You may have seen Linwood Jackson in the halls at UMass Boston, and you may have even had a class or two with him. But perhaps you haven’t been formally introduced to Jackson’s musical persona, Amun. A freshman at UMB, Amun is committed to studying hard and spreading his message of triumph and success via some killer beats.
Growing up listening to artists like L.L. Cool J and Snoop Dogg, Amun says he credits Tupac Shakur for inspiring and fueling his passion for music. “I connected on a deep level to what [Tupac] was saying. He was and still is my main influence in life and music,” Amun explains. Writing from the heart, Amun draws on personal and historical events to influence what his fans hear in his music. “I speak nothing but the truth, and I keep it real. I want to connect on a real level with people,” he says. “I like to depict historic facts about my black community and my personal life, to make the listener think.”
Amun began writing music at 16, but his lyrical experience began developing somewhat earlier: “I began writing poetry at age 14…it was freedom for me, and as time went on I realized that I am truly blessed from God to have a gift like this.” Amun explains, “After I write my songs, I usually save the chorus for last. I like to treat a song like an essay, the verses are body paragraphs and the chorus is always the conclusion. When all the writing is done, I head into the studio and do my thing.”
To date, he’s written 53 songs and counting, and he’s been busy recording to release a CD in the future. “I have seen a record company owner and he said my music is ready to go,” Amun says hopefully. The rest, he says, is just a waiting game.
A pre-med student turned hip-hop artist, Amun has big plans for the future and wants everyone at UMB to remember his name and to approach his music with an open heart and open mind. “I would like the UMB community to just know that I’m a true artist,” he states. “To those in the UMB community who hear my music and support it, I say, ‘thank you.’ It is in you where I am found.”