Today we’d like to introduce you to Jacob Richards.
Hi Jacob, so excited to have you with us today. What can you tell us about your story?
It all started when I was 13 and my brother had bought his first studio equipment. My older brother Jeff would bring his friends over from high school and he would record and produce their music from my mother’s basement. As time went on and I started to watch my brother and the process, I started to grow a love for the production of music. I would watch him do a studio session then spend hours writing in my room, whether it be poems or music. This entire time my brother did not know that I was writing music or even had an interest in what he was doing. One day, he left Pro Tools open and everything pulled up while he went to the store, so I decided it was time for me to see what it was like to be on the microphone and since then, the rest was history. He came back and realized what I had recorded and we ran with it ever since then. I started doing freestyle competitions in high school and eventually branched out to doing some at Georgia State University. I attended West Georgia and used the relationships I built there to help grow my following and that is where I was donned the name West Geezy Jay. As the follows on social media started to pile up and the streams on my music started to grow, I decided it was time to take action on my dreams. I ended up partnering with Reze P (the artist I used to watch my brother record) to start Phaze II Media Group (Phaze 2 Media Group). Ever since then, we have doubled in following, streams and overall profit for the business.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
It has been everything but a smooth road. I dropped out of college after my first semester to focus on chasing my dreams and from ages 19-24 were uphill battles. I slept on floors, I shared couches and even had to move in with my Uncle Mike to be able to stay afloat. At one point in time, I was going to school full-time, working at target full-time and sleeping on a mattress with no bedsprings at my Uncle Mikes house. I tried and tried to invest and blow up but I realized that does not happen overnight. I failed plenty of times, whether it be my song did not perform like I wanted or losing out on money by trusting shady “business partners”, I NEVER gave up. I eventually graduated with my degree in business and marketing and I was able to use all the stuff I learned from school to help grow my music and my business as a whole. If I could give any piece of advice to up and coming entrepreneurs, It would be to focus on you and drown out the noise.
As you know, we’re big fans of you and your work. For our readers who might not be as familiar what can you tell them about what you do?
I am a recording artist. I specialize in the creation of Hip-Hop music. While making music, I also help run the business and focus on investing and content creation to help expand Phaze II into different markets. I am proud that no matter what happened, I never gave up on myself or my dreams. I was able to do multiple shows and sell over 300 pieces of merchandise before COVID hit. Since then, I have accumulated over 100K streams on major music platforms and been able to inspire other artists looking to do the same thing. I first started doing stage work at the University of West Georgia when I would do some co-hosting with a good friend of mine Charley, and ever since then I have fell more in love with the process of music production and getting your music seen by the right people. I was blessed to do an interview for NewsTalk 1330 which is the radio station I grew up listening to as a kid, which was huge for me because it showed me that all my work was not going unnoticed.
Are there any apps, books, podcasts, blogs or other resources you think our readers should check out?
I would say that Garyvee Podcasts really helped me get to where I am today. I remember working at target with an Airpod in just listening to his podcasts and manifesting everything that I have done today. I am a huge believer to hearing others on the same journey helps you align your goals and grow within yourself. I have followed Gary for years and his content has saved me from giving up on my dreams multiple times. I feel that social media has helped my growth, but you really have to monitor how much you feed into social media because it will have you in your head about your own journey as an entrepreneur. Another person that has helped me a lot is Roy Parker, I have been under his wing for about 14 years and he has put me in a position to win when it comes to my music and our business. I feel that everyone should take the time to find people or things that motivate them and align themselves with who they are letting feed their energy.
Contact Info:
- Email: Phaze2mediagroup@gmail.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/westgeezyjay/?hl=en
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/WestGeezyJay/
- Twitter: https://twitter.com/westgeezyjay
- Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCa4S7OsnSyU2bJwYf5o-BAw
