Jake

My name is Jake Shemon.  I am a rapper from Tampa, FL, going to school at Purdue Universtiy in West Lafayette, IN.  

I've always believed in genuineness.  It's a character trait I hold above all else.  And that translates in the music I make.  In contemporary hip hop, we aren't given the full story, it's not totally genuine.  We hear a lot about what makes these guys superhuman, but they never talk about what makes them human.

I am someone who isn't afraid to admit that I'm a mess.  It's why I have a faith (which I talk a great deal about in my music, which primarily motivates my adherence to the idea of genuineness).  And because I'm a man of faith in the hip hop industry, I acknowledge that I'm in the minority.  Through the success of major artists like Lecrae, Kendrick Lamar, Kanye, Tedashii, Chance the Rapper, and Andy Mineo, we have seen a more recent acceptance of the melting of faith and hip hop, but there is a certain air about them that makes them slightly out of reach to the average Christian.  These guys dress differently, talk differently, and carry themselves a little differently than their average listener.  That's not who I am.  I'm the guy that will get up on stage in his worn Addidas, jeans, and a tshirt, and connect with the crowd (on a socioeconomic and spiritual level).

And faith isn't my only subject of focus.  Keep in mind I am a rapper who just so happens to be Christian.  I write lyrics that are relevant to me, plain and simple.  I talk about life.  I talk about what's real in my life.  In fact, only about half of my songs even mention faith at all.  So, essentially, my music fits in in a lot of places: from house parties all the way to youth group services.  This gives me a lot of room to expand a fan base.

I have a decent amount of live performance experience.  The largest crowd I have performed in front of was about 1,200 people.  I am completely comfortable performing in front of large crowds and I am always looking for a challenge.