Jake Gusto’s unconventional foray into music began while pursuing a pre-med degree at the University of Minnesota in 2013. After witnessing the success of college rappers such as Sammy Adams, Huey Mack, Asher Roth, and Hoodie Allen, he began to envision a future that veered from the scientific realm into an artistic one.
He dove in head first.
Jake Gusto built a home studio in south Minneapolis and simultaneously built his credentials. Rapping turned into recording. Recording turned into producing. Producing turned into mastering. This snowball effect continued until he began cutting tracks start to finish without an idea ever leaving his studio. What he lacked in technical training paled in comparison to a will to learn at whatever cost. This mentality blazed trails into design, photo, and film to supplement his music creation.
On March 25, 2016 Jake Gusto released his debut album “Borderline”. Criticized as being underproduced and underperformed, the album failed to obtain backing by a prominent marketing outlet. “Borderline” floundered, selling a total of just under 50 copies in nearly six months. What Jake Gusto believed would be a long-time coming success story soon revealed itself as a painful shortcoming.
Jake Gusto moved to Los Angeles shortly thereafter and his homegrown fanbase (“The Gusto Gang”) continued to gain momentum. The release of his Youtube web series “The Epistudio Series” alongside various social media campaigns saw the growth of his online presence and sequential rise of Spotify and Apple Music streams.
On Dec. 21, Jake Gusto returned home to 7th St Entry for "The Homecoming Show": his first return to Minnesota (and first show) since departing earlier in the year. That night he debuted a dynamic solo set featuring live instrument and production aspects to showcase his focus on songwriting in addition to lyrical technique and creative wordplay. This live blend further cemented his niche in the hip hop genre.
2017 marks a growth year for Jake Gusto as he begins to refine his sound building off the foundation of his 2016 debut. To that end, his second project (tentatively titled the "Home - EP") is slated for a mid-summer release and features a painstaking attention to detail blending acoustic, hip-hop, and electronic elements. The EP aims to detail the challenges and sacrifices of an independent artist while showcasing the pursuit of becoming the next self-taught industry juggernaut.
Contact
email: jake@jakegusto.com
cell: (651)319-2629
“In comparison to the hard-to-follow Busta Rhymes style raps that hit the rap and hip-hop world now a day, Gusto’s music is like a breath of fresh air... His real, in your face lyrics send the message loud and clear about what truly matters.”