Interviews
Blog
Forum
Home
Jakk Frost
Get to know Jakk
Philly Rap: Who were some of your influences in your rap career?
Jakk Frost: Theres a long list, but I would have to say LL Cool J was the biggest inspiration.
PR: Why?
JF: The way he came about, and that fact that his voice was different, his style was different. I could relate to him, he was just like the next level of rap.
PR: I want to start at the beginning, back when you were called Big Tab.
JF: (laughs) Yup.
PR: What was the rap scene like then?
JF: It was a lot different and a lot better, because back then there wasnt that many rappers in Philly. If there was, they werent chasin the bill like I was. You had me, 100x, Task Force, Shadachious, Ram Squad, and there were others, but we were the main focus in the Philly underground scene. It was special then. Now, everybody raps, everybodys in a studio or with a company and everyone is on their computer recording or whatever. Everybody can be a rapper with technology. To be a rapper or producer back then you had to have 1200s or the hotbox with extra sampling time and all that (laughs). Now, the studio only costs five or six hundred bucks. Buy all your plugins and your programs and youre good.
PR: Yeah, and now there are handfuls of people coming out a Philly.
JF: Yeah, and its almost a bad thing in a way because we all dont get along. I dont beef with nobody, but these younger dudes dont have any respect for each other. If everyone would just work together, there wouldnt be so many rappers.
PR: Well, I want to take you back a little bit further, because the first time I ever saw you was on the Drexel TV Avenue Show with Liza.
JF: Damn, that was a long time ago.
PR: Yeah, that was a while ago. Were you ever a writer for the Da Youngstas at one point in your career?
JF: Um, I did a few lines and stuff like that, but I cant take credit for being a full writer.
PR: Quran from Da Youngstas had a situation that you were a part of. What ever came from that?
JF: Its a long story.
PR: Are you still in contact with him?
JF: Who Quran? Nah. After the Sony deal was done, my production deal was done with him. I spoke to him a little while ago just to see how he was doing and his family is. His Dad is Lawrence Goodman (LG) and hes the backbone of Philly Hip-Hop. He got Will Smith his first record deal.
PR: Oh, wow.
JF: Yeah, his company was Hilltop Hustler Records. Mentally Gifted (MG) was a part of that, and also his sons, Da Youngstas, and he also managed me when I was younger. That was me and Qurans introduction to each other.
PR: You have a lot of information people who live in Philly and follow music dont know. Thats why we chose you to be our pioneer of the month for August.
JF: Thank you. There were really three backbones to Philly Hip-Hop. It was LG, Charlie Mack and Bobby Dance, as far as promoters went. LG, though, is one of the founding members of the Juice Crew. The Juice Crew was Biz Markie, Mally Marl, Kool G-Rap, Big Daddy Kane.
PR: Im impressed.
JF: Yea, LG is one of the original gangstas in the business too, but he doesnt like when I say that (laughs).
PR: I want to switch subjects and talk about Freeway, because I know you guys are pretty close. How did your relationship come about?
JF: Honestly, I met Freeway when he was real young. I walked up to him one day after he had been performing and I told him Man, youre one of the hottest rappas, you just need some hot beats. I want to introduce you to my man who makes beats, Miles Louis. He was the producer I was working with.
PR: So can we expect anything from you guys now?
JF: Well, lets go back. Lets go back in time to after I met Freeway. My producer Miles called me and said Yo, I got this bul thats spitin on my beat. You should work with him.I said I wanted to hear him he let me. I said, Yo, you sound like the bul that was performing last week. He said that was him and I said, Well, youre over at the guys house that I told you to hook up with (laughs).
PR: (laughs).
JF: It was funny because they lived around the corner from each other. Me and Free just developed a stronger relationship than with the other people that I worked with. I actually just found a CD that me and Freeway did in 98 over Miles beats so, Im about to put that out.Its called Young Frost and Young Frost and Young Free and it will be on Itunes.
PR: Well, the rappers in Philly went from being small (when you were fist out), to huge now. Who do you really believe is making some significant noise in the city?
JF: Gillie, Meek Mill, Mike Knoxx, Jakk Frost and Oschino. Oschino, thats my man, we are really homies.
PR: Do you think a lot of them look up to you because of your experience?
JF: I mean, I dont want to put words in their mouth, but I got Oschino on video sayin it. And Peedi Crakk, I got both of them on tape talking about the back in the day stuff. They were saying that they looked up to me when they were younger. They say that I paved the way, but Im not going to get too cocky.
PR: That must be a good feeling.
JF: Yeah, it was like one of those unexpected things. It was cool because I had the cameras going and they just started talking about that. Peedi Crakk was telling me a funny story about how he used to see me in The Gallery and he would be scared to talk to me because I was looking all mean and stuff like that (laughs).
PR: Thats funny considering now, you all do the same thing.
JF: (laughs) Yeah, were all on the same level now.
PR: It must feel good knowing that they grew up looking at you as an influence.
JF: Yeah, the main thing thats good is that I am always honest with them. When they ask me what I think about their stuff, I tell them the truth. I guess I inspired them in a way.
PR: Well, I want to finish this up here and ask you about the politics in Philly. What do you think about money playing a big part in getting on the radio or hip-hop shows?
JF: I get accused of coming down hard on a lot of people, so Ill put it like this: money rules this business. You dont have to be a genius to figure out how wack muthafuckers come out of nowhere. You know their label is doing some serious business and spending some serious money on them. If it were based on talent, the game would be different.
PR: (laughs)
JF: Yeah, like lets take it back to 02/03. Nas was decent, the East Coast was still sick wit it and the South was still like What the hell? (laughs) You know what Im saying. I mean, there aint nothing wrong with the Ying-Yang twins, but back them, man, if they would have came out with a song(sigh) and Im not dissin them. But, all the party songs and the hot songs like Party Like a Rock Star and all that, man, if they came out in the Biggie Era or the Rocafella era, that shit would be knocked the fuck out (laughs). Theres no way. But, this just goes to show you that this generation isnt about quality its about quantity.
PR: Money talks.
JF: Yep, thats it. You could be the worst rapper in the world, but if the label starts promoting it and producing it well, you have no choice but to start liking it, because its everywhere.
PR: I agree, some of these songs they play on the radio are wack.
JF: I dont even listen to the radio; I listen to the CDs that I make off my computer. I listen to it every once and a while to check out my competition.
PR: I respect that you are able to reinvent yourself with the changing times. How are you able to keep up with the rapidly changing music?
JF: Just by being an MC. A lot of these niggas aint MCs. See, like Gillie is an MC. He took a break for a while, but he was able to come right back in it because hes a hustla and hes a good MC. And Big (Biggie), now he was a real MC. I think I have that same quality that Bigs got. I can keep up with the young and the old. Then, generations after generations like me and respect me. They can all relate to the new school and the old school, because we have two aspects of hip-hop going on right now.
PR: So, lets wrap this up by telling our followers about whats up next for you?
JF: I got Grown Up Music up on Itunes and everywhere else. Thats got Gillie, Young Hot, Oschino, Freeway, and a few others. You can download that. I just dropped Throwback Jakk.
PR: How did you come up with the idea for Throwback Jakk?
JF: Because, Throwback Jack is something that Ive always wanted to do. I dont really think people can rap over throwback beats like me. I rap over the beats like I respect them. Some muthafuckas just rap over themI dont rap over them unless I feel it.
PR: Thanks for talking to us today, and good luck!
