AITHEN: The Human
Coming from a diverse background both racially and culturally, and being born into a lower middle class family in Southwest Phoenix, Aithen was forced to shoulder much more than others his age. Visiting his criminal father in and out of prisons and witnessing (and enduring) profound dysfunction in both his neighborhood and his family, Aithen was thrust into a leadership role as a child, guiding his elders and often being forced to make adult decisions on behalf of relatives many times his age. By 24, he had purchased his own house, and by 27, he was married, but the absence of a reliable father figure led to critical misunderstandings of the world, and his marriage failed. The 2008 economic collapse cost him his job and his home, and in 2020, the pandemic’s shutdown of the entertainment industry brought another storm for him to endure, with Aithen unfortunately losing his home for a second time, and this time losing his wife as well. A failed marriage, two foreclosures, and multiple rebuilds from rock bottom have forged Aithen into a wise, empathetic, yet resilient man, rarely caught off guard by life’s challenges. His years in society’s underbelly, both in life and the raw underground music scene, have seasoned him. Now, his words and music carry a deep sincerity, serving as anthems for the downtrodden. Aithen channels his pain into art that strengthens in times of weakness and offers light in times of dark, aiming to spare others the hardships he’s endured by giving them a shared cathartic and informative experience. Enjoy this collection of works by Aithen, the real human behind the spectacle.
The Jokerr - Perfect Alone
In 2012, Aithen was riding high on the underground tidal wave sparked by the previous year’s Mayhem Night, as well as Welcome to the Show’s rerelease. His fanbase ballooned, driven by the lyrically ferocious music videos “I’m GrewSum” and “Ever Before,” which cemented his status as a top-tier lyricist, even with his eccentric medieval jester persona turning heads. Yet, Aithen always insisted in bios and interviews that he was no mere rapper but a master musician, commanding every musical craft, especially vocal performance and singing. This passion took a boost in 2004, when, as a freshman in Arizona State University’s Interdisciplinary Arts and Performance program, he taught drum lessons at the American Music Institute in Phoenix, AZ. At his Tolleson-based The Jokerr’s Lair Studios, he traded studio time for vocal lessons with AMI’s head voice teacher Danielle Wetzle, obsessively studying Gary LeVox of the superstar country-rock band Rascal Flatts. Aithen, open about his lack of natural singing talent, forged his vocal skills through relentless self-recording since childhood, a grueling process that was greatly enhanced and refined by those lessons. In 2012, he unveiled his all-singing album Sing Aithen, Sing, led by the tender ballad Perfect Alone, featuring Lauren Farrah. The song’s music video, shot over two scorching July days in Buckeye, Arizona, on an abandoned farmhouse foundation in 110°F+ heat, used 2X speed filming for a dreamy slow-motion effect, with the crew shielding the camera from overheating. Plans for the follow-up single “There With You” stalled when Aithen married the actress cast as Mary Lou, but the track is now slated for a Fearless Visionary production in a 2026 episode of JESTER.
The Jokerr - Amazing Grace
On Aithen's white side, he knew many of his grandparents from the Midwest and South—Texas, Tennessee, and Oklahoma. They had children young during the Dust Bowl era in farm-based communities, where marriages at 16 or 18 were common, and consequently the generation gaps were small in his family's recent history, with both his mother and grandmother having their first born children at 18 years old. Until he was 7, Aithen even had the rare privilege of spending time with and getting to know his great-great-grandmother, and as late as 2009, he still had three living great-grandparents. His favorite was Thelma Green, or Mammy, his white grandfather’s mother, who inspired the third verse of “Along the Riverside” from volume 1 of his Confirmation Collection album series. Living in Tolleson, Arizona, Mammy’s house was the hub for Christmas parties, Thanksgivings, and summer visits by Aithen and his BMX-riding friends. She always welcomed them with fresh cookies, snacks, or cold lemonade, likely kept for such occasions. Mammy babysat grandkids and great-grandkids with a constant smile, though she had been widowed since 1979 when she lost her husband, Papa PJ Green, before Aithen’s birth. Aithen’s family often compared him to Papa PJ, a driven entrepreneur and politician who became Tolleson’s mayor while owning several businesses in the small Phoenician satellite city. Mammy always spoke of PJ with warmth and pride, longing to reunite with him in heaven, as depicted in the 2004 song. In 2009, at 93, Mammy passed away peacefully, surrounded by family, as the song predicted. Aithen recorded her favorite hymn, “Amazing Grace,” for her funeral. PJ had recorded the same hymn at Tolleson Baptist Church in the 1970s, and a cassette of it still exists to this day. In 2011, for the 10th anniversary of 9/11, Aithen repurposed his “Amazing Grace” for a tribute video with a slideshow of that tragic day. The video, emphasizing hope and humanity’s resilience, went viral on YouTube, amassing 300,000 views in a day and earning Aithen thousands of new fans from all walks of life. This version of “Amazing Grace” also made its way onto Aithen's famed all-vocal album from 2012, Sing Aithen, Sing.
The Jokerr Feat. Masetti - How Can I Lose
In 2015, following the success of “Because I Can,” Aithen and his protégé Masetti set out to create another music video with no budget, using just one camera. The song, a poignant rap ballad about loss and resilience, required a night shoot, with Aithen and Masetti trading smooth, introspective verses. Driving Aithen’s rented F-150 pickup, they scouted locations in and around Malibu, Woodland Hills, and Calabasas, CA to tell the story of two strangers from different walks of life grappling with similar emotions, illustrating how shared struggles can unite diverse societal groups. The video and song build to a somber climax, with singer Katie McAuley’s looping refrain, “I don’t expect them to change at all,” as Aithen and Masetti’s characters exchange glances across economic and situational divides. Each immersed in their own struggles, they share a fleeting, somber connection, underscoring that even in dire circumstances, human connection and relationships remain vital. The song went on to be featured on The Jokerr's album Collective Chaos: Articles of Transcendence in 2017.
The Jokerr - No Longer Useful
In 2011 Aithen signed rap duo Project Fatalist—Descendant and Masetti—to his emerging The Jokerr Ent. label, a forerunner of Fearless Visionary Entertainment. In 2013 as Aithen planned his Los Angeles move, Masetti claimed his partner was using drugs and stealing, leading Aithen to invite Masetti alone to live with him in Phoenix and later Woodland Hills as an understudy and hype man, provided he paid rent. Masetti relocated from Massachusetts, renting a room first at Aithen’s mother’s house and then in LA, where Aithen produced, funded, and recorded Masetti’s solo album Dreamer at The JLS 6 Studio with videos and 1,000 hard copies. Emboldened, Masetti quit his Target job to pursue music full-time, but as Aithen faced financial strain in LA Masetti grew overwhelmed and dishonest about his activities and possible drug use. Aithen gave him 90 days to find a new place. Instead, Masetti invited his family to LA, stole a TV, fled to Massachusetts owing Aithen over $1,000, and slandered him. Suspecting Masetti had Narcissistic Personality Disorder based on his manipulative behavior and troubled past, Aithen turned the betrayal into “No Longer Useful,” a cathartic track and video featuring a YouTuber specializing in NPD. Filmed in an abandoned Woodland Hills house—later used for Madchild’s 2019 “Write It Down video,” which Aithen directed—it captured the pain of betrayal and one-sided dedication, and again turned an unfortunate situation into lasting art.
The Jokerr Feat. FM - Earn Your Way In
In 2017, Aithen kicked off the third chapter of his Collective Chaos album series with the song and video “Earn Your Way In,” featuring Northwestern rapper Rich Warren, aka FM. Reeling from a betrayal by his former artist Masetti, Aithen channeled the lesson into this project, following his “No Longer Useful” video, to emphasize the importance of vetting people before granting them trust. Filmed on a tight budget, primarily in a walkway underpass near Shoup Avenue under the 101 Freeway in Woodland Hills, the video became a standout. Despite its low cost, it significantly raised FM’s online presence and became a fan favorite among both his and The Jokerr's supporters. Amassing over 300,000 views before its removal, the video’s message shaped Aithen’s approach to new talent. This principle guided his creation of Fearless Visionary and JESTER, where he rigorously evaluates character through actions before welcoming anyone into his circle.
The Jokerr - Dead Horse
After releasing Trail of Destruction, an album chronicling his feuds with Prone Records, Strange Music, and Funk Volume, Aithen, as The Jokerr, felt drained by the negativity and mounting calls for his cancellation. Struggling financially, he sold his nearly foreclosed home and moved in with his mother to save for a move to Los Angeles. Reflecting on his actions—such as leaking private calls with Hopsin to expose hypocrisy and ranting against Strange Music in “The Maestro”—Aithen recognized that he had gone too far, even if his anger was justified. In a groundbreaking move, he wrote and recorded “Dead Horse,” a rap apology for his excessive disses. He filmed the first two verses in his mother’s vaulted-ceiling living room and the third in the sanctuary of City of Grace, a historic Phoenix church, where his wife, working for an aerial dance company renting space there, left the doors open for Aithen and videographer Carlos Berber to sneak in and shoot undisturbed. “Dead Horse” became Aithen’s most popular video, amassing over 3.4 million views before its removal during the Fearless Visionary Entertainment launch, proving integrity and authenticity drive redemption and commercial success, laying the foundation for the Fearless Philosophy. Fans responded with hundreds of messages about reconciling with friends and family, sparking a wave of healing and positivity in the underground music scene.