Jovanis “Jo’s Deaf” Robinson, CEO of RTB Records, has built his own path in music production.
Source: Jovanis Robinson
Milwaukee native Jovanis “Jo’s Deaf” Robinson, who was born profoundly deaf, is the CEO of RTB Records (Release Tha Beast Records LLC). The independent label recently announced its upcoming release, “By Myself II,” featuring Robinson’s music.
“I have severe hearing loss, and music has been part of my life since I was little,” Robinson said. “I got my first hearing aid around age three, and one of the first things I remember doing was playing on a Fisher-Price piano. I fell in love with the sounds, and I’ve been chasing them ever since.”
Robinson explains his connection with music in his own unique way.
“Severe hearing loss made me connect with music in my own way. I paid attention to vibration, rhythm, tone, patterns and how sound felt, not just how it was heard,” Robinson explained.
“Over time, that turned into producing, recording, building my own studio and eventually creating
RTB RECORDS.”
Working as a one-man operation from his production studio in Moline, Robinson is challenging the music industry’s traditional reliance on outside production and support.
RTB Records began when Robinson was about 14 and started Unleashed Tha Beast Entertainment. He wanted to build a team and create something bigger than music. After learning the challenges of working with others, he researched trademarks and developed RTB Records, or Release Tha Beast Records, as a legally distinct brand.
“The company reflects a vision I had as a teenager and my commitment to protecting and building it into a legitimate business,” he said. “Even back then, I was already thinking bigger than just being an artist.”
RTB Records is entirely self-funded, with no borrowed debt, retaining full ownership of its master recording copyrights and publishing rights.
By Myself II follows the original By Myself, a pre-campaign to get feedback and learn from the process. By Myself II," performed under Robinson’s artist name, Jo's Deaf, will lead into his highly anticipated project, "Stay Focused.”
Robinson listened to feedback and took the criticism to heart that words were hard to understand, and some felt the vocals weren’t sitting in the beat the way they should. Robinson utilized vocal mixing and live performance to improve his energy and vocal production rather than becoming defensive.
“For me, By Myself II is also about keeping my word. Earlier in this process, I told Dr. Biko Baker that I was bringing my first record back home to Milwaukee and that I was focused on one record at a time. That’s exactly what I’m doing now. I didn’t rush off to the next song when the first version taught me something. I went back, tightened the record, and I’m bringing it home the way I said I would.”
Reflecting on his legacy, Robinson hopes RTB Records will follow in the footsteps of influential independent music movements such as Motown and No Limit Records, helping shape the next generation of independent music.
“I want my legacy to be that I became a Deaf music mogul and built something real from the ground up,” said Robinson.
Karen Stokes is a Milwaukee-based freelance journalist with more than 16 years of experience reporting on local and national politics, as well as community interest stories that highlight culture, social issues, and civic engagement for local, regional, and national publications.