Against the Odds
JOSEPH YOSKO has spent the majority of his life in SPRING CITY, PENNSYLVANIA. HIP HOP has been a huge part of his life for the past 22 years.
"AT FIRST I STARTED OUT AS A FREESTYLE RAPPER AND WOULD BATTLE RAP PEOPLE AT HOUSE PARTIES BECAUSE I DIDN'T EVEN KNOW HOW TO WRITE A RAP SONG TILL I WAS 23 YEARS OLD. I DIDNT EVEN KNOW WHAT THE STRUCTURE OF A RAP SONG WAS. I WOULD JUST RHYME WORDS AND JUST BATTLE RAP PEOPLE FROM WHEN I WAS 16 TILL WHEN I WAS ABOUT 23 YEARS OLD."
A LOCAL HIP-HOP GROUP RECRUITED HIM AT THE AGE OF 23. HE WAS THE PRODUCER WITH HIS OWN STUDIO. They OPENED THE DOOR FOR DMX AND MANY OTHER MAINSTREAM HIP-HOP ACTS. He has a lot of experience with live performance and enjoys it.
"I WOULD WATCH WHEN HE DID EVERYTHING LIKE MAKE BEATS, RECORD US, MIX AND MASTER. SO I BASICALLY SOAKED UP ALL THE HIP HOP KNOWLEGE LIKE A SPONGE AND WATCHED EVERYTHING HE DID I LEARNED HOW TO MAKE BEATS AND EVERYTHING. I WAS IN THE GROUP UNTIL I WAS ABOUT 28 YEARS OLD."
When it comes to hip-hop, JYo considers himself a JACK-OF-ALL-TRADES. WHEN I WAS 28 YEARS OLD, HIS GROUP BROKEN UP.
*HIP-HOP FOR ME IS LIKE MY COUNSELING AND MY FORM OF EXPRESSION SO I DON'T GET IN TROUBLE OR GET INTO FIGHTS. SO WHEN THE GROUP BROKE UP I WAS LUCKY I WAS ABLE TO PAY ATTENTION AND WAS REALLY SERIOUS ABOUT THIS CRAFT AND LEARNED HOW TO MAKE BEATS, MIX, MASTER, AND PRODUCE."
Right before the group dismantled, JYo WAS INVOLVED IN A VERY SERIOUS CAR ACCIDENT.
"I TRUSTED A FRIEND THAT I DIDN'T REALLY KNOW THAT WELL TO BE MY DESIGNATED DRIVER. WELL WE LEFT THE BAR AND I TOLD HIM TO SLOW DOWN BECAUSE A CURVE WAS COMING UP IN THE ROAD AND HE WAS DOING 50 MPH IN A 25 MPH ZONE."
THE DOCTORS TOLD HIM THAT THERE WAS A GOOD CHANCE HE'D NEVER WALK AGAIN.
"HE DIDN'T LISTEN HIT A TREE HEAD-ON THE PASSENGER SIDE WHERE I WAS SITTING. THE DASHBOARD CAME BACK A SHATTERED MY RIGHT FEMUR BONE INTO 30 PEICES. SO I WAS PINNED IN THE CAR MY HEAD HIT THE WINDSHIELD WHICH CAUSED MY BRAIN TO BLEED. THEN I GOT PARTIALLY EJECTED OUT OF THE PASSENGER SIDE WINDOW AND THEN THE CAR ROLLED DOOR OVER DOOR 3 TIMES WITH ME HANGING OUT THE WINDOW. I HAD A FRACTURED NECK SO BAD THAT THE RESCUE WORKERS THOUGHT I WAS DECAPITATED. I FRACTURE MY HIP, SHOULDER, RIBS, TWO LOWER VERTEBRAES IN MY BACK, BLOOD ON MY BRAIN, COLLAPSED LUNG, AND DIED TWICE."
'YOU GOTTA DECIDE IF YOU'RE GOING TO LET SOMEONE TELL YOU WHAT YOU'RE GOING TO DO, OR YOU CAN SHOW THEM WHAT YOUR GOING TO DO,' says JYo. NEVER ALLOW OTHERS TO DETERMINE YOUR FUTURE!!!!' Advice after he died twice and suffered numerous injuries.
FEEL FREE TO REACH OUT TO him ON ANY SOCIAL MEDIA HERE.