Qa'id Jacobs Biography

In high school Qa’id began writing creatively for numerous school publications. During his senior year in high school he participated in an experimental program which enabled him to focus exlusively on the study of Hip-Hop culture. Through this “Focus Program” Qa’id discovered not only the value and merits of Hip-Hop culture and music, but also the intrinsic value and beauty of all types of music. At George Washington University Qa’id spent his freshman year without any particular academic direction. Taking courses in Jazz History and Art History, DJ’ing for a weekly Hip-Hop radio show, writing album reviews in the school paper, and taking part in the Urban Art Family, Qa’id began to center his life around music. Recognizing better opportunities existed in other cities, Qa’id transferred into the undergraduate Music Business Program at New York University. Upon arriving in New York, he landed a marketing job in the Urban Music department of BMG Distribution. After a term of more than a year with BMG, Qa’id acquired the title of Music Specialist and Freelance Researcher at now-defunct Internet-consumer based research firm, FINDOUT.COM. Following his FINDOUT.COM experience, Qa’id took up an internship at Universal Distribution concurrent with a position at N2K, Inc.’s JazzCentralStation.com. Now in his Sophmore year, Qa’id holds the presidency of the Music Business Association (a student group dedicated to exposing the student body to Music Industry Professionals through seminars, panel presentations, workshops, and showcases), maintains the position at N2K, and has been hired as a Network Administrator for Putumayo World Music. Musical interests in order of priority include Hip-Hop, jazz (leaning toward fusion and funk), and Cut & Scratch (turntablism). Desert Island Picks 1. Nas, Illmatic 2. Herbie Hancock, Headhunters 3. Ahmad Jamal, The Awakening 4. The Jungle Brothers, Straight Out the Jungle 5. Horace Silver, Further Explorations of the Horace Silver Quartet 6. Company Flow, Funcrusher Plus 7. The X-ecutioners, X-pressions 8. Various Artists, The Jobim Songbook (Verve) 9. Tribe Called Quest, Midnight Marauders 10. Boogie Down Productions, Ghetto Music: The Blueprint of Hip-Hop 11. Boogie Down Productions, By All Means Necessary 12. Art Blakey, The Jazz Messengers (Columbia) 13. Lee Morgan, Leeway 14. Carlos Garnett, Fire 15. Organized Konfusion, Stress: The Extinction Agenda16. The Headhunters, Survival of the Fittest 17. O.C., Word…Life 18. Gangstarr, Step In the Arena 19. Sonny Rollins, The Bridge 20. Johnny Hammond, Higher Ground 21. The Awawkening, Hear, Sense, and Feel, All Music Guide