Straight Outta Kentucky: Meet Ronald Jenkees

I bought the CD tonight of Ronald Jenkees, an unsigned hip-hop musician from Murray State University in Kentucky, after finding his videos on "the YouTubes."

Go back through his videos and you'll find a bunch of great odd stuff coming from the most unlikely place imaginable (such as String Jams 2, a NFL Countdown remix and his Bill Simmons podcast theme). Jenkins also has filmed some non-musical videos, like one about trying to get his roommates to play Balderdash.

By 2022, Jenkees has amassed 400,000 subscribers on YouTube and 80,000 monthly listeners on Spotify.

Jenkees has released four more albums:

Disorganized Fun (2009)
Days Away (2012)
Alpha Numeric (2014)>
Rhodes Deep (2017)

He's also released the songs Mindful (2017) and Sky Tied (2019).

Music · Youtube · 2007/09/05 · 14 COMMENTS · Link

Comments

I've learned to trust my gut reaction. The first time I saw this guy it was so obvious he was faking the nerd, big glasses look (and the hat/sport coat affectation is over-the-top) that I immediately dismissed him.

Is he a buddy of yours? My gut take has rarely steered me wrong, but NOTHING on the 'net is taken at face value...nerd face or not.

#1 · Steve Borsch · 2007/09/06

I think he's doing a bit that he's been developing for a couple years. But it's a good one. I'd love to see Jimmy Kimmel or one of the other late-night hosts spring Ronald on his audience.

#2 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2007/09/06

Nice, but is this hip hop? I'm not too up in the taxonomy of popular music, but I thought hip hop was more like rap?

#3 · Mark · 2007/09/07

Steve: most entertainers have some amount of an act they put on.

Especially in hip hop. Most of your producers/rappers want the public to believe they have deep gang affiliations, are pimps, come from the ghetto, etc..

One thing is certain, you can't (credibily) deny the skill he brings to the table.

In fact he is entertaining and humorus. His attitude is about having fun. Something very rare in hip hop.

If this is an act, it doesn't matter because it's part of his appeal to many people.

#4 · NFX · 2007/09/13

LOVE that guy. Delightfully weird and I dig the music.

#5 · Uncle Mikey · 2007/09/17

I have been following Ronald Jenkees for a very long time. He is far from acting , that is definitely the real him. If you watch his video's (specifically the ones where he is not playing the keyboard) you will see this is just how he acts. Truth of the matter is it doesn't even matter, the kid has some serious talent. I know producers and musicians double his age who cannot even touch what he does. As soon as this kid is discovered , he will be the next Timberland

#6 · shortcircuit · 2007/10/31

I couldn't care less if its a bit of a act or not, dude is monster. Either way you slice it he has some newness in his viens.

#7 · Jesse Hora Dot Com · 2008/02/07

This dude has some serious chops and can really play. I'm in the music and video game industry and Ronald is the most refreshing talent as both a musician and personality I have heard in a long time

#8 · Jazz Player · 2008/03/30

can you buy the cd here in the uk or do you have to buy from the us,awesome.

#9 · Chris Law · 2008/04/13

I know he is a fraud. I hate to say it, but I know he is.

#10 · Charles · 2008/04/21

so what if thats not his name. the talent is real.

#11 · ajay · 2008/05/01

A fraud? Unless that's someone else making that awesome music it doesn't really matter.

#12 · adam · 2008/05/09

Artists create personae all the time. Archibald Leach became Cary Grant. Stephen King wrote as Richard Bachman. The fact that Ronald Jenkees is not his real name, and some of his on-screen antics are an act, doesn't mean all that much. It's still his music, and he's still the greatest nerdy white hip-hop god that Kentucky ever produced.

I have MP3s of "56K" and his "Cool College Kid" song, which he wrote before getting on the Youtubes. Great stuff.

#13 · Rogers Cadenhead · 2009/03/03

Did you know Larry the Cable guy puts on an act? Some people do some people don't. Does it really matter? I don't think so. Almost all artists use fake names and persona's. How about the rappers out there. Nobody uses thier real name.

#14 · Geoffe · 2009/04/25