For every blessed individual, the route of least resistance is never considered. The path to greatness resides within strides of excellence and challenge. Rising to the occasion is a miraculous feat that only a few and far between are able to flawlessly capture within the moment. Every artist operates on a different time table, and Varsity Jerv has been carefully crafting high-quality heaters for years now.
Jervis Luna grew up in the Washington Heights Uptown area of New York. He would go on to graduate from Syracuse University neighbor school Onondaga Community College. During his tenure in college, Jerv met a lot of influential people and would form many lasting connections.
Syracuse University’s Student Hip-Hop Organization hosted Varsity Jerv on their first-ever podcast episode and it went extremely well. Jervis shed some light on his background, existing forces that empower him and completely shredded his freestyle session. From there, he would go on to perform at recorded cipher sessions and on stage at parties hosted by the organization such as, “40’s and Shorties.”
A close friend and collaborator Jo Marte has been pursuing music within the same brushstroke as Jerv for some time now as well. The video for the song with Booda Beats, “The Money” features Jerv and details an intricate plot to stick up Jo’s local place of employment, the corner store. Altogether, the production does a terrific job of showcasing some key landscapes around Syracuse, NY.
While Jerv was attending college he released his first project, Crooks of Today Gents of Tomorrow on January 28, 2014. Hits such as, “Thotiana” and “Righteous to my Hustle” represented many well-layered lyrical recordings and landed his carefully calculated output in the Spring Issue of Syracuse University’s La Voz Magazine. The album details the humble beginnings and initial immersion into the hip-hop game and received slightly more than 1,000 plays.
A large portion of the allure surrounding artists like this deals with the exclusivity factor. With one-off single releases, hype is consistently being built through IG posts or snippets which causes anticipation to grow in the meantime.
Some of the most crucial Varsity Jerv singles were teased on social media but never remained permanent on a viewing platform such as YouTube or Facebook. Songs such as, “Thou Shall Never Perish” “Sixty6 at the Rucker” and “Always Shall Distinguish” are pure gems for this man but have been removed from the online stratosphere due to personal preference and style of operation.
From the time that he graduated from OCC (2017) Jerv has constantly been putting in the hours to develop his skill set and brand. During this time he has worked with many elite producers around New York and also upheld lasting connections with important media figures in his native country, Dominican Republic.
During this stretch, Jerv performed at SOB’s with Jo Marte and earned a stage spot on the ticket with peers such as Mid (RRR) and DROLAVi$H (NYC.LAV) The crazy part is that the founders of both RRR and NYC.LAV both attended Syracuse around the same time and strengthened their connections on campus. In 2019, Jerv was featured on the song, “Numb” off of Mid’s “Music as a Service.”
Varsity Jerv is one of the hardest, nose to the grindstone type of emcees out there. Every chance he gets, he makes sure to deliver something new and dutifully earn the space that he chooses to inhabit. As a true testament to the dedication, progression and speaking things into fruition, it is clear that this young artist has an illustrious vision mapped out ahead.
None of that is more evident than in the well-packaged, elaborately crafted project titled, “Classical Tunes: Vol. 1” which dropped at the end of January 2020. This mixtape/album is the complete culmination of six years of blood, sweat and tears combined to deliver unadulterated, uncut raw renditions of lyrical excellence.
Varsity Jerv is a very interesting character for his multiple musical flavors, approaches, stylistic choices and wordplay. Much of the time he transitions smoothly from English to Spanish while remaining enjoyably comprehensible for any listener.
He admires Big Pun for his ability to shatter expectations and the way he was able to captivate the world by storm by becoming the only Latino artist to go Double Platinum. Also, he is an avid connoisseur of Jay-Z and is loosely connected to the Roc-A-Fella organization through mutual friendships forged throughout the course of his lifetime.
As far as a record label goes, Jerv is independent and working to establish his Varsity World brand imprint. What’s truly astounding about this artist is his progression and manner by which he manages to speak things into existence. His creative process is unmatched and is uplifted by those he chooses to surround himself with.
Some other artists on his most recent project are Varsity Celo, Swave HMG, Jo Marte, Freaky Flaires and Rose IWA. Varsity Celo is an artist on the roster & Swave HMG is an artist from the Bronx who made his way onto Hot 97 for, “Who’s Next” and the last three are talented individuals who collaborate often within productive studio circles. Some of the production was handled by ViddyontheBeat (work with Emilie Brooklyn) and Dizzy Banko who has become recognized via his stellar production that includes his catchy DJ tag, “Dizz You Violated.”
We look forward to the songs Jerv has in the vault with producer RanVanDam and potential collaborations that may unravel as a byproduct of those high-powered studio sessions.
Overall, Classical Tunes fulfills many different roles as a whole. It is inspirational, intrinsic, inquisitive and downright energetic. The range displayed from an artist at such as an uncharted portion of his career (early and following a large hiatus) displays tremendous evolution. There is just the right blend of aggressiveness, tropical vibes, finesse, precision and smooth tunes to comprise an unparalleled body of work.
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