Upstormed Records and Upstormed Publishing: songs and books written to help people rise
Before Upstormed was a group of companies, it was a story: a life marked by hard seasons and the decision not to be defined by them. Upstormed Records and Upstormed Publishing are where that story is told most directly, through the songs and books of founder Jonathan Anthony Burkett. Together they are the creative heart of Upstormed Inc.
Upstormed Records
Upstormed Records is home to all Upstormed music and to the artist Jonathan Anthony Burkett. Operating from Miami and Jamaica and releasing music since 2014, the label makes hip hop, soul and reggae with a clear focus: change, faith and perseverance. They are written from real experience, for listeners who are going through something hard and need a reason to keep going.
Releases
- One Life (album, 2014), with flagship artist Ambelique on “One Life” and its remixes.
- Born To Make It (album, 2024), featuring My-Kul Leeric, Troyton, Jae Mazor and more.
- Life As I Know It (EP, 2024), featuring Elisa Polanco, Kiarrah Guerra, Kristin Nicole and more.
- Upstormed Records: The Collection (2024), a 25-track compilation of every Upstormed release, including “Changes”, “Don’t Give Up”, “Crush On You”, “Pass That” and the “One Life” mixes.
“Changes” and “Don’t Give Up” feature vocalist Elisa Polanco; “Changes” drew press attention in 2018 as a bouncy hip hop track. Other collaborators include My-Kul Leeric (“Crush On You”, “Pour It”), Troyton (“Pass That”), Michael Pashalian (“Two Steps”), Kiarrah Guerra and Kristin Nicole (“I Can Only Be Me”) and Mizta B. Several songs are also the seeds of upcoming books: Everything Changes, Don’t Give Up, Born To Make It and Two Steps Ahead.
Where to listen
Upstormed Publishing
Upstormed Publishing publishes the books of Jonathan Anthony Burkett: 18 titles across memoir, fiction and life lessons, from a true story of survival to a ten-book family drama.
The books
Memoir
- Neglected But Undefeated: The Life of a Boy Who Never Knew a Mother’s Love (available): Jonathan’s childhood in Jamaica with his grandparents, growing up without his mother, the health battles he survived and the faith that carried him through. A free excerpt is on JonathanBurkett.com.
The Friends 2 Lovers series (ten books)
- The Unthinkable (available): best friends Claude and Kelly face a tragedy together and must find out whether their friendship can become lasting love.
- Closed Doors Open (available): past relationships and a haunting history put the new couple at risk.
- Unexpected Consequences (available): new crises test whether Claude and Kelly can stay loyal to each other.
- Hidden in Plain Sight (coming soon): a photo arrives on their daughter’s first birthday, and Larry Vance knows how to reach Claude.
- The Ones We Chose (coming soon): two families love the same little girl. Who decides what makes a family?
- The Sins of the Father (coming soon): on Father’s Day, Claude learns the man who raised him was not his biological father.
- A Seat at the Table (coming soon): a Father’s Day dinner on Key Biscayne, and a grand jury seeking the truth.
- Flesh and Blood (coming soon): when blood ties and legal papers disagree, which one decides who is family?
- The Whole Truth (coming soon): a mother Anthony was told had died is alive and sitting at his table.
- In This One Life (coming soon): the series finale, built around one sealed letter and an end to secrets.
Novel
- Fighting To Become Champions (available): boxing friends become bitter rivals, and their feud is settled in the ring.
Nonfiction and life lessons (coming soon)
- Abuse and Betrayal: names the wounds that leave no visible mark and describes a path toward healing.
- One Life: an honest conversation about the weight of one life and the strength to carry it.
- Everything Changes: a guide for people whose ground is shifting, inspired by the song “Changes”.
- Don’t Give Up: for anyone holding on by a thread, inspired by the song “Don’t Give Up”.
- Born To Make It: what it takes to rise from a hard beginning, inspired by the album.
- Two Steps Ahead: keep walking and think ahead, inspired by the song “Two Steps”.
Jonathan is also a poet, with a collection of 23 poems on faith, love, heartbreak and victory. Get the books at the Upstormed Shop and see every title at JonathanBurkett.com.
Why storytelling matters to Upstormed
Every Upstormed company is built to grow for the better, and stories are one of the most powerful ways to do that. A song can reach someone at two in the morning when nobody else can. A book can show a reader that someone else survived the thing they are going through. Those moments are the reason Upstormed Records and Upstormed Publishing exist.
The stories also connect the rest of the company. Themes from the songs become chapters in the books; lessons from the books become articles in Upstormed Family Magazine; and readers of Upstormed News discover the music and books along the way.
Work with us
For licensing, interviews, speaking, bookings or press about the music and books, contact Upstormed Inc. If you are a writer thinking about telling your own story, read our guide on how to turn your life story into a book.
