Yaakov

Yaakov is an alternative rapper born in Minneapolis and currently living in New Haven, CT studying at Yale University. Yaakov spent a number of years disgusted with the music he heard on the radio and backlashed against that music until his friend Paul Thompson introduced him to local Minnesota hip hop acts like Atmosphere, Doomtree and Brother Ali. This new exposure flourished into a regained appreciation for all types of hip hop and a love of music across genres. However, it was this original alternative Minneapolis hip hop scene that most shaped and influenced Yaakov's musical development.

Yaakov took a year to travel through Europe, South America and Ethiopia. These travels contributed as much to his personal and spiritual growth as to his musical growth. When he returned to the U.S. he founded dispossessed.Records with fellow artists Paul Thompson and Z and music and business head Sean Baddeley. This collective of artists fostered new musical direction, raucous Minneapolis shows and groundbreaking creativity.

Yaakov then began studying at Yale University where he was exposed to a new underground music scene on the East Coast since Yaakov has been at school he has performed in house basements and dorm rooms. He is also a part of Yale's Teeth Slam Poets, a competitive slam poetry group on campus. Utilizing Yale's recording studios he has developed a more professional sound without sacrificing the organic quality of his music.