[EXCLUSIVE] Bando Jonez Talks #Bandoland Mixtape + Nicki Minaj, Boosie & More

Singer-songwriter Bando Jonez is back with new music for the fans. The project is called Bandoland and features the young R&B artist in rare form, giving a mixture of music that forces you to tune in. To roll out the mixtape, Bando Jonez and his team hosted a private listening session for DJs and media on Sunday, January 3rd at Soul Asylum Studios. Industry insiders got an opportunity to listen to what he’s been cooking up lately. Many of the tracks on the project shows another level of Bando Jonez’s creativity. Not only are the songs dope, but he understands this as well by including short snippets and cleverly persuades listeners to go purchase the track(s) on iTunes.

It has been over a year since we’ve spoken to Bando Jonez. At that time he’d sign on with Polow Da Don’s Zone 4 label and EPIC Records. His song “Sex You” was blowing up the charts and is still going strong, even internationally he mentions. Also, he teamed up with Jeezy for “There She Goes,” which is favorite of his fans. For Bandoland, the Oakland City-native called on a few of his friends for this project. Boosie Badazz, Hurricane Chris, and Parlay joins him, as well as, a surprise collaboration with Nicki Minaj.

[READ: [EXCLUSIVE] @BANDOJONEZ (FKA LIL COREY) TALKS HARDSHIPS GROWING UP AND MUSIC CAREER]

At the listening session, Bando Jonez elaborated a little on the new project and more…

Bandoland name for new mixtape..

“Me just really wanting to own things and wanting to take some of my artistry into my own perspective. It’s only so far that Polow [Da Don] or L.A. Ried can take you. They can mold you to be an artist, but if you don’t take the time out to really study the ar, the craft then you don’t really get it. So, Bandoland stands for me just trying to own myself and be an artist, a true artist. Listening and taking construction…”

Bandoland sound…

“My whole goal is to try to leave away all of the fashion, all of the cars and show back love. At the same time, I want to show back swag in another way. I feel like this mixtape don’t sound like anybody’s mixtape. I definitely gave them [the fans] a lot of songs, 22-songs. I put some of my favorite artists on there with me: Young Jeezy, Boosie Badazz, Nicki Minaj, Hurricane Chris. So it’s phenomenal just to be acknowledged.”

Last time we talked, you were promoting “Sex You”…

“I probably wrote it over a year and half and yeah, it’s still so big. It’s going overseas. Right now, I just want to make sure they get other music. I don’t want “Sex You” be the only song that they know or me to become “Sex You”. I rather it be a song in my archives, so I’m giving them a lot of different stuff. My album was actually done in June, but I want it perfect for my fans. I don’t care how much time I have to take as long as it is perfect. Then, I know y’all going to accept it the right way. What I don’t want is y’all to get it and y’all don’t like it. {laughs}”

“Everybody that was a part of what I got going on is so special for me. It shows the love God have for me. You got to just keep going, keep working. Hopefully, I’ll have more fans and more big people that y’all know to come out and bless me again.”

Listen to Bandoland now on Spinrilla!