SHAOLIN JAZZ first began as a cool mix-tape idea thought up by Gerald Watson and produced by his longtime collaborator DJ 2-Tone Jones in 2011. The mix-tape was a fusion of jazz breaks and originals blended with lyrics by the legendary rap group the Wu-Tang Clan. Since then it has developed into an award-winning creative brand known for producing a range of content and unique engagements that explore the intersections of Hip-Hop, Jazz and Martial Arts culture.
Their most popular engagement to date is CAN I KICK IT?, a unique film experience catered to lovers of action flicks, music and everything else in between. At each event cult-classic and contemporary martial arts/action films are screened and scored live (scene-by-scene) with a blend of Hip-Hop, Soul, Rock and more mixed by DJ 2-Tone Jones. The result is a live, remixed soundtrack to the movies using an array of DJ techniques and sound bites to accentuate different moments in the film; ranging from aggressive fight sequences to subtle dialogue scenes.
To date over 125 different film titles have been screened at CAN I KICK IT? events that have been featured across the map including at the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, SXSW, Smithsonian National Gallery of Art, New York Asian Film Festival, Oakland Museum of California, PAX East Video Game Convention and more. And just recently they launched CIKI? TV, a new streaming platform that allows people to experience one of their CAN I KICK IT? films online at any time.
A true fundamentals DJ, 2-Tone Jones speaks with his hands as in the tradition of Hip-Hop’s founding element, and through his bottomless crates has rocked parties across the globe. On the performance side 2-Tone has shared the stage with the likes of De La Soul, Raekwon, Kendrick Lamar, Robert Glasper, N’Dea Davenport, Brand Nubian, Large Professor, Mix Master Mike, Pharaohe Monch, Jabba (HHP), DJ Spinna, Camp Lo, Oddisee, Frederic Yonnet, Dave Chapelle, Joe Clair (from BET’s Rap City) and many others. In the early 2000’s he served as the DJ-in-residence for Shaman Work Recordings, an independent Hip-Hop music label whose roster included CL Smooth, MF Doom, John Robinson/Scienz of Life, and others. During that time he created several promo mixes for the label and released 2 projects: “Black Gold: The Afro-Future Mixes” (a remix/mash-up album with Wale Oyejide) & “A Brief Education on the Musical Genius of Jay Dee”.
For over 15 years he has worked in arts education in DC as an instructor at Words Beats & Life, Inc. (a Hip-Hop non-profit organization), and as a teacher at Ballou Senior High School. In 2014 DJ 2-Tone was part of the first cohort of artists selected to the Next Level program; an initiative of the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and the US State Department. For that program he was sent to India for 3 weeks to serve as a cultural ambassador on behalf of the US and Hip-Hop culture. Inspired by his trip, 2-Tone went on to release his debut album entitled Contraband from India in July of 2022. The album is a compilation of work by different producers who sampled from records he collected during his time out there.
Gerald Watson has been developing programming since 1993. His first experience was through a Hip-Hop inspired phonecard company he developed called The Phatline, where he worked with iconic artists and groups such as the legendary Hieroglyphics crew (Souls of Mischief, Del The Funky Homosapien, Casual), to the iconic southern duo Eightball and MJG. This led to a chance internship with a company called Kalodge Projects – a concept event company that produced the pre-eminent music showcase known as Lyricist Lounge, which was the launching pad for ground breaking rap artists such as Notorious B.I.G, Eminem, and The Cella Dwellas.
The internship with Kalodge Projects, which had a fashion segment, led to Watson working heavily in the streetwear industry where he became a sales and marketing consultant for then startups Armegedia, 10 Deep, Staple, and Scifen. While attending various clothing trade shows including MAGIC and the fledgling POOL show Watson’s industry networks and contacts blossomed which led to him doing sales and marketing for a now defunct lifestyle magazine called While You Were Sleeping. It was during Watson’s time at While You Were Sleeping that he not only brought his clothing alliances to the table but got very acquainted working with corporate brands and their agencies including PUMA, Rockstar Games (creators of the popular Grand Theft Auto video game series), and Wieden + Kennedy (Nike’s first and current lead-agency of record).
As the print industry began to wane Watson’s skills in developing creative and effective added value campaigns (experiential programming) for advertisers strengthened, in addition to an increasing number of brand contacts. The timing and experience led to Watson becoming one of the founding members of a creative group called AM Radio (clients include Heineken, Timberland, Toyota/SCION, adidas), establishing his own multicultural/lifestyle marketing company called Art vs Commerce (clients include Virgin Mobile, Smirnoff, FILA) along with diving back into his passion of art where he and long time collaborator DJ 2-Tone Jones created a monthly art installation known as Artz $ Craftz.
One of Watson’s latest endeavors, a vinyl record album cover art exhibition called The CLASSICS, became the catalyst for one of the creative’s biggest ideas to date – SHAOLIN JAZZ.