Chasing Joseph

When making the decision whether to tell my story in print, I have to admit, I struggled. I knew that it meant I would have to share all of the events of my life until now. And I knew that it meant I would have to reveal all of it - some of which I’m not proud to be associated with no matter how I feel wronged or victimized due to a rush to judgment by the media. It’s ironic that I would even want to reveal anything since I have been so fiercely protective of my image in light of recent events. To this day, I have been hung public-square-style, by the press, by strangers, by myself even, but mostly by simple folks who believe all that they read in the papers. Even the courts are more just, in my opinion, than the mobs that rushed to judgement. And as angry as it makes me sometimes, I’m a smart man. I get it. I understand the totality of pain that was caused by my former associates. I also understand my responsibility in being even peripherally involved with these monsters.

When making the decision whether to tell my story in print, I have to admit, I struggled. I knew that it meant I would have to share all of the events of my life until now. And I knew that it meant I would have to reveal all of it - some of which I’m not proud to be associated with no matter how I feel wronged or victimized due to a rush to judgment by the media. It’s ironic that I would even want to reveal anything since I have been so fiercely protective of my image in light of recent events. To this day, I have been hung public-square-style, by the press, by strangers, by myself even, but mostly by simple folks who believe all that they read in the papers. Even the courts are more just, in my opinion, than the mobs that rushed to judgement. And as angry as it makes me sometimes, I’m a smart man. I get it. I understand the totality of pain that was caused by my former associates. I also understand my responsibility in being even peripherally involved with these monsters.

Jamall Joseph D. Robinson is an American author, songwriter and actor born in Berkeley, California and raised in nearby Emeryville. His first book, Chasing Joseph, is a largely autobiographical work to be released this year. He has already been contracted to produce two more books—Jackson Street Murders, a fiction work, and a religious tract titled The Devil Has Many Faces. Both are due out in 2016. Robinson first won acclaim as rap artist “J NET,” with the 2006 debut album Prince of Tha Streetz, which sold over 200,000 copies. His 2007 follow up album, Ya Royal Freshness, sold over 100,000 copies in its first week. Later albums included The Dark OutCome (2011), Slave (2014) and Slave Reloaded (2015). Film credits include Rebel of America (Clear Jet Motion Pictures, 2015), which he produced; and from the same studio, The Cool Kids, which he both produced and co-starred in. Besides artistic pursuits he devotes significant time to religious and humanitarian work. As a registered pastor he founded The Church of Truth, Inc., which is active in helping alleviate the problem of homelessness.