{{short description|American singer-songwriter}} {{Infobox musical artist | name = J. Valentine | image = | caption = | birth_name = Johnnie Valentine Newt | birth_date = {{Birth date and age|mf=yes|1979|7|9}} | birth_place = San Francisco, California, U.S. | occupation = {{flatlist| * Singer * songwriter * record producer * podcaster }} | years_active = 1990–present | label = CityBoyz | website = [http://www.jvalentine.com www.jvalentine.com] }}
'''Johnnie Valentine Newt''' (born July 9, 1979) is an American R&B singer, songwriter and podcaster from San Francisco, California. He is known for his work with R&B singer Tank, and served as a member of his production group Song Dynasty.
Newt was credited with songwriting work on Tank's singles "When We" and "Emergency", while his credits for other artists include Tyrese's "I Like Them Girls", the title track of NSYNC's album ''Celebrity'' (2001),<ref name=nsync>{{cite web|last=Cantin|first=Paul|title=celebrity|url=http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Artists/N/N_Sync/2001/08/01/748332.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151124114559/http://jam.canoe.com/Music/Artists/N/N_Sync/2001/08/01/748332.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=November 24, 2015|website=canoe.com|access-date=20 October 2011}}</ref> Mario's "How Could You," and Omarion's "I'm Tryna".<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.allmusic.com/artist/song-dynasty-mn0002596431 | title=Song Dynasty Songs, Albums, Reviews, Bio & Mor | website=AllMusic }}</ref><ref name=Vibe>{{cite web|title=J. Valentine Working On New EP, Releases '4U' Music Video|url=http://www.vibe.com/posts/j-valentine-working-new-ep-releases-4u-music-video|publisher=Vibe Magazine|accessdate=21 October 2011}}</ref> He guest performed on Tupac Shakur's posthumous albums, ''Still I Rise'' (1999) and ''Until the End of Time'' (2001).
He began hosting the "R&B Money" podcast in 2022 alongside frequent collaborator Tank. The podcast was nominated for Best Work of Music Journalism - Multimedia at the 2023 International Music Journalism Awards.<ref>https://www.revolt.tv/podcasts/holdin-court-podcast/tank-talks-homophobia-in-the-culture-tyrese-ginuwine-aaliyah-jamie-foxx-and-new-r-b-money-podcast</ref>
==Early life== Valentine was born in The Fillmore District of San Francisco, California. As a kid, J. and his brothers would go down to Fisherman's Wharf where they were street performers. J. attended Balboa High School, where he played varsity basketball all four years of high school and AAU along with the likes of NBA players Drew Gooden and Deshawn Stevenson. J. was also seen in Keyshia Cole's debut video "I Changed My Mind" as her love interest. He also worked on her 2010 album Calling All Hearts as a producer and songwriter. Valentine is of African-American and Chinese ancestry. His father was African-American and his mother was Chinese-American.
==Musical career== When Valentine was 9 years old, he and his brothers formed the band The Newtrons. In 2009, he founded the CityBoyZ Muzik label and signed hip-hop artist Bailey, and subsequently released the song “Go Dumb” which was originally a record from his ''Hide Ya Breezy'' mixtape.
Valentine's 2011 album ''The Testimony'' featured artists Keri Hilson, Twista, Gucci Mane and LeToya Luckett. The album accumulated over 17 thousand records sold and reached the iTunes top 10 for R&B/Soul.{{citation needed|date=May 2014}} Valentine recorded “My Girl” with Chris Brown for In My Zone 2.
Valentine's production company, Song Dynasty, includes his brother Bobby Newt, his friend Texx and R&B singer Tank. The team has written and produced songs for artists such as Jamie Foxx, Keyshia Cole, and Ron Isley. In 2010, they produced ''Now or Never'', Tank's first Atlantic Records project. The album's second single, “Emergency,” held the number 5 spot on the Billboard music charts. They wrote the song “Regret” for R&B singer LeToya Luckett featuring Ludacris, which also peaked at #78 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 chart and #8 on the Billboard Hot R&B/Hip-Hop Songs chart.<ref name=valentine>{{cite web|last=Newt|first=Johnnie|title=About|url=http://jvalentine.com/site/about/|publisher=J. valentine|accessdate=20 October 2011}}</ref>
Valentine scored his first #1 single on the R&B charts with Tank in 2022, with the successful single "Slow".<ref>[https://ratedrnb.com/2022/10/tank-and-j-valentine-slow-reaches-no-1-at-rnb-radio/ Tank and J. Valentine’s ‘Slow’ Reaches No. 1 at R&B Radio]</ref> The duet song is from Tank's tenth album release, R&B Money.
Valentine and Tank are the hosts of a weekly podcast called ''R&B Money Podcast'', where the two discuss R&B music and other topics with some of the genre's current stars and its greatest legends.<ref>[https://www.vibe.com/music/music-news/tank-j-valentine-rb-money-podcast-launch-1234667165/ Tank Launches R&B Money Podcast With His Manager J. Valentine]</ref>
Additionally, Valentine also works as Tank's manager.
==Discography== ===Albums=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" ! scope="col" style="width:11em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;" | Album details |- !scope="row"|''The Testimony''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/the-testimony/418497197|title=The Testimony by J. Valentine|date=15 February 2011|website=iTunes|access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> | * Released: Feb 15, 2011 *{{nowrap|Label: CityBoyz Muzik}} * Format: Digital download |}
===Mixtape=== {| class="wikitable plainrowheaders" style="text-align:center;" |+ List of mixtapes, with year released ! scope="col" style="width:11em;" | Title ! scope="col" style="width:16em;" | Mixtape details |- !scope="row"|''Hide Ya Breezy''<ref>{{cite web|url=https://music.apple.com/us/album/hide-ya-breezy/414579752|title=Hide Ya Breezy by Bailey & J. Valentine|date=11 January 2011|website=iTunes|access-date=3 October 2018}}</ref> | * Released: Jan 11, 2006 *{{nowrap|Label: P.A.I.D.}} * Format: Digital download |- !scope="row"|''Love & Other Drugs''<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/j-valentine-love-and-other-drugs-mixtape.45274.html|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20120217145024/http://www.hotnewhiphop.com/j-valentine-love-and-other-drugs-mixtape.45274.html|url-status=dead|archive-date=February 17, 2012|title=Love & Other Drugs|website=Hotnewhiphop.com|accessdate=3 October 2018}}</ref> | * Released: 14 Feb 2012 *{{nowrap|Label: CityBoyz Muzik}} * Format: Digital download |}
==References== {{Reflist}}
==External links== * [http://jvalentine.com Official Website]
{{Authority control}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Valentine, J.}} Category:Living people Category:Singers from San Francisco Category:American contemporary R&B singers Category:1979 births Category:Songwriters from San Francisco Category:American male singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American singer-songwriters Category:21st-century American male singers Category:Singer-songwriters from California