Johnny Reed McKinzie, Jr., (born March 31, 1985), better known by his
stage name Jay Rock, is an American
hip hop recording artist from
Watts, Los Angeles,
California. Jay Rock grew up in
Watts, Los Angeles, known for its low income, as well as its
gang and drug infested streets. Rock ultimately chose to take
rapping over street life, after Anthony Tiffith, CEO of indie record label
Top Dawg Entertainment (TDE), found Rock in 2005 and signed him to his label. In 2007, alongside TDE, Rock secured a recording contract with
Warner Bros. Records and later
Asylum Records, but after both mergers fell through, the label linked up with
Strange Music, after
Tech N9ne, Missouri-based rapper and founder of the label met with them and offered Rock a record deal.