Problem

Music:

Member Since: 5/18/2006
Band Members: (20 TRX+ / ONLY $4.99) (30 TRX / ONLY $4.99) (24 TRX / ONLY $4.99) (31 TRX / ONLY $4.99) (32 TRX / ONLY $4.99) (24 TRX / ONLY $4.99)
Influences:
Sounds Like: Transitioning his nickname from the basketball court to the rap game, Problem accepts nothing less than success. After all, he was taught that if you work hard, you get what you want. He never wondered “if” he would get a deal, but “when.” And after Universal caught wind of his single, “I’m Toe Up” on Power 106, it was only a matter of weeks before his fate was sealed on the dotted line of a recording contract. Combine the song range of Ludacris, the style of Juelz Santana and Lil’ Wayne and the West Coast claims of Snoop and The Game, and you’ve got Jason Martin, a.k.a. Problem. Neither Blood nor Crip, the Compton dweller reps his own set. “People think because I’m from Compton and rap I have to do this,” he points out. “Fuck that. I do what I want to do.”

Born in Germany because his father was stationed in the Army, Problem relocated to Compton at eight months and never left. Not immune to the perils of hood life, he confesses to being spoiled, “as a ghetto kid could be.” Instead of the bad, Problem chose to concentrate on the good — and getting down. Growing up, he was the DJ at his mom’s parties, blasting the likes of Prince, Michael Jackson and Shalamar. Then N.W.A. stormed onto the scene and forever changed hip-hop in general, and West Coast rap more specifically.

Fresh out of high school, Problem tried his hand at producing first. He launched a company, Derang Entertainment, with Ed Jones and gathered a talented stable of lyricists. But he soon realized that the rappers received all of the attention, and so when the other rhymesayers left for the night, he practiced his own lyrical craft. Problem knew he was onto something big when he released his first mixtape, Second Round Knockout and sold 13,000 copies, proving to himself that this was what the hell he was supposed to do. Through Terrace Martin, a mutual friend and talented artist in his own right, Problem hooked up with West Coast icons like Snoop, Kurupt and Warren G, and not before long he was penning lyrics for some of his hip-hop heroes. His first placement came with “Be Thankful” on Snoop Dogg Presents the Big Squeeze. Next, he handed over “Never Have to Worry About That” for Snoop’s latest, Ego Trippin’.

Life couldn’t have gotten better than working with Snoop. Or could it… When DJ sourMILK dropped Problem’s single, “I’m Toe Up” on Power 106, Universal hollered. Within the week, he was on a plane to New York. “That single was just me being loaded one night and the next morning playing around,” he explains about his life-altering joint. But don’t get it twisted. Though “I’m Toe Up” was his entrée into the major leagues, the playful record is not all he’s capable of. His battling skills have caused many emcees major … problems.

Keep your ears open for upcoming singles, “Motor Bike” and “Money to Chase” and mixtapes, The Streets Is Mine and Deal or No Deal, II. “I’m trying to be great,” Problem professes, “one of the greatest. Ten to fifteen years from now, I want to do an E! TV show like Snoop. I’m not just trying to be a rapper. I want to make some real decisions and get a star in Hollywood. “I’m here for the mainstay,” he assures. “It’s going to be a problem for a long time.”
Type of Label: Indie