Growing up Samoan in Compton, Los Angeles, Jerry Afemata aka J Boog listened mostly to rap and reggae. "Reggae was probably about the only music we could turn it up and our parents not get mad at us," he told Los Angeles Chapter in this 2015 interview on the Jamrock Reggae Cruise. He credits his "parents' teaching" as good advice for new artists. "They tried to keep us as humble as possible and make sure our culture is in our minds at all times and to try to represent ourselves the right way," he described. Also in his childhood mix was George "Fiji" Veikoso. When the men met in Hawaii, J Boog found himself transplanted into the professional side of music. Subsequent to this interview he has received two Best Reggae Album GRAMMY nominations, for Rose Petals at the 59th GRAMMY Awards and for Wash House Ting at the 60th GRAMMY Awards.
