J.A.R. (Unit of Academic Rap or also Jaromír and Radomír) is a Czech funk-rock-rap group.
J.A.R. was founded symbolically on 17 November 1989. The basic line-up at that time consisted of the author of music Roman Holý and the duo of “academic” rappers Oto Klempíř and Michael Viktořík. After the first two rockier albums (Frtka in 1992 and Mydli to! in 1994), the band showed its strength and potential especially on the revolutionary third album “Mein Kampfunk” from 1997, where Dan Bárta sings fully. The album, with a cutting brass section and a narrative booklet by Lela Geislerová, features the first big hits such as “Maksimig” or “Hnědojed”.
J.A.R. does not function as a band in the true sense of the word, but rather as an occasional meeting of leading Czech jazzmen and music producers. The members of J.A.R. are in their own bands and devote themselves to their own projects. The band performs several concerts every year and always on 17th November in the traditional concert in the large hall of Lucerna, where they celebrate their birthday. In 2014 the band celebrated its 25th birthday.
In 2011, J.A.R. released their seventh album “Dlouhohrající děcka”, six years later, in March 2017, the eighth album “Eskalace dobra” and two years later an album of cover versions by leading Czech artists (e.g. Barbora Poláková, Mňága a Žďorp, or Mydy) called “Eskalace bobra”.
The last, long-awaited album “Jesus Christ neexistus?” was released in 2023. Its title refers to the band’s 33 years of existence, which it completed the previous year.
