MATT GUNDRUM / STOUTONIA
Matt Gundrum —
Jacob Docksey, a student at the University of Wisconsin–Stout, has two passions.
First and foremost, Docksey is a visual artist. He’s an avid painter who studies studio art. But Docksey is also a musical artist. He raps under the moniker Stereotype and enjoys freestyling; consistently showcasing adept lyricism.
These passions coalesced on Getting Thru: a Hip-Hop album reminiscent of hip-hop’s golden age conceived in St. Paul, Minn. by rap duo Tru Colors. Docksey was featured on two tracks and created the album’s concept art.
Thomas Coughlin, one-half of Tru Colors, grew up with Docksey in the Chippewa Valley. The two became friends as they found commonalities in their love for hip-hop throughout the latter half of high school.
“We started freestyling and writing,” said Coughlin. “From there I started acquiring equipment to make instrumentals we could rap over. I was spending any and all free time I had making beats, freestyling, or writing. We were living the Hip Hop lifestyle.”
Coughlin went on to study music production at the McNally Smith College of Music in Saint Paul, and it is here where he met his Tru Colors cohort, Samuel Silva, who is originally from Kissimmee, Florida.
“We started rapping together at parties and open mic from time to time and we ended up writing a Hip Hop album,” said Silva.
This hip-hop album became Getting Thru.
“The goal was to keep the music as raw as possible; writing what we feel and how we perceive the world around us in this current state of being,” Silva added.
Docksey had done music artwork for Silva in the past and had a close, musical relationship with Coughlin, so, naturally, he became a part of the album’s artistic vision. Docksey lent his rapping persona Stereotype on two tracks and created the album cover.
“The artwork to me is a visual metaphor for standing out in a crowd of clones,” said Docksey, explaining the album art of Getting Thru. “When I hear Tru Colors, it’s reminiscent of ‘90s golden era Hip-Hop with more relevance to today’s culture. Hip-Hop and rap have become flooded with the use of the internet, so to hear something absolutely genuine and new is a rare thing.”
Although music and visual art are his passions, Docksey feels like he has more to offer with the latter. But, regardless of medium, Docksey simply wants to create.
“Creating is a biological and primitive expression for human beings. It is a form of play, and as we evolve our expression becomes more complex,” said Docksey. “I believe art has the power to help people slow down and breathe if they allow their distractions to dissipate. I don’t believe its way of changing the world is a direct thing, but something that travels through people and transforms into something else positive.”