“I’m aiming for the title, aiming for my rivals; welcome to the jungle, fight for your survival.” —J.R.O.D.

J.R.O.D., a 23-year Los Angeles, California, native whose name stands for Just Running On a Dream, is taking his brand to the next level, working with notable names on the regional scene. With his self-titled EP in the pipeline, he’s looking forward to showing off his substance filled labours of love with the world.

His latest record, “Brain Damage,” is at once laid back, aggressive, lyrical, and straight up braggadocio hip-hop. He drops a healthy dose of reality and socially concious raps amidst obvious assertions of his dominance, switching from calm to almost slight rasp as he bobs and weaves the gorgeous production by Broken Complex CEO DJ Hoppa — which is a big look for the upstart. Hoppa was once signed to Hopsin’s [now defunct] label, and aside from producing for buzzing artists associated with his imprint, like Gavlyn, (who we’ve interviewed in the past), he’s produced for acts like Dizzy Wright and SwizZz.

He’s also worked with Brawdcast, Osi Mac, and DJ Zole — to name a few — and has an epic live show ready to go. With the upcoming release of his new EP, 2016-2017 could be a big year for J.R.O.D. Check out the single below; this is the new OC.

Early.