J. D. Tiktin

J. D. Tiktin was born in Hollywood, Florida, and moved to Miami months later. At seven years old, in 1980, he moved up to the Washington, DC area. By mid-decade, he’d be inspired enough from the comedy of Mel Brooks and the music of the Beastie Boys, Doug E. Fresh, and Run DMC to start writing sketches and song lyrics.

By the time he earned an art degree at the University of Maryland in 1995, Tiktin had long since traded his pencil for a paint brush. Eleven days after graduating, he high-tailed it to Atlanta and lived the starving-artist life. While cooped-up in a dead-end job, Tiktin once again picked up the pencil. The result was a poetry book entitled ‘My Name Ain’t Edgar but I Sure am Po’ and more songs.

Although the hip hop world’s focus was aimed at the southern, olympic-based city, few knew of Tiktin’s underground music group ‘Nuttin’ Butta Sandwich.’ This duo also featured one of Tiktin's high school best mates, and the two considered themselves a couple of ‘funky white-breads.’ Despite being offered a deal by a BMI award-winning producer from the Tony Rich Project, the group dismantled and never released their EP. Tiktin became a soloist and DJ, and would perform at house parties, massive raves, and at his nightclub ‘residencies.’ In 1997 he did an abbreviated tour in Europe.

Tiktin continued pumping out art and music when he moved back to South Florida in 2000. After losing himself, hitting rock-bottom, and asking the heavens to throw him a bone, he met his spiritual guide. His master’s lineage flowed all the way back to Moses. Not only was Tiktin given the tools needed to build his highest self, but he was also given the purpose of sharing those tools with the world.

Soon after, Tiktin painted an ancient bible code in a graffiti style called ‘The 72 Names of God.’ The Kabbalah Centre International purchased 500 prints, posters, and dozens of his original works and resold them around the globe.

In 2004 Tiktin married and then had a son by September of the next year. By this time, J. D.’s musical output broadened, and he was putting out electronic, rock, and punk tunes. Happily forced back into Disney’s world by his child, Tiktin became inspired by other Gen-X rockers who were performing for the lil’ ones. It was then that Tiktin rebranded ‘Nuttin’ Butta Sandwich’ into a musical theater show for families.

In the meantime, Tiktin had been operating brick and mortar businesses, such as retail co-op boutiques, art galleries, and studio spaces. He divorced in 2013. In 2016, he began producing large scale art festivals and events. It was then that he met his current wife, who is also an artist and vocalist. In fact, the two had multiple music/art tours from their city of Ft. Lauderdale to Canada and back in their RV.

Writing a book had been in the back of Tiktin’s mind for at least a decade. However, it always seemed like a goal that was too big to chew. To his shock, his debut novel ‘Nuttin’ Butta Sandwich and the Ten Condiments’ spilled out of his brain in less than a year. Prophetically, J. D. wrote about some haps on a planet called ‘Seperon’ several months before the Corona Virus forced us Earthlings to maintain separation. The standstill this pandemic forced upon us enabled Tiktin the time needed to get this wild work done and released. None of it is coincidental…