Snake {sneyk} - Noun
Any of numerous limbless, scaly, elongate reptiles of the suborder Serpentes, comprising venomous and nonvenmous species inhabiting tropical and temperate areas.
The definition of a snake comes across as evil, sneaky, an insidious enemy even, but that is far fetched when in discussion of Boston rapper, Jake the Snake - JtheS. The Boston rapper has been so far one of the most interesting yet intriguing #unknownceleb features I’ve interviewed thus far, the green-eyed rapper has quite the fascinating outlook on life, music and the world we live. Spending some of his childhood between New England and the West Indies {Montserrat and Nevis} he’s encountered quite the lifestyle from growing up in an erratic household to being introduced to all facets & genre’s of music - US/Caribbean; all of which have been credited as the formula to the many compositions of JtheS.
On January 18th, the official album release of {The Last Days} was delayed one day in efforts to give notice and attention to the Stop.Online.Piracy.Act {SOPA} which was to ensue the fight against online trafficking of copyrighted property and countefeit goods. Those who opposed, which were many of us, saw it as a torment to our free speech. Taking a moral stance against what has helped many musicians far and wide allowing the world to hear their projects, JtheS took part of the cyber protest and delayed the release. Nevertheless, the response to his featured album has been short of greatness, Boston has shown much love as well as outside the New England area - single {Razor} feat. Styles P is #1 on the nationwide college radio charts. About two weeks ago, The Middle East in Cambridge held the album release party for JtheS’ featured project {The Last Days}, an outstanding turnout from the fans with performances by other #BostonTalent i.e. Dutch Rebelle, DJ RealP and Brook of the Famous Nobodies; The Greater Good, Natural, American Antagonist and hosted by none other JAMN 94.5’s own DJ HustleSimmons.
Here’s a look at the 1 on 1 sit down I had with JtheS - get charmed by the Snake….
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} Tell me about your stage name, ‘Jake the Snake’? Those of us who are and/or were WWE/WWF fan immediatly think of the wrestler Jake “The Snake” Roberts, is there any signifigance?
JtheS: My first name is Jake, and it stems from a childhood name people would call me Jake “the snake”. It was from around the age of 19 that I used the name Jake the snake then when I moved to NYC I then started using the name JtheS. I actually like snakes, I think we are one in the same - snakes and I are misunderstood.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} What’s the biggest misconception, if any, about Boston rappers/MC’s and the music scene?
JtheS: Its the way Boston is represented in movies, you hear about the things that happen in Charlestown, Southie and Blue Hill - they don’t know anything but they see on tv but what’s not represented when it comes to hiphop music in Boston. There’s alot of indie underground shit here in Boston, that’ve paved the way for artists like myself who in the indie scene - Boston is number 9 as one of the biggest markets in music so why can’t we be one of the major states like NYC, ATL, MIA, and/or LA?? There’s just alot of bickering and hating in Boston - its that crab in a barrel mentatlity. There is such a bigger sound here in Boston.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} Do you think Boston has a ‘sound’? What is YOUR sound to Boston? What do you think is Boston’s soundtrack??
JtheS: Boston doesn’t have a sound that much cause its so close to New York - Rhode Island doesn’t have sound or Connecticut. DC has a sound cause of the Go-Go, Miami has it bass sound and Atlanta has that Crunk sound as well as Houston/Memphis and that part of the South has a different type of sound. We are so close to NYC we kind of sound the same, there are differences in a way that people approach a record and there’s a different in the culture. I don’t think its a distinct sound but its a different type of way musicians approach a record and what they talk about, the lifestyle and what they do can put more of an identity.
I don’t think I’m trying to create a Boston sound or trying to take a NYC sound, I’m just trying to create my own sound. I don’t try to create one for Boston - All east coast has a NY sound and that’s where the hiphop sound came from, all hiphop has a NY based sound - I mean that’s where it came from. It had to start from somewhere.
I can’t think of something like that..maybe more reggae infused hiphop or from rap. There’s so many different artist in Boston - cause Smoke Bulga sounds completly different from Slaine - Termanology is different from Sam Adams. I would just be making my sound unique regardless of where I’m from. I’m making what I like to make but I wouldn’t call it the ‘Sound of Boston’ cause there are somethings that music fans of Boston like and some they can’t vibe with, it depends on who’s listening. I make a wide variety of music.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} You’ve worked with many big names celebrities in the rap game {Joell Ortiz, B.O.B., Nipsey Hussel, Styles P and Devin the Dude just to name a few} Tell me about your first celebrity collab and what you felt/how it felt to be recognized by those that you’ve dreamed to work with, those you’ve listened to with hopes to one day work with and now it finally coming to fruition??
JtheS: Devin the Dude was the first celebrity collab I did, and it was perfect cause I had an idea for a song and I played him a record he totally related to what I was looking for. He’s very cool person. You really want the people you listen to one day finally meet them to actually be they you perceive them on their record and it was great cause he was just as cool as I thought he would be, it worked out!
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} Musicians all have hopes and dreams to one day collaborate with their favority celeb - seems like you’ve done it already. What about on a local level? Is there an #unknownceleb in Boston or outside that you would love to do a record with that you haven’t worked with already??
JtheS: Mighty Mystic. I would love to do a record with him, I’ve almost done and worked with lots of Boston artists already and to be honest with you I don’t really have time to. Its not like that I’m better but I don’t keep up with everyone else cause I’m so focused on my own shit. I’m not making music to just throw it away. I also would love to do a record with Akrobatik - If someone wants to do a record with me, just say so.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} What do you think about these rap beefs? {Common v. Drake & Nicki Minaj v. Lil Kim}
JtheS: Right now there’s been a big moment of the clash of the age groups - you have the new cats with no respect for the elders and the elders are hating on the young cats cause they’re jealous. And you have people wanting to keep things the way they use to be and they’ve got control and don’t want to change but there’s a whole new age group of fans. The wave of new age fans don’t even like what the old heads or can appreciate and they want the {young cats} new stuff cause it speaks to them more. It would be nice if the older cats were more embracing of the younger heads and then the younger fans would get into the older artists and their history about the music. Its just an age beef.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} As far as hiphop/rap goes, we’re in the time of auto-tume, dance hiphop records the flow is different - its now the Jepordy style of rhyming. What decade of hiphop do you think we’re in?
JtheS: HipHop is just growing, things just go thru change. I mean rock-n-roll doesn’t sound the same as it did in the 60’s, there wasn’t dancehall in the 70’s. Its going through its transgression of change in music right now, I don’t even think about it too much - I used to ponder about way too much and its just the way it is. There’s alot of hiphop now that has similarities of 90’s hiphop, if you really like that sound you can get into. I don’t like to listen to 90’s hiphop unless its from the 90’s.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} Top 90’s hiphop you listen to?
JtheS: What 90’s hiphop don’t I listen to..Nas, Wu-tang, Gangstar, Ice Cube, Snoop, Dre, Common.
T.U.C.{TheUnknownCeleb} How’s the response to {The Last Days} album? Bad Critics?
JtheS: The love has been more than before which is cool, it always grows with each project. Alot of people who wanted to front before can’t now, alot of non-hometown love has been great as well. Its good to hear them receive it they way you wanted it, there’s alot of street campaigning, shows and follow ups which is great.
There are some people who don’t like a certain song or someone who likes traditional hiphop may not like what’s on my album, like ‘Put My Cape On’ or ‘Simple Man’ but they respect the album.
Let the lyrical venom permeate thru your speakers and take hold of you to embrace THE LAST DAYS.
“The Snake will always bite back.” {Jake “The Snake” Roberts}
Album Release Party! At The Middle East for @JtheS {The Last Days} February 9th #BostonTalent
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# BostonTalent @JtheS feat. Styles P {Razor} NEW SINGLE!! ::The Last Days:: January 18th 2012
http://www.djbooth.net/index/tracks/review/j-the-s-razor/
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Dre Robinson - {Starvin’ 3.5 This Is Me}
There was only one place to be last night where Boston’s most talented artists, producers, writers and photographers were there to show support & a lending ear to #BostonTalent, Dre Robinson {@DreRob}. Laced, one of Boston’s exlcusive sneaker store set the stage for an invite-only listening party for PollyMore Music Group rapper, Dre Robinson and the sampling debut of his newest project, Starvin’ 3.5 This Is Me. Its clear he went above and beyond with a production team from NellyProToolz to 17yr old, Sean Daly, who produced the track ‘My Pain, Your Pleasure’, a hard yet club-worthy, mix-show banger! Its too bad this project wasn’t released during the Summer, ‘cause this is definitely meant to be blasted out your ride with the windows down!! No worries, you’ll be able to get the full effect tonight with the OFFICIAL album release of Dre Robinson’s Starvin’ 3.5 This Is Me at Church {@ChurchBoston}!
Starvin’ No More,
::The People’s Perception::