Jonathan Koffa (born May 14, 1981), known professionally as Takun J (often stylized as Takun-J), is a Liberian rapper, songwriter and activist. He is regarded as one of the pioneers of hipco, a politically-charged music genre. The Liberian Gender Ministry designated him as one of its anti-rape ambassadors. Takun J’s music addresses socio-political issues in Liberia. He is best known for his singles “Who Make You Cry”, “Police Man”, “Gbagba is Corruption”, and “Song for Hawa”. Takun J released his debut studio album The Time in 2007. His second studio album, titled My Way, was released in December 2012. Takun J is the recipient of several accolades, including Male Artist of the Year and Hipco Artist of the Year at the 2014 Liberia Music Awards.

Early life and career

Takun J was born in Monrovia, Liberia. He grew up with his mother and three siblings. His father relocated to the United States when he was four years old. While growing up in the country’s capital, he played soccer and participated in dancing and talent show competitions. He became passionate about music and decided to pursue a career in music after graduating from high school. When he was 17 years old, he joined a musical group called Magnetic. Takun J released his debut single “We’ll Spay You” in 2005. His second single, titled “You Meaning Me”, was released the following year. Having lived through most of his country’s 14-year civil conflict, he briefly relocated to refugee camps in Ghana and Ivory Coast with his family.

He returned to Liberia and released his debut studio album, The Time, in 2007. The album’s lead single “Police Man” is a politically-charged song that exposes corruption by officers of the Liberian National Police; the song also includes a plea to then-President Ellen Johnson Sirleaf to repress corruption. The song’s release prompted two police arrests and a beating. Takun J was not deterred by the incident and managed to perform on the day of his release from jail. In an interview with the Liberian Listener, Takun J said he released “Police Man” in order to create awareness about police negligence.

Takun J performs at the annual two-day Hipco festival in Monrovia. On July 27, 2012, he performed with Nasseman, David Mell, Nozi and Mr. Smith at the Lonestar Cell musical concert. Takun J was one of the acts featured on the remix of Xpolay’s 2012 single “Pot Not Bolling”; the song was produced by Yor-EL Francis and received critical acclaim in Liberia. In the aforementioned interview with the Liberian Listener, Takun J said the song was well received because of its positive messages. Takun J released his second studio album, titled My Way, in December 2012. It features high-BPM dance tracks, Liberian reggae music, and political rap songs. Recorded at Studio 57 and Red Eyez studios, the album’s production was handled by Stone Gray, AB Swaray, King Brian and Rawlo. It features guest contributions from Nasseman, Santos, Soul Smiter, Bentman tha Don, Scientific, Marvalous and Ice Princess. Takun J addresses his daily struggles on the record and said the songs on it are relatable.

In February 2013, Takun J released the solemn track “Song for Hawa”; it was produced by PCI-Media Impact and addresses violence against Liberian girls and women. Takun J wrote the song after visiting a home sheltering victimized young girls. The music video for the song premiered at the UN Commission on the Status of Women. He told Mae Azango it narrates the story of a girl named Hawa, who was raped by her uncle following the death of her mother. Takun J has cited Tupac Shakur, Bob Marley and Akon as his key musical influences. He is part of the Hipco Accountability Network, an organization that strengthens copyright laws and establishes minimum play laws in Liberia. The network includes several musical personalities, including Nasseman, JD Donzo, Shining Man, and JB of Soul Fresh, among others. On December 7, 2013, Takun J performed at the second annual Liberia Music Festival, held at Slipway Sports Pitch.

In March 2014, the Daily Observer newspaper reported that Takun J signed a two-year endorsement deal with Lonestar Cell. As part of the deal, he is expected to appear and perform on Lonestar Cell/MTN programs. On March 15, 2014, Takun J performed at the Holiday Beach Jam in Congo Town alongside J. Martins, R2Bees, Scientific, Cypha D’King, Sweetz and F.A. He works with UNICEF as an ambassador of music. In 2020, Takun J collaborated with DenG, Sundaygar Dearboy, Tan Tan, Soul Smiter, Odemz, and Amaze to produce the hipco song “Sanitize”. The artists released the song in order to raise awareness about Covid-19 and encourage Liberians to practice good hygiene.

Parents and family

Takun J was born in Monrovia, Liberia. He grew up with his mother and three siblings. His father relocated to the United States when he was four years old. He was present during Liberia’s first and second civil wars, which lasted from 1989 to 2003. While growing up in the country’s capital, he played soccer and partook in dancing and talent show competitions. He became passionate about music and decided to be a musician after graduating from high school. At age 17, he joined a musical group called Magnetic. The group released its first single, “We’ll Spay You”, in 2005. Takun J’s second single, “You Meaning Me”, was released a year after the release of his debut single. The success of his first two singles was relative due to the emergence of a brief civil conflict.

Wife and Children

Many sources have said that Takun J is still single, while others thinks that the rapper is a married man. We can’t say for sure since we don’t have much information about the Liberian singer private life.

Takun J has no kids at the moment.

Net worth

Takun J has an estimated net worth of around $800, 000 – $1.5 million.

*