A couple of years a ago, the biggest thing to happen to Seattle was their football team, the Seattle Seahawks going to the Super Bowl. Even though they were defeated by the Pittsburg Steelers, it brought some light to a city no one knows relatively anything about besides Starbucks Coffee, the days of Sir Mix-a-Lot’s hit song dedicated to the female anatomy, "Baby Got Back", and the suicidal death that took the life of the talented front man for Nirvana, Kurt Cobain. But the sun may soon shine down once again on the Emerald City with a little help from Hip-Hop producer, Jake ONE. This “Seattleite” (as they’re known to be called) first started constructing beats on his Casio keyboard, but now its safe to say that he’s moved onto to bigger and better equipment.

Also brandishing a record collection that is close to 10,000 records strong, he is truly a music connoisseur, and one of those producers that doesn’t place himself into one particular category.

Although he’s worked with a slew of underground artists like Gift Of Gab and Copywrite, he’s also worked with the legendary De La Soul,  50 Cent, Young Buck and E-40.

Quietly, he’s been one of the most productive producers (no pun intended) with an array of p rojects keeping him busy from 2003, all the way to 2007, and going into 2008 with no drop off. So with a work ethic such his own, it won’t be long before more well known MC’s meet his acquaintance. But until then he still plans to let the world know his hometown is a lot more than just coffee-crazed fiends, and grunge rock.

What’s going on?

Not much man, just chilling man.

That’s cool. So how was it like for growing up? Do you come from a musical background?

My grandfather was a musician, but I didn’t learn any instruments or anything like that, I was just around everything. There were a lot of people around me that were really into it, and I was really into it also. Like when I was a baby, I’d just sit there and look at records, and all that kind of stuff.

When did you first start making beats?

I probably made my first beat back in 1992. It was real primitive though. I had a Casio keyboard. So you would hear the loop, and then you had to keep hitting it manually on the keyboard every time it came around.

That must have been interesting. [Laughs]

Yeah, yeah! You’d be surprised on how creative you can get with something like that, you know. My friends were making elaborate productions with that thing. So it was one of those things where less is more.

I can dig that. So what was the first track you did that started to get you attention?

It was a song called "World Premier" by an artist named Eclipse, and that was the first record I ever recorded period. Whether it was a demo or anything. That song was playing everywhere. An R&B singer even used it, but they jacked the sh*t. It was an artist named Nicole, I’m not sure if you remember her, but she was one of Missy’s artists. But after that it was crazy, because I made something that really got out there.

You’re originally from Seattle right?

Yeah.

When I think of Seattle, I think of Grunge Rock. Is it hard to find hip hop outlets over there?

Its getting better and better. They’re a lot of people that have been into hip hop for a long time, but for whatever the reason it just wasn’t that big. But there is a community of people that have been doing it, and they’ve been doing it pretty good. So it’s been like an underdog kind of place, and people weren’t really checking for it. But a lot more people are embracing local Hip-Hop now; it’s like the cool thing to do. Before a lot of dudes wanted to be from the Bay or whatever, it’s just that kind of place you know.   

So is it more of an underground scene?

Definitely. Definitely. But it it’s coming around. Within the last couple of years, there were some major steps being taken, so luckily it will get better.

Do you have any process you go by when you’re trying to get your music heard?

I really don’t have that kind of sh*t in my mind for the most part, because I’m trying t do something that’s dope and fresh and new. But once I get something done, I kind of look back and see what I did. And I’ll say something like: “This might sound hot for Young Buck or whatever, so I’ll send it to him.” A lot of artists pick stuff that I never thought they would pick, so it works out. But rappers are more likely to trust your opinion on stuff.  

Staying on the subject of creating, are you a big fan of sampling? Or are you more of a “from scratch” type of guy?

I am for sampling. But in the past couple of years, I’ve gotten better at creating without sampling. When you create something off the head, and its dope, you get a different kind of feeling. But I’m definitely a sample guy I would say. 

That’s cool. Is there anything that bothers you about modern day Hip-Hop?

Probably that everything is so f**kin’ generic. Everybody is making the same f**kin’ records, and being original is not at the forefront of anybody’s mind. Everybody is doing things that have been done before. And its like being a “biter” is just accepted at this point, it seems like that’s just the way it is. If you make a beat and it’s hot people will be like: “Yo that’s hot” “It sounds like some [Dr.] Dre sh*t.” Then other people are going to be like: “Yo, why are you trying to sound like Dre?” People just need to get their own sounds, and they need to embrace that more. So if you want to be on top, then you have to come with a new sound.  

Speaking of sounds, talk about your record collection. I heard it’s pretty huge.

Man, right now I would guess that I have between 5-10,000 records. I haven’t really been buying a lot of records in bulk, but I have been buying more quality records.

How do you know what records are good or not? Are you familiar with those certain artists before you buy their records?

It depends. Some groups I know, and some groups I’m unfamiliar with. But you can just look around and you’ll have an idea on if its going to be good or not. But sometimes it can be a crapshoot. You just have to put in the work, and try and get stuff that’s going to capture your ear.

Speaking of capturing someone’s ear, when it comes to up and coming producers, where do you think they go wrong when they’re trying to get placement for their material?

There’s a program I’m doing with Red Bull, and it’s a producer competition. So I had a chance to listen to about 1,000 new producers and sh*t. I would say the biggest thing they’re doing wrong is just being the same. Like a heard a fake “Hustlin’” beat, and I heard that one like that at least a hundred times this year.

Its just amazing how guys will get in a studio, and just copy some sh*t. Another thing is that they don’t want to build a foundation; they just want to go straight to the top. Instead of working with some dude around their way who maybe the next hot artist, they’d rather skip all that sh*t, and work with ‘Lil Wayne. And when you do that, people consider you to be just “another guy.” But when you have people that you’ve worked with behind you, they’re going to be more inclined to f**k with you. And if you’re a new producer, you might sell one beat per year. And what’s that like? About 5 or 10g’s?

You’re better off just working a job, and perfecting your craft, and come back when you can really do your thing. There are a lot of misconceptions about how rich a producer can get. Of course they are few that are making a ton of money, but its like Michael Jordan. Not everybody can be Michael Jordan. There aren’t even a lot of guys that can be Bill Wennington, you know. He’s not the main guy, but he was contributing, and he was winning rings too. I’m happy to be a contributor, and I’m happy to be in the game. I didn’t even sell any beats my first 3-4 years making beats. A lot of them just see people like Pharrell and Timbaland on the cover of Scratch Magazine, and those are guys who are doing their thing.

Timbaland was making beats for DeVante and sh*t like that for like 7-8 years before he really became Timbaland. Now with the Internet, people have a little bit more access and they’re look for that first shot immediately.    

So do you think the Internet has helped more, or hurt more?

I think its great because you can get access to music so fast, but it can also make you a little bit more disposable. Like you don’t have the same value to people. Like sometimes people put so much into one artist, they’re going to hate everything else that isn’t that artist, which is f**kin’ ridiculous. It’s like if you like Common, then you can’t like 50 Cent because you’re supposed to be on “that side.” And it’s like f**k all that sh*t. Listen to what you like, and what moves you.