Jovan Blackmon Paris Black interview on quitting his job

In the Jovan Blackmon Paris Black interview on the SmackBiz podcast, Blackmon said he quit his shoe-store job in 2023 to create content full-time. He told Paris Black why an audience matters more to him than early monetization, how battle rap became a focus of his videos, and why a visit with King Tunes in Dallas pushed him to make more.

How did Jovan Blackmon become a content creator?

Jovan Blackmon became a content creator by putting a lifelong interest in performing on camera to work. He said he made videos for fun when he was younger, but was shy about showing people who he was. Creating battle rap impersonations and promos gave him a way to show a talent he no longer wanted to hide.

Blackmon described himself as someone who was always laughing, dancing and moving around with his family. He wanted to be on camera and admired entertainers and athletes who meant something to their audiences. Making videos gave him a way to pursue that kind of impact through his own work.

He told Black that growing up, he could be funny in a crowd while still being reluctant to put himself on display. Now he sees recording as an opportunity rather than a reason to hold back. His advice to people with a particular skill is to show it, whether that means making skits, doing impersonations or using someone else’s voice in a video.

Blackmon also described his work as an effort to bring attention to battle rap. He said he found his lane and created it at the same time, rather than waiting for a conventional route into entertainment.

What did Jovan Blackmon say about social media success?

Jovan Blackmon said social media success begins with enjoying the work before thinking about payment. He urged creators to post enough to improve, accept that some videos will fail and give strangers time to become regular viewers. For him, people returning to watch his work was the first sign that he had an audience to serve.

Blackmon gave his central advice in a line he applies beyond making videos:

You got to love the process before you try to think about getting monetized.

Putting up a thousand before complaining

He pointed to a saying about doing a thousand repetitions before complaining. His examples included hours at work, push-ups and videos made around a talent. The point was to practice before deciding that an effort is not working.

A week of five videos might contain three that perform badly, one that travels widely and one that lands somewhere between, he said. Blackmon argued that creators should not dismiss the attempts that do not take off or measure their progress against someone else’s success.

Cash Nasty, Flight Reacts and a returning audience

Asked which creators inspired him, Blackmon named Cash Nasty and Flight Reacts. He also said aspiring creators should not expect attention to arrive quickly: strangers need time to discover a talent and keep coming back. Posting, staying engaged and promoting the work all matter to that process.

Once he noticed people tuning in daily, Blackmon began treating content like a job with an audience depending on him. He said viewers’ enjoyment made him want to deliver videos on time. Recognition of the work, rather than an immediate payment, was what first drove him to keep making it.

Why did Jovan Blackmon leave Hibbit Sports to make content?

Jovan Blackmon said he left his job at Hibbit Sports, a shoe store in Fayetteville, North Carolina, in 2023 because he wanted to create content full-time. He did not present quitting as a requirement for everyone. His point was that pursuing the work seriously takes substantial time, whether someone keeps another job or not.

Blackmon said he had wanted to be on camera since childhood and initially made videos for fun. Seeing people return for new posts turned that interest into a responsibility. He compared his approach to a nine-to-five job: decide what the audience needs, make the work and deliver it when expected.

He was direct about the effort behind a talent-led account. Even though the videos let him perform, he said he works hard on that talent. Leaving the store was his choice to give it the sustained attention he wanted to give it.

Money was another practical consideration Blackmon raised when discussing what creators need. He did not give a cost or budget. His emphasis was on committing time without expecting quick results or assuming that visible talent removes the work involved.

What did Jovan Blackmon say about battle rap and his brand partnerships?

Jovan Blackmon said he makes battle rap impersonations and promos, and has expanded into hosting and judging. He also described partnerships with Tough Crowd, Brandon Jennings’s brand, and named Mora and Fayetteville jewelry maker Clay Life among the brands supporting his work. He said he has judged for Bars Over Bull for three years.

Judging for Bars Over Bull

Blackmon said he was due to judge another Bars Over Bull battle in November, without specifying a year. Judging and hosting put him alongside the battle rap community he wants to represent through his videos. He described the impersonations and promos as part of the same work, rather than a separate interest.

Tough Crowd, Mora and Clay Life

Pointing to his hat, Blackmon said Tough Crowd sponsored him and identified it as a brand belonging to former NBA player Brandon Jennings. He also named Mora as a family brand and said Clay Life, based in Fayetteville, made him a chain with a pendant representing his name and brand.

That piece of jewelry mattered to him as a marker of his content work. Blackmon said he appreciated brands trusting him to represent them and sending him products because of what he creates.

How did meeting King Tunes in Dallas affect Jovan Blackmon?

Jovan Blackmon said meeting battle rapper King Tunes in Dallas, Texas, motivated him to make more content. King Tunes invited him to Dallas in August, brought a crew together and included Blackmon on his podcast. Seeing the organization around the next day’s battle rap event showed Blackmon how seriously that community treated its work.

Blackmon said King Tunes won at the event. What stayed with him, though, was the way people involved in battle rap welcomed him and engaged with the videos he made. He felt they were showing him their community so he could keep building his own work around it.

Dallas left him feeling supported and eager to get back to creating, he told Black. The trip also gave him a closer view of a battle rap scene beyond Fayetteville, where he grew up. He credited King Tunes and the people he met there with making him feel that his contribution belonged in that space.

What advice did Jovan Blackmon give young creators in Fayetteville?

Jovan Blackmon told young creators in Fayetteville to use the camera for what they want to make, even if other people find it unusual. He encouraged children to try things, be kind to others and avoid changing their personalities because they are called weird. His message was to choose their own route rather than follow one prescribed for them.

Making videos without fitting a mold

Blackmon offered gaming and everyday streaming as examples of things a young person could record. He said he had been called weird throughout his life and did not see that as a reason to stop. A child can do well in school, play sports, be funny and still want to be on camera, he argued.

Earlier in the conversation, he made a related distinction for creators of any age: they do not have to show every part of their lives to make worthwhile content. They can share glimpses of themselves while putting a particular talent first. His own advice was to keep recording rather than wait until they feel certain of what they are doing.

Where Blackmon posts his work

Blackmon said he is active on YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and TikTok under Von 3tymes, styled as VON3TYMES. Across those platforms, he shares battle rap impersonations and promos while continuing to host and judge. For a young creator starting out, his example was less about choosing an app than about making work consistently and letting people see it.