“When you have an opportunity to play a big role with young people in the community, you have to take that seriously. That's an honor. Everybody doesn't get to do that.”
Jace ECAj is an activist, an emcee, and half of the hip hop soul duo Black Stax. He’s also a well known and inspiring leader in the community and, in his role as Director of Community and Artist Development at The Residency, he gets to teach young artists and help prepare them for their future.
From being a great listener to showing up authentically and staying true to the things you believe in—Jace and Amalia chat about what this role entails. They also explore what hip hop means to Jace and how it’s shaped so many aspects of his life.
Key Takeaways
Being “Black and Alive”: Learn more about the motto Jace lives by and the meaning behind it.
Being an Activist is a Compliment: Jace shares his experience of getting his “hands in the mud” and standing up for what he believes in.
The Whole Damn Pie means: For Jace, it’s living life holistically and giving every individual aspect its fair share of attention.
Learn more about the incredible work The Residency are doing here: https://www.theresidencyseattle.org/
Jace: [00:00:00] I deal with reciprocity. Fair exchange is never robbery, right? Everybody has to get something from everything we do because if only one person is always benefiting, then what does that do to the other people who are contributing?
Amalia: Welcome to the Whole Damn Pie. I'm Amalia Martino. My guest today is Jace E. Cage. Jace is the director of community and artist development at the residency. The Residency is a nonprofit that empowers young hip-hop artists and creatives from unrepresented communities in Seattle. They do mentorship, education, and provide performance opportunities, and they help aspiring artists develop their craft and navigate the music industry. Jace is a well known and inspiring leader in the community. He's an activist, an MC, and half of the hip hop soul duo Black Stax.
Jace.
Jace: Yes, [00:01:00] indeedy.
Amalia: How you doing today?
Jace: Oh, you know me. You want my saying?
Amalia: I do.
Jace: I'm black and alive.
Amalia: You're black and alive today. I'm so thankful. What does that mean to you? Because every time I talk to you, I'll say, how you doing? And you'll say..
Jace: I'm black and alive. It means I'm here. I'm proud of who I am. I woke up today and I'm ready for whatever is here for me to handle.
Amalia: I like it. This podcast is called The Whole Damn Pie. And to me, my whole damn pie is different, probably every day, but usually it's about, you know, making sure I can get some work done, making sure I'm taking care of myself, making sure I'm not trading off a value for some certain success.
Jace: Yeah.
Amalia: What is the Whole Damn Pie mean to you?
Jace: It means living life holistically. Like, honoring every part of your life and not taking a piece and making one piece so much bigger than the others that [00:02:00] everyone doesn't get its fair share.
Amalia: Right.
Jace: So, to me, the efforts that I put into Black Stax, I want to put into my family, I want to put into the residency, I want to put into the relationship with Beata, I want everyone to be able to take a bite of this pie and say, I got my feel, as opposed to, I got a slither, you got a bigger piece, how come this wasn't this, how come this wasn't that?
Jace: And so, when I wake up every day, and I'm honored to be black and alive, the blessing is, I give the whole damn pie to everyone that I come across.
Amalia: You've been a key figure in Seattle's hip hop and arts community for a long time now. And for those who might not know your story, what sparked your passion for hip hop?
Jace: You know, it's interesting when you hear like a key figure in hip hop, regionally, locally, whatever, nationally, however you look at it. Because I think hip hop is still so young, right? And so we're still developing ways to take care of one another. And right now we're in the process [00:03:00] of doing things called teaching artists, where artists are able to share their experiences through touring, through record deals, through charting, through going to do shows with one person in the audience to doing shows with a thousand people in the audience.
Jace: And so how I show up is I try to show up authentically myself. Consistent, um, alert, present, active, loving, honest. As a listener, more than anything. I think it's important that if you're a teacher, you have to be a great listener. And one of the things that I was taught from my parents was that, Sometimes you just have to close your mouth and listen, because that may give you the answer that you're looking for.
Jace: So as my role in the residency of playing director of community and artist engagement, I get to do that every day. I get to be in the community. I get to hear what the community cares about, what some of the concerns are. I also get to do that through an artist lens, through these [00:04:00] young artists that I get to work with.
Jace: And there's a lot of things that they're concerned about that. It's not necessarily put in the music. And I talk to them about how important it is to share that in their music. Because you never know who you're helping by the messages you deliver.
Amalia: Give me an example. What would be an example of that?
Jace: An example is some really dope young ladies that I know who are fantastic artists. But they don't want to be a part of this perverted industry. That they're watching in front of them crumble. They're watching the imagery of who they thought was there to help them actually be the ones who are perpetrating things against them. They don't want to sell their bodies. They want to sell their music. They want to sell their message. They want to sell their, their authenticity and have it done in a way that is not subjective. Of whoever else is on the other side of the sound waves, the whoever's listening to this interview, like they want to be sure that people know that they care, they're talented, they have something to [00:05:00] share, and they don't mind being sexy and all of those things, but they don't want it to be one dimensional. They want to be seen as a whole person. And so that would be the example I would use today.
Amalia: And so you talk to them about putting those messages in their music.
Jace: Absolutely.
Amalia: Not making their music apart from them, but intentionally a part of them.
Jace: Yes. And what is their accountability and responsibility for the artists that have gone before them? Right? A lot of times, you know, we're only thinking about right now, but how do we get to right now? Like I had some really great parents that got me to today. I wasn't always this happy or positive or whatever words you use.
Amalia: Oh, come on, Jase. Right?
Jace: There was times I've had challenges, like you talk about loss. I lost my best friend at 18 years old. First time I dealt with violence that affected me directly. And it made me think about life and what was my contribution to life. And if it made sense to live. Like, there was [00:06:00] challenges, and then I took those challenges with me when I went away to school. And I acted out on some of those challenges.
Amalia: You're talking about college, aren’t you?
Jace: I'm talking about college, right? And so, I think when you have an opportunity to play a big role or a role with young people and in the community, you have to take that seriously. That's an honor. Everybody doesn't get to do that. Some people want to do it, but they don't know how to. Some people want to do it for the the title or the what it looks like to others, the image of it. I want to do it for what the core of it is.
Amalia: So what is the core of it? What is the work that you do that we don't see?
Jace: I would say it's love work. It's passionate. It's, it's, I'm an artist. So I know one day I'm going to have to pass that baton because I'm not going to be able to be on stage or, you know, any of that. But how do I make sure that the young people understand their power? They have so much power.
Amalia: Yes.
Jace: So much value. And how do they get there to the point where [00:07:00] they can reach, as we used to say in hip hop, from 8 to 80? It doesn't matter the age range. It matters the message. What matters is the connectivity, the vibration of it, and the purpose. And what's your purpose? And I always ask them, what's your purpose? And we get to that point eventually.
Amalia: So I think when a lot of people hear the word hip hop, they think music. But I know that it's much more than music. It's culture. So, what does hip hop mean to you?
Jace: I love that, that you said that, Amalia, because I'm always, it seems like I'm always introducing hip hop to an audience that thinks it's just about the music. Right. Culture. What is culture? Lifestyle. Language. Food. Authenticity. Responsibility. What is the contributions that you make from what you're given, you know, hip hop was created from breakdancing and DJing and emceeing and, graffiti and all of those [00:08:00] elements were important because it showcased all the elements that people in life deal with.
One of the most powerful things in life is art because art is so reflective, right? And so when we talk about hip hop as its culture. It was created from peace, love, unity, and having fun. There was a knowledge element to it. There was a accountability element to it. There was a storytelling element to it. Cultural awareness element to it. There was a responsibility socially to it. There was a communal aspect to it. And all of those things eventually make culture.
Amalia: Yeah. You know, I think from the outside looking in, there's also a racial aspect to it, right?
Jace: Of course.
Amalia: And so I know from the work that you've done in the community for so long as a Seattle hip hop artist and now internationally when you travel and tour that, you know, it's not always the easiest to book a gig for [00:09:00] hip hop. It's not always the easiest to receive those sponsorships as a hip hop artist or hip hop organization, but you work for an organization that is, I would say, grounded in hip hop.
Jace: Absolutely.
Amalia: But led by a white rapper.
Jace: Okay.
Amalia: And I want to know if that experience has changed for you. Like, do you experience hip hop as a culture and a business differently when Macklemore's name is at the top?
Jace: Well, I always like to say, you know, and I heard him say this one time, he's a guest in our culture. He's a guest in hip hop. Hip hop is a reflection of black culture worldwide. When you look at it, anywhere you go, you're going to see some element of blackness in hip hop. And so I think working with someone who understands their role and the position that they play, and they're not the savior, they're not the [00:10:00] creator, they are a part of it, and they have to make contributions as well. And can play a role as a guest, as an ally. Some people say now a coconspirator in this element of what the culture is. I think it gives you a understanding that some people actually get it. Like you can be a part of something and not have to own it and control it. You can actually make a contribution to something that you love and something that gave you so much without saying, I'm the one that they see, I'm the one that they talk about, I'm, I'm, I'm.. It's bigger than your ego, right? It's about millions of people now in the world who love this thing called hip hop. And how do we present it? And do we tell the truth about it? Or do we just placate the audiences that are listening? And I think it's very important to make the difference.
Amalia: Yeah.
Right?
Jace: Like traveling, I always, I tell you the story, I guess I'll share it now, but I tell you the story about going to Italy and seeing an 80 year old Italian woman who speaks no English, old country, enjoying hip hop. And her saying to me, and it being [00:11:00] translated, I never thought I'd be in a hip hop show because of the stereotypes of what hip hop is. But to actually come and witness and be a part of something, you get a totally different feel of what the culture is about. It's about uplifting. It's about making the stories positive from the things that, the challenges that we come across. How do we succeed? It's about that and not just, The materialism, the sexism, the misogyny, the racism. There's so much other things that go into hip hop that make it so powerful and that's why it's the most influential genre on the globe.
Amalia: Well, I think you as a person and Black Stax as a group is a great steward of that. So I want to talk about Black Stax a little bit because you and I met back in 2009?
Jace: Yeah, talk about it.
Amalia: Oh, that's 15 years somehow. Not sure.
Jace: Yeah, how are you? You're only 18. I know, still. [00:12:00]
Amalia: 29 again.
Jace: Right, right.
Amalia: Yeah. But you were just starting Black Stax back then, and you've always been very intentional with what you wanted Black Stax to be. So, can you share how Black Stax came to be and the philosophy you've built around it?
Jace: Black Stax was a maturation of Silent Lamb Project and Felicia Loud. There were two stewards of art and culture, one who did live music, worked with R& B, soul, soul, soul, soul. Jazz, blues, dynamic vocalist, actress, who is just multi-faceted, she's incredible, she's one of a kind, right? And then you had this raw, boom bap, gritty, street, philosophy-based artist called Silent Lamb Project.
Amalia: Can I say this number one selling CD at Tower Records? Yes, you can. For those of you who remember. Tower Records, right?
Jace: I love that you know [00:13:00] this history, Amalia, because I think a lot of times people believe you speak from a place of, and I'm not talking about you, I'm just saying, Jace, you're speaking from a place of your ego.No, I'm speaking from a place of experience. And if my ego comes into play, then it's part of my experience as well.
Amalia: Right. I did that.
Jace: Yeah, so we came together and we said, how do we mature this raw, gritty, boom bap hip hop, knowing we're getting older, with this vocalist who can do whatever she wants.
Amalia: And the vocalist you're talking about is Felicia Loud, of course. I mean, she is. Her voice is so powerful. And, you know, people might have seen her around town. She's been at Arts West. She's been at Seattle Repertory. She's been on Fifth Avenue Theater. Like her voice is so recognizable and beautiful. And you can hear it on the tracks when you listen to Black Stax. She's really is like that signature sound, the two of you coming together.
Jace: Yeah, absolutely.
Amalia: Okay. So [00:14:00] was that a response to the market, like what you were seeing in hip hop at the time? Or was it just a response to how you were feeling as artists at the time?
Jace: How we were feeling as artists. Because we knew we were getting older. And so, it was like, I can't speak like I'm 25 because I’m not 25. I have children now.I have responsibilities now. I have an accountability that goes deeper than just me. And so, we tried to figure out what would be the best mix. And for me and Silas Black at the time, we were like, there's only one person that we could pick. There's nobody else here. There's no other rappers. Yeah. There's no other band.There's one person who's as raw and as gritty and as soulful and as committed to this art, and it was Felicia Lau. And so, we got together as Silent Lair Project. Felicia Lau. We incorporated a guy you guys may know. He's a Grammy Award winning horn player who also toured with Macklemore by the name of Owarunga. And [00:15:00] he came in and added an element because we wanted to respect her craft. Yeah. And the live instrumentation was important. She also wanted to respect our craft, which was the rawness and the storytelling and the honesty of hip hop. And so, we tried to find balance for each one of us. And when we created the name, the name was created out of respect and love of who we are black, black men, black women, black children, black elders, our ancestors, those that have gone before us. The Staxxing was taking all forms of that music. all forms of that culture, all forms of that art, and stacking it and bringing it together. So layering it on top of one another while honoring those that have gone before. But that's like Felicia says, creating our own signature, making sure we give our own contribution and not rest on the laurels that have those that have gone before. So Black Stax is a representation of who we are, what we love, what we're about, and Stacks is about putting it together and making it come together to make [00:16:00] sense for the rest of the world.
Amalia: Love it. So, we talked about music, and we talked about culture, but I think what has always, I am not an artist, like, let's, let's just be real, Malia cannot sing, she cannot draw, there is no artistic bone in my body, but I love
Jace: I disagree with that.
Amalia: Well, thank you, Jace. Have you heard me sing or draw?
Jace: No, it's not about -
Amalia: Okay.
Jace: But I don't think creativity is limited to singing and drawing. I think creativity is also about thought and thought process. And you have a thought process that doesn't keep you in a box. You have a thought process that includes other people, and you see how they can work in your, your idea.
Jace: That's creativity. Creativity is not just, I can sing, I can dance.
Amalia: I can dance.
Jace: You can dance?
Amalia: Yes, I can dance.
Jace: Okay, I can draw. You know, I think you are very creative. I think you just a business creative. I think your mind works in the ways that [00:17:00] bring things together and are organized. That creativity is necessary too.
Amalia: Okay. I like, I mean, I like, you know, I'm just, I feel like I will forever be learning this business world, but I am really determined to make it into something that works for me and works for the community. So you were one of the first people I called to create a strategy with a community centered strategy for a campaign.
Amalia: I asked you to help me develop the strategy, the branding, the marketing for a behavior change campaign.
Jace: Yeah.
Amalia: That incorporated music. And for the record, we continue to do this to this day on different projects. But what was your experience of doing that back then? Cause I think it was something new for you at the time.
Amalia: Like how did, how was that experience for you?
Jace: You know, it's funny when you say that because I think you, you don't understand the value. That you've given me, but also that you've given, like, my voice in the community. Knowing that you [00:18:00] have someone who believes in you, that you honor, and you appreciate, and you admire, for them to walk side by side with you, for them to include you in their work. It's very different than being someone who says just do this and just do that. It's actually like, let's walk this walk together. Now I'm on this side of the road so that we can make sure the road stays level. Because you're on the bumpy side of the road where I don't know, you know, some days it's this way, some days it's that way through the artistic lifestyle. But there's, there's a value and a pre, and I keep using words, value and appreciation. You'll hear me talk about that a lot because I think it's important that we start honoring those and the work that each one of us are doing because as we like to say, you don't succeed or fail on your own. Isn't that right?
Amalia: Yeah.
And so when you brought me into the work, I was like, what are you bringing me into the work for? Like, I'm, you know, I live in the South end of Seattle, Washington. I'm a hip hop artist. I'm a [00:19:00] raw MC. I'm a, you know, of course there's other things, father, you know, all these other things, brother, son, all these things.
Jace: But it was like, what value did you see? And so I think when you saw value and the honor and respect I have for you, I was like, okay, there must be something here that I can continue to build on. And so through the time and through the years, I've gotten a lot more comfortable with it. But when we first started, I was trying to figure out what you saw.
Amalia: Really?
Jace: Yeah.
Amalia: Seriously. Yeah. I didn't know that. I mean, that surprises me. Like, I see Jace, you know, I see the work that you're doing and I see that you are not me, right? So part of the work that we do at the Vida Agency is like, first acknowledging from every, that we are not the experts. We are the experts in the work we do, but we are not the community or cultural experts for every community.
Amalia: Yeah,
Jace: [00:20:00] yeah.
Amalia: And I think just acknowledging that makes sure that the work is done differently and more inclusively.
Jace: But that's important too, what you just said. We don't have all the answers. That's true. I'm scared of people who think they have all the answers.
Amalia: Me too.
Jace: They make me a little nervous. I'm like, you got all the answers? All of them. So there's no question that we can ask you. You can't answer. And I think, like I said at the beginning, to be a great teacher, you also have to be a great listener, someone who can be willing to learn. And I think that's what makes Vida so great. But I also think that comes from you. That's your perspective, right? I don't know everything. I do have a perspective, but you'll question, others to see if that perspective aligns. You'll question others to see, am I really in line with what you guys are saying or am I different? And if I am different, is it an issue or is it something that we can come together and collaborate to make stronger? And I think that those type of things and people [00:21:00] are not everywhere. It's not as common as you think. And I think because you're not going, I'm Vida, we do this and that's all we do. I could care less about the community. I could care less about the other opinions or experiences. It makes your company that much more powerful. It makes your company that much more valuable. So now when we're doing things together, and I tell young people, they get excited.
Amalia: Yeah.
Jace: Right? As opposed to like, what's that? Why am I doing that? Who's this benefiting? They see it through the lens of If you're dealing with this person in this organization, there's something of value that you're getting and they're getting because they know I deal with reciprocity. Fair exchange is never robbery. Right. Everybody has to get something from everything we do. Because if only one person is always benefiting, then what does that do to the other people who are contributing?
Amalia: Exploitation.
Jace: There you go.
Amalia: One thing I think [00:22:00] about when you talk about it is like, that takes time. It takes time to build that relationship. It takes time to build trust. From my perspective as myself and as TVA, like we always have to keep showing up and showing improved because just because you did it once yesterday, what are you going to do today and tomorrow, right? And as I grow as a leader, there are some things that I can't control, like taxes and financial statements, right? Like, I have to be able to do those. There's no creativity in that space. But in like how we deliver the work and who we partner with, that's really important to me because that is what we're all about. What is excellent. It, the process of doing the work, and I think this is what's hard for people who maybe have worked in traditional agencies or whatever, the process is different. It's slower. It takes longer. You have to hear more voices. There's maybe what you started is not how you're going to end. So the contract has to be revision. Like there is so much in making the sausage that has to happen on [00:23:00] the business side in order to continue to support and achieve that goal. But that's the change I'm hope that we're making.
Jace: But that's creativity.
Amalia: You know what? I am creative.
Jace: All right, then. That's creativity.
Amalia: Back to it.
Jace: Yes.
Amalia: Okay. Now I know you don't always call yourself an activist, but you as a human being do so much for the community. I'm curious how you define your role in making Next Generations ready to take over.
Jace: So who much is given, much is expected. I was blessed. I'm surrounded by a wonderful community. Whether it's my lady, whether it's my daughters, whether it's my partner, whether it's my business associates, whether it's the young people I get the honor to serve, whether it's going out into the community and speaking up for the voiceless, whether it's standing in the way of, as my father used to say, standing in the way to make sure that you're protected.[00:24:00] There's so many things that go into every day. I choose not to worry about titles. I choose not to worry about how people see me as opposed to what I do. I always tell young folks that I work with, my children, people say a lot of great things. But they also watch what you do. And if what you do doesn't match up to what you say, then a lot of times you're just a hypocrite in their eyes.
Jace: Right? And so for me, I've never wanted to be a hypocrite.
Amalia: Oh, and young people will, like, within 10 seconds.
Jace: Yeah, and they feel authenticity. They feel Yeah. If you're being true to them, or if you're just spitting something to them that sounds really good. So to me, I'm always available for the community when the community calls. Because, that's what I saw, that's what I got to witness through my mother and father. [00:25:00] That's what I got to witness by the people they surrounded me with, and my family with. People that were accountable. People that wanted to pass the baton. People that wanted you to have knowledge. People that wanted you to have different experiences than they did. People who valued your opinion, people who wanted you to have your own signature in the world and not have to duplicate somebody else's. People who were very active and maybe not as verbal. Me, I'm lucky I get to be verbal and active at the same time. But they weren't necessarily looking for platforms to speak. They were more looking for platforms to do. And so I've taken that mentality on with working with young people and being in the community as being held responsible and accountable for what I say and what I do, how I say it, when I say it, why I say it, and who am I trying to serve. And so when you say activist, I say, I take that as a compliment [00:26:00] because that means I'm active. That means I'm actually doing something as opposed to sitting in a room with these great minds and coming up with these great philosophies and looking down my nose at everybody else. I'm, I got my hands in the mud and that's what I like to do.
Amalia: I like it. Okay, so when you're so deep in the work, how do you find your peace? How do you take care of yourself?
Jace: I have a wonderful family.
Amalia: You do have a wonderful family.
Jace: I have a wonderful family, right? And they make sure if I don't take care of myself, they'll take care of me. But what I like to do is take a day a week and just kind of refocus. Just kind of let everything go, which is hard to do because life is 24/7. It’s ongoing. It never stops. But I think having time to just breathe. Having time to just rest, relax, restore yourself, and come back ready for the fight. [00:27:00] Because life is about the fight. And for me, I'm up for the challenge. I love the action. I love the fight. I love the challenges that come with every day.
Like, I don't wake up every day thinking I know the answers to anything, because I don't know what the day is going to bring. But then when the day comes, I want to be equipped and ready to go. I don't take a lot of vacations. I don't do a lot of that. But I do take a day a week, and I kind of unplug the best I can. And plug, make sure I plug very deeply into my family.
Amalia: I like it. Okay, so I want to move on a little bit to your work at The Residency. So you've been a teaching artist with The Residency since 2015, and you've really helped shape the program. What first drew you to that role, and what's your focus there now?
Jace: I think what drew me, ultimately, was one of the teaching artists asked me to come and visit. And said, hey Jace, they need to see somebody that looks like them, [00:28:00] that comes from the same neighborhood that they come from, that talks like them. And is an artist that is active, not an artist that used to do it.
Right. As an artist that is doing it. And so, I was called in by Erica Merritt, who was a teaching artist, one of the founding teaching artists for the residency, and she said, Hey, just come visit. And I said, I don't know. You know, the whole Macklemore thing, too, was like, I don't know. I don't want people to think I'm running off of his name because I don't need to run off of his name. Right. But the young people there were so excited to have an opportunity to get, to meet other working artists, to get opportunities they never would have gotten. So when I came to speak, it was interesting because I was like, I'm just talking. I'm just yapping. I'm just being me. And the young people asked me to come back.
Amalia: Oh.
So that's why I came back the second time. And when I came back the second time, [00:29:00] one of the co-founders was in the room with some media folks or whatever, and he stayed in the classroom, the whole class. Mm-hmm . And then when it was over, he says, man, have you ever thought about being a teaching artist?And I was like, no, I really haven't.
Amalia: Yeah.
Jace: Like this is what I do. I walked down the streets. I used to call it street church. I walk down the streets in the south end and just talk to young folks on the street.
Amalia: Mm-hmm .
Jace: Some young folks that people were scared to death of. This is my neighborhood. This is my community. I'm not going to be scared to walk in my community. And so, I was like, no. And he's like, you should apply to be a teaching artist here. And I was like, no. And I talked to some smarter people like yourself. And I got an opinion on it and everybody told me what they thought. My contribution could be, and I think the contribution outweighed what I thought people thought I was trying to leverage. I wasn't trying to leverage a relationship with Macklemore. I wasn't trying to leverage his [00:30:00] success to jump on the bandwagon. I was trying to leverage young people who look like me, who never got an opportunity to see somebody come from the same area that they came from. And quote unquote was successful in their journey. And so that's why I stayed as being a teaching artist and the smarter people I talked to like you and Z3 and David Pierre, and, uh, I think there was somebody else I'm missing, all said the same thing. Is this about building relationships with this Grammy award winning artist? Or is this about inspiring and showcasing to young people that look like you how important it is of the work and the words that come out of your mouth and the actions you take. And that outweighed everything.
Amalia: So what are some of the things that you've seen some young participants in the residency achieve? Or like, what is their experience like when [00:31:00] they sign up?
Jace: It's interesting because, you know, they all come in with this thing. I'm the best rapper, right? Everybody's the best, everybody's the best there. I'm the best producer. And they get in a room with 30 plus other young folks and they go, Oh, you mean that you're talented? Like I didn't, Oh, and you're, so now they're challenged by just the, the cohort that they're with. And they have to step up or they will get smashed. Yeah. That's the one thing about hip hop that I love. It's like it's healthy competition. I know it's been turned into a lot of other things with the defs and the beefs and all of that, but the healthy, healthy competition was almost like. When you're on a team, and you go to practice, and you challenge each other, so when you get to the game, it's easier. You're not thinking, oh, they're just gonna let me pass. No, they're gonna challenge me. And so it was the same kind of thing with hip hop, right? We were doing healthy ciphers and challenging one another. [00:32:00] So now they get to have this experience for four weeks. And they're meeting all these other great artists and they're going, this is great.
Oh, that vocalist right there. Oh, you know, oh, she just, or he just blew my mind. That producer, she's incredible. I would never think I'm looking, I'm, you know, I'm judging people, I'm sizing them up. And so after they have this experience, what the beauty is, is that they learn the power of collaboration, how working together doesn't make you weaker, it makes you stronger.
Amalia: So besides the cohort of coming together, What else do young people who go through this program receive as part of the residency?
Jace: They receive a community that they may have not known was out there. Sure. You hear that a lot. I didn't even know there was other young people out here doing it.
Amalia: Yeah.
Jace: They receive the support of the residency and the resources that we have, whether it's performance opportunities or you're going to college or, you know, you need a [00:33:00] scholarship, we do that. Mentoring sessions, free studio sessions, um, workshops around what the industry is publishing and, and, and, and, and how to register your work, how to copyright your work. They receive an opportunity. We did flyaways. Where some of them have never been outside the city and we take them to another city and they get to meet other young people and see what's going on in those cities. But more importantly, they receive value. They receive and understand that they are contributors to something that is bigger than just them in their bedroom.
Jace: Yeah. Or them in the street corners. And I think that that makes them understand they are a business.
Amalia: Yeah, and access, right? Yeah. I think that's something I've, I've always thought about when I was younger and even now it's like, I don't always know if somebody could just show me how to do this one thing, I could do it, but I don't even know where to access this information or [00:34:00] where to start.
Jace: Where to start.
Amalia: Yeah. So the fact that you're giving them this access so young, and I have to say, I've been to a few of the fundraisers and the shows and, you know, other events for the residency, and Without fail, they show up for each other, and I think that is a testament to your leadership because you are showing them to show up for each other.
Jace: Absolutely. Yeah. One of the young people said it the best. This isn't a me thing. This is a we thing, right? It's not about when I come to the residency, we come with this solo mentality, and then we learn how important turning that M upside down to a W is. It's so important to the success of me as an artist, because now I have all this other access, all this other resources, opportunities that come, we pay them to perform. We make sure that, you know, they're treated as professionals when they come in room, but they also prepare that way. They [00:35:00] go through rehearsals, they go through trainings, they go through all the necessary things. So when they do show up, They show up ready, prepared, primed, and are going to give you everything that they have from their soul, to their heart, to their head, to the actual presentation in front of the audience.
Amalia: Yeah, it's pretty inspiring to watch. I mean, it's very brave.
Jace: It is very brave. Yeah, it's brave.
Amalia: Okay, before we wrap, I want to know if there's anything new you're working on that you want to share with us. What should we be looking out for from Black Stax?
Jace: Well, Black Stax is on a journey. We took 2024 to create some new music with some producers.We work with a producer in France called DJ King Flo. So we're doing a project with him. We've done some collaborations, Tiske Sanka. We're working with a producer out of Ghana brainy beats. So we're trying to expand our international touch. There's an artist named Jupiter that we're going to do some collaboration with [00:36:00] out of Africa. That's doing some really great stuff. So look for an album from Black Stax in 2025. Look for Black Stax back on the road internationally touring in 2025. Look for Black Stax to incorporate some of what we've built that will incorporate young people. Um, they can have this international experience.
Amalia: Yeah.
Jace: Look for maybe some more plays from Black Stax.
Amalia: Oh, I like it.
Jace: Felicia Loud is definitely back in the theater, which I love.
Amalia: Okay, now what about you just as an individual? What's next for you? Whether it's the residency, your music, your community work?
Jace: Well, you know, I'm gonna be with the Residency as long as I can, you know, make a contribution. More work for TVA, more work with the Residency, continuation with Black Stax, my family is growing, my youngest is about to have a little boy. I want to do a little more international traveling. I think that's [00:37:00] important to get out of your comfort zone and then to come back and bring what you've, what you've experienced back to everyone to show them that the world is so beautiful and it's so vast and there's so much that's being offered in the world.
Amalia: What I love about Jace and about Black Stax and Felicia is that their sense of community is really purposeful, but they also understand that they play on a global stage. So they're not playing so small in the sense that they're only staying here, they're going out in the world. And they're bringing back everything that they learned back into community to help support whatever's next for those around them. You know, and that sense, that privilege of being able to think big and small really does help you create the whole damn pie.