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All Music Guide:
Gospel/R&B singer and producer Canton Jones grew up in a musical family in Deerfield Beach, a coastal town in southeast Florida. As early as the age of five, Jones joined a singing quartet his father formed, and by age 16 he was making beats for himself and for other local singers. After high school, Jones moved his home base to Atlanta, where he attended Morehouse College. It was there that the singer joined the school's popular glee club, which afforded him a chance to tour extensively and sing for Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Bobby Jones, and Ray Charles, among others. In the meantime, Jones also began attending Pastor Creflo Dollar's World Changers Church, where he began singing in the choir. During a solo performance in one of the megachurch's services, Jones caught the attention of the congregation's youth pastor, who asked him to help in the youth department. He did, and not long after, he signed an independent record deal with Arrow Records, a church-based label spearheaded by the pastor's wife, Taffi Dollar. His first album, 20 Years 3 Months & 12 Days, came out in 2003, and one year later he completed The Password. His breakthrough came in the summer of 2005 with the release of Love Jones, which made its debut on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart at number 11. Jones offered an even more popular follow-up, Kingdom Business, in 2008; the disc shot all the way to the number three slot of the same chart. Featuring the singles G.O.D. and In da Club, the double album Dominionaire followed in 2011.
Wikipedia:
Canton Jones, born in Deerfield Beach, Florida, is an American Christian musician and Christian hip-hop artist.
Biography
Early years
Canton Jones began singing at the age of 5 in a vocal group founded by his father. By the age of 16, he was writing and producing songs for friends in his hometown.
He relocated to Atlanta, Georgia where he attended Morehouse College joining the school's renowned Glee Club. The club performed for celebrities such as Oprah Winfrey, Stevie Wonder, Dr. Bobby Jones and Ray Charles, as well as performing at high profile events such as the opening ceremony of the 1996 Olympic Games and at the first gospel concert ever held at the US Pentagon.
Between 1998 and 1999, he joined World Changers Church International, under the pastorship of Creflo & Taffi Dollar and in his own words, grew as a Christian under their stewardship: "My wife, who was my girlfriend at the time, took me to World Changers and I started getting the word. I was going to that church for like three years before I really rededicated my life to Christ. I was there from probably like 1998 or 1999 until 2001 before I really started getting on track."
Musical career
In 2001, Jones launched his own gospel record label, CAJO International. and independently released his first album, 2002's 20 Years, 3 Months & 12 Days, which chronicled his journey to salvation.
He released his second independent album in 2004: The Password and that same year, collaborated with Lil iROCC Williams on Williams's 2004 debut album, and wrote and performed a song, "You and Me", for the compilation Holy Hip-Hop:Taking the Gospel to the Streets.
At this time he was now a member of the choir of World Changers International Church and a solo performance at the church attracted the attention of the church's youth pastor, who asked Jones to help him in the youth department. Not long after that, he was signed to the church's Arrow Records label, an affiliate of EMI.
He released his major label debut, Love Jones, in the summer of 2005, which debuted at number 11 on Billboard's Top Gospel Albums chart. The album is named after his daughter, Love, born to him and wife Ramona in 2004. Following the album's success, Canton toured the US with over 200 appearances that year.
In November 2005, The Password was re-released nationally at the end of 2005 as The Password: Access Granted and earned him two Grammy nominations. His success in 2005 saw him listed in The Atlanta Business Journal at number 19 in their 40 Under 40 chart of Atlanta's rising stars.
On 5 April 2008, he released Kingdom Business. In 2009, he released Kingdom Business, Pt. 2, and Kingdom Business, Pt. 3 followed in 2010.
Canton Jones's fifth and most highly anticipated album for him and for CAJO Records, Dominionaire, was released on Febuaury 1st, 2011. Three singles were released prior to the albums release, "In da Club", "Window", and "GOD", only the first two listed were released on iTunes.
Personal life
Canton Jones has a wife named Ramona and they have a daughter, Love Jones and a son, Dominion Jones. He attends World Changers Church International in College Park, Georgia, where he sings as a member of the praise & worship team.
