Icee Jake: Student rapper honored at Digital Arts Fest

Jacob Bragg’s budding music career is already racking up

Jacob Bragg records in his home studio, Beljum Studio.

 awards, but he’s trying not to let it go to his head.

Bragg will release his rap album, “Temptations,” in May, and he has won awards from both Columbus State and Berklee College of Music in Boston.

In addition to those accolades, the 17-year-old Columbus State student is hard at work learning the skill of music production. Even if he doesn’t end up famous, he’ll still have a job in the industry.

“I’m not trying to get famous. I just do music for myself and to help out other people,” Bragg said. “I do music because I can’t stop. If I do, I’ll go crazy.”

Bragg, who raps under the name Icee Jake, is a two-time finalist of Berklee College of Music and Essence magazine “Take Back the Music” Hip-Hop Song Writing Contest. He won the contest outright in 2006, then won second place in 2007 for his song “Lord Gave Me.” The 2006 win sent him to a five-week summer music program at Berklee, a program he plans to return to this summer.

Closer to home, Bragg’s song “Angel” was selected Best of Show in the Digital Music category at the first annual Columbus State Downtown Digital Arts Festival. The Digital Arts Festival celebrated music, art and film from Columbus State students working with digital media.

“Temptations” is Bragg’s third release since starting his home studio, “Beljum Studio,” in 2004. Although he’s still young, he said teenagers today face pressures their parents might not imagine. Young people today can make choices that screw up their whole lives, he said.

Those themes run through the whole album, he said. For example, the first song is “Temptations”—which leads right into the next song, entitled “Drama.

Bragg's third self-produced album, "Temptations," drops in May.

“People always talk about being at the ‘wrong place, wrong time,’” Bragg said. “I say, ‘With some of the stuff going on, when is the right time to be someplace?’”

Bragg, 17, attended Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School, but got his GED so he could attend college sooner. In his first quarter at Columbus State, he took Philosophy of Religion and Cultural Diversity, figuring those classes would make him a better songwriter.

He tries to soak up influences to improve his craft. Last year’s Berklee program helped him understand the structure of songs. Plays like “Jesus Christ Superstar” helped teach that music isn’t just songs, it’s emotion. And even bad rappers on the radio can teach some lessons.

This year was the first year for the Digital Arts Fest, and Bragg hopes it returns next year. The entries were impressive, he said.

“I underestimated Columbus State,” he said. “They really have a lot of talent here.”