The design and construction of sound skyscrapers involves creating safe, habitable spaces in very high buildings. The buildings must be masterfully engineered to support their weight, resist wind and earthquakes, and protect occupants from fire. Yet they must also be conveniently accessible, even on the upper floors, and provide utilities and a comfortable climate for the occupants. Jansport J is building a massive skyscraper that sits outside the city limits of the music industry.
Structurally sound steel molded from soulful music compositions weave through each level of his catalog making it withstand any and all outside forces that would try to topple such a landmark. As you travel from floor to floor you smell the aroma of Benny the Butcher cooking. You see the paintings of the famed artist Nas hung throughout the hallways. You walk through Dom Kennedy’s garage marveling at rows of classic cars meticulously crafted by Jansport. Hit-Boy has a full level covered in lavish tapestries that Jansport helped sew.
Jansport J is building up, adding a 4 story penthouse for himself in the clouds, with blueprints designed by Team Phlote.
Sport’s production is a modern continuation of legends such as Pete Rock and J Dilla. Growing up in Covina, California, 40 mins inland from Los Angeles, Jansport was inspired by the kings of the ‘90s. Since then, Sport has amassed an impressive resume of credits including Freddie Gibbs, Dom Kennedy, Hit-Boy, Benny the Butcher, Ty Dolla Sign, and Quentin Miller.
We sat down with Jansport to discuss his plans and intentions for this new frontier.
Phlote: Ok, what does success look like to you?
Jansport J: Success to me was initially just being able to make a living off of my artform; whether that was 60k or 6m a year. Now that I’ve been blessed to work as a full time artist, it’s about making contributions to this culture that has meant so much to me.
Phlote: As someone who's seen this success in the traditional music scene, what intrigued you about the opportunities opening up in Web3 initially?
Jansport J: The opportunity to see real value for the art we create. The current streaming system is definitely an improvement from the blog era that I come from, but it’s still undervaluing creators. The crypto space and Web3 allows for my art to serve as both a commercial product and art.
Consumers are able to pay a perceived value instead of the regular 99 cents per song. Also the opportunity to make royalties off of future purchases. Whereas a fan might have bought my $20 vinyl once and have the ability to sell it down the line as my career progresses, I’m able to see a residual off of the resales of my art in Web3.
Phlote: With your experience working within the parameters of the traditional music industry what advice would you give musicians diving into this space head on that rings true still?
Jansport: To make sure your music is still quality. Don't get caught up in the gold rush of it all. It's all exciting but above all the art still matters the most. Focus on the creative process first, take a step back, then figure out which business practice makes the most sense for the piece.
Phlote: What’s your full ambition as an artist?
Jansport: Honestly my full ambition is to continue to contribute to the culture that means so much to me, and to do it with as little compromise as possible. The Web3 space allows for the opportunity to have more creative and financial independence, which gives me that headspace to create freely. I’m sure it’ll take awhile but with consistent drops, I’d like to be an example to peers in the industry to show that success can live outside of the current mainstream model. You can work within both, which is my goal.
Phlote: Ok, what does success look like to you?
Jansport J: Success to me was initially just being able to make a living off of my artform; whether that was 60k or 6m a year. Now that I’ve been blessed to work as a full time artist, it’s about making contributions to this culture that has meant so much to me.
Phlote: As someone who has seen success in the traditional music industry, what intrigued you about the opportunities opening up in Web3 initially?
Jansport J: The opportunity to see real value for the art we create. The current streaming system is definitely an improvement from the blog era that I come from, but it’s still undervaluing creators. The crypto space and Web3 allows for my art to serve as both a commercial product and art. Consumers are able to pay a perceived value instead of the regular 99cents per song. Also the opportunity to make royalties off of future purchases. Whereas a fan might have bought my $20 vinyl once and have the ability to sell it down the line as my career progresses, I’m able to see a residual off of the resales of my art in Web3.
Phlote: With your expertise of working within the parameters of the traditional music industry what advice would you give musicians diving into this space head on that rings true still?
Jansport J : To make sure your music is still quality. Don't get caught up in the gold rush of it all. It's all exciting but above all the art still matters the most. Focus on the creative process first, take a step back, then figure out which business practice makes the most sense for the piece.
Phlote: What’s your full ambition as an artist? Who’s on the team? What do you want to build in Web3?
Jansport J: Honestly my full ambition is to continue to contribute to the culture that means so much to me, and to do it with as little compromise as possible. The Web3 space allows for the opportunity to have more creative and financial independence, which gives me that headspace to create freely. I’m sure it’ll take awhile but with consistent drops, I’d like to be an example to peers in the industry to show that success can live outside of the current mainstream model. You can work within both, which is my goal.
Phlote: How’s it feel to be Grammy nominated? What’s it mean to you?
Jansport J: It's super humbling. It was never anything I set out to achieve, probably because I didn't think it was very likely. It's one of those achievements that you can't help but reflect on the journey throughout the career leading up to this moment. Very grateful and inspired to contribute more.
Phlote: The success you’re now achieving should be a surprise to know one. Your team’s focus on consistency and quality is the model to follow. We’re excited to welcome you to Web3 and are excited to help you lead a new generation of creatives and fans into the space.
Jansport’s Genesis mint on Ethereum consists of a 4 track beat tape. Each will be auctioned indivi
Jansport’s genesis mint is a 4 track mixtape tape being old exclusively in Web3. Each song will be minted and sold as a 1/1 NFT on Catalog.
Team:
Recording Artist: Jansport J
Management: Slim Jeff
Visual Artist: [Sebastein Miller](https://twitter.com/sebastien mill)
Curator: Saba Seyedi
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