J Davon Harris Tears It Down and Starts Again Ahead of ‘Long Story Less Long

For J Davon Harris, “Tear It Down” is more than the first single leading into Long Story Less Long. It is a reset. Built around production from Dre Tha Oneda and a vocal sample centered on tearing things down and beginning again, the record gives Harris a clean line between his previous, more abstract work and the artist he is right now.

This conversation also arrives with some history. Harris originally submitted the record to Exposed Vocals as part of a Featured Spotlight, and the piece took far longer to reach production than it should have. When we reconnected, he chose to treat that delay not as the end of the relationship but as part of the story — an example, in his words, of patience and a good partnership between artist and media. With a new project ahead, a performance on The Come Up behind him, and a clearer understanding of his own voice, J Davon is moving forward.

Listen to “Tear It Down”

Stream “Tear It Down” by J Davon Harris on Spotify

The Interview

Exposed Vocals: What was the idea behind “Tear It Down,” and how did it come together with Dre Tha Oneda producing?

J Davon Harris: My engineer actually introduced me to Dre Tha Oneda. If I recall correctly, it was the first beat of his that I selected. As far as it all coming together, I just listened to the music. The vocal sample did a lot of the heavy lifting in patterning out my verses. With the chorus — which, to me, isn’t my strongest ability — I just caught a rhythm and recorded what I felt in that moment. I wrote the verses prior to the studio session and came up with the chorus in the session.

Exposed Vocals: How does this single set up Long Story Less Long — is it the tone for the whole album, or one specific side of it?

J Davon Harris: The single sets a tone for LSLL. The vocal sample is saying, “tear it down, start over again…” It serves as a palette cleanser to my previous release, which was more of an abstract project, whereas LSLL has more of a “this is where I am right now” tone. It’s also a personal testament to me as an artist.

Exposed Vocals: What’s changed in your sound or process since you first started releasing music?

J Davon Harris: I’m better — a better writer, a better emcee. I feel like I have a full understanding of my sound and the messaging I want to convey to listeners.

Exposed Vocals: What do you want a first-time listener to feel by the end of the track?

J Davon Harris: I want them to want to hear more from me, and also feel that I’m a damn good rapper and an authentic artist.

Exposed Vocals: What’s next for you after this release?

J Davon Harris: My plan is to release a free project ahead of Long Story Less Long. I want to provide visuals for a few songs off the album and overall just continue to grow as an artist.

From the Record to the Stage

Following the release, Harris says he was invited to perform “Tear It Down” on The Come Up, giving a shout-out to Big Fendi for putting him on a platform that has also featured artists including Jadakiss and AZ. Harris says he was the first artist to perform there without a backing track — a fitting extension of a record built around confidence, immediacy and starting fresh.

The clearest thread running through this chapter of J Davon Harris’ work is ownership. He describes himself as a stronger writer and emcee with a better understanding of what he wants his music to communicate. “Tear It Down” does not pretend the past disappeared; it uses the idea of starting over as momentum. That makes Long Story Less Long less a reinvention than a sharper statement of where Harris stands now.

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