Josh Stone Releases Heat On His First EP “Real Vibez Or No Vibez”

It takes a lot of heart, introspection and persistence to bounce back from a dark place and thrive again. For New York-based producer, songwriter and rapper Josh Stone, it was a career ending surgery in 2007 that forced him to retire from the hockey rink and pivot his talents toward a successful music career encompassing not only rapping, but producing, songwriting and owning an independent label. Now residing in Los Angeles, Stone’s musical style can be described as a mix between pop and an easygoing, street flow over classic rap and trap beats. “50 Cent, Eminem, Biggie, 2pac, and Dipset were probably the most influential artists that I listened to the most – a mix and match between East coast and West coast production. I’d say I have a well rounded sound and believe that there should be a sound for everyone on a body of work. Kanye West influenced me most as a producer and as an artist.”

Not only has music been a vessel for Stone’s personal growth in showcasing his lyrical talents, but, like any successful music producer, he’s been able to take it to the next level and create a personal campaign with his “Real Vibez Only” brand. Authentic relationship-building is Josh’s strong suit. He’s collaborated with a wealth of other talented producers and artists including Juelz Santana, Dave East and Camron. Stone’s connection to Jim Jones, for example, goes beyond the music business. “Jim came to my grandmother’s funeral, and I’ve known him since ‘09 when I first started producing. He was one of my first big placements.” Josh still reminisces on how he’d listen to Dipset in the locker room before hockey games and then fast forward to now producing for Jim and then having a song with him as an artist. “I believe everything happens for a reason.”

This past year, Josh has been steadily working on his latest EP, “Real Vibez Or No Vibez” with his team. The EP title is a spin off of his brand “Real Vibez Only” representing a collective effort toward authenticity and keeping it a buck. Such a message is crucial in an industry that is notorious for materialism and disingenuity. Previously having dealt with a major copyright and crediting scandal with his song “You Need It, I Got It,” Josh emphasizes the importance of being transparent with his team and making sure to give his artists and producers credit. His team that worked on the forthcoming EP “Real Vibez Or No Vibez ” include Jecare from The Bay, Swiv from Harlem, Relly from the Bronx, Rose from Queens, Vekz Madison and The Heatmakerz.

A key tool that Stone has been utilizing to maintain transparency and stay compliant is blockchain technology and “smart contracts.”

“Smart contracts are the path forward for artists, songwriters and producers to identify, verify, secure and track their digital IP—be it songs, beats, lyrics and media. Whereas in the past, I had to go through a legal and analytical verification process to confirm that the song that I wrote, produced and published on social media was used in the Ariana song ‘7 Rings’. In the future, the time stamp, meta-data and ownership will be easily verifiable on the blockchain. In addition, smart contracts make it easy for me to assign publishing or credit to creative collaborators on a per song basis.”

As for what he has coming up next, Josh Stone is working on a more intimate EP titled, “Therapy Sessions” produced by himself, Heatmakers and a full Dipset track as well. “It takes you inside and makes you feel what I’ve been through, relatable music to make people FEEL.”

You can follow Josh Stone, @iamjoshstone, on all digital platforms (Facebook, YouTube and Instagram) and on his website RealVibezOnly.com.