On the 18th of April 1980, Sonia and Noel Burrell gave birth to their third child, a baby boy name Oneil Burrell. Oneil grew up as the youngest in a family of 5 in the Kingston 11 community of Seaview Garden. While growing up it was recognized that Oneil had a unique appreciation towards musical activities.
However, he would have grown up up to thrill the world and rock the music industry, who knew him best as J Aries.
Oneil enjoyed writing lyrics while tapping or beating on anything he could get his hands on. Whether it’s on the family table or the desks at school, he was fulfiling his love and talent for entertaining others. Oneil attend Cockburn Gardens All Age School between the ages of 5 and 11 years old. He was successful in his Common Entrance Examination and attend Haile Sellassie Comprehensive High School and Excelsior High School. Oneil passed several CXC and CSES subjects.
As a aspiring entertainer, growing up Seaview Garden was exciting for Oneil, The community has produced and groomed a lot of note entertainers such as :Shabba Ranks, Bounty Killa, Elephant Man and member a of popular dancehall group the Innocent Kru.
Oneil had such great passion for acting and music, that he would sneak out of the house to attend concerts, stage show, dances and movie premiers along with his older brother Omar Aswell and friends Danny, Jeffery and Tyrone.
At 16 he was introduced friend Tyrone to a recording studio named Youth-Man Promotion’, owned and operated by noted reggae musician Suger Minott. It was at this studio that Oneil aka Javi Jav began to practice and mold his craft. He recorded his first single at 17 under the name Diamond Neil, called by his friends at that time.
Years later he went to Buss-Out Studio, owned by Chris Meredith and released his fourth single for the label among other recordings.
While finding his way in the music industry, Oneil worked with Cable and Wireless Jamaica Ltd(Lime) as a technician. Even as a technician, Oneil heart was on music. He eventually left his job and began to focus his full attention on music.
While promoting him mixed tape, he went to the popular mixing lab and met producer Peter ‘Fat Shady’ Harris. He introduced Oneil to record producers such as Karl Tapping aka Fat-Eyes and Skatta Burrell. Oneil once changed his name this time from Javi Jav to J Aries the name which he currently records under.
Oneil ‘J Aries’ Burrell is now working with record labels such as Cash Flow Records, Road Black Production, Gold Mine Production and Jacare Rattis Promotion. Look for J Aries with more new music to come.
