Jesse Crucial Biography


Jesse Crucial is a conscious reggae artist whose powerful voice and deep lyrical content has made him a crowd favorite in the Southern California reggae scene for more than a decade. Born Jesse Andrew Fuller, February 24, 1977, in Houston Texas, Jesse Crucial was raised in San Diego from the first year of his life and still calls San Diego home. Jesse Crucial first realized his love of the stage from as early as second grade through theater productions in elementary school, and by 6th grade Jesse had already began to hone his lyrical style through freestyle hip-hop. Soon after he was turned on to reggae music by an older friend, and from the first time he heard Third World's "Reggae Ambassador," Jesse Crucial knew that he had found his musical love, for life. "The reggae beat was similar to the off-beat of hip-hop, but the bass, and the melody of the singing, as well as the powerful driving force of the 'reggae skank' just blew my mind and completely opened the door for me to start singing," says Jesse Crucial when asked about how he got into reggae music at such a young age. Using his ability to create rhymes "off the top of the head," Jesse Crucial began the song writing process, and credits Dennis Brown and Junior Reid as his two most inspiring musical influences.

By HighSchool, Jesse Crucial had already written his first solid reggae tune "Time a Come" which is an emotional plea to end gun violence, which was featured on his first album release. During this time Jesse Crucial was performing mainly at parties and singing over instrumental records/tapes/Cd's. Already by this time in Jesse's life he knew that if scholarships for college soccer were not achieved, then he would peruse his passion in music. After graduating High school Jesse put together the band Crucial, which began to play bars and clubs in San Diego, and after gaining a respected following, Crucial began to be one of the front running bands as an opening act for the International reggae artists that were coming through Southern California, which is well known to have one of the most passionate, knowledgeable, and loyal reggae fan bases. Throughout the years of 1998-2004 Jesse Crucial shared the stage with a "who's who" list of top reggae artists in the world including The Wailers, Junior Reid, Pato Banton, Half Pint, Eek-a-Mouse, Barrington Levy, Don Carlos, Mad Professor, Third World, The Mighty Diamonds, Toots and the Maytals, Sugar Minott, Mikey Dread, and so many more.

Throughout his onstage and backstage Interaction with these heavyweight reggae performers, and playing shows, tours, and festivals, the band Crucial hooked up with the legendary Jamaican Engineer and Dub specialist Hopton Brown, aka "The Scientist". In 2001, the album "Let it Flow" was recorded, and Scientist engineered, mixed, and dubbed in Cherokee Studios in Los Angles. This album featured some of Jesse Crucial's most profound lyrical content, which has always been highlighted by Jesse Crucial's imperative desire to write songs that speak to people on an emotional, spiritual, and social level, with the two most popular songs from this album being, Rasta Sunday, which is a heart-felt album cut that address the topic of growing up without his father being there for him, and Higher Heights, which speaks about personal betterment, and the need to live a meaningful life. These two tunes did have some regular radio play on 91X, and 94.9 in southern California, and were favorites on Reggae Makosa, the only reggae radio broadcast at the time. Crucial was nominated for the San Diego Music awards in the years 2000-2003. In 2004 Crucial recored a live album from two planned shows at Cane's In Mission beach, and Winston's Beach Club in Ocean Beach, both well known reggae venues with new musicians on drums, keyboards, guitar and Saxophone. This Collection of songs displayed the maturing singing ability of Jesse Crucial, as well as the progression of producing original, roots reggae music with dynamic instrumental qualities, and a driving edge to evoke positive movement not only on the dance floor but in life. Sadly this album was never printed or released (but is in the process of being available for internet purchasing/downloading), and after the summer of 2005, Crucial had be disassembled. Due to the unwillingness to compromise to less original, more commercial style of reggae music that was becoming then, and is still popular in many West Coast reggae bands, Jesse Crucial decided to take a break from music to pursue his education in Child Development.

By 2007, and now a preschool teacher by day, Jesse Crucial joined Jah Roots Hi-Fi, a San Diego Sound System specializing in the Rub-a-dub genre of reggae music, which is a style of reggae music made popular in the late 70's and early 80's in Jamaica where singers and dancehall Dj's perform original songs over instrumental reggae records. In the next two years Jesse crucial blossomed as a solo artist, and continued to perfect his singing voice and vocal delivery. With no compromising needed, Jesse Crucial again embarked on a musical/songwriting journey that has brought him to 2010. Early last year, Jesse Crucial began his musical relationship with Adrian "Ak" Cisneros, a reggae musician, engineer, producer, and performer. Ak Is a tremendously talented musician, and has done work with Johnny Clarke, Edi Fitzroy, Sammy Dread, Milton Henry, Dennis Bovell, as well as playing drums in Roots Covenant, a mashing San Diego original and backing band. Jesse Crucial began recording this anticipated solo album on the Lifted Musik label which is an independent san Diego music label that has a wide variety of artists ranging from reggae and dancehall, to hip-hop and R&B.

The Album "Mankind Alone" is the result of two years of studio work and the combination of a veteran reggae artist that is in his prime, lyrically, and vocally and a phenomenal like minded Music producer, Adrian "AK" Cisneros. This album is set for release in early 2011, and features 10 original new songs, four combination songs with San Diego's premier reggae artists,( Papa Monte, Danny Dread, Luis Castillo, and Adrian "Ak" Cisneros),a 2010 recreation of Rasta Sunday, and four mind blowing dub tracks. The songs on this album project personified Jesse Crucial as an artist with the title track "Mankind Alone", giving a personal lyrical commentary on Jesse Crucial's path to finding his faith, and his thankfulness for each day of life, "Hard to Imagine" which is a song about the state of humanity, and using your time on earth as a positive influence, "Babylon Mash I Down" which delves into the long road Jesse Crucial has traveled as a musician, and the need for quality role models for today's youth, " Poor Man's Misery" which is a deep album cut paying respect to epidemic of poverty, and the timeless tale of misery loving company, as well as "Looking Deep" and "2nd chances" which are lover's rock tunes describing the spark of a new love, and the regrets of past relationships. This Album has something for fan's of all music genres, and is a must have for reggae music fans.