J. Long
Jaime Lynn Long (born June 10, 1985), known professionally as J. Long is a musician and entrepreneur who has written, composed, produced, and performed both R&B and contemporary inspirational music. He was a featured member of hip hop group Pretty Ricky, and also featured the group on his song "Personal Freak". In April 2015, before departing from the music industry, Long toured one last time with his bandmates in Europe. Early life. Long was born into a family of musicians. His uncle, Huey Long (1904–2009), was an African-American jazz and R&B guitarist of the pop group The  Ink Spots. By age 17, he was selling beats recorded on equipment his stepfather, Melvin Hudnall, bought him. As he developed as an artist, he cited musician D'Angelo as a heavy influence. Long has since earned credits for singing, songwriting, producing. Early music career. Long signed his first record deal soon after graduating high school, joining NBA player Steve Francis's label ISOH Entertainment. In 2006, Long released his Six-10 mixtape through Mike Jones's Ice Age Entertainment label. His career began to take off with his 2008 single, "Berry Love". Long released his debut album "Girl Listen" in 2009 , whose single "Personal Freak" hit #4 on "Billboard". Other songs by Long feature artists Lil' Webbie and Juvenile. At one point, Long took a break from music for spiritual reasons. When he returned to the recording world, Long began to write and produce inspirational music, releasing an album entitled "R & B (Redeemed and Blessed)", featuring the single, "Jesus I Need You". Pretty Ricky. Long's solo record sales caught the attention of hip hop group Pretty Ricky, who were searching for a new singer to join the group. After signing with BlueStar Entertainment, Pretty Ricky did a remake of Long 's highly successful Personal Freak. Long remained with the group from 2010 to 2012. During that time, he accompanied them on several tours, including BET's 106th & Park Tour. After he left the group in 2012, he later rejoined them on their European tour in April 2015. Marriage. In 2019, three years into their relationship, it was reported that Long married author and criminal justice advocate Cyntoia Brown. Wes Yoder, a representative for both Long and Brown, confirmed the marriage and stated that the details of how the two met could be found in Cyntoia Brown Long's memoir through  Atria Books. Long, along with his wife, founded a nonprofit organization together in the fall of 2019. The Foundation for Justice, Freedom, and Mercy or The JFAM Foundation, exists to amplify narratives relating to social and criminal justice in the hopes that it can empower individuals who are at risk of exploitation or criminal justice system involvement. In addition to his work in the charitable sector, Long is owner of a Texas healthcare company. Brazilian Jiu Jitsu. Following his music career, Long dedicated himself to training Jiu Jitsu. He has also competed in martial arts tournaments. On his social media  pages, Long has posted photos and videos showing that he is actively involved in Brazilian Jiu Jitsu, earning his blue belt in November 2020. In August 2020 he was named 1st place winner of the Good Fight Tournament Feather weight division, and 2nd place winner of the Tournament Lightweight division.