 18, 2004, as “J Xavier Day.” Gospel and Christian rap audiences embraced his clean style as well, resulting in a Texas Gospel Excellence Award and multiple Houston Holy Hip-Hop Awards. August of that year brought another breakthrough when he claimed victory on the short-lived competition series America’s Most Talented Kid, widening his audience and paving the way for a 2005 contract with Music World Entertainment, the label founded by Knowles. Late in 2006 the imprint put out his follow-up album, Young Prince of tha South. The project reached number 52 on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop chart and included guest spots from Houston rappers Mike Jones and Lil’ Keke alongside funk patriarch George Clinton on a version of Parliament’s “Flashlight.”