Early December 2017, I was assigned to be the second photographer at the Ghostemane show at the Green Elephant. The place was packed wall to wall with the youth culture that wore the sad boy/ goth aesthetic with pride like seasoned U.S veterans. Accompanying me was my girlfriend Courtney and friend Andrew. Upon arrival, I was met with very familiar faces from the Dallas hardcore scene, including Ghostemane’s tour manager at the time, Sherwin. Eventually we moved towards the back of the venue where it was less congested and easier to breathe. It was then that I noticed one of the opening acts on stage causing a little bit of a ruckus while performing on stage. Come to find out shortly after his performance that his name was Joule$. Although I was totally unaware of who he was at the time, I couldn’t forget his performance and stage presence. That says a lot, considering I attend to many local shows, events and parties. Almost a year later, I get to find out what caught my attention and why he suddenly peaked my interests. I had the opportunity to meet up with Joule$ at his studio and shared a conversation about his upbringing, music and his inspirations

Joule$ was born in central America, El Salvador to be exact. He moved to the United States at the tender ago of 4 and started school and Anaheim, California. At the age of 8, he moved to Arizona, then touched down in Arlington, Texas and became a permanent resident. Music has always been apart of Joule$ life. His father was apart of a Spanish band that was known for making romantic ballads and had his own studio equipment as well. Being the son of a musician inspired Joule$ to make a name for himself as an artist. At the age of 17, he purchased a refurbished $500 Macbook with that money that he got from trapping. Afterwards, he started to record freestyles over beats he simply downloaded from Youtube, using an usb microphone

He became apart of a three man rap group called Enlightened Youth, consisting of close associates Noah, Damian and hisself. At the time, Joule$ went by the rap name “Resident” but shortly after he changed his name to Joules (the measurement of energy) after one of his very first psychedelic experiences. If you ask me, I have difficulty categorizing his sound, it seems to be the beauty of his creativity. Listening to his discography, there are some songs I can get groovy to like “Take a Trip” and “SouthSide”, and other songs I’m compelled to sit back and pay attention to like “ Hermes” and “Void”. With his wide variety of beat selections and lyricism, he feels as if his message goes over the heads of many, as some of his songs may be too powerful for a wide audience. Joule$ enjoys switching up his style, depending on how he feels and how he wants his listeners to feel as well. He describes his music as universal and sets out to accomplish putting out good energy into the world.

What I respect most about Joule$ is his hard work ethic. Not many rap artists that I am aware of are able to say that they successfully booked their own tour across the nation, with little to no help. Being apart of the rap scene for two years, his exclusivity derives from how selective he is on who he collaborates with, he’s definitely more focused on perfecting his craft. It helps maintain his originality; any song you hear from him is distinguishable amongst other artists. His uniqueness has caught the attention of New Orleans based clothing brand, Renaesance, who ended up putting him in a Texas tour early January 2019. When I asked him if he was given a choice to collaborate with any artist of any genre, dead or alive, he wasn’t hesitant to spill a list of great musicians; Jim Morrison, Pink Floyd, John Lennon, Beatles, Mac Miller, Comeback kid and Veil of Maya

To check out everything he has to offer, from music, videos and clothes, visit his site, imjoules.com