Bradlie Jones who goes by the moniker of Jelie is a multi-talented rapper and producer who is at the fulcrum of an evolving Hip Hop scene. Jelie pronounced “Jel-eye” is a very different and uniquely wired musician who isn’t afraid to break the rules and push the boundaries of our perception with her deeply layered lyricism and well-crafted production. Born and raised in Denver Colorado, Jelie has a drive, a focus, and a tenacity that will lead her to become a relentless and unstoppable force in the independent Hip Hop circuit. Jelie is making music that is driven by a desire to motivate, inspire, and tell her story her way.

Jelie grew up as a musically inclined child. She would freestyle over instrumentals and play rapping video games. She holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Recording Arts and music is the vehicle by which she expresses herself authentically. She writes lyrics that draw from her experiences and by using her musical acumen she articulates stories and shared perspectives that will connect with audiences across the spectrum. Jelie combines various unique and experimental sounds with her intricate wordplay and often dabbles in contrasting flows resulting in Hip Hop-centered fusions that are still firmly stitched together by emotive undertones. Jelie cites icons such as Missy Elliott, Tech N9ne, Brotha Lynch Hung as pivotal influences in her music. She also draws inspiration from her family. Her autistic brother and sister are at the center of her motivation and heart. This all culminates in Jelie producing an enjoyable, and easygoing musical experience that is authentic and grounded in reality. Her overarching ambition is to empower people through her gift. She is driven by the desire to share emotion through music and to impact lives in a positive way. She has a deep-rooted passion and loves working with people who are perceived as disadvantaged, the elderly, the young, and the disabled.

Her talents have garnered her many opportunities to impact lives as she hosted a Ted Talk to help artists and youth grow in business. She also performed on SXSW and has multiple projects in her repertoire. Her most notable projects include two EPs titled  “T Virus” and “H Virus” as well as the singles “At All Costs” (2020) and “Miss Me” (2021). Jelie will be releasing her latest single titled “Light Bender" which drops with a video and will showcase her distinct lyrical and storytelling prowess. The song will take listeners on a journey through various emotions and bring them to a place where they can escape the world and be lost in the music and be immersed in a very unique style and sound. . Her bars are cold and knit together by emotive and expressive punchlines. Her effortless intonations are accentuated by a skillfully resonated and power-packed voice. She possesses a modern-day hip-hop aura and delivers her rhymes in a cadence that crescendos with spellbinding emotive undertones.  Jelie is on her way to becoming a musician that will continuously change the status quo of the industry. Her upcoming projects will highlight her passion and love for authenticity and vulnerability in her writing. She explores various themes by delving deeper into the emotions that encompass the human psyche. The talented enigma is here to reshape and leave an indelible mark in the industry.

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"Facknitz' songwriting style epitomizes the strength of such confessional greats as Jim Croce and Gordon Lightfoot, with an obvious wink to Michael Penn in the chord changes and an appreciation for melody and structure that might make Elvis Costello feel as though the torch had been passed."  - Alfred Watson, Green Room Diaries

Jeremy Facknitz has been entertaining audiences with his lovingly crafted music and high-energy performances for over 20 years. Since the 2002 break-up of his Detroit-based band "The Ottomans" (2001 Detroit Music Award Winner, Best New Alternative Band), Jeremy has performed primarily as a solo act, marrying folk-rock and jazz stylings to showcase his intimate stories of life, love, and self-discovery.

But from 2003 to 2017 those stories, for the most part, fell on deaf ears. Facknitz carved out a living performing at bars, coffeeshops, and corporate events while teaching lessons on the side. "I was happy to be making a living performing music, but my original music wasn't being heard, and as the years passed I found myself more and more frustrated playing to little more than the din of drunken conversation." Things came to a head on July 17th, 2017 when Jeremy was diagnosed with viral meningitis. "I came face to face with my mortality, and I realized it was time for a change. I quit the bars and spent the next year making the leap to house concerts, touring, and performing solely for listening audiences."

The leap has paid off. Jeremy was named a top 24 finalist from over 700 entries in the 2020 Grassy Hill Kerrville New Folk Songwriting Competition at Kerrville Folk Festival. His song "Ballet of an Unhatched Chick" was awarded semi-finalist distinction at songoftheyear.com for 2020. Since forming "The Jeremy Facknitz Band" in 2018, recruiting Mike Kimlicko (bass), Brad Plesz (drums), David Siegel (violin), John Standish (keys) and Ricky Sweum (sax), the band's muscular musicianship has turned heads in Colorado and plans are in place to begin touring outside the Centennial State in 2022.   

In the meantime, Jeremy continues to tour primarily as a solo act, performing house concerts and at listening rooms in the United States, Canada and Europe. He's currently promoting his 5th album of original material, "From Those Sweet Ashes", recorded at Northpark Studios in Colorado and produced by Jarrod Headley, and he plans to begin recording his 6th album come spring 2022 with the same cast. His past albums "Gimmick", "What a Day", "Music From The Original Motion Picture Soundtrack", and "All's Well" can be found here.