Today we’d like to introduce you to LaMar Greer aka LDorado Jonez.
LaMar, can you briefly walk us through your story – how you started and how you got to where you are today.
I consider myself a renaissance man. I am an actor, an emcee, an illustrator, and graphic designer. My story began in south suburban Harvey. As a youth, I fell in love with two things that would shape my life and career: cartoons and Hip-Hop. I graduated from Columbia College with a degree in Music Business and Computer Animation.
Professionally, I have done voice-over work for McDonald”s, Coors, ComEd, and Bacardi. I was a featured actor in the Spike Lee film Chiraq, as well as Chicago Med and Empire. Under the moniker LDorado Jonez, my music featured in NBC’s Chicago PD and Chicago Fire. In 2015 my business partner, Erik ‘Sycosis’ Roberts, and I organized and headlined the ‘How The Midwest Was 1 Tour’. The tour traveled from Chicago to Milwaukee to St. Louis, Kansas City, and Denver.
As an illustrator, I had the great pleasure of collaborating with my friend, author Lonzell Cross, on the children’s book ‘Another Alphabet Book Daddy. It’s the first book of a four book series, aimed at children from birth to 8 years old. The second, ‘Another Numbers Book Daddy’ is near completion.
Great, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has absolutely NOT been a smooth road. The first challenge I faced was just being confident in being an artist, professionally. I had to muster the confidence to look at my life and say “I am an artist. I was created to create. I will monetize my passions and everything else has to revolve around that.” I had to find the courage to be comfortable enough in my purpose that when asked ‘what do you do” my answer was “I’m an artist” and not the title of whatever J-O-B I was suffering through at the time. And trust me, there were many.
That brings me to another struggle that is a constant for any type of artist- where’s the money? It’s one thing to create a hobby. It’s a different ball game when you plan on feeding your family of your creations. The path of an artist is a tortuous one; always unpredictable. It’s difficult to support a family while waiting for that next gig or figuring out how to market whatever project you just poured your soul into. There’s frustration in that space. There’s ample room for depression and self-doubt in that space. Art has to be made and bills have to be paid. It’s a balancing act.
Another challenge I faced in every form of art I create is knowing my voice and figuring out how to make that voice stand out from the masses. The internet literally puts the entire world at our fingertips. As a creative AND a businessman I have to find innovative ways to reach my audiences.
Alright – so let’s talk business. Tell us about Gr8er Than Self Entertainment – what should we know?
I co-own Gr8er Than Self Entertainment. alongside my business partner and longtime friend, Erik ‘Sycosis’ Roberts. The company and the name itself comes from our philosophy that a collective victory is more rewarding than an individual win. Through our brand, we look to create synergy between entertainment, technology, and lifestyle. We are positioning ourselves to not only create and control content but also the vehicles by which they reach consumers. We want to innovate the product, the process, and the platform. This dynamic trajectory is what will continue to set us apart from others in the marketplace. Our business currently includes music licensing, photography/videography, graphic design, and merchandising.
Erik and I are both fathers. Honestly, what makes me the proudest as far as our company is that we are setting an example for our sons of what is possible through faith, hard work, dedication, and sacrifice.
Is there a characteristic or quality that you feel is essential to success?
My personal mantra as well as our company culture rest on 8 points:
SACRIFICE
COMMUNICATION
DETERMINATION
CREATIVITY
INTEGRITY
TRUST
LOYALTY
LOVE
Contact Info:
- Email: ldoradoj@gmail.com and gr8erthanself@gmail.com
- Instagram: instragram.com/LDoradoJonez
- Facebook: facebook.com/LJonezGTS
- Twitter: twitter.com/LDoradoJonez
- Other: youtube.com/ldoradojonez youtube.com/gr8erthanself
Image Credit:
GTS Visuals
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