His name may not be recognized in most households yet, but suffice it to say hip-hop and R&B fans alike have heard June Summers' work. As a frequent collaborator with emerging L.A. rapper Nipsey Hussle, June has put in work with his pen. From writing on Epic recording artist Noel Gourdin’s debut album to writing the driving chorus to one of Nipsey Hussle’s biggest internet records, “Bigger than life”, June has been as hot as Harlem in the summer!!
Not bad for a kid who hails from Rochester, a city located in upstate New York, hours away from the Rotten Apple. While Rochester and upstate New York in general may seem like an unlikely place for an emerging urban artist, it makes sense considering that there's some precedent. In the 90s, DeVante Swing set up shop in Rochester with the Swing Mob, which included then-unknown Ginuwine, Missy Elliott and Timbaland. Ironically, June first found his voice in the same place that DeVante met the Hailey brothers and formed Jodeci.
“I started singing in church, then got to a certain age and stopped,” June says. Because young men around him were more adept at rapping than singing, June found himself following the flock. He snapped out of it when his sister, who also sings, challenged him to write a R&B song for her. He did and hasn't looked back since.
“Every time I was writing a rap, it felt like I was wasting time,” June recalls.