Nearly 10 years ago, a young New York-area suburbanite took a leap of faith to follow his blossoming dreams of becoming a major player in the music world. J57 would parlay an internship at an iconic New York City record store into a thriving career, as a producer, recording artist and radio personality. I wanted to know more about his unlikely, but deserved, journey to success, and found his improbable path was, for the most part, a textbook example of hard work paying off.

Chesney Snow heads up the American Beatbox Championships, now entering its fifth year. An artform with roots and influence from history, linguistics and music, beatboxing is much more simulating a kick/snare drum beat through a microphone, as highly acclaimed musical and artistic-based institutions are finally starting to recognize. The yearly Championships are a fun exhibition and competition, but it’s folks like Chesney Snow who are working to ensure that beatbox is looked at as a serious musical discipline.