This is a feature about Jonathan Anthony Burkett, the founder of Upstormed Inc and Upstormed News.
Sunday is a day a lot of families slow down, put on music and let it fill the house while dinner cooks. So this week’s founder feature turns to the music side of Jonathan Anthony Burkett’s story: the songs he has released through Upstormed Records and the message that ties them together.
Burkett is a hip hop and soul artist, and his official site describes his music as carrying an uplifting message about change, perseverance and chasing your dreams. That description fits the rest of his work, too. The same themes run through his memoir, Neglected But Undefeated, which we looked at in our book spotlight earlier this week, and through the personal story we shared in his story of faith and perseverance.
“One Life”: the song that started a label
The track most closely tied to Burkett’s music career is “One Life,” featuring Ambelique. His site calls it the anthem that launched Upstormed Records, the independent label that now carries his catalog.
The song has had a long life of its own. Alongside the original, “One Life” has been released in several remix versions, including club, festival, dub and “Babylon” mixes. Each remix takes the same core song in a different direction, from a dance-floor energy to a stripped-back dub feel, which makes it a good entry point for anyone who wants to hear how one idea can be reshaped many ways. The album is available on Spotify.
“Changes”: conscious rap with soul
If “One Life” is the anthem, “Changes,” featuring Polancapop, is the reflection. The site describes it as conscious rap paired with R&B-style hooks, the blend of hip hop and soul that defines much of Burkett’s sound. As the title suggests, it sits squarely in the theme of change that runs through his story: growing, starting over and refusing to stay stuck. The track is available on SoundCloud, and the “Changes” cover art is part of the photo archive on his website.
More from the catalog
Burkett’s Music page also lists several other songs that round out the catalog:
- “Crush on You” featuring Mykul Leeric
- “Make Money”
- “Taking Numbers”
- “Pour It”
His Spotify artist page carries his albums and EPs, and two music videos are available on his YouTube channel. The site also hosts a studio session clip, a behind-the-scenes look at how the songs come together, and links to “the Upstormed playlist,” which the site describes as music to help you get through your day.
Why the music matters to the Upstormed story
Upstormed began as a creative brand, and music is a big part of where it came from. Upstormed Records is the label home for Burkett’s releases, and it sits alongside the company’s publishing, retail and news projects, including this site. The thread connecting them is the same one you hear in the songs: the idea that hard seasons don’t have to have the last word. As Burkett often puts it, the storm came to test you, not to keep you.
For readers who know Burkett mainly through his writing, the music is a different way into the same story. The memoir tells it in words, while songs like “One Life” and “Changes” put that hope to a beat.
How to listen
- Spotify: Jonathan Anthony Burkett on Spotify
- “One Life” album: listen on Spotify
- “Changes”: listen on SoundCloud
- Music videos: YouTube
- The label: Upstormed Records
If you’re building a Sunday playlist for the drive to church or the kitchen this afternoon, “One Life” is a good place to start, and the remixes give you something to talk about with the teenagers in the house.
Which song would you add to your family’s Sunday playlist? Tell us in the comments.
Read more: Book Spotlight: Inside Jonathan Anthony Burkett’s 18-title catalog
Learn more at jonathanburkett.com
Sources: JonathanBurkett.com, “Music”; Spotify artist page; Upstormed Records.
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