"Twenty-one-year-old Jean-Jacques Cadet is goin' places... "I want an album that's gonna be classic in the eyes of true hip-hop listeners," the Uptown N.Y.C. kid says of his forthcoming debut LP, Timeless. The early word on J-Live didn't just start because his Raw Shack independent single, "Longevity" b/w "Braggin' Writes," sold 12,000 records, but because he both rhymed and manipulated the turntables on "Braggin' Writes" - a highly impressive feat he duplicates during performances. The single's success led to last year's release of "Can I Get It" b/w "Hush The Crowd," which sold even better, as well as the tight DJ Spinna remix of "Braggin' Writes." Undergraduate J is well schooled also in the industry's emphasis on image over content, "Before (releasing my first single), people were like, "Oh, word you rhyme?" he remembers. "Some say I don't fit the descript." Sulmers says J-Live's regular-guy appearance has come under scrutiny. "We had a meeting with one of the labels, and they said, "What does he look like?" We were like, "Well, he makes good records" lol ...When he ain't playin' ball or chess, (he) stays at home or in the library studying. "I'm just your average Joe when it comes down to it. I just like to rhyme." - Vibe, 7/97