Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Pappas.
Hi Jacob, please kick things off for us with an introduction to yourself and your story.
My love for music began as a kid after failing piano lessons. One Christmas, maybe around 2008, I got a drum kit, and learning how to play it fully changed my attitude towards music. The idea of a groove was so much more appealing to me as a child struggling to read sheet music. From there, I was able to learn most things by ear and gained interest in writing my own songs a couple of years later. The school I went to growing up didn’t have much of a traditional music program; however, they did offer a music technology class. I signed up as soon as I had the opportunity. From around the 5th grade onward, I became addicted to making music on a computer; I would borrow my mom’s laptop just to mess around on Garageband and see what I could come up with.
As the years went by, I learned more and more about writing music, how to use different DAWs, and became an obsessive hip-hop enthusiast. I downloaded so many mixtapes on “Datpiff” growing up (if you know, you know) and was fascinated by how each of my favorite artists were developing over time and how different the music was before they blew up. I was a big fan of J. Cole and Kendrick Lamar’s mixtapes, although I was definitely too young to be listening to them. Naturally, that brought me down the rabbit hole of downloading the clean versions of many classic Eminem, Jay-Z, and Kanye albums. I really studied the genre and began to love the sound of 90s hip-hop, specifically the music coming out of New York. I loved the jazzy sample flips and lyricism of Nas and A Tribe Called Quest, which also helped me discover artists like The Roots, Erykah Badu, J.Dilla, and D’Angelo. I really enjoyed the grooves coming out of that scene, and growing up in the UK at the time, this was all brand new to me. I actually decided to go with “J.Pappas” as a stage name due to J.Cole and Dilla.
A lot of, if not all, of my spare time throughout high school was spent in my bedroom making beats and writing over them, which encouraged me to go study music at university. I ended up getting my degree at Berklee College of Music in Boston, where I studied production and audio engineering. I was able to develop and improve my musicianship, my artist project, and skills as an engineer while at the school. I actually credit a lot of my learning to the friends I made while at school and just being around music constantly. This was quite the shift for me as I was essentially the only person at my high school pursuing music. Being around such talented people was a really inspiring experience for me.
After graduating, I decided to go the audio engineering route, landing an internship here in LA. This turned into a full-time job, but unfortunately only lasted about a year. I’ve realized that world isn’t the best for me if I want to be a creative, and will be prioritizing more of the music from now on. I’m grateful for that experience, though; I learned a lot that will ultimately benefit the quality of my music moving forward. I’m excited to share more polished and put-together work in 2024!
Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not, what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
My experience has been smooth for the most part. I feel like the mindset I’ve always had is to stay genuine and remember that I’m making music for it to be enjoyable. That headspace keeps me away from the stress of the standards of the industry sometimes and helps me move forward as a creative. I’d say the most challenging things about being an artist and producer is navigating the more business-oriented sides of the industry. A big challenge for me initially was navigating the live music space and learning how to lead a band, communicate with venues, and actually get people to show up to shows. The biggest challenge for me right now is getting back on my feet after not having time to invest in my music for about a year. It’s a pretty drastic change and adjustment, but we’ll make it work!
Thanks – so, what else should our readers know about your work and what you’re currently focused on?
I’m a music artist and producer. I’d say I’m most known for my solo artist project, “J.Pappas.” The music I have put out so far is an amalgamation of genres that I grew up with as well as grew to love as I got older, hip-hop, soul, jazz, and pop being the most obvious influences. I’m very proud of my ability to collaborate with others and find unusual sounds for a featured artist that also work very well for them outside of their typical work. A big milestone for me was reaching my first million streams on my song “Train to Imperia,” which, upon release in 2019, I had no real plans for and kind of just put it out. I think it was cool to just see the organic growth with that. I’m also very proud of being able to play live. This was always a dream of mine, and making it come true has been the most rewarding part of this journey. I like to think that what I’m writing about in my music is vulnerable and honest, which hopefully helps me stand out or relate to people on a more personal level!
Any big plans?
I have plans to release a lot of new music this year, prioritize visuals, and become more artistic with my releases moving forward. I want to keep building my artist project, as I have more time now than ever before. I’d love to start getting out and gigging more in and around the Los Angeles area and prioritize building a local community around the music! As for changes, I’d say the music itself this year is going to be freer and truly what I’ve been wanting to make for a while. I love experimenting with new sounds and trying new things.
Contact Info:
- Website: www.jpappasmusic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/jacob.pappas/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/jpappasmusic
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/jpappasmusic
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCNcp5_P5Oqb0Z5BmHdMkwiQ
Image Credits
William Rowan
Isabella Grossling
