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[RTD Interview]: The Jake

Funkmaster Flex told cats to not drop any material around the time Watch The Throne drops, but the release date for The Jake's Dream Season EP on RTD Records has been solid for like six weeks. Anyways, we've been in promo mode for Dream Season over the last four weeks, and I figured it made sense to let you guys know a little behind one of the underground's finest producers. He's thick into the Soul of the music, and it shows. Putting in work over the last four years, New Hampshire's The Jake is one of my current favorites in terms of tracks. He has those vibin' tracks, and knows how to pick talented MCs to take those beats to the next level. The EP is fresh, now get to know the brains behind it...

khal: Heads first started hearing you from 2007’s The Leak, Vol. 1. When did you start making music?

The Jake: I would say I started in 2005, my junior year in college. That’s when I first started messing around with Garage Band. learning about how it worked and what I could actually do with it. I wanted to say I started back in the 4th grade when my Dad forced me to learn how to play the recorder, but that’s not Hip-Hop. Thinking back on The Leak, it’s funny: that joint had a grand total of 89 downloads. Man, if that joint came out now?! I mean, Rapsody from Jamla was on that joint, Median, Sene, Jermiside, Random aka MegaRan!!! That joint could’ve exploded the Internet today. I ain’t bitter tho…

khal: Crazy how those things happen, right? What made you want to start making tracks?

The Jake: I’ve always been a huge fan of music, but I can say there were 3 albums that came out that really made me want to start doing this: Kanye’s College Dropout, 9th & Murs' 3:16 the 9th Edition and Ghostface’s Pretty Toney Album. The soul in those albums really inspired me to do this.

khal: Did you have any other names that you used before settling on “The Jake”?

The Jake: Nope! It’s always been The Jake. It’s funny because I kind of just used “The Jake” as a filler name on my MySpace page. I ended up getting in touch with Rapsody and she hit me back calling me “The Jake”, so I was like, well, I guess that’s what I’m sticking with. It’s been The Jake ever since.

khal: Who are some of the producers you look up to these days?

The Jake: Number one right now, hands down, is Oddisee. Everything he does, man, that’s someone who’s doing what I want to do. Everything he brings to the table, in my opinion, is incredible. King Midas and DJ Cozmos, the duo known as King Coz, I think the music they’ve done with D.Rose and HISD has been great.


khal: Now we’re dropping Dream Season tomorrow. Talk to the people about any goals or themes you had when sitting down to compile this EP.

The Jake: I just wanted to put out something that I knew I would want to listen to anytime. These songs were a collection of songs that I felt I would want to put on anytime and listen to all the way through. My goal for this was to offer music that, although it may not be mind blowing or new or edgy, is something that you can put on 10 years from now and still say to yourself “these songs are still dope”. It’s feel-good music.

khal: Do you have any particular favorites off Dream Season?

The Jake: I really like "The Flyness". I know a lot of people don’t care for a ton of artists on one track, but I love tracks like that. Hearing the different styles and what the artists chose to write. There’s actually going to be an extended version of that joint on an upcoming project I’m working on with fellow producer, BroadnMarket. We’re joining forces as The Accomplices and we’ll be hitting the web with an EP in a month or so hopefully. I also really like the intro track too, “Dreams”. It’s not so much the beat either. Twice just always has some REALLY dope and inspirational lines to me.

khal: The homey J. Gunn is featured on over half of Dream Season. How did you two link up? Will you guys ever make one of my tweets come true, and do an entire J. Gunn/The Jake album?

The Jake: J.Gunn and I linked up because someone forgot to BCC and I snatched his email address off of their email (totally inappropriate). I remembered him from the group the Thyrday, and I was like, I can’t pass this up, I know it’s rude but I gotta try to get him some beats. So the first beat I ever sent him was the "Pinot Noir" joint, and if I remember correctly, I didn’t hear from him for several days and then all of a sudden he hits me back saying he wants to use that beat. I was amped, and since then we’ve knocked out a handful of really dope tracks. Hands down, J.Gunn is one of the best SONG makers I’ve ever had the chance to work with.

About a whole album, I believe we’re both interested in putting one out. I think we’d have to sit down and really put some time and thought into it though, and currently, with him just being signed and recording his new album for his new label, and the touring and stuff, right now might not be the best time to get something done. But yeah, I think there’s mutual interest and hopefully everything comes together and we knock something incredible out.

khal: What’s up next for you, project-wise? I feel like Dream Season is going to move you into an LP release…

The Jake: Man, project-wise…I have an EP coming out with Brew out of Houston, and actually I believe there’s going to be a music video for our track “The Call”, which was on The Leak Vol. 1 from back in 2007. D.Rose and I have an EP in the works, which I believe is going to be part of a string of EPs and tracks to help promote his next album. The beats for that joint are all picked out and hopefully we’re just waiting tracks to get recorded. I have another 3 track EP coming out with Edge out of Canada; he’s been writing for that. And then like I said earlier, I’m working on an EP with fellow producer BroadnMarket. We’re working under the name The Accomplices and our EP is entitled Got Away. All the tracks for that are recorded and we’re just putting some final touches on it. Hopefully we’ll be hitting the internet with that in a few weeks.

As far as a full album, I absolutely plan on putting one out. Right now though, I’m just trying to work on getting my name out there and putting out good music. I have a wishlist of artists I’d like to have on my album and I’d like to be at a point where I can comfortably ask them for a feature. So we’ll see…it’s just a matter of continuing to work on my “buzz” and stacking tracks that I think are album-material.

khal: What do you get into when not making tracks?

The Jake: Man, you can find me in the kitchen trying to cook something amazing. I love trying out new recipes and all that. Tom Chase of St. Joe Louis told me I need to stop posting pictures of my “lady meals”, but I ain’t never stopped so add me on twitter (@thejakemusic) and Instagram if you got it! I just started getting back into playing basketball, too, so you might catch me out side on a basketball court all out of shape and out of breath. Take care of your health everyone! I love to travel too; I actually just got back from a 2-week visit to Germany and the Netherlands. Holla at me, Europe!

khal: Before we wrap this up, do you have any shouts or final thoughts?

The Jake: I want to say thanks to all the artists that took time out to work with me, especially those that have worked with me when I was just starting out. A special thanks goes out to Deal - The Villain and J.Gunn for always pushing me to do better. A very special thanks to khal from Rock The Dub for giving my record a chance and the opportunity to put it out that for the masses, I’ll always be grateful for this opportunity. All I can ask is that the music fans just give the music a listen and I hope you cop the joints you like.

The Jakes' Dream Season EP will be available via all good digital download stores on Tuesday, August 9th, on RTD Records. Check out all of the #DreamSeason previews we've been lacing you!

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