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Blake Jack of all Trades
Producing/Rapping/DJing/Entrepreneur is a constant grind. Keeping one's ear to the streets, connecting with artists to get exclusives, mixing, blending, and pushing units takes more than just passion, it requires undeniable dedication. But, what if one's grind is extended to more than one element in Hip Hop? Aligning love for Hip Hop music and culture with the hustle is nothing foreign to Queens-based Producer slash Engineer slash DJ slash MC- Blake. He is a jack of all trades in Hip Hop.
Blake started out as an MC in 1993 with a group called Livetime. Some of his influences remain one of the best in the game such as Big Daddy Kane, Slick Rick, Nas, Buckshot, and Big L. His interest in Hip Hop developed through writing rhymes, but he was in pursuit of a more creatively challenging art form.
A friend of mine had a mini sampler, tape deck, and microphone. He taught me how to make loops, add bass' and drums. Blake reminisces. Soon after dabbling on beat making, his love for music extended to producing. The first equipment he purchased was a used Triton and an MPC 60. He found inspiration from the filthy drums, jazzy, funky, and soulful sample loops of Hip Hop producers such as Havoc, Dr. Dre, Timbaland, Prince, Just Blaze, DJ Premier, and L.E.S. He eventually enrolled at The Institute of Audio Research. I always read books on music to learn and apply the technical terms, he says. I felt that school was something I needed to obtain that practical knowledge. Asked what the most important thing he has learned in audio engineering school and how it has helped him, Blake uses a metaphor, Just like a chef learns in culinary school the way spices create flavor and this is something I'm still learning, he says. It's the way sound works in a mix. People think it's just adjusting the volume to each separate track but I've learned to understand it's much more. compression, panning, and equalizing all play a major role and this has helped me become a well rounded producer/engineer/rapper and DJ. He has produced for a few mainstream and a bunch of underground MCs such as Gravy, Shells, and E-Ness. Although he was worked with a slew of international and local Hip Hop artists, Blake mentions a deep interest in working with ballad singer/songwriter Sarah McLachlan. I know she's not Hip Hop but she's so talented and very inspirational to me, Blake explains.
In 2004, Blake hit the mixtape market in order to promote his work and name and for the past couple of years he has released titles, which mostly consists of remixes and blends, such as The Lost Album, Four Brothers, Nas: The Passion of Hip Hop, S. Carter: The World is Mine, S. Carter. 2 & Kanye West: Alter Ego. Known for making Best Of' mixtapes, some of his mixtapes featured Paul Wall, Trey Songz, Chantelle, Red Cafe, Khrysti Hil, Joanna Sharil and many more. I would say if all my research is done and I have all the songs, a capellas, and instrumentals, then I can put a masterpiece together in a few days, he says. But if you count the research, then I would say a few weeks. Regular mixtapes with no blends or remixes I normally mix in an hour or two.
As an MC, All-City Basketball player, audio engineering school graduate, head producer of Stackhouse Recordings, manager, BLAKMARKET.NET CEO & Founder and mixtape DJ, Blake wears many hats, but consistently creates and delivers in Hip Hop. But I lean more towards producing because it is second nature to me, says Blake. It also feels good when you record a verse to a beat you just created. His holistic approach enables him to integrate the skills he has acquired from the different elements in Hip Hop. I am involved in so much, he says. People don't just think of turntables when they hear my name. They see me as that producer/rapper that does it all.
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