PROPHET & LOSS
Xulu Jones made a decision to be homeless rather than make a paycheck outside of his music.
SAVANNAH, GA
This story actually starts in the Bronx during the 1970’s. This is not the New York you see today. When Xulu Jones grew up, his multiracial family was spit at walking down the street. Petty theft was common. Alcohol, marijuana, and cocaine were available for anyone with a curiosity. Death was everywhere. From junkies who fell where they stood all the way up to John Lennon.
All of this left Xulu with deep, untreated emotional pain and only two releases; drugs and music. Xulu was part of the generation of New York musicians that started hip-hop on the east coast - Grandmaster Flash was his neighbor - people were throwing own cardboard and breakdancing on sidewalks to a new sound, reflective of the circumstances that spawned it.
Xulu’s journey eventually took him to Savannah Georgia where he made a simple promise to himself: make a living from playing music or live in the streets. Music brought Xulu the things he needed most. A group of likeminded souls going through the same difficult journey through life and a woman whom he loved (and nicknamed “she-troll”.)
These triumphs gave him a reason to get sober. 6 years removed from hard drugs and alcohol, Xulu is working hard to rebuild his relationships with family and friends that he damaged when he was operating on (in his words) lizard brain, a mindset that limited him to the barest survival instincts.
These days, Xulu’s band; Xulu Prophet is going on a 10 state tour around the southeast. He and his bandmates are key fixtures in the community, planning events to support local charities and representing Savannah brands with sponsorships for their tour and his phsycedllic-funk-reggae-rock music is awesome.
At 46, Xulu is able to reflect on everything he has gone through and give back his time to take care of people struggling with addiction and poverty. He is a wizard of the hustle, doing things like dressing up in a Pikachu onesie to attract attention and turning tuna fish cans into tour merchandise. He is a walking case study of the impact creativity has on individuals and society as a whole. He is a pursuer of passion and a seeker of truth, freedom, and opportunity. He is a Culture Hustler.
- Axi Berman
PERFORMANCE
PODCAST
DISCUSSION
Xulu says that what creators do is “stepping off the edge of eternity, and in doing so you have to trust that the universe will catch you.” He cautions you that if you hear the calling but don’t take the jump, then you’ll end up “one of these okie-doke mother-fuckers that lives a goddamn life that he was told to live rather than one that he decided to live.” (5:00)
Q: Setting aside safety ropes, and what others want you to do… What’s the life you truly want to live?
Faced with taking a day job to make ends meet, Xulu says he was “willing to live outdoors in order to not break the promise to myself”. This promise to always make his money through music pushed him to commit himself fully to music. At the same time he recognized that drugs were taking from him more than giving. He made another promise to never use drugs and now he’s been 6 years sober (8:00).
Q: What are your “always” and “nevers”?