Jon Rezin

Wifey and I were blessed to be able to make a musical pilgrimage to where it all began. We were honored to spend some time at the #FelaKutiShrine in Lagos when we arrived. His music and life hav been an inspiration for decades. It was an incredible opportunity to visit this new shrine his children built to replace the original (no longer standing) and pay homage to the master of the craft. Thanks to my brother @rmixy and @afrosoundmachine for accompanying us on this journey!

About last night…. I’m still floating. 

It’s one thing to get the chance to work with some of the world’s biggest stars, it’s entirely another to have the chance to contribute to something that carries so much meaning for so many. I’m not only speaking about our brothers and sisters in Puerto Rico who are getting an opportunity to shine on a global stage, unapologetically Puerto Rican, unapologetically American, but for us as a country. 

I’m continuing to learn what this performance meant… both in terms of symbolism and the story that took place, but what it meant in the lives of so many of our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters. People who, right now, have targets on their backs… One thing I can be sure of, celebration can be a form of self care… and celebrating Puerto Rican identity, culture, and value on the world-stage has opened people’s hearts and given others the permission to feel they too can celebrate who they are. 

Bad Bunny is one of the best there is… and his message of love, celebration of diversity, and recognizing our diversity as a source of strength that should bring us together, is one of the most timely messages we need right now. Last night, we were all united. In love, in culture, in music, with Puerto Rico. 

Thank you Bad Bunny for bringing your heart and message to this world stage.. @ladygaga for killing that salsa version of Die With A Smile, @ricky_martin for delivering such a poignant version of Lo Que Le Paso A Hawaii, and thank you @miguelgandelman for entrusting me with helping you deliver your vision. I am infinitely humbled and honored to have played a small part in this incredibly important moment. 

- Jon

p.s. An incredible thank you to @sharafentwistle for always having my back and helping me deliver on such monumental visions. And lastly, but certainly not last, none of this would be possible without the support of my loving wife @auntieclare_rezin and three incredible children.

10 days in, no turning back. trading places @evensonandre by @jacob_rodier cc @chris_plante @jonrezin #newmusic #🔥

This was a tremendous way to bookend the whole trip… Getting to go and visit the @kalakutamuseums on our way out of Lagos on the way to the airport. This home, which was turned into a museum, was Fela’s home for a time. What we couldn’t show in the pictures was his bedroom and original saxophone. What impressed me most, and left an indelible impression on me, was his humility in how he lived. His bedroom had his clothes hanging from the wall, a single mattress lying on the floor, and a small chest freezer on the other side for ice cream and Popsicles… as well as his main sax 🎷. For somebody this iconic, and at the top of their game, this is living simply. Fela is buried out front in a simple grave with a stone pyramid on top. I stopped for a few minutes to offer prayers for his soul and to ask that he inspire our musical journies here.

This one was an incredible delight to find. Thank you @vtekdawesome and @_iamarewa for the recommendation. This Nike Art museum, which is really more of a gallery was chocked full of incredible artwork by ridiculously talented and skilled artisans. Amazingly, everything is for sale… It’s a gallery. There were some of the works, which were profoundly moving. And, as it turns out, Our host in the museum is actually a musician who goes by @chyno_fresh_official . If you happen to be in Lekki or the surrounds, this is an amazing stop. I could get lost here for days.

So I’m dropping this for posterity’s sake… Someday these guys are gonna be huge, and it’s gonna bring joy to my heart to know that we were able to be of service to them somehow. @rmixy , John and I were sitting in @megachicken eating lunch and talking when these two boys approached us randomly and started asking if we could we help them get into the studio to record… They didn’t know we did music, they didn’t know that we were involved at all. They just felt drawn to us… And something in them made us feel drawn to them. I’m happy to say that we were able to set them up with one of our producers in Lagos and get them a recording session set up. It won’t be easy for them, but they have the drive. They don’t even have a way to stay in touch as they don’t have phones or social media… But I’m really looking forward to seeing what they do with this opportunity. They have the focus to do what so many others who have raw talent can’t even achieve.

Another collection of moments from Lagos. It was such a rich experience getting to connect with so many people I’ve worked with over the years, but never met in person. We got to have a great meeting for @afrosoundmachine , as well as meet some of the producers @vtekdawesome @ransompapi behind some of the great songs that I’ve gotten to work on.

This was a fun one. I got to work with @tiarayray again and for the first time (and hopefully not the last!) with @skaiisyourgod . Such a sweet song. Congrats to my brother @soulkidz_d for the killer production. @tme_official__ for entrusting me with this work. And thank you as always to @sharafentwistle for having my back. Mixed & Mastered by me. 🤗

My heart aches… I’ve just learned of the passing of my friend @chris.athens.masters . He was a gentle hearted giant in the music business, and what I would consider one of my earliest mentors and a genuine friend. When I lived in New York, I had him work on numerous projects that I was mixing, and I would ask him for feedback about my mixing approach, and how I could become better. We sat in his studio for hours on the first project I gave him and asked him questions incessantly about work and business, etc. He never once refrained from sharing or tried to cut the convo short because the session was running over. One of the greatest lessons he taught me was to always say yes, and then make sure I could figure it out… That’s been a watch word that is taking me further in the music business than I ever imagined. Always say yes, and then figure it out and knock it out of the park. He introduced me to the fundamentals of multiband MS mastering… Which is a technique I used for years and still use to this day. And when I was looking to move out of LA to Ohio, I reached out to Chris for guidance on his experience relocating from the Big Apple to Austin. He was encouraging, kind, immensely, giving, and funny as hell. I hope everyone can find a Chris Athens in their life. I know he made mine much richer. My prayers go out to him and his family and to all those who knew him.

Tomorrow we share something very personal. A Congolese anthem for women everywhere. 🎬 Music video premiere March 8. — Demain, nous partageons quelque chose de très personnel. Un hymne congolais pour les femmes du monde entier. 🎬 Première du clip le 8 mars.

Ils ont essayé de la briser. La vie a voulu la faire taire. Mais elle se relève. Chaque jour. PLUS FORTE est dédiée aux femmes du Nord-Kivu. Aux mères, aux filles, aux sœurs, qui tiennent malgré tout. Ce clip est un hommage à leur force silencieuse. À celles qui reconstruisent quand tout semble perdu. 🎥 Première du clip le 8 mars. — They tried to break her. Life tried to silence her. But she rises. Every single day. Written for the women of North Kivu. For resilience that refuses to disappear. 🎥 Music video premiere March 8.

This song is so powerful. @ricky_martin brought something powerful to this song. Honored to have been a small part of this.