Jamar Hargrove:
The Mastermind Behind NeedGFX
What’s good? Meet Jamar Hargrove, the mastermind behind NEEDGFX.COM. Born and raised in Newark, NJ, Jamar has had a fire for art burning in his soul since day one. Back in the day, he was hustling in contests, stacking up experiences that lit the spark for his artistic journey.
As a teen, he stumbled upon digital art, and that changed the game for him. High school was where he really started flexing his design skills, creating wild artwork for his friends and dropping funny illustrations of teachers that still make him chuckle today. He taught himself Photoshop and became known for cranking out designs like it was nothing.
He hit up a vocational school in Elizabeth, NJ, where he got two periods just for graphic design—perfecting his craft. Local DJs and artists were always coming to him for CD covers, giving him that real-world experience in the industry. After high school, he took a detour into music production, working with artists from all over the globe. But during a rough patch living with his ex and her family, he found his way back to graphic design. In the MySpace days, he saw folks cashing in on profile designs. On his first day back, he made $100 just for editing pictures. That small win pushed him to dive back into graphic design full-time.
In 2007, Jamar realized he could stack more paper doing graphic design than slaving away at some dead-end mall gig. Prior to that, he always worked in popular clothing stores while promoting his musical endeavors, including production, which allowed him to connect with a lot of great people. So, he made the leap and dedicated himself to his craft. He connected with industry pros and built his business from the ground up. Sure, he faced highs and lows—more than a few bumps in the road—but graphic design brought him more success than any job he ever had, even that security gig that didn’t vibe with him.
Fast forward, and he’s worked with heavy hitters in music, models, and producers—you name it. His rep grew through word of mouth, and he’s been self-employed in this game for over 15 years now. He loves what he does and makes sure every brand gets top-notch designs.
These days, he’s serving up video editing, graphic design, audio engineering, and T-shirt design and printing. In 2020, after a fire wiped out his apartment and setup, things looked bleak. But that moment turned into a game-changer; during the COVID pandemic, he hit six figures in graphic design. Companies like Cash App even came knocking for collaborations.
Now, Jamar has rebuilt stronger than ever with NEEDGFX.com. He’s working with multiple regular clients and has served over 1,000 folks. New clients keep hitting him up every day. He’s all about opening doors for others and is grateful for the opportunities that came his way. Together, he believes we can elevate businesses through exceptional design services and keep pushing forward. Let’s get it!