Jack Dawkins is back with an infectious new hip-hop release entitled “SLAP.” The track features an immersive instrumental which consists of hard-hitting drums, grooving bass lines and atmospheric synths. Musically, the track is textually and dynamically diverse which in turns takes the listener on a journey. Dawkins smartly-penned bars cut through the mix and land on top showcasing his lyrical ability.
Elaborating on the process of creating the track he shares: “This is the third track that I have had the pleasure of masterminding with Ugly Fun. We got connected through a marketing program but found out that we had a lot of similarities musically and in how our brains process information. Jeremy is a SUPER innovative producer. He doesn’t use typical song structure and instead allows the instrumental to wind and weave across different rhythms and textures while using a strong bassline to keep it feeling cohesive. For me, as a lyricist, it’s like having a HUGE playground with all kinds of swings and slides. I connected to the energy of each section, and picked a cadence/lyrical package that felt aligned. There’s speed rap, introspection, something super funky etc.. I think we bring out the best in each other. His non-linear approach challenges me to be more creative with my lyrics, and my lyrics challenge him to enhance the song with more ideas and effects. I truly, truly love how this song ended. And on top of that, we got to make an AMAZING video for it.”
Jack Dawkins hails from Boulder, Colorado. Most importantly, Jack loves stories; whether it’s telling them, writing them, shaping them, or crafting them.
Speaking further about his musical influence, Jack shares:
“I’m in Boulder now but originally grew up outside of New York City, which is where a lot of my musical influence comes from – Boom Bap is a sound that I cannot quit. I did my undergraduate studies at Harvard before going into restaurants, which would be the first of many non-traditional pivots that I would make in my life. The time in restaurants is relevant because it framed my thinking into that of experience – I want to know what it feels like to listen to my music. Where is the listener physically? Emotionally? In life?”
“Live performance is a central point of motivation for me. I make music to create live experiences that people will never forget. And I’m happy to get on stage anywhere and everywhere that I can, shaping each one to fit the venue and the audience. “
