Pigeon John

Throughout his storied career as one of hip-hop’s brightest talents and most energetically singular creative entities, the rapper/singer/songwriter/producer Pigeon John has carried the flag for self-made, upstart, good-time rap music.

“I love that I’m still able to do music—this is my eighth album, but my roots have everything to do with why I’m still here doing it,” John says. “What I love about hip-hop is that there are no rules or patterns. That freedom, which is how I experienced hip-hop as a kid, is so important to who I am. And I still approach my new songs in the same way today.”

From paying his dues at the fabled Good Life Cafe in the Los Angeles open mic scene of the early ’90s to time on the road as a part of the successful L.A. Symphony rap group, John learned the value of grinding and hard work while unleashing his true creative self. As a budding solo career began to take shape, he toured the world relentlessly, soaking in the diverse scenes he came across and filtering them into his own sound. Never one to shut off his faucet of ideas in mid-flow, he embraced all sides of his muse to establish himself as a multi-talented artist, one who could bounce around genres, styles, and subjects with ease and often in the same song. And as his music has grown—from multiple smash singles and myriad synch placements in films, television, commercials, and more—Pigeon John has learned to ride the wave rather than to attempt to control the wheel. Never one to set out to make a record from scratch, his constant work ethic and continuous process often yields unexpected results, and this time around was no different.

“It seems like I’m always in the middle of making a record before I even know I’m making a record,” he says. “It always comes together a little quicker than expected. I think letting it flow has benefitted my whole process. I see the garden grow on its own—a bass line, a melody, a hook idea…it comes out of nowhere. We just grab onto it and ride that little doggie through the dirt.”

Ironically, having recently relocated with his lady and two young daughters from Southern California to the thriving Northwest scene in Portland, Oregon, John toyed with the notion of starting an album from a clean slate. Yet, with the frantic rush of modern life’s demands, before he knew it he was already knee-deep in new material. “I never like to work by forcing it,” he says. “I prefer to linger. If you have a child and they throw a tantrum, what they tell you to do is to not respond and instead just be with them. So if I’m stuck on a beat or verse or hook, if it doesn’t come to me I just linger around it. Maybe I’ll write one word a day, homeboy. I started the song though!”

Meeting with various producers sporadically at different times and in different cities, in addition to working from his own home studio in Portland, John began to build a body of work one song at a time. At some point, he realized that not only did he have enough songs for an album, but they all seemed to fit together in a cohesive thematic mood. “Working with other artists and producers on this record was like playing ball with other ballers,” he says. “Everyone has the talent but in a whole different language. This record is like a big, fun film we all got to do and we didn’t even know it ended—we didn’t know it was a wrap until months later.”

Loosely based around the construct of a day in the life—not just any day, but “a good day,” John emphasizes—Gotta Good Feelin’ is filled with optimistic high points and bursts of frenetic energy but also levels out with more somber, introspective moments as well. From the start of the title track’s opening verse, it’s clear that Pigeon John has come to play ball: “I feel it in my bones, gotta shake it out/I’m coming harder than before, let me hear you shout.” It’s all there in that simple bar, from the measured simplicity and good-natured boasting to the sly nod to his motivations: the music is in him and he has no choice but to let it rip. The track was made with his previous collaborators in the Campfire production team (Pitbull, Will Smith) while John was still living in LA, and arrived in the same way many of his songs do.

“It starts with the music, the first chords, and vibing to what it makes you say,” John says. “Then we’ll kick around the beat and chord progression and do a little kickoff coin toss to start the game. The song builds like a house, starting with a smooth foundation—always music and vibe first, then I soak up the mood and write the verse.”

The Fatboy Slim-influenced “They Don’t Make ’em Like Me” is another Campfire production that arrived in a similar way. Seeking a danceable vibe with sparkly, simple chord progressions, he aimed for it to play the role of a hype song that makes people move. The instrumental blend of a standup piano with live guitar and drums fleshes the song out with a timeless, upbeat quality. John, who does not play instruments live but uses a guitar and Rhodes to write melodies by ear, calls the recording process “like being in a virtual band for a day.”

Elsewhere, the pulsing, driving “Running It Now” plays like a hip-hop infused Tame Impala track, replete with a distortion heavy guitar pulse and singalong chorus. “Watch Me Move” hearkens back to a retro Motown era and highlights John’s ability to play confident frontman, while “Geeshid” is a slowed-down reggae-esque groove that makes way for some of his hardest spitting and deftest braggadocio. The album ends on “Without You,” a vulnerable, finger-snapping waltz of an anthem he calls a “tuck you into bed, kiss you on the forehead” closer. Written on a QY100 beat machine while on the road, he was influenced by songs whose mechanics maintain a sense of mystery. “I’m a huge fan of songs that are absolutely broken, where you don’t know how they’re pulling it off,” he says. “I love that vulnerable approach. Ending my album with ‘Without You’ is like a classic Beach Boys LA day that’s coming to an end.”

For Pigeon John, however, the sun never sets on his insatiable hunger to make music. Eight albums and a couple decades deep into a storied career, he shows no signs of slowing down.

“Sometimes I’m surprised where I go with my own music,” he says. “I’m so happy to still be doing it and enjoying the process, just showing my heart. The more vulnerable you can be, the more you’ll connect with people, so I’ve always followed whatever I’m hearing in my heart and trusting it. I’m letting it all out and I love still being surprised by the end result. It’s a cool balancing act. Music will always stay young and fresh. It’s always new.”