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Jake One: Classic Classicism :: The Seattle producer strung together an eclectic group of MCs for one of the year's best records

By Jason Kordich

11/25/08 :: URB web

When it comes to hip-hop, the underground will always clash with the mainstream. There will always be debates over which is more authentic, pure, or timely. Producers who work with one segment will rarely work with the other segment. However, there are a handful of producers who are able to create for the underground as well the mainstream. Take for instance Jake One. This Seattle producer has worked with everyone from 50 Cent to Planet Asia while maintaining a high level of dedication to his craft. As long as Jake One has been in the game, it was only fitting that he would come out with his own record. White Van Music is one of those rare producer presents albums that can sincerely be discussed as an instant classic. "The Truth" isn’t just the name of the first single off of the album; it is an affirmation of what this album is all about. Recently, URB.com caught up with one of the truest producers in the game, Jake One, in the middle of producing some new tracks, to discuss his latest project, his upcoming projects, and some of the more interesting artists he has worked with.

URB: What are some of the projects you are currently working on?
Jake One: Well [laughs] a couple of the projects I can’t speak on because they are super secretive, but first and foremost I am working on an instrumental record called Slaps Like Ike with my boy Vitamin D that we are trying to come out with next year. I don’t think anybody has ever done anything like we are trying to do. It has been fun putting together. I will do stuff like that (literally something for fun) and then I will be creating beats for people as more of a gig.

How long have you been working on that project?
We have been making beats for it for about three or four months but now it is getting to the point that conceptually we are trying to make it something more than just some beats. That is the most difficult thing. It will all be worth it. I am also working on an album with Freeway. We have been working on that. I think we will actually get together in the studio for it.

Is that a rarity to actually sit down with artists and build?
It is super rare. It is really doesn’t happen often at least in my experience. Some people don’t want to meet you; they got what they needed; they got the beat. Some artists want someone to share an opinion. I can be either one. I would like to get into the studio more because it hasn’t been something I haven’t done much of. For White Van Music, I think I was there for one particular verse. I was there when Ish did his verse for “Home”. I would like to hear it after they do what they do. When I give that feedback, I don’t feel like I have to give the pressure. It really depends if they need direction. Most of the rappers that I worked with on my album are good enough that they will take the beat and go with it in the right direction. That’s the professional shit. It’s kind of interesting that I wasn’t there at all. Kind of ridiculous [laughing]. 90 percent of the people on the album I had a personal relationship with. It wasn’t like they were doing it for some money because damn near nobody got paid. There were songs that didn’t end up the way that they started like “Get ‘Er Done” was just a long ass rap. Me personally, I won’t create my best music on the spot in the studio. I don’t really like making beats when people are around.

Explain the title behind your new album, White Van Music?
When I was a sophomore or junior in high school, one of my boys decided he was going to rap. He couldn’t rap so good, but you know he was one of my best friends. So we made a song called “In My White Van”. It was about riding around in a while van picking up girls or whatever. It was silly. When I got to do my first couple of records, I had to come up with a publishing name. I had been calling my beats, white van beats, so I called it White Van Music. I decided it would be funny to see that on a record, so I just wanted to bring it back full circle and call my album that.

How long have you been working on this project?
Over two years. The first song was finished in 2006. The M.O.P. record and the Freeway “How We Ride” record was done about that time.  I was working on this project while I was working with other artists for their projects, and the artists who did appear on this album were working on their on projects as well. Some of the best songs on this album, “The Truth” and “Home”, were completed a week before I had to turn the record in. Free did a verse on the track, and I couldn’t believe he didn’t use it on his album, so I thought I am going to bring that out. I got Ali to do it, and Ali murdered it. It came together right. To me I didn’t have a record that had that strong of a hook. That song represented the entire album because it was two artists that people wouldn’t normally expect together over one of my beats. Ali has a huge fan base, but there are people out there who don’t know who he is, so this exposes people to him that wouldn’t know who he is.

“The Truth” was the record where a lot of rappers were recording over it right?
Yeah. As soon as I made this record because it had a beat and a hook like that, I knew it would be popular. I think the first person that recorded over that song was [Young] Buck. I don’t know how many songs he recorded over my songs. Nas and Tre from Houston were some of the rappers that recorded over it. When rappers have a hook, it makes it a lot easier for them.

You have mentioned previously that it was difficult to attain the M.O.P. “Gangsta Boy” track. Why was it so difficult, and do you think this is what their G Unit album will sound like?
Once it was looking like they didn’t know when the album was coming out, they weren’t really tripping. That was one of the first things I did as soon as I signed my deal was to go get that record. I have heard a lot of their G Unit album and I don’t know if a lot of it sounded like that track but they had some records on their. I did a couple other records on their, but I don’t think they were as good as “Gangsta Boy”. It was a M.O.P. record. They weren’t trying to make a record for the G Unit brand. Those guys can’t help being themselves.

Was “Oh really” originally supposed to be a Nas song?
Yeah. He recorded on that track for the Untitled album. Rappers record a lot of songs. You can work with someone but it doesn’t mean that you will actually make the record.

When did you decide to put Slug on that verse?
That was a last minute thing too. I was just going to leave it as one verse
with Posdnuos. It was funny, I asked Slug, “who could you hear on this?” and he said, “I could hear me on it.” That’s how he got on it. When I told Pos about it he was excited. It was just another pairing that people wouldn’t expect. I wanted to do more of that on the album, but I wanted to leave it well enough alone. Slug has a line on there about the internet allowing people to make hits with people they have never met. That’s a real ass line. You apply that to this album.

Read on for Jake's thoughts on recording with MF Doom and Bishop Lamont...