Combining Sensibilities of Michael Jackson and Stevie Wonder: Meet the Next Music Sensation, Jacobi
Born and raised in Alabama, Jacobi has always had a strong love for music. Growing up singing in the church is how this R&B crooner developed his singing craft. He discovered a love for R&B music at a young age. One of his biggest musical inspirations, Michael Jackson, is one of the reasons he wanted to become an entertainer.
Jacobi knew he was destined to become a performer. He soon developed a desire to learn how to play the piano and began playing at the age of 15. From then on, he started playing the piano for church and local groups. He began writing his own songs as well, in hopes of making a career out of music one day. Toward the end of 2010, Jacobi began recording and uploading cover videos to YouTube, in hopes of getting discovered somehow.
In September 2012, Jacobi released his first EP entitled “The Art of Persuasion”. Since the release, Jacobi has been performing to build his fan base. 2014 was a successful year for Jacobi. In April 2014, he sang live on Steve Harvey’s morning radio show. He was a finalist in the “Sing Your Way to the Neighborhood Awards” contest and won first place in round 2. In June 2014, he was the opening act for recording artists Marsha Ambrosius and Chrisette Michele. In July 2014, Jacobi won Coca-Cola's "Melody Refresh Singing Contest" at the Essence Festival in New Orleans and got the chance to sing the Coca-Cola jingle on the main stage of the Superdome with Tyrese. This marked a major milestone in his career. Most recently, Jacobi had the pleasure of opening for platinum recording artist Monica in Atlanta, Georgia.
In late 2016, Jacobi moved from Alabama to Los Angeles to pursue music full time. Since the move, Jacobi has been working nonstop. In January 2019, he landed a role as singer/actor in Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Farewell Play Tour”. This role was Jacobi’s biggest achievement to date. In November 2019, Jacobi released his second EP “Revisions” and will soon be headed back out on the road to finish off the “Madea’s Farewell Play Tour”. Jacobi has no plans of stopping any time soon!
We were excited to interview this rising music star. Learn more about Jacobi below!
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What drew you into the music industry?
Simple. My love for music and singing. I’ve been singing since I was about 6 years old and I fell in love with music soon after. I can’t imagine doing anything else. I worked as a computer programmer for 6 years and I felt so unfulfilled. I ended up quitting that job and moving to Los Angeles to pursue music full time and haven’t looked back since. No matter how much I sing/perform, I NEVER get tired of it. The way music makes me feel is the feeling I want to give to others with my music.
Who are some of your artistic influences?
There are so many artists who have influenced and inspired me. My biggest influence is Michael Jackson. He is one of the reasons I wanted to be an entertainer. The way he captivated an audience whenever he was on stage was so inspiring. Others include Stevie Wonder, Whitney Houston, Aretha Franklin, Usher, Beyonce, John Legend.. you know, the greats!
What are some of your recent career highlights and performances?
My most recent career highlight was securing a role in Tyler Perry’s “Madea’s Farewell Play Tour”. It was my first acting role so I was beyond thrilled and ready for the challenge. Not only did I act in the play, I sang as well which of course was perfect and ideal for me. I toured with the play for 5 months (January 2019 - May 2019) and it was an incredible experience. I met some incredible people as well. Being on stage night after night in front of thousands of people was so exhilarating. During this 5-month period, I learned a lot about myself as a person and an artist.
What is your next/current release?
I released my new EP “Revisions” about a month ago and it’s available on all digital platforms! I wrote a few songs last year and then the title and the concept just came to me and I built around that. Revisions to me is about making changes for the better. Making improvements. Whether it’s your career, your relationship, your living situation, your mentality and outlook on things, whatever. Just as long as the changes you are making are for the better. Also, doing what needs to be done to insure that YOU are happy with YOUR life.
Do you have a favorite memory from the earlier part of your career?
I do. One of my favorite memories is Essence Festival 2014 in New Orleans. My friend and I went just to experience the festival and to see Prince who was performing on the main stage. Little did we know, I would be performing on that same stage that weekend. While we were at the festival, my friend saw that Coca Cola was having a singing contest and she encouraged me to sign up. I did and ended up winning and got the opportunity to sing on the main stage of the Superdome with r&b singer Tyrese! There were 50,000 people in the audience and I felt the energy from every last one of them. It was such a rush. That was by far the biggest crowd I had ever been in front of and the biggest highlight of my career at the time.
What are your dream projects for the future?
I would love to tour the world, performing my songs, whether it’s my own tour or I’m opening for one of my favorite artists. I would love to collaborate on some tracks with some of my favorite artists of today. I would love to perform on Saturday Night Live (love that show) and award shows (AMAs, Grammys, Billboard Awards, etc).
What else should we know about you?
I’m a very positive person and I try to spread positivity in my every day life and with my music. If can inspire only a handful of people, then I feel like I’m doing my job.
Follow Jacobi at the links below to check out more of his work! We can't wait to hear what else he has in store for us.
Revisions EP: https://ffm.to/revisionsep
YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=12bQWEnDuRw
Website: https://www.jacobimusiconline.com/
