Joseph B. Harley, professionally known as Joe Harley aka Sofficial, is an American musician, producer, instructor, mentor and motivational speaker.

Joe has been a hidden gem in the music industry for over 20 years- Composing and producing records under the name “Joseph Thelonius Harley” for artists such as Avant (Take It Slow), and Robert Glasper (My Queen). His artistry also includes keyboard recordings for Jadakiss (One More Step), Wale, Ghostface Killah (Let’s Stop Playing, Drama), Talib Kweli (Come Here), and The Clipse (Freedom), to name a few.

Though music has always been his first love, his journey to the main stage did not start there. Harley was fighting for his country in the US Air Force  long before he could imagine touring the world and lending his musical genius to artists such as Ledisi, Avant, Ludacris, and Maxwell. He has completed multiple tours namely, "Operation Southern Watch," "Operation Enduring Freedom," and "Operation Iraqi Freedom.” After serving 8 years, he received an honorable discharge.

Joe says “My time in the military taught me that discipline is paramount. We had 3 main core values that we had to adhere to.  1. Service before self, 2. Integrity and 3. Excellence in all that we do.” It was these values, and encouragement from his friend/ mentor, Robert Glasper that led Harley to maximize his natural gifting and potential in the music industry by enrolling into college. Harley received his Bachelor of Fine Arts Degree in Jazz Performance, with a concentration in Piano from the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music.

Joseph has a distinct sound that stems from a combination of his love of hip hop, his roots in Gospel music, and the musically diverse scene of Brooklyn, New York. Many of his industry peers have described what they hear when he plays as “the sound of Heaven”. Though he prefers to stay in the background on the organ or keyboard as support, so the artist can shine, his light always peeks through. Even if you don’t see him, you can be sure that you will hear him. His gift is undeniable and easily recognizable. You can witness his creative genius on his self released 2018 hit single “Tidings”, a remix of the well known Christmas song “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman”.

This rising star is just getting started. Keep an eye open for new releases and more from Joe Harley and Harleysofficial Entertainment.