Jake One, the Seattle native, is a producer with limitless talent, and has been in the game for nearly a decade and a half. He came-up under the tutelage of the well-known DJ, Mr. Supreme, who showed him the inner workings of the industry and put him down with his Conception Record Label. He put out a few acclaimed records on 12" in the mid-90s for some underground artists, but they didn't quite pop off sales-wise. I still have those original records from Jake One & while it took me a while to put it together that it was the same producer, its clear I've always been a fan of his sound. Jake One continued to make beats in the underground, while attending college, so its no surprise that it took him a while to really find his lane and devote himself entirely to his craft. I can say this, because I'm a honest cat, it wasn't the huge tracks he landed with the various G-Unit members that made me take notice, like most people, it was Rock Co Kane Flow that made me say, "GODDAMN!" *Laughs* He blessed De La Soul in '04 with quite possibly the hottest beat I've heard in years! Lets go ahead and check that track out right now, just in case you live on Pluto lol...De La Soul Ft. MF Doom - Rock Co. Kane Flow (Prod. By Jake One)
That track above featured MF Doom, who seems to have a great working relationship with Jake One, because if you've heard Doom's new album, you know Jake One's tracks were some of the best on the album! Now, regardless of your opinion on 50 Cent, its undeniable that Jake One's connection with G-Unit & Sha Money XL was a major look and really put him on the map as one of the top producers in the industry. Even with his major track placements, Jake One's sound has remained hard and consistent. He recently released his own producer album called, "White Van Music," which features some of the biggest names in hip-hop. It was released on Rhymesayers, which happens to be one of the biggest independent labels, as well. Jake One delivered on this album, as you would expect, with hard tracks and dope features & thus the album has had rave reviews. Following the album, Rhymesayers had a contest, which ultimately offered artists the opportunity to rhyme over Jake's production from the album. Here is one of the dopest submissions that I heard, which unfortunately did not win the conest, but surely had the potential...Soul Khan - Crush It To Diamonds (Prod. By Jake One)
I had the pleasure of interviewing Jake One this past week & despite the numerous questions I had for him, he answered them all patiently & thoroughly, which is credit to the good man that he is, as well as a dope producer lol. Big shouts to him for that! If you haven't already copped "White Van Music," definitely cop that in stores or on Itunes NOW and check out this dope interview, which speaks on upcoming projects, how he came up, some features, his album and tons more! This last piece of media is a video off Jake One's album, "White Van Music," and features Brother Ali & Freeway - its called "The Truth." Peace!
1. What's good, Jake? How's life treating you these days? Were you down in Texas for SXSW, I heard it was crazy down there!? *laughs*
Everything is good. I'm out in Oakland working on some new music with my homie G Koop. SXSW was pretty overwhelming. A million things goin on at once and damn near all of em had a open bar. Got to meet and hang out with a lotta friends which was dope. Did a show with Freeway that went really good too.
2. Let's talk about your come-up: in the mid-90s you were down with Conception Records, which put out a grip of slept on underground joints. You personally did tracks for a few 12s, so tell us how all that came to be & how you would characterize your sound at that time.
I got down with Conception thru my big bro Supreme. He basically took me under his wing and showed me how to dig for records and exposed me to the music industry. Music was really a hobby for me at the time. I had only been doing beats for a couple of years at that point and those were some of the first songs I had ever done and they actually came out. The records got some critical acclaim but didn't sell much. I just wasn't that good back then. Music was really a hobby for me at the time. I was going to UW and was trying to juggle making beats and somehow keeping up with my classes.
3. At that time, what equipment were you using, compared to what you use today?
I think some of the earlier stuff I had done on the Emax but most of it was on the EPS 16+ which I pretty much use to this day in its big brother the ASR 10. When I got the ASR 10 the machine just clicked with me for whatever reason.
4. Have you gotten into the software based programs or added live instrumentation?
I use plug ins and logic on occasion but I'm really not comfortable with it yet. I might start a beat on logic while I'm on the road but usually I'll redo it on the ASR 10. I was hesitant to use musicians for a long time but I met a producer named Malay in 05 that kind of changed my mind on that. Now I have a lot of different folks I work with depending on what sound I'm trying to achieve. G Koop played on a lotta stuff on my album and he knows what I'm looking for at this point, so we do a lotta work. He played on a bunch of my stuff that has come out last couple years.
5. In '04, you blessed De La Soul (and the world) with Rock Co Kane Flow, plus the joint featuring Common, as well. Speak a little about Rock Co Kane flow, because I think that beat is bananas! How did you land it with De La Soul, because at first glance, it doesn't quite sound like their style & lets not forget, De La Soul is one of the biggest groups in music, how did it all happen?
My boy Vitamin had been working with them in 03 and I asked his manager J Moore to introduce me. I met Pos backstage at a show gave him some beats and he called me a couple days later. There were a bunch of beats he was interested in and Rock Ko Kane Flow was one of em. When I made that beat I kind of saw it as a intro to a Busta album or something, didn't really hear De La on it. Eventually they did the song and Pos had told me it was pretty good lol. I actually didn't hear it until it leaked on the net. Was blown away and its pretty much become the signature song of my career.
6. You spoke on how you got that beat placed and it makes me wonder, what specific advice would you give to up-and-coming producers trying to get their beats placed with artists?
I think first and foremost you really have to be ready with your music before you start throwing it everywhere. Mediocrity is the worst thing to be. People need to feel some type of way about your beats. More than anything its about getting as close to the artists you wanna work with. That means finding a in with his manager, dj, weedman etc. You also have to have something the artist feels like they actually need. If you're beats are generic and don't stand out, every artist has his own in house producers to do that for cheap.
7. Do you think that the internet has made it easier to get at artists or harder b/c its overflooded?
The net has totally changed the game for producers. There are a million people selling beats for 5 bucks or what have you so at this point just having beats doesn't mean shit. If you don't have a name you have to do a lot of things for free to establish yourself. When I sold my first beats to a major label in 02 the basement price was 10K a track. Now guys are gettin 2K and sometimes less.
8.Taking that a step further, you landed a track on G-Unit's "Beg For Mercy" album, as well as on 50 Cent's "Curtis" album, which was a huge placement, and even on Young Buck's album. Were these placements before you officially hooked up with Sha Money XL & G-Unit records? What responsibilities (if any) do you have to them as far as production and what can you tell us about how the connection was made?
I did the song on Beg For Mercy before I met Sha and everything else after I started working with him. I met Sha thru my homie Denaun Porter backstage at a show and gave him a cd. A week later he called me and wanted to manage me. Its pretty crazy that I was able to land 9 songs on different albums by G Unit artists over the last few years. Those are only the ones I've done that came out too. There a probably 50+ songs I've done that never made it out. Even though I did so much music for G Unit I've never been signed to them as a producer. I guess that's why I never really let G Unit be my identity. There were always other things I wanted to do outside of that.
9. Its strange because you've landed some fairly major/mainstream production credits, but you still have more of an underground sound. How would you explain that and have there ever been conflicts between what you make and what artist(s) do you with your beats?
I think a lotta times I make the songs on artists albums that are their personal favorites. I don't try to make music for radio or anything like that. A lot of mainstream rappers I work with aren't looking for radio records from me so we don't have any problems. When I started shopping beats to major artists I looked at Nottz and Alchemist as role models on how to do it. They maintained a underground approach but achieved a big sound that would work on these mainstream albums. Most of the time I present the same beats to all the artists I work with, so its really up to what they do on top of it that will determine how people catgeorize it.
10. Your producer album, White Van Music, was put out on Rhymesayers, which is widely respected as one of the biggest independent labels. How do you feel that Rhymesayers handled the album's promo & release, and what has been the feedback?
I was extremely happy with all the buzz and fanfare they generated with the album. We were goin in handicapped because I don't really have a show I can tour with for the album so RSE had to be extremely creative. The response to the album exceeded my expectations and that's always dope.
11. You had some dope features on White Van Music - what was it like working with so many amazing artists? Were you in the lab with a lot of them or did a lot get done through e-mail? Do you have a favorite track on the album?
Most of the people on the album I had previous relationships with goin into so it was kinda more of the same for me. The big difference in doin a album was having the final word on everything. I was actually only present for the vocals on "Home". Lol. I'm not much of a studio person. I like working at home on my own time in my own space. My favorite tracks on the album were probably "Home" or "The Truth."
12. Lets switch it up - what would you say is 1 beat that inspires you to continuously work hard at your craft and makes you think, "Damn, I could have/should have made that!!"?? *laughs*
This one changes all the time but I would say right now I've been stuck on Outkast "Mainstream."
13. What can the readers expect in the near future from Jake One?
Freeway/Jake One album coming summer-fall time. Been putting my all into that. Have some other songs coming on other peoples projects but not sure when they are dropping.
14. I heard the tracks you laced for Doom's album & they were all bangers!!!!
Thx bro. Yeah we are hoping to do some sort of project in the near future. Hopefully that will come to life this year!
15. With downloading & bootlegging so high, do you have a message you'd like to share with those who download illegally? Any other last words you'd like to share with the readers?
It definitely means a lot when people actually purchase your album these days. Its the way we survive I don't have a problem with people downloading stuff but it is only right that if you enjoy the music you buy it.
Thx again bro, Freeway and Jake One album coming this summer!!!
Everything is good. I'm out in Oakland working on some new music with my homie G Koop. SXSW was pretty overwhelming. A million things goin on at once and damn near all of em had a open bar. Got to meet and hang out with a lotta friends which was dope. Did a show with Freeway that went really good too.
2. Let's talk about your come-up: in the mid-90s you were down with Conception Records, which put out a grip of slept on underground joints. You personally did tracks for a few 12s, so tell us how all that came to be & how you would characterize your sound at that time.
I got down with Conception thru my big bro Supreme. He basically took me under his wing and showed me how to dig for records and exposed me to the music industry. Music was really a hobby for me at the time. I had only been doing beats for a couple of years at that point and those were some of the first songs I had ever done and they actually came out. The records got some critical acclaim but didn't sell much. I just wasn't that good back then. Music was really a hobby for me at the time. I was going to UW and was trying to juggle making beats and somehow keeping up with my classes.
3. At that time, what equipment were you using, compared to what you use today?
I think some of the earlier stuff I had done on the Emax but most of it was on the EPS 16+ which I pretty much use to this day in its big brother the ASR 10. When I got the ASR 10 the machine just clicked with me for whatever reason.
4. Have you gotten into the software based programs or added live instrumentation?
I use plug ins and logic on occasion but I'm really not comfortable with it yet. I might start a beat on logic while I'm on the road but usually I'll redo it on the ASR 10. I was hesitant to use musicians for a long time but I met a producer named Malay in 05 that kind of changed my mind on that. Now I have a lot of different folks I work with depending on what sound I'm trying to achieve. G Koop played on a lotta stuff on my album and he knows what I'm looking for at this point, so we do a lotta work. He played on a bunch of my stuff that has come out last couple years.
5. In '04, you blessed De La Soul (and the world) with Rock Co Kane Flow, plus the joint featuring Common, as well. Speak a little about Rock Co Kane flow, because I think that beat is bananas! How did you land it with De La Soul, because at first glance, it doesn't quite sound like their style & lets not forget, De La Soul is one of the biggest groups in music, how did it all happen?
My boy Vitamin had been working with them in 03 and I asked his manager J Moore to introduce me. I met Pos backstage at a show gave him some beats and he called me a couple days later. There were a bunch of beats he was interested in and Rock Ko Kane Flow was one of em. When I made that beat I kind of saw it as a intro to a Busta album or something, didn't really hear De La on it. Eventually they did the song and Pos had told me it was pretty good lol. I actually didn't hear it until it leaked on the net. Was blown away and its pretty much become the signature song of my career.
6. You spoke on how you got that beat placed and it makes me wonder, what specific advice would you give to up-and-coming producers trying to get their beats placed with artists?
I think first and foremost you really have to be ready with your music before you start throwing it everywhere. Mediocrity is the worst thing to be. People need to feel some type of way about your beats. More than anything its about getting as close to the artists you wanna work with. That means finding a in with his manager, dj, weedman etc. You also have to have something the artist feels like they actually need. If you're beats are generic and don't stand out, every artist has his own in house producers to do that for cheap.7. Do you think that the internet has made it easier to get at artists or harder b/c its overflooded?
The net has totally changed the game for producers. There are a million people selling beats for 5 bucks or what have you so at this point just having beats doesn't mean shit. If you don't have a name you have to do a lot of things for free to establish yourself. When I sold my first beats to a major label in 02 the basement price was 10K a track. Now guys are gettin 2K and sometimes less.
8.Taking that a step further, you landed a track on G-Unit's "Beg For Mercy" album, as well as on 50 Cent's "Curtis" album, which was a huge placement, and even on Young Buck's album. Were these placements before you officially hooked up with Sha Money XL & G-Unit records? What responsibilities (if any) do you have to them as far as production and what can you tell us about how the connection was made?
I did the song on Beg For Mercy before I met Sha and everything else after I started working with him. I met Sha thru my homie Denaun Porter backstage at a show and gave him a cd. A week later he called me and wanted to manage me. Its pretty crazy that I was able to land 9 songs on different albums by G Unit artists over the last few years. Those are only the ones I've done that came out too. There a probably 50+ songs I've done that never made it out. Even though I did so much music for G Unit I've never been signed to them as a producer. I guess that's why I never really let G Unit be my identity. There were always other things I wanted to do outside of that.
9. Its strange because you've landed some fairly major/mainstream production credits, but you still have more of an underground sound. How would you explain that and have there ever been conflicts between what you make and what artist(s) do you with your beats?
I think a lotta times I make the songs on artists albums that are their personal favorites. I don't try to make music for radio or anything like that. A lot of mainstream rappers I work with aren't looking for radio records from me so we don't have any problems. When I started shopping beats to major artists I looked at Nottz and Alchemist as role models on how to do it. They maintained a underground approach but achieved a big sound that would work on these mainstream albums. Most of the time I present the same beats to all the artists I work with, so its really up to what they do on top of it that will determine how people catgeorize it.
10. Your producer album, White Van Music, was put out on Rhymesayers, which is widely respected as one of the biggest independent labels. How do you feel that Rhymesayers handled the album's promo & release, and what has been the feedback?
I was extremely happy with all the buzz and fanfare they generated with the album. We were goin in handicapped because I don't really have a show I can tour with for the album so RSE had to be extremely creative. The response to the album exceeded my expectations and that's always dope.11. You had some dope features on White Van Music - what was it like working with so many amazing artists? Were you in the lab with a lot of them or did a lot get done through e-mail? Do you have a favorite track on the album?
Most of the people on the album I had previous relationships with goin into so it was kinda more of the same for me. The big difference in doin a album was having the final word on everything. I was actually only present for the vocals on "Home". Lol. I'm not much of a studio person. I like working at home on my own time in my own space. My favorite tracks on the album were probably "Home" or "The Truth."
12. Lets switch it up - what would you say is 1 beat that inspires you to continuously work hard at your craft and makes you think, "Damn, I could have/should have made that!!"?? *laughs*
This one changes all the time but I would say right now I've been stuck on Outkast "Mainstream."
13. What can the readers expect in the near future from Jake One?
Freeway/Jake One album coming summer-fall time. Been putting my all into that. Have some other songs coming on other peoples projects but not sure when they are dropping.
14. I heard the tracks you laced for Doom's album & they were all bangers!!!!
Thx bro. Yeah we are hoping to do some sort of project in the near future. Hopefully that will come to life this year!
15. With downloading & bootlegging so high, do you have a message you'd like to share with those who download illegally? Any other last words you'd like to share with the readers?
It definitely means a lot when people actually purchase your album these days. Its the way we survive I don't have a problem with people downloading stuff but it is only right that if you enjoy the music you buy it.
Thx again bro, Freeway and Jake One album coming this summer!!!
9 comments:
Another awesome interview.
thanks 4 the heads up on twitter, dope artist, dope write. pz
loved his mop track on the album i like his beets and he gets good feetures. gracias
rock co kane > all.
doom's album is stacked and jakes shit is dopest. freeway's voice gets to me but he's gotta murder that album
You're coming up, COngrats. Great interview
props to all.
everything was on point.
props
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