I respect Jesse Abraham. He puts his all into his music. He has the uncanny ability to pick quality beats, the right type of features and his content is always on point. Last week with the help of DJBooth.net, Jesse offered up a new old project with One Day. I say new old because there are a few carry over tracks from his One Day EP dropped earlier this year. The additions to the project give it a nice well rounded feel. I dig it.
One Day features guest verses from Blu, Homeboy Sandman, Eric Sosa, Fresh Daily and others. On the production side the project features Panjabi MC, !llmind, K.O. Beatz, Spills, Jinesis and more.
When you hear a project, sometimes you really want to know what the artist was thinking when they put the project together. So, I reached out to Jesse with some questions about his latest offering. Check out our Q&A after the jump.
Why add to the One Day EP instead of just putting out an entirely new project?
Jesse Abraham: Pure laziness. What a brilliant move it was. Drop an EP, add a few songs then just call it an LP. Tis economical! (Laughs) No not really - the EP I put out was labeled as such because I had specific intentions of revamping the project and filling in the gaps in order to round it out as an LP. I didn't necessarily plan to release them so close to one another chronologically, but the buzz off the EP was solid and I wanted to capitalize on that by not waiting too long to put out the LP once it was done. My goal and main interest is to obtain listeners while keeping those who are already down fulfilled with new content. I felt like the EP/LP split release allowed me to, hopefully, do both.
Jesse, can you talk briefly about how you went through the process of choosing production for the extended project?
Jesse Abraham: I always pick beats based on the test of "Would it be dope to make this song?" When I browse through options I never think "Yo this would be an ill joint to have as mine". I'm moreso thinking about making the track than just having it. I pay a lot of attention to the creative process, and if I'm enjoying the steps of crafting the song, usually the song will be that much more enjoyable for a listener. So I'm always on the lookout for beats that make me want to create, want to write, want to mold. I also like diversity amongst sounds, so I'm constantly looking for a sonic spectrum I've yet to explore.
You speak a lot about the culture of Hip-Hop. What do you think about the current state of Hip-Hop on both an underground and mainstream level?
Jesse Abraham: I'm very fortunate to be surrounded by the extreme level of talent that I am. The NYC underground scene of which I'm a part is currently bursting with new voices and products, and I'm a huge fan of these friends of mine. I'm constantly inspired by the music and efforts made by those in my community, and the prolific manner in which these heads create is mesmerizing, so I'm loving that. I'm not all that attuned to what goes on in the mainstream, but I dig the various audiences that hip-hop is reaching these days. Heads who want boom bap and a sense of traditional lyricism can still be fed, and those who just wanna dance or surround themselves with a certain atmosphere can be satiated too. And if you're looking for some off-the-wall shock value, that's available as well. I like that there's something for everyone out there, and I'm pleased to know that the entire globe is hungry to know what's next.
Jesse, the next series of questions is kind of like a rapid fire. Each will start with "what's your thoughts and feelings ..." then the subject. Here we go.
On the features on your project?
Jesse Abraham: I didn't initially intend to insulate myself talent-wise to the extent that I did on this album, but I'm not mad at the fact that there ended up being so many features, as I prefer providing listeners with as complete of a listening experience as possible. I couldn't have possibly asked for more from all of the contributing members of this album, ranging from the other emcees, to singers, to the photographers to the web work to the promotion. I'm a huge fan of everyone that got down on this project with me, and working with artists at such a high skill level pushed me to be that much more on point. Every collaborative effort was a blessing.
On the production on your project?
Jesse Abraham: Ever since I stopped producing my own joints things seem to have started moving in the right direction ha. Similar to the vocal features, I'm amazingly fortunate to have been able to surround myself with musicians as talented as those represented on my album. The soundscape for this project stretches rather far, and I'm more than pleased with the cohesive feel that the project was able to maintain while displaying such a diverse set of sounds & production credits. An instrumental version of my album would be a viable piece of art unto itself, which is a beautiful thing.
On the journey to the release of your project?
Jesse Abraham: I'm incredibly proud of this project in its final form, and I view all steps towards its completion as necessary pieces of the eventual puzzle. Although I've learned many lessons (translation: experienced lots of BS), could have seen some elements of the process being a bit less time consuming (translation: I've never had a manager) and it's possible my focus towards this project could have been more all-encompassing (translation: I run a tutoring company that keeps me out of music for 40+ hours per week) I'm really happy with the final product, and that's been my goal since day one. I just wanna make good music & get it into as many ears as possible.
On what's next for you musically?
Jesse Abraham: I've begun work on my next project, which is a concept album that probably won't come out until the end of this year. I'll be doing some traveling to promote One Day and probably shooting a few videos this summer. I hope to learn to play the harp and maybe how to drive a car, because that'd be useful.
Words Past The Margin feat. Blu
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