Meet The Artist: Jacob Es

One of the things I really want to get going that we haven't done in a while is our Meet The Artist segment. In today's music market with blogs and all of the free music being released, the consumer is closer to the artist in ways they have never been before and the artists are much more accessible than in the past. I think interviews are a great way to give you, the music fan, some insight into the artists mind and how different things play out for them. I recently did my first interview for the site with Jacob Es, the rapper out of Burlington, VT and UVM who recently just released his latest project The Road. Without further adieu, here it is:

StagsFlow : Jacob Es, first off I just want to say thanks for taking the time to do this interview for us, lets start out pretty general, why don’t you just introduce yourself to the readers, Who you are, where you’re from and a little about yourself?

Jacob Es: I am Jacob Es, and I am an artist from outside of Boston attending school at University of Vermont. I started getting into music after my third elbow operation following Tommy John Surgery failed and I had to give up my dream of playing baseball at the collegiate level.

SF: Who would you say are your biggest influences musically or otherwise?

JE: Musically I draw influences from a wide variety of genres. Growing up being an athlete I always loved listening to hip hop before I hit the field because it got me pumped up, and I used to spit some of my favorite verses from memory while playing centerfield during summer baseball. Artists like Kanye West, Macklemore, and Kendrick Lamar who consistently stretch the boundaries of hip hop and music in general are probably the artists that most heavily influence me. Otherwise, my family has always had a big influence on me in particular my grandfather. He was able to accomplish a lot coming from nothing and his dedication, humor, and loving nature are attributes that I try to emulate in my own life.

SF: You’ve been a staple on the site for quite some time now and I’ve always been impressed by your mixtapes. Right now your in the midst of a series of three mini-mixtapes, how did that concept come about, and why did you choose to go that route rather than dropping singles followed by one mixtape?

JE: This is an interesting question because I originally set out to do this mini-mixtape project at the end of 2011, and since my perspective has changed dramatically. Taking some time to step back and evaluate my music has allowed me to realize that my aspirations with music stretch too far beyond remixes to continue doing them at this juncture. The next project that you hear from me will feature original production as I work to create a more unique sound for myself. I don't feel the need to do what everyone else is doing, and while I fully intend to complete the project The Road, right now my motivation to make original music is too great to deny.

SF: Your work with fellow Burlington artist Whole-Z has always been dope, how did that relationship come about, and what can we expect from you two in the future?

JE: I met Whole-Z in Burlington and we instantly were good homies, he has produced a bunch of tracks for me and we will definitely be working together in the future.

SF: If you could collaborate with one artist in the game now who would that be and why?

JE: What I would really love to do is collaborate with Miike Snow, one of my favorite bands. They have an incredibly unique sound and I love all their music.

SF: What seperates you from other up-and-coming artists in the blog scene?

JE: I think the thing that really separates me from other up and coming artists is that I don't feel like a rapper. I meet a lot of different types of people being a full time student as well as a recording artist, and the more I have shared with people that I do music, the less I feel like I fit into the stereotypical "rapper" mold. Hip hop has a cloud of ignorance and moral flexibility ingrained in its culture that I simply do not subscribe to. Your never going to hear the Jacob Es song about fucking bitches and blowing money because that's not my life, nor do I want it to be. What you get from me is music with artistic integrity, a message, and hopefully some good vibes haha.

SF: What would you say was the biggest moment in your career thus far?

JE: The biggest moment for me thus far is probably sitting in my car earlier this year and hearing my tracks Pumped Up Kicks and Under My Brim play live on the radio. Thinking back to writing those tracks in my shitty apartment in Burlington my first year at UVM really takes me back and helps me appreciate how much of a turn this has taken for me.

SF: On the other side what’s been your biggest obstacle as a young artist on the rise?

JE: The biggest obstacle has been getting my music to the masses, which is why I always will have love for StagsFlow because you guys are consistent so much love for that. There are a million artists out there these days who want to get their music heard, so I guess being original and heard in an overflooded market is the hardest part.

SF: What goes into writing a track for you? Whats the first thing you do when you sit down to write a new song?

JE: When I sit down to work on a track I listen to the instrumental a bunch of times first and usually will write a hook and work from their unless I catch a flow I'm feeling when I put it on. I'm not the type of artist you will see writing their verse on their phone on the way to the studio, because that's just not how I get down. My philosophy is that if someone is going to hear my music one time, I want it to be something I meant for them to hear. That's why I never read my lyrics either, when you hear my music its all coming off the dome because that's when it feels the most organic.

SF: What’s next for Jacob Es? What can we expect in the near future as far as the next projects are concerned?

JE: As far as the next project is concerned, I am going to get in and be more hands on with the production of my beats and work on making a sound for myself and challenge myself creatively. I want to make music that when I look back in twenty years and have my kids ask me "Who Is Jacob Es?" I can put on and be proud of still. I believe that there's no point in doing something unless your going to do it right, and that's what I intend to do.

SF: Finally I just want to thank you again for taking the time to do this interview, anything else you want to add?

JE: I just want to sincerely thank anyone that's checked out my music and encourage them to share it with your friends. Every single fan means a lot to me, and its been really incredible to see my music spread so much in under a year and that's all on the people who have been jammin to it so MUCH LOVE and tell a friend, to tell a friend.

Jacob Es Facebook Fan Page

@Jacob_Es on Twitter