Tha Boricua Flow

Seattle producer Jake One has produced for a diverse group of artists, ranging from 50 Cent and Young Buck, to E-40 and De La Soul. With his producer-album White Van Music coming soon, Jake One is definitely a Player to Watch in 2007.

A native of Seattle, Jake One picked up production as a hobby during high school, inspired by similarly motivated friends.

"I started producing just being a fan," Jake One told SOHH. "I made my first beat around '93-just kinda following guys from around here I knew, like Vitamin D - who is one of my partners to this day and a big inspiration on me. I was doing it as a hobby for fun, didn't really have career aspirations for it."

Hobby or not, within two years Jake One had produced his first record via local Seattle indie label Conception Records.

"That was my first chance to produce people, it was around the time Rawkus was poppin' off, so it was good timing. It was a learning process, but I did a couple of records that got some love around the world, which was pretty shocking to me at the time," Jake One recalled.

Not entirely convinced he could make a career out of music, Jake One enrolled at the University of Washington where he'd receive a degree in Sociology, while continuing to grind out a number of indie projects with Seattle and Bay area artists.

By 2003 his audience grew drastically, after landing his first major label placement, a song called "Betta Ask Somebody" on G-Unit's Beg For Mercy album.

"A lot happened then, not necessarily because of that. I got better at making beats -- I was around people putting me in a better position to succeed," Jake One said. "That year I also did this song for WWF wrestler John Cena called 'The Time is Now,' for his entrance music. I still hear it on TV all the time, that was pretty crazy. I did stuff with De La Soul, the stuff most people know me for, one song with Common called 'Days of Our Lives' and I did another song called 'Rock Co.Kane Flow' featuring MF Doom that took off. 50 had a freestyle over it. Busta had a freestyle over it. It was the rapper beat for a minute. That was probably the first time I really had a lot of light."

Despite his success, Jake One continued to treat the music business as a side hustle.

"I never looked at it like rap was supposed to pay me money and I was going to live this life of riches," he explained. "I just never saw that in my future, I didn't think it was realistic. I had a job until 2006. I worked 5 years at the King County Courthouse as a file clerk. I'd be at work and E-40 would call me and I'd have to dip off to the side like 'Wassup Water?' Maybe I'm a pessimist, but I didn't want to take that risk and rely on that to pay my bills. It's very inconsistent, you just never know. It takes forever to get paid and by working all the time I had fun doing beats, there wasn't pressure on me to succeed in this crazy way."

By the end of 2005, with production money flowing in and a nest egg put away, Jake One finally resigned from his 9-to-5.

"I'd turned in my two weeks notice and [former G-Unit president] Sha Money called me. He was like 'I am really feeling your music, you're one of my favorite producers and I want to manage you.' That was another sign like 'maybe this is what I'm really supposed to be doing.' He told me that I made it to the Get Rich or Die Tryin' soundtrack, so that was a good way to get out of there with that record. Ever since I hooked up with him it's just been on to bigger and better things."

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Naturalbornalkaholik

1ste props

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rymez

Jake1 produced that Hot Rod track ft Mary J and a lotta pips gave cred to Dr dre

DAT PROBLEM

good read man

Snapper

propzzz good read.

Champaign Jackson

Jake One Is Really Dope Dawg.
Didn't Know He's Gonna Put An Album Out.
Good To Know.

Major Propz On The Newz.

1.

bezy321

PLZ GO TO THIS THANK ME LATER 50 CENT AND ROBIN THICKE FOLLOW MY LEAD........

bigtonebx123

propz, sounds good

Da.NoRTHeRN.HuSTL

hahaha 50 gettin love in LA.. it popped off when he busted into In Da Club hahahaha fuck tha haters.. good look.. 1

26shotz

Awesome read man props

MC B STREETZ

hes a gud producer

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"I'M A LOUDMOUTH NIGGA BUT MY RUGER SILENT" -TONY YAYO A.K.A TALK OF NEW YORK
"ALL YAYO ENEMYS ARE ALL OF MY ENEMYS" - MC B STREETZ A.K.A YAYO'S NINJA

Behind Tha Beatz

man if he is wit G-unit then Fuck him. BLACKWALLSTREET BITCH

notorious_smokey

yo you a gayme fan right? and if it wasnt for 50 cent and g-unit you would have never heard of this lame ass

BonafideN804

Man get The Game's dick outta ya mouth Jake One is a great producer and he is only a year or two away from blowin up

FoShizzlE

u a str8t hata....u mention Black wall on every comment u make, but u dont hear ur favourit rapper[Game] shout out his crews name[BWS]...aint dat some shit

yeahh...ur BLACKWALLSTREET BITCH...take their dick out ur mouth fag

Seatown

propz hes where im from hes got some good shit

Gttm303

pROPS ON THIS

g-unitbrooklynsoulja

props i was hoping that someone would get a better video of this thanks

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got a baby buy me a baby but i'm broke so can't get a baby ha ha.

Zhiwai

Props on this

igotmadstalkers

ya jake u be doin seattle proud

GMNRecordsCT3

ya..............

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myspace.com/bummydavis - soundclick.com/gmnproductions

"The name on my car insurance is YOUR FUKIN FAULT!!"