Interviews Jobe

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Born in Queens, NY, raised in Houston, Tx. A 1st generation American from Trinidadian parents, Jobe was influenced by the two golden eras of hip hop (late 80s and early-mid 90s). He can be contacted for collabs (rhymes or beats) at sobermindedmusic1@gmail.com.

IllMuzik member Jobe has been a favorite of mine on Carolina Cuts for some time now. Rife with serious lyricism and hypnotic neo retro 90's flavor beats, everything I have heard from him sounds like a classic that I just discovered. I could probably go on and on about this artist but Jobe took time out to tell us about him directly.

Jobe! What up sir? Can you introduce yourself?

My stage name is Jobe, and it's also my last name. In some cases, you may see me as Jobe of SoberMindedMusiC, just to get the brand on people's consciousness.

Where are you located?

I recently, (within the last 2 weeks) moved to Philadelphia, PA. I moved there from Houston, TX. That's where I went to school, discovered my love for hip hop, and grew up. It's also my business base.

Where are you from originally?

I was born in Jamaica Queens, NY. I am a first generation American. My mother and father are Trinidadian.

So, how did it all begin for you?

I've been rapping since elementary school. My first rap was about Donkey Kong. My early middle school raps were basically remixes of rap songs. Instead of "My Adidas", I had a rap called "My Fake Filas", which was a battle rap, talking about my opponents' footwear. So I really started as a battle rapper. Lost my first 2 battles. The first, I just froze up and didn't even get the rhyme out. The second, the legendary K-Rino came to my school and opened fire. He rapped against me and 3 other cats. At the same time. It wasn't pretty.

What was the first rap song you ever heard and where were you?

The first was prolly Sugar Hill Gang "Rappers Delight", but the first that had a real impact on me was L.L. Cool J.'s album, Radio. I was at my boys' house and he had just bought it. My boy was a real popular cat in the area, (I had just moved there). The whole environment just had me hooked.

What was your first song that you dropped?

If by dropped you mean recorded, was a posse cut with a crew I was affiliated with at the time called D'Mafioso. I think my rap name was Al Capone. I was trippin.

What were you before a full fledged MC?

Just a dude trying to find his place in the world. Did the college thing. Did the crime thing. Just wasn't me. My twenties were spent incarcerated.

Who inspired you and pushed you to become an artist?

On the school bus one day, a guy said, "you know, if you didn't have all those bumps on your face, you would look like Big Daddy Kane". Changed my life. Got some Clearasil. Tightened up my hi-top fade. Started wearing suits and Ballys to school. I did a talent show and the whole routine was basically Kane's stage show and dance moves, with my rhymes. I sat on a throne at the top of this big set of stairs. I got up, and two young ladies escorted me down. I even had two dancers. I was trippin, don't judge. So I would say Kane inspired me to be an artist, along with L.L., Rakim and The Geto Boys.

How many songs do you have completed?

Not as many as I should. Within the last 5 years I've come to the realization that I don't want to put certain things in my music,so I threw away a lot of my old stuff. I am a follower of The Christ, a husband, and a father, a sports fan, a Texas Hold Em poker lover, hip hop head, etc. I try to represent as many facets of my personality in my music. Since I threw out a lot of old material, you can say I am starting over as an artist. 30-40 songs completed.

How would you describe your style?

Versatile.

Who or what would you say are your main influences?

People who are extremely driven, like MJ and Kobe. Cats that already have accomplished a lot, but still strive to get better.

What is your favorite group or artist?

It changes as far as groups. This year, it's Gangrene and Cocaine 80s. Last year, Random Axe. The year before, Strong Arm Steady. As far as artists, the usual suspects. Jig, Nas, Em, Scarface.

Who would you like to work with?

As far as spittin, nobody in particular. I'm open to work with most artists. As far as producing, gotta get Nas on a track.

What was your greatest accomplishment?

Completion of my first full length CD due out in late August/early September.

What do you think about the current state of hip hop?

Almost everything sounds the same.

Tell us about SoberMindedMusic.

It's my production company. I've been producing seriously for about 3 years.

How did y'all meet?

I am currently the only member, though I work with many producers, local and overseas. I always envisioned me having a team of producers to go to, so set up the groundwork for that to happen.

Where do you get your inspiration for the lyrics you write?

Not just one place. May hear a Slaughterhouse cypher and think, "I gotta write somethin!". The song "A Fool and His Money" (which can be heard on Carolina Cuts episode 22), was based on a story I read, and I just changed around some things. I would say it's 40% life experience, 45% me wanting to be the best I can be, and 15% observation.

You have very intelligent lyrics, is that your preferred type of hip hop to listen to, say over money/guns/drugs rhymes?

Well, a quick glance at the list of the cats I like today will reveal that I listen to my fair share of money/guns/drugs rhymes. I've grown as a person as well as an artist, so while I am drawn to lyricism, I want to hear the best song that can be made. Jeezy and Ross don't need to be super technical to get their point across. If I'm in a dance club, I don't want to hear "Lyrics of Fury" by Rakim. If I had to choose though, my preference would be sample based boom bap.

What do you like to do when you're not recording?

I've fallen in love with producing, and I really like mixing. Other than music, I love sports. Basketball, football, boxing. Love playing poker also. Other than that, I work out, chill with the family, read, or watch movies. Boring huh?

If you had one wish, for anything in the world, what would you ask for?

That my musical ventures (rapping, producing, engineering) could provide a substantial enough of an income, so that my family and friends could all live comfortably and fulfill their dreams.

Will you be touring in the future?

No plans for touring in the immediate future, but local shows are coming. Stay tuned.

Any shout outs to anyone?

To my boy B.M.P from Denmark. He and I are working on an EP titled "10,000 Hours of Practice" as well as a full length CD. Shout out to my boy Higher Learning, The Riddler Tapes, Graph and Elements. And special thanks to Relic, the Carolina Cuts Crew and ILLMUZIK.com for giving me the opportunity to shine. Bless, bless.

Any links, media players, any song we can highlight right now for you?

No doubt. My new joint called "Baby I'm a Star" produced by Higher Learning. Collab EP coming soon - Jobe of SoberMindedMusiC & B.M.P. Productions are... The Outliers. 10,000 Hours of Practice coming summer 2012.