There is that spot in every hood where even the brave hearted are cautious. Jacob Street is one of those streets in Boston and Jacob Family is the voice of Jacob. With a bond born from a love of the music and a respect for each other’s hustles, the Jacob Family is a musical meeting of the minds. Named for the childhood street of group members, Jacob Family is a group that brings life to the tales of Everyhood, USA.
When you talk about Jacob Family you must start with Dre Robinson. The lyricist first jumped on the national scene with his singles “Get Right†featuring Mobb Deep and “This Is That†produced by Nelly ProTools with a flow designed to reenergize East Coast Hip Hop. Collabs with Grammy winner Chamillionaire, international superstar DJ’s Kay Slay and DJ Khaled, Gangstarr Foundation’s Big Shug, Papoose, Remy Ma, Jae Millz, Lexxus, Ryan Toby and Terminaology are all on his resume but in the end working with his crew was always on the top of his list. After seeing success with his own career Dre thought the time was right to bring his crew to game. Jacob Family as a music group started with Dre Robinson recognizing Don Blak’s skill on the mic and bringing him to Pollymore Music Group head Joe Politics. Friends and neighbors for years, Dre and Blak had a natural chemistry in the booth. Shall came to the group’s attention through the ghetto internet, mixtapes. Dre’s brother heard the MC and put Dre on to Shall’s work. Dre sought him out and the two connected. After recognizing they were of the same struggle Shall was extended an invitation to the table completing the line up.
Drawing on their experiences these MC’s don’t rhyme, they breathe life into every track. The crew blends their various styles into a potent mixture that talks of victories and defeats, the highs and lows of the ghetto struggle. Never typical, JF songs have the heart and soul of classic Black music with the power of modern Hip Hop. What separates Jacob Family from the “mix Stunna shades, a hoodie, a catchy beat, add water and stir†formula that plagues modern Hip Hop is the high premium that they place on lyrics. For JF it’s not just what you say but how you say it. Dre explains it best, “Dudes don’t take it seriously as we do. They treat it just like another hustle. No real love for the game. Cats think just cuz they hustled that gives them all that they need to rap. People have heard stories of the street struggle before. So you have to bring more into what you are doing. You have to have that authenticity but you have to have skill too. Word! The bars need to be action packed!â€
Each MC brings something to the table. Don Blak has this rawness that cats can’t really touch. Like a modern day bluesman his Hip Hop is built on the pain of his life. He always just takes it to the farthest level. And he has an honesty that most dudes can’t deal with. Most cats will try to make themselves seem all powerful. DB will just give it to you uncut. Even on a party track he will say something so serious and so real that it stops you in your tracks. That’s what makes the people feel him. Cuz he relates the ugly parts in life in the most upfront way that you can’t deny it.
Shall’s verses are like a motion picture. Wordplay and visuals combine to create bars that are part screenplay, part documentary. Never simplistic, he always seems to capture the perfect phrase for the moment. In other words he always has something fresh to say. Shall draws you into every song placing you right by his side as he lives the lifestyle of the rich and dangerous. He brings you to a front row seat to the finer things in life AND explains the cost.
Dre brings a classic aggressive flow. Dre Rob’s impassioned delivery and gritty lyrics are the hallmarks of his style. Relentless with his words, he makes each rhyme an event. Using clever punch lines to deliver thought provoking ideas, he always seeks to push the lyrical envelope. A lyrical beast with passion in every verse, Dre’s goal with every word is to make you feel him on the deepest level.
Their perspectives combine to paint a real picture of life around the way. Shall provides tales from the life of a hustler supreme. Don Blak adds the pain filled words of the youth while Dre Robinson acts as the ghetto’s conscious filled with hard hitting energy. Aggressive, brash, flossy and most importantly, lyrical, Jacob Family songs leap from the speakers to captivate you. Each MC has their own style that contributes to creating monumental music. Combine Shall and DB with Dre’s potent punch lines and raw delivery and you have the next big voice in Hip Hop.
