Jake The Flake—Out
to get Rich/Flint thug
Interview By Black Dog Bone
From Murder Dog Vol. 7 #5
How is your new album Mr. Jakafella doing?
It’s doin good. In the last 5 months I moved like 15,000 units myself. It’s on my own label, and I handle my own distribution too. I’m workin with two distributors and a person outta Detroit has helped me a lot, his name is Tom Gularti.
Who produced this new album?
A producer named G. Pierce. He did some of the Skambino Mob shit and he did some of Shoestring’s album too.
The first I heard of Jake The Flake was from the compilation called Jake The Flake And The Flint Thugs.
That was me. It was a compilation at first, but then I got a distribution deal with a company outta Atlanta, so I added four more songs, just me by myself, and I made it my album. It was Jake The Flake And The Flint Thugs, the album. That album went to number 98 in the Billbord the first week it was out.
It did pretty good?
Yeah. It was still independent, but it got nationwide distribution. It first came out in November of 96.
Was Mr. Jakafella your first solo album?
No, all my albums have been solo. I came out in ’93 with one called Jake The Flake Out To Get Rich. That was independent also. That one really took off in Flint. I was makin a strong buzz on the underground scene, due to my relationship with Dayton Family.
You’re connected with Dayton Family?
We all grew up together. We all still hang and stay close to each other now. Every album they put out I was featured on. I was featured on both of their solo’s and on the What’s On My Mind and I was on the FBI album.
How many albums have you put out?
I put out three albums and a single called “I Don’t Need Shit”. That was in ’95. What happened with my record label, the reason I didn’t come right out, was because in ’93 I moved out to California and started workin with a producer named Battlecat. He did the first album, the Ghetto Jam. But before he did that I hooked up with him and the guys that were investin in me, they paid for the album that I had done. We held off for 2 1/2 years waitin to put that out. At that time if the double album had come out it woulda gone platinum. I had an album with a platinum producers, never was released and it still hasn’t been released yet.
You did a full length album with Battlecat and it was never released?
Yeah, a full length album. It’s with the company that I was workin with at the time. They did a production deal with him. They bought the beats and I put the raps to them. I never worked out a deal with them, I wasn’t signed with them, they were just investin in me. They’re just holdin the album right now. Hopefully we’ll come to some terms soon. I wanna put a catalog together of all my stuff and shop a major deal.
What were the titles of all your albums?
The first one was a six song EP, Out To Get Rich. That came out in ’93. Then I came back out with a single in 1995, which I put out myself, called “I Don’t Need Shit”. I had some ties in California, so I thought I’d take the single out to a major and so some better things. But what I did was sign with a company that was owned by Hank Caldwell and Adam Levy, who owns Warlock. They were doin a joint venture. They put the single back out with no kinda promotion at all. The deal fell through, they breached the contract, and they just kept the single, never did nothing with it. Then in ’96 I came right back with Jake The Flake And The Flint Thugs Compilation. That was November, ‘96 I took it to Atlanta and in May of ’97 I negotiated a deal with a company and they re-released the album with 4 more songs on it.
There are some different sounds coming from Flint. You have MC Breed, then you have Dayton Family, Skambino Mob, they all sound different.
I think I have a whole different sound. This is just stuff that I feel from my heart, this is how I’m living. I don’t think nobody could sound like me. You could use similar type beats, but my style and my titles and subjects are a whole different sound. It’s underground street Funk.
What rappers really inspired you to do what you’re doing?
The Geto Boys, Scarface. Once of the most prevalent MC’s I think was the D.O.C. from Dallas, who was signed to Ruthless Records. And I used to listen to a lotta Kool G Rap. I really liked Ice Cube when he first came out with NWA. Then in the last 3 years I been getting up on E-40. I play him so much, I probably memorized all his CD’s.
How have you been surviving all these years? Are you making money off the music?
I just have to keep hustlin. Keep getting deals and doin different shit, featurin. So I got a name that’s big up here in my area, like E-40 did when he wasn’t really major yet in the Bay Area. People gotta know about you where you’re from before you can really take off. Around here in the Midwest I get a lotta proceeds just from doin features on people’s albums. Like Skambino Mob, I featured on their title track.
What’s your next step?
I’m tryin to get a deal now. I have signed a few other acts to my label. What I wanna do is get a solo deal for me and keep workin with my groups, and get them some kinda production deal. Right now I’m just tryin to do whatever it takes to get a real label to notice the real talent that I got, and give a shot at it. I’m well known all over the country by other rappers and I got a real strong fan base. All I need is someone who could believe in me and put some major promotions behind me.
Interview By Black Dog Bone
From Murder Dog Vol. 7 #5
How is your new album Mr. Jakafella doing?
It’s doin good. In the last 5 months I moved like 15,000 units myself. It’s on my own label, and I handle my own distribution too. I’m workin with two distributors and a person outta Detroit has helped me a lot, his name is Tom Gularti.
Who produced this new album?
A producer named G. Pierce. He did some of the Skambino Mob shit and he did some of Shoestring’s album too.
The first I heard of Jake The Flake was from the compilation called Jake The Flake And The Flint Thugs.
That was me. It was a compilation at first, but then I got a distribution deal with a company outta Atlanta, so I added four more songs, just me by myself, and I made it my album. It was Jake The Flake And The Flint Thugs, the album. That album went to number 98 in the Billbord the first week it was out.
It did pretty good?
Yeah. It was still independent, but it got nationwide distribution. It first came out in November of 96.
Was Mr. Jakafella your first solo album?
No, all my albums have been solo. I came out in ’93 with one called Jake The Flake Out To Get Rich. That was independent also. That one really took off in Flint. I was makin a strong buzz on the underground scene, due to my relationship with Dayton Family.
You’re connected with Dayton Family?
We all grew up together. We all still hang and stay close to each other now. Every album they put out I was featured on. I was featured on both of their solo’s and on the What’s On My Mind and I was on the FBI album.
How many albums have you put out?
I put out three albums and a single called “I Don’t Need Shit”. That was in ’95. What happened with my record label, the reason I didn’t come right out, was because in ’93 I moved out to California and started workin with a producer named Battlecat. He did the first album, the Ghetto Jam. But before he did that I hooked up with him and the guys that were investin in me, they paid for the album that I had done. We held off for 2 1/2 years waitin to put that out. At that time if the double album had come out it woulda gone platinum. I had an album with a platinum producers, never was released and it still hasn’t been released yet.
You did a full length album with Battlecat and it was never released?
Yeah, a full length album. It’s with the company that I was workin with at the time. They did a production deal with him. They bought the beats and I put the raps to them. I never worked out a deal with them, I wasn’t signed with them, they were just investin in me. They’re just holdin the album right now. Hopefully we’ll come to some terms soon. I wanna put a catalog together of all my stuff and shop a major deal.
What were the titles of all your albums?
The first one was a six song EP, Out To Get Rich. That came out in ’93. Then I came back out with a single in 1995, which I put out myself, called “I Don’t Need Shit”. I had some ties in California, so I thought I’d take the single out to a major and so some better things. But what I did was sign with a company that was owned by Hank Caldwell and Adam Levy, who owns Warlock. They were doin a joint venture. They put the single back out with no kinda promotion at all. The deal fell through, they breached the contract, and they just kept the single, never did nothing with it. Then in ’96 I came right back with Jake The Flake And The Flint Thugs Compilation. That was November, ‘96 I took it to Atlanta and in May of ’97 I negotiated a deal with a company and they re-released the album with 4 more songs on it.
There are some different sounds coming from Flint. You have MC Breed, then you have Dayton Family, Skambino Mob, they all sound different.
I think I have a whole different sound. This is just stuff that I feel from my heart, this is how I’m living. I don’t think nobody could sound like me. You could use similar type beats, but my style and my titles and subjects are a whole different sound. It’s underground street Funk.
What rappers really inspired you to do what you’re doing?
The Geto Boys, Scarface. Once of the most prevalent MC’s I think was the D.O.C. from Dallas, who was signed to Ruthless Records. And I used to listen to a lotta Kool G Rap. I really liked Ice Cube when he first came out with NWA. Then in the last 3 years I been getting up on E-40. I play him so much, I probably memorized all his CD’s.
How have you been surviving all these years? Are you making money off the music?
I just have to keep hustlin. Keep getting deals and doin different shit, featurin. So I got a name that’s big up here in my area, like E-40 did when he wasn’t really major yet in the Bay Area. People gotta know about you where you’re from before you can really take off. Around here in the Midwest I get a lotta proceeds just from doin features on people’s albums. Like Skambino Mob, I featured on their title track.
What’s your next step?
I’m tryin to get a deal now. I have signed a few other acts to my label. What I wanna do is get a solo deal for me and keep workin with my groups, and get them some kinda production deal. Right now I’m just tryin to do whatever it takes to get a real label to notice the real talent that I got, and give a shot at it. I’m well known all over the country by other rappers and I got a real strong fan base. All I need is someone who could believe in me and put some major promotions behind me.
