National champion of speech and debate, Ohio University Student Senate Judicial Panel Chief Justice, rapper J-Tolb and occasional Rufus the Bobcat — these titles and many more belong to one student: Jalen Tolbert.
Tolbert is a junior studying communication studies and pursuing minors in political science and African American studies. Additionally, he uses his creative energy to pursue music, a journey that began during his sophomore year of high school when he collaborated with his friends on their first song. His first musical venture was inspired by artists from his childhood, ones he still takes inspiration from today.
“I love to go back and listen to some of the pioneers,” he said. “My dad put me onto Tupac when I was young, and he was a poet, he called himself a poet.”
Tolbert cites André 3000 of OutKast, Kendrick Lamar, Mick Jenkins and Isaiah Rashad as some of his other influences as a musician. He also has found himself influenced by the music he hears in the community.
“There is an incredible music scene when it comes to the local bands that I try to immerse myself in because I love hearing people creating stuff and doing stuff that they’re passionate about,” he said.
However, Tolbert also considers Athens to be a blank canvas in terms of its rap scene. He recently hosted an event for Midnight Music in his basement, a visual metaphor of the “underground rap scene” he hopes to cultivate.
“There’s a lot of untapped potential,” he said. “I want there to be that kind of … uprising in a little bit of a rap scene because that hasn’t really existed up to this point.”
As far as his own music goes, Tolbert is focusing on the aspect of the art form that means the most to him.
“I’m much more about the message right now because I feel like that’s where I can hang my hat; I love to write,” Tolbert said.
The artist's passion for writing extends beyond the world of rap music. Tolbert is a member of the OU Speech and Debate team, through which he practices his love for the written word and entertaining an audience.
“I’m performing on weekends in a suit and tie, I’m being judged on my words and on my performance,” he said. “It’s subjective, so sometimes you’ll get the top ranks and sometimes you’ll get the bottom … but getting used to performing and getting critiqued has made me comfortable enough to perform at any venue.”
One of Tolbert’s biggest fans at any venue is his duo speech partner and coholder of the national champion title. Soren Starkey, a senior studying political science, said J-Tolb was his most-streamed artist last year.
“He appreciates art and creativity in all its forms,” Starkey said. “He’s a good reader, he cares about the visual arts, he does this (speech and debate) which is a super artsy thing. You can see that in the way his music sounds, he takes inspiration from all these different art forms.”
Someone who has seen the fusion of these art forms up close is the John A. Cassese Director of Forensics and coach of the speech and debate team, Jennifer Talbert. She coaches Tolbert on his speeches and says he is “one of the most conscientious performers.”
“Some people get their dander up when you offer constructive criticism, and that’s not Jalen,” she said. “He’s constantly striving to make himself better.”
Talbert also listed several of Tolbert’s additional responsibilities outside of the speech and debate team and said he has one of the busiest schedules of any student she’s ever met.
“He sometimes is stretched too thin, he has a lot of irons in the fire, but I think he does a good job balancing,” she said.
Tolbert recognizes the weight of his many commitments and acknowledges having his hand in so many activities.
“I feel like … there’s a lot of tools in my bag that I’m excited and proud I have, and I don’t think I would have those same tools if I wasn’t involved in so many different things and in different ways,” he said.
One thing Tolbert has enjoyed exploring is a collaboration with Midnight Music. Nick Thompson is a senior studying media arts production and the co-founder of the Athens entertainment company. Thompson and Tolbert met when the latter was brought onto a Midnight Music set for one of their first shows in 2022.
“We kept collaborating and he became part of the group … and now we’re all grouped together making cool stuff,” Thompson said. “He’s been really invaluable to us.”
According to Thompson, the style of J-Tolb blends rap with jazz, R&B and a hint of soul. Thompson finds this style refreshing in a music industry of oversaturated rage and drill rap.
“More organic production lends itself to more organic reach as far as audience,” he said.
One of these audience members, Starkey, said he believes Tolbert has a talent for creating his music and message in an accessible way for a wide audience of people. This belief is a testament to Starkey’s respect for the artist's mind, saying Tolbert is one of the smartest people he’s ever met.
“His goal is to be understood by as many people as possible, and not a lot of people are good at … making what they’re saying accessible,” Starkey said.
From Tolbert’s perspective, accessibility is an important factor in what he creates, as well as using his music as an important creative outlet in his life.
“Making and creating things that are going to resonate with other people as well as be a cathartic release for me is the main goal now; if that turns into my profession that would be really dope,” he said.
Talbert believes the sky’s the limit for Tolbert’s future, and also said she believes his personal motivation to serve people will carry him through the rest of his life.
“One thing that is important to Jalen, regardless of where his future leads him … (is that) he cares about people,” she said.
