A trumpeter since the age of 7, La’Trice Murray has always been a musician. “I started out on the piano taking lessons from my uncle. Then moved to percussion and the trumpet,” shared Murray. “Music has been my passion since a very early age.”
Her love of music and life’s journey has helped her evolve into more than just a musician. La’Trice is an entrepreneur and an artist. Her business acumen was nurtured as a promoter while attending the University of Arkansas at Pine Bluff (UAPB). “I never wanted to be a promoter, but I had a dire need to get funds in order to stay in college and foot the bill” That’s where her stage name “Triceamillionaire” derived from.
She started out by partnering with sororities, fraternities, lodges and different venues to throw big events, so she could pay her way through college. From there her entrepreneurial spirit began to grow and she opened up her own sports bar at age 23, a Pine Bluff establishment called Numb3rs.
What was then a hustle to survive the life of a “broke college student” prepared and created a path leading her to her current role in music today. “ I learned very valuable lessons,” said Murray. “Why to have a contract and everything in writing, how to do inventory from stocking my bar, the importance of who you have as a dj so your event is always packed, and why to always have two types of security.”
Now a business owner and artist, Murray is focused on bringing the sound of JazzHop to the world. We started the interview by discussing the origin of JazzHop.
“My senior year ( in college) is when myself and Phillip Mouton started to develop my sound and a new genre of music. We wanted to take the classic elements of Hip Hop and Rap and add Jazz to them,” explained Murray.
“We both loved Jazz and Jazz seems to have gotten loss in my generation and the next. So for my senior recording project we invented a new genre and recorded our first CD. JazzHop Vol 1.”
She shared that JazzHop is a music style that takes the traditional aspects of Hip Hop like the sounds of Run DMC, Slick Rick and Eric B. & Rakim and blends it with traditional Jazz. “So it’s kind of like Salt N Pepper and Miles Davis had a baby!” she exclaimed.
Not to be confused with similar named genre Jazz Rap, sometimes dubbed Jazz-Hop or Jazz Hop two words, Murray’s sound is unique in its instrumentation.
“The track is blended together with equal parts hip hop equal parts jazz,” said Murray speaking in regards to her JazzHop genre. “The Jazz Rap genre accommodates the Jazz musician kind of in the back burner.”
She also explains that the two function different in how the music is conveyed. Jazz Rap is a smoother genre that uses a lot of double bass. Her sound uses a single base line exhibiting that of most hip hop tracks.
Murray now has her own music company with business partner Alonzo “Zothejerk” Morgan called The Jerk Nation. Currently, they’re working on the release of a new project called Black Beach. “The project is refreshing,” shared Murray. It is music that reflects the social, political, and racial issues that we are facing in this day and age.”
Along with Black Beach, she is also working on a solo project with up and coming artist out of Detroit, JordanL. “This project is going to give everyone a first hand look at what the genre JazzHop is and what it has to say, Murray explained.
As an artist and businesswoman, she has to constantly manage priorities between the two. “I do a really good job by making task list and not diverting from that list,” she explained. “ In the JazzHop and TrapJazz scene I have been wearing the hat of a promoter. Making sure that both genres of music are getting the exposure they need.”
Bridging the gap between two art forms, Murray describes JazzHop as its own beast defining that of FEEL GOOD MUSIC. “JazzHop is bringing real music back. It is the type of music that you can listen to with your children and your grandparents,” said Murray. “The feeling we want people to get is A FEEL GOOD FEELING. We want them to put this music on at barbecues, family dinners, picnics and smile and have a good time.”
When asked about dream collaborations, she named Erykah Badu, Nas and Maxwell. “With all three of these artist, their style, technique and delivery I would produce a dope JazzHop album!”
The new sound is rapidly gaining more exposure with social media support from fans as well as several radio stations and publications reaching out to learn more. “I’m extremely excited and humbled at the same time,” expressed Murray.
The future of JazzHop is bright with new projects from both ZotheJerk and Triceamillionaire herself along with JordanL. Murray says that JazzHop is here for the long haul. “JazzHop is here to stay. It’s not going anywhere and the creators and pioneers are going to make sure of that. We are going to keep giving people music that makes them feel good”
The latest JazzHop single, “Family First” from ZoTheJerk and Triceamillonaire can be purchase on Apple Music, GooglePlay and iTunes To learn more about The Jerk Nation visit thejerknation.com.
You can also follow LaTrice “Triceamillionaire” Murray on social media.
Facebook – Latrice Murray
Instagram – triceamillionaire
Twitter- triceamillion
Snapchat – triceamillionaire
Periscope – triceamillionaire
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