Remembering The Jacka

Opening spread

Opening spread: a full-page portrait of The Jacka in front of a memorial mural, with the title bar “Remembering The Jacka” and the credit line below.

Written by Ian Jackson and Don P  |  Photos by Ian Jackson

Logos: The Artist Records • Mob Figaz.

The Jacka was more than just a musician and artist to a lot of us. He was the real deal on all fronts. He was a family man, who lived the culture we represent. He embodied the street life; his words painted a picture so vivid, whether you lived that life or not, the listener felt the reality that he faced and millions of other misguided youth faced growing up in the urban ghettos of America. Breaking the scene with C-Bo Presents The Mob Figaz alongside his four brothers AP-9, Husalah, Fed X, & Rydah J. Klyde, he helped build a legacy for the Bay Area Mob movement.

If you talk to his closest friends they all talk about his work ethic, and his realness as a person. In today’s era, it’s tough to find someone who is consistently pushing a message within their music, all the while penning works of true music art. The Jacka was that guy! He never hesitated to talk with a fan or take a picture with a fan. He would sit and talk to folks forever after the shows sometimes; later you would hear them say “I met him, he was a real ass dude, he smoked us out and everything!” He was just like that, a real personable artist with a great laugh you could hear, and know it was him anywhere.

His music continued to gain traction in the streets as collaborations with artists like Paul Wall, The Game, and Freeway began to catch buzz all over the nation. Although it was important for him to maintain a certain level of creative control over his music by opting not to jump on a deal from the majors, he was enjoying a great deal of success. Venues across the map filled to the brim when The Mob was in the building.

That success and light that followed his every move was always shared within his team, always implementing friends and business associates within [the] …

…framework of his daily moves. He brought a new generation of mob rappers from his Artist Records imprint.

It seems every step of the way he was never about just himself, always about sprouting his team to the next level, which is very rare in the music game. His management team was like a part of his success and always on the cutting edge, but what made them super [unique] was the quality of person they got to do business with.

The Bay Area has a permanent scar from the untimely passing of the Jacka, cause we have long ago chose Jacka as our beloved artist speaking true street gospel, always praising Allah yet always talking of his dilemma in being stuck in the street life. The vision that resonates with the followers and fans of the Jacka is that he was a person of importance based not just on [being a] genius musician, but because of how he treated his friends, family, and fans. He always extended himself to others in a way where he left a lasting impression.

One of our most fondest memories is when Jack lived in Hayward, CA at what is now famously known as “The Mob House”. It was a real life rap trap, and we use to spend countless hours preparing promotions, partying, doing photoshoots, videoshoots, sip alotta lean and smoked pounds of Cali’s best, just mobbing in general.

We used to sit and watch YouTube and look at different rap battles — Jack loved that shit! And we would watch bum fights and crazy videos and just smoke and laugh, but when it came to the music… with the Jack it was no laughing matter. Some of those memories will never leave us.

He is one of those guys [who] truly would give you the [shirt] off his back — in fact he [sold shirts] on his back — and he represented us how we wanted to be represented. He never sold out; he kept it M.O.B.

We owe Jacka to “See It Thru” — he stayed in the trenches inspiring others to the very end.