Many of you may know Jack Zuckerman for his amiable nature, unique style, and flattering charm. Looking at Jack’s demeanor, his actions, and the way he talks, you’d think he’s a rap artist. And that’s exactly what he is, as he released his new album NO NOTHING on Jan 11. 

NO NOTHING features eight songs with a total run time of 22 min, so it’s easy to listen for those in a hurry. Because of its unique sound, it is also very relistenable, with tracks like THE GROUND and CEASE/DESIST being highlighted. For the sound, Jack says he took inspiration from JPEGMAFIA and BROCKHAMPTON, two experimental hip hop artists who are some of his favorites. 

The production on the album is excellent, but how did Jack learn to make tracks and orchestrate them? Jack is mostly self-taught but got his start at Boise High’s music production class, which he says was extremely helpful. Jack was able to put the album together in just about 15 hours of work over a couple of weeks, as he had many beats made at the beginning of the process. 

No album, or any art for that matter, comes to be without impediments in the creative process. For Jack, he already knew what he wanted to say in his lyrics prior to beginning production. His album reflects that, with clear opinions of discontent with the world around him. The sound is loud and angry at times, reflecting his feelings. But the biggest roadblock for Jack was trusting his ability and enjoying the songs after hearing them over and over again in production. Keeping faith in the tracks after they had been repeated so many times was hard for him. With this repetition and overexposure to music, cuts from the album were bound to happen. Jack says that there are five to six cut songs, which could reappear in later albums. 

On why Jack made this album, it’s simply for himself. There was some, but not an abundance of promotional material around the launch, with the Cease/Desist music video coming out six days before the album dropped. But Jack used this album as a diary for his thoughts and feelings. He had some things he wanted to say and he more than got his point across, not just with his words but with the tone of the album: angry, raw, and enthused.

NO NOTHING is quick to the point with its message, it doesn’t waste your time. The choruses are catchy and drive home the point of each song, serving as a resting spot between each verse. Jack has pulled no punches with his first release, only expect him to be better in the future. Don’t be surprised if ODDSIGHT, Jack’s stage name, becomes an underground or even above ground hip hop star.