Life & Work with Ju Diz’el of Denver, CO

Today we’d like to introduce you to Ju Diz’el

Alright, so thank you so much for sharing your story and insight with our readers. To kick things off, can you tell us a bit about how you got started?
Since the early days of elementary school I’ve always had a good ear for music. My mothers side of the family loved playing and dancing to music during holidays and that taught me that love for family, friends, and music all go hand in hand. Riding 45 minutes from Dinwiddie to Richmond, VA bi-weekly kept my ears in tune with the mainstream music of the late 90’s and early 2000’s.
When I was in 6th grade my sister taught me the basic’s of writing as well as freestyling. A craft she learned from our childhood acquaintance Brandon Cole (RIP). From that point I would freestyle in my neighborhood (Dinwiddie. VA) with a couple of friends as the years went on. Another deeply rooted influence that started me on my music journey was from my neighbors, the Hardy’s. Montero and his family have been family friends since birth. Monteros father played the piano and Montero himself played the drums as well as sang for his church and there gospel music group.
In 2008 after my mother passed away I moved to Richmond, VA to join my father and his household. During that time in grieving I turned to music as an outlet with influences from J Cole, Lil Wayne, 50 cent, Fabulous, Biggie, and various other artist during high school in 2010 during English class during exercises I realized I may have something with creative writing. In 2011 I wrote some of my first bars with a style and substance pretty nice for someone at my skill level. From then I continued writing music and freestyling with friends with no intent on taking music anywhere. in 2014 my father got sick and that forced us to move closer to family so they could assist in giving him the help he needs. around that time I was really honing into my craft focusing on counting bars, song placement, rhythmic flows, and uniqueness.
Months after moving to North Carolina me and my cousin 4thG3ar (Anthony) started making music and founded pour music group , Cold Connect. Cold Connect is the foundation of my music career and where it is today. In this group we focus on collaborating with some of the coldest lyrics and beats that we can bring to the table to challenge and uplift one another. We focus on connecting the community, and dope creatives from all walks of life with no judgment. 4thG3ar has been making beats and productions since 2006 with influences by Elaquent, J Dilla, 9th Wonder, and various other producers.
Since then me and 4thG3ar have worked on several song together traveling from NC to Richmond, VA, recording tracks in our apartments, and sending vocals and beats back and forth through email. Finally in 2022 after sitting on multiple tracks with friends and family constantly telling me to put it out I finally did when I dropped my first EP entitled Just Ju! The top songs in my catalog like Third Floor Perspective and Middle Man Certificates. Moving forward to 2023 I finally dropped my album Ode to Richmond with 17 tracks and some songs dating back to 2010. I dropped Ode To Richmond a week before I moved to Denver, Colorado as a special gift to all of my family and friends that have been beside me since day onw with the music.
I moved to Denver for new opportunities, for change and a different perspective on life. I was met and greeted by my two brothers that were already living out here. I did a few open mics in North Carolina, but didn’t begin to take performing and presenting my music until I moved to Colorado and teamed up with my brother who is now my manager. Attending open mics and jam sessions like Beats Bodega, Inner Circle, and Meadowlark I networked consistently. Talking to genuine people with a genuine love for music. Fast forwarding 4 months into February 2025 the shows are starting to increase, producers are in tune, the vibes around me are great, and I really feel like life is on the up and up.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I can’t say it’s been a smooth road. There’ve been times where I wanted it but didn’t put in the necessary time and effort it took to take me to the next level. I was wrapped up in vices and maintaining in this economy, there were times I went months without touching anything involved with music. Living in Kinston, NC and surrounding areas between 2014 and 2020 I had to make due with the limited resources and opportunities available for me while living out in the country. Being in a group also had its challenges but me and 4thG3ar did most of our music without living in the same state since 2016. This created a very slow movement in production especially with different work schedules. Confidence and lack of support from family made me want to give up at times, but little did I know I just didn’t have my target audience in front of me.

Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
I’ve been writing music since 2010, I focus on structuring songs by bar counts and in depth bars that relate to the topics I am writing about. Hip Hop and R&B have always been a love of mine and these genres are my main focus when writing music. My creative writing is not limited to these genres, but I have also written country music as well as rock songs in the past. Outside of music I’m definitely not a starving artist, I am a chef by trade and I’ve been in the food service industry since 2011. I have a focus on Italian, Southern, American, and Asian cuisines, but not limited to just these. I thank the food service industry for helping me fund my music career thus far as I continue to grow and strive to be the best in both fields of study. Food service has shaped me into the man I am today. My passion for food, hospitality, and serving the community are values I’ll always hold close to my heart.
Besides making music and cheffing it up on a regular basis I love entertaining people and making people laugh. I know how to set the tone and vibe in any room to bring people together in a positive way. I played basketball my whole life up until 2013, I played the 5 (center) basketball was always my first love. I had a knee injury in 2010 which led to me having knee surgery ending my basketball career after my senior year in high school.
One thing that sets me apart from others is my ability to adapt to change. My eye for detail and my in depth approach to art and creative writing. I am good at seeking and understanding situations before reacting. I also know how to lead from the back of the pack instead of being the face of any situation or event. I know what the people are drawn to and I know how to enhance experiences for the people around me as well as fans and consumers. I am good at figuring out what my fans and people around me want/need, taking that and integrating it into the culture to help give perspective and growth to those tuning in.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up I was always in trouble at school for talking or being a class clown in some form or fashion because socializing was more of my focus than school at times. I enjoyed kicking it with the homies in the neighborhood whether it was freestyling, playing spades, football, basketball, or fighting. I suffer from low vision and I was born with an eye deformity where my eyes didn’t fully develop and I had holes in the back of my eyes which I still do.This made school more of a challenge as I had difficulty seeing the board or reading different texts in books and people were not always understanding of my differences and needs. This definitely played a big part in my confidence and ego in all areas. I didn’t appreciate who I was and my unique differences until I was in 11th grade when I owned who I was as a person. I knew I had a role in life and an assignment and I took that knowledge and strived to be the best version of me I could be for me and others alike. I’ve always been into fashion, but never had the funds to purchase anything I liked growing up. The knowledge I got from studying fashion and how to put pieces together has a big influence on my style even today. And I appreciate the kids I grew up around that taught me how to be fashionable and work with what I have. s/o to pickypurshoes.com. coolkicks.com. karmaloop.com, mltd.com, kicksonfire.com, and hypebeast.com for giving me a platform to study the art of fashion on a daily basis growing up!

Pricing:

• features on a song; $100
• writing a hook; $100
• writing a verse; 200
• writing a full song; 300
• “yesterdays price is not todays price”

Contact Info:

• Website: https://www.instagram.com/ju_dizel/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ju_dizel/
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/remus.b.stanley
• Twitter: https://x.com/Ju_Dizel
• Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=avAX7-wQKi0
• Soundcloud: https://soundcloud.com/ju-dizel
• Other: https://open.spotify.com/artist/545GYu4sPKxqEYXXqlgfvM?si=6Tgn-22RRwudLrGVtbn9Yg

Image Credits
@doleorian