behind the promo photo with jak the act
Let's keep on talking to artists about their promo photos...it's fun to do that...
Molly Mary O’Brien
...today we have the return of jak the act! We last caught up with the Macon, GA-based rapper (real name Jackson Dillard) to talk about his effusive yet laid-back project from nowhere, to nobody...
Molly Mary O’Brien
...now he's back to answer some questions about his high-drama promo photos, taken by longtime collaborator Kaffo, the Sensei. Let's get into it...
[Molly Mary O'Brien] I understand Kaffo, the Sensei is a close collaborator of yours. How did you meet, and how long have you been working together? How would you describe the general vibes of your collaborations?
[jak the act] Kaffo and I actually met through Twitter even though we're both from Macon, GA. The initial connection was a mutual friend, my buddy Nick Landon, who also does video work and had done some promo photos for me in the past. I'd known Nick since we were in the same Catholic youth group in high school and we would always stay after for hours and chop it up about blog era rap because I didn't know many people in real life who were as into it as I was. Early Mac Miller, Odd Future, all of the TDE guys, Action Bronson... I'm cherrypicking the best stuff to sound cooler than I was, but you get the gist.
Anyway, I followed Kaffo because he's an incredible and hilarious poster and I started listening to his music almost immediately after that. In 2018 he was in a band called 95.waves that I saw at the festival (Bearstock) that my old college (Mercer) throws every year. Nowadays Kaffo mainly raps and produces, and we've been collaborating on music since around 2020. Our first song together was called "Crying in the Sunshine", which is actually more of an alternative rock track with some really cool live instrumentation, a big soaring hook, and a killer guitar solo at the end.
Then I got him on the posse cut final track on my last project that you so kindly covered, a song called "fendi cypher" that has a classic boombap sound and Kaffo drops some of my favorite bars on the track ("back in the day I used to whine like Shinji/couldn't see the bigger picture I was blind like Kenshi").
Our most recent song is a grimy southern rap banger "CHERRYPICKING" that really brought a really cool flow out of me that I hadn't utilized until that verse, but I think is one of my better ones. I feel incredibly blessed to have met Kaffo because I think we bring the best out of each other when we work together. We've also got a bunch of unreleased stuff that I'm excited to drop eventually.
Did you have any particular creative inspiration / moodboard / references for your promo photo shoot?
We did the photoshoot in summer 2022 when we were also shooting the video for my song "spectacle" so I already had the fit picked out for that. I got the Vivienne Westwood turtleneck earlier that year when I was in LA to see Björk with my girlfriend at the time. I figured rocking it in the middle of the hottest part of the year was a cool "suffer for fashion" moment, and I'd also watched the anime Nana earlier that year and Vivienne Westwood features heavily in that show so that was on my mind as well. I've had the same Emporio Armani watch since my 22nd birthday so I wanted to wear it with a few of my favorite rings that I had collected over the years. I actually don't know where the black onyx ring I have on my middle finger in those pictures is, which is a shame because that was my favorite one, but hey that's life. We didn't have much planned as far as location or inspiration as far as I can remember. These pictures were taken under a bridge on the edge of downtown where the lights look really cool at night.
What did you want the photos to communicate about your music?
My music comes from a very personal and emotional place and I think the expressions on my face are very indicative of where I was emotionally at the time. I'd been in a long term relationship that was in the process of breaking down (I didn't realize then how quickly) but a lot of my music around then was very focused on trying to stay afloat while being plagued by anxiety over things that are legitimately worth concern. There's an exasperation there that I think a lot of people can relate to, but also a hopefulness that hopefully people gravitate towards more.
I kinda love that in one of those photos, there's this contrast with the high drama of the composition / style and the fact that you're on your phone — can you tell me more about that particular 'prop' in the shoot?
That picture, I realize in retrospect, is very similar to this picture I posted the day after lil peep died.
I was two days away from being a year older than him, both of us are November Scorpios, and the things he was singing about overlapped considerably with my experiences at the time. His sense of style and commitment to using his body as a canvas, whether it was his tattoos or his hair, inspired me a lot and is a big part of the reason I have tattoos at all.
Even though the peep homage in this picture was unintentional, the reason I love it so much is that the intentionality of looking directly into the camera gives it an intensity that draws you in. It's a momentary break away from the piece of technology that consumes so much of my day that's also a portal into where a lot of those anxieties and concerns come from (*cue Tim Robinson voice* "everybody's always on their phones!") but it's also an essential part of daily life for so many people, especially as an artist trying to make connections and find opportunities on the internet.
From a musician perspective, any advice or tips for artists for making it through a promo photo shoot with morale somewhat intact?
I think the main thing to remember as an artist at a photoshoot is to trust your photographer. Working with someone who shares your creative vision or has one of their own that you admire gives you a huge leg up. Be clear about what you want, but also be willing to get a little outside of your comfort zone because sometimes that's where the best stuff comes from. If the energy of the session is good that will come through in the pictures. Also don't wear a turtleneck in the middle of the summer if you're afraid of sweating!
Thank you jak the act! Visit his website and listen to him on Soundcloud.
He's also featured on a new compilation, a Discord collab album from the Asher Roth-led U of C:
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