RJD2’s hit tunes are the latest hot commodity

For RJ Krohn, the mastermind behind RJD2, breaking through as a hiphop-based artist was a competitive, visceral thing. "Art," Krohn says, "became sport," and he was driven to create the music that we hear today. Yet, over time, RJD2's sound has become more instrument-based and grown to include his own vocals. The result is hiphop-driven music with sung vocal harmonies. Something that stays true to Krohn's roots while constantly developing as a sound.
On RJD2's most recent release, "The Colossus" mixes outstanding instrumentation with developing lyrics to create a soulful and solid album.
Krohn explains that the transition away from sample-based music was partly due to the need to avoid headaches pertaining to copyright and licensing issues. As he's now broken through to a larger scene and his music has sold more than imagined, the use of samples became a liability that threatened his well being. This shift towards more freedom is also directly linked to RJ's decision to release his own music through his own label. In 2009, Krohn established RJ's Electrical Connections, the label used to release "The Colossus." "While music for Krohn began as a creative endeavor, it has morphed into a real living for him. He explains that "there isn't a musician in the world whose goal isn't to make a living off their music."  
A few albums into his career, Krohn is establishing a new way to maxamize how to make a living off of what he does. The creative shift has further expressed itself and become evident through Krohn's latest album.
The beat-driven music has also provided another source of income for Krohn, which allows him to fund his musical endeavors. Countless excerpts from his music have been used in commercials from Nike, Levi's, Adidas, Saturn, Wells Fargo and many more. One of the artist's larger reputable licencings was to allow a portion of "A Beautiful Mine" to be used as the opening theme for "Mad Men" on AMC. When approached by Lionsgate with the licencing request, Krohn initially turned it down multiple times. Yet, Lionsgate was relentless and insisted on buying the song. Eventually, an agreement was reached, but Krohn remained hesitant about his music playing in a show that he knew nothing about. Today, he's amazed that his music is on the opening credits for one of his favorite shows.