Today we’d like to introduce you to Jabez Da Great.
Hi Jabez, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I am a first-generation Dominican American recording artist, songwriter, producer, engineer and record label owner, born in Jamaica, Queens, New York, raised in Texas, and now residing in Los Angeles. An all-around creative – yet a philosopher at heart – I can record, produce, and mix and master my own records as well as others. Being a MediaTech Institute graduate with a certification in the Recording Arts, amid my insatiable self-taught tutoring – created a seamless amalgamation of formal and informal training that breathes through in my music, as well as other creative endeavors.
With a little over two decades in the music industry, it’s evident that this is my purpose and my passion. I started writing songs around the age of 12 and began producing records by the age of 15. Music became my idiosyncratic way of expressing my deepest emotions, so I channel my life’s narrative through my music. I released a noteworthy single, “Can’t Tell Me Nothing,” with the official visual release on the way. As well as a video feature that was released earlier this year to the single entitled “Grown Man” with label mate W.O.R.D.S. Furthermore, I am releasing my forthcoming album Re-emergence, an independent project that will revel in my knack for production, song structure, scripted transference, and a dynamic vocal assortment that will have people listening with stuck-on-repeat inclinations.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Jabez – which is Hebrew for pain – accurately describes the dawn of my musical journey – from felonies to melodies. When I was an adolescent, I was heavily involved in the street lifestyle; I caught my first felony at 18 and got sentenced to 12 years on probation in a small town called Clarksville, TX. I released an album entitled Pure Pain in 2009. Shortly after its release, my probation officer caught wind of it and had court ordered me to not leave the county in an attempt to keep me from traveling and performing in any bars or clubs; due to me not being able to be in the vicinity of any drugs or alcohol. This suppressed my creativity considerably because internally, I felt like there was no point in making music that no one would hear me perform. Performing is the most exhilarating experience in the world to me as an artist, and performing my music live is by far my favorite part of being an artist because people get to feel my passion in 3D. However, I didn’t view these roadblocks as a defeat but instead took the idle time that was forced upon me to perfect my craft. So I began studying Audio Engineering and Music Production in Dallas, TX.
A little over a month after successfully completing probation – days away from finally being able to move to Los Angeles to execute everything that I have been strategizing – I got arrested again, resulting in me catching three more felonies and causing me to remain in Texas and fight for my freedom for three more years. Now facing up to 20 years in prison, I had a decision to make: allow the current circumstances to define my future or focus my attention and fight against all of the odds. Several court dates later, I was offered a plea deal due to insufficient evidence in which I pled guilty to a lesser charge and was sentenced to only 30 days in the county jail. After being released, with no probation, I finally moved to Los Angeles to take over the music industry creatively – as well as executively – and I’ve made it my life’s mission to work relentlessly as an artist and as a brand until STREETHEART RECORDS becomes the #1 independent record company of all time.
Thanks for sharing that. So, maybe next you can tell us a bit more about your work?
I founded an independent record label STREETHEART RECORDS – which was recently featured on BizTV’s “All-In with Brian Weatherford” show on KFLA channel 8.4. What makes us so different here at STREETHEART RECORDS is that we took a more forward-thinking approach when establishing our business model. Meaning we have no interest in signing artists directly – especially using the conventional method in which the artist generally doesn’t own their Masters. We aim to create partnerships with businesses owned by creatives.
Essentially, what this means is that for us as a Record Label to sign artists in any capacity, they must already have an established business. This way, they retain ownership of their masters, and we only get a percentage of what’s generated by their music, based on our contribution to their project. We are shifting the dynamic of the relationship between artist and record label to be rooted in partnership, not ownership.
This ground-breaking business model was created to inspire artists to learn how to own and control the estate of their brand 100% – the inverse of a 360 deal – raising the bar of the music industry’s current modus operandi. Our goal is to encourage artists to create contractual partnerships, based on equity, with labels, publishing companies, and the like, who are interested in using their music instead of having their intellectual property owned and dictated by people who had no part in its creation.
Once they’ve made the financial commitment to themselves and their brand and have taken the necessary steps in starting their business, we will send them a questionnaire requesting the information we need to arrange a meeting. We will assess their current position in relation to where they see themselves at the pentacle of their music career. From there, we’ll discuss terms that are mutually agreed on and finalize our partnership agreement together as companies. At this point, they’ll immediately have access to a wide array of services, as well as classes and workshops we offer to our entire roster of artists at no upfront cost to them. These include courses in audio engineering, music production, vocal coaching, and various artist development programs, music business education, and consulting, as well as several resources for generating financing for your newly founded business. Essentially, everything you’d need to ensure your company’s success within the music business.
What matters most to you? Why?
What matters most to me is elevation, a constant progression towards the goal at hand. Unfortunately, I struggle with depression, often triggered by the PTSD from my past lifestyle, which involved violent crimes, drug dealing, etc; and what I’ve learned is that progress is often times the antidote to my depression. I don’t have time to feel bad about anything when I’m working towards my goals – in fact, it’s quite the opposite – I feel great about my dreams unfolding in front of me. So I’ve found peace in progression of any aspect of my life, be it spiritual, mental, or physical.
Contact Info:
- Email: [email protected]
- Website: www.streetheartrecords.com
- Instagram: www.instagram.com/jabezdagreat
- Facebook: www.facebook.com/jabezdagreat
- Twitter: www.twitter.com/jabezdagreat
- Youtube: www.youtube.com/jabezdagreat
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/streetheart-records-los-angeles
- SoundCloud: https://soundcloud.com/jabez-da-great-1
