By Danielle Ilag
*This interview is older and was in our Issue 65 magazine.
Jermaine “Mayne Zayne” Jackson, now better known as BLVK JVCK, is the Florida-based artist who was previously part of the production team, The Runners. After years of working with high-profile hip-hop and R&B artists, his creative vibe has now led him on his artist project making hoodstep music, a combination of hard bass music with hood music. While having experience with CDJs, he’s getting more confident in his skills after every show as it’s kind of like muscle memory.
Luckily for him, inspiration is found in all types of places. He loves working with songwriters as they come in with a theme or idea he can build on. He builds the production around that energy. BLVK JVCK has entered a new era in music and he’s continuing to create hit records alongside some of the biggest names in music.
While he started 2020 on tour, he’s dropping new singles every month all year long. You don’t want to miss out on BLVK JVCK. His biggest year is yet to come!
I grew up in Vero Beach, Florida. My mom is a preacher and I learned a lot about music in the church. When I was 15 years old she bought me a Korg Triton and I learned to make beats on it.
When I decided to start an electronic music project I wanted to come up with a dope name. Nothing was coming to mind, but then one night the name came to me in my dream. I woke up and wrote it down.
I just love to push myself when it comes to my creativity. I started in hip-hop and then slowly was inspired to create music for different genres. I wanted to be able to perform my music and EDM was the perfect way for me to accomplish that.
We shot it in my recording studio. We just finished construction on it and it has a dope vibe to it. When I put a set together I also try to bring as much energy as possible and I always keep hip-hop in the vibe.
Riot Ten reached out to me for a collaboration and said he could reach out to $teven Cannon for a verse! So, I sent over some hip-hop tracks I felt Steve could rip down! We got two songs back from Steve and one song stood out to me and Chris (Riot Ten), but we both felt that the production behind it could be so much better so we stripped it down and started going back and forth until we got what you know as “TikTok!”
Ya fasho. The original has to make me feel something. It has to inspire me. I also tend to pick songs that have a hip-hop vibe to them or that I feel would sound super dope with a hip-hop vibe behind them.
I have a crazy story about this song. I just finished a performance in Atlanta, and as I’m walking away from the DJ booth my videographer, Preme, started chanting “WHAT WHAT WHAT WHAT!” We looked at each other and said this is a crazy idea. I came back to Miami and built the song around the vocal idea.
I’m selfish when it comes to my music. I love all the songs!
By working in my studio because I set the vibe. I think being in my vibe brings out the best in me as a producer. I’ve been doing this for a minute and when it comes time for me to snap into the creative mode I can turn it on fast. It’s something I have perfected over the years.
It varies. Sometimes I start with chords or sometimes I will start with drums. An entire song can be built around one vocal idea. I just find something that spurs creativity and then I build off of it.
A healthy lifestyle. Good sleep and exercise go a long way. Early in my career, I would stay up for days in the studio, but it was counterproductive. It’s all about balance.
It definitely fucked up the touring element of my career, which sucks because that’s such an important part of this genre. As far as producing music, it definitely put me in heavy creative mode. Doing sessions with artists and writers has been more challenging because it’s risky being in small rooms with people and most people don’t want to travel down to Miami to work.
I wake up and work out. I have a home gym that I put in my garage because I’m not comfortable going to the gym. After I workout I spend time training my two dogs, Mango and Rambo. They are both Belgian Malinois. I have always loved dogs, but training them is something I really got into the last two years. Then I hit the studio and work till the evening.
With these two songs, I really focused on making something that’s catchy and has the potential to be a hit record. My entire career has been built around making massive songs and that was my goal with these two songs.
I think the most challenging part of the music business is dealing with people, but that’s something that can’t be changed.
When I listen to music now I kind of study it. I break down the song in my head. It’s harder to be a passive listener at this point in my career.
Keep giving them fire music and give them something to relate to. Everyone is going through tough times right now and music is a great way to help people stay in a healthy mental state.
Coachella’s main stage because Coachella brings together so many different types of music fans. It’s not just EDM fans that attend.
Besides the BLVK JVCK project, we started a new pub company and partnered with Warner Chappell. We are also looking to sign new artists and develop/break them.
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