Peter Jackson is really doing his thing out there in the game. He’s currently on tour with Leondro, and they’re tearing the stage up out in Canada right now. We caught up with him a few days before the tour jumped off to talk about what he had in store, as well as the empire he’s currently building. He’s breaking so many boundaries in hip-hop, especially with this tour, where’s he’s basically performing an all new project that no one has heard yet. He talks all about that project and more in this exclusive, titled MARRIED to SUCCESS!
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s amazing that you’ve taken time out to talk with us. We appreciate you. How’s everything with the tour?
Peter Jackson: Good. I’ve been going through my set, and I’m getting ready to go to rehearsals. It’s a new thing for me with the music because we reached a lot, and did things different with recording and the people we brought in to help us produce and build these records, so the performance stuff is a lot more in depth for me. Sometimes as a rapper, there’s not much going on when somebody is on stage. We took it to a whole new level. It’s been grueling behind the scenes.
U.G. Digital Mag: How much do you actually put into preparations? Is it a full set-up, or how does it go for you?
Peter Jackson: I’m doing 300-800 capacity. It’s my first headlining gig in Canada, so it’s really big for me. A lot of times, I go out with bigger artists in Canada, usually like Snoop, French, or Akon. This is different because it’s me. It’s naturally a longer set for me, and a lot more of my people are involved. I’m rehearsing a few hours a day. Married to Success is basically a new project for me, so I’m going out performing something that nobody had ever heard. I’m going out to break the records differently. I’m building these records to see what people think, and then put them out. It’s a different concept but I know how important the live show is. In the new year, I’m doing 45 shows with Riff Raff. I’m using this run to get ready for the states.
U.G. Digital Mag: Why is it called Married to Success?
Peter Jackson: At this point, I’m young, and I’m married with 2 kids. Both kids are under two years old. I do a lot of behind the scenes stuff with music in Canada as well. For me, it’s been a way of life. It’s how my family eats. I went broke to rap and I stopped everything else I was doing. It’s like I really put everything into this. It’s like marriage. It’s different nowadays, and people make jokes about it, but marriage is a serious thing. It’s like, I’m European, and my whole culture is about family. My whole upbringing is about family and taking care and providing. The whole stature of being married, to me, is like what I was doing with music.
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s good to make that comparison. It’s great that your family is behind you. You lend a lot of credibility to the idea of having a family, but being able to have this type of career as well. You can be successful in your dreams. That’s major.
Peter Jackson: My wife and I have known each other since we were 14. We weren’t together at 14, but she’s been there since then. She’s watched me come up and she has seen the grind. The commitment you make together in marriage is the most serious commitment you can make because you’re building something. You’re building a family. The amount of jobs and people that work in my situation is the same, but it’s in a different light.
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s a good story for people too see.
Peter Jackson: I appreciate that.
U.G. Digital Mag: Take us back a bit to your journey as a whole. You’ve opened for some of the biggest rap stars, including 50 Cent, Waka, French, Jadakiss and the Lox who you also collaborated with. Snoop is out in Canada right now with Young Khalifa. Obviously you’ve connected with him in your journey. The average person can’t sleep on that. It speaks tremendously to your credibility and what you do as an artist.
Peter Jackson: I appreciate that. When I was young, my first big show I did, I ran it myself. Sometimes its hard to get opportunities. What we did was we booked a show at a club that we used to go to all the time. I bussed about 600 people from my neighborhood to the club. We realized that night that this was a business. There’s a lot that needs to be done. We took that, and somebody put me on a show with Jadakiss. I basically sold out the show with them. Of course it was Jadakiss’ show, but we sold tickets. We were putting in work at a young age. That led to a booking agent coming to me, asking if I wanted to go on a tour with Joe Budden, Royce Da 5’9”, D12, and a Canadian artist named Classified. This was like when I first started. It stemmed from there. I have a big part in a booking agency out here now. I’m one of the owners, but it started from running shows, to artists coming to my company when they come to Canada. Everything took a full circle where I can create opportunities for other rappers in Canada. It came from doing good business. I’m a great rapper but I’m an amazing businessman. We turned a hobby into a job for so many people.
U.G. Digital Mag: I love that you speak of turning a hobby into a career. That’s the whole story behind this magazine, me doing radio, and so on.
Peter Jackson: My DJ, who was my best man at his wedding, and I was the best man at his, he’s the music director at Virgin Radio in Toronto, and he started as a Reggae Soca DJ. That’s what he did, that’s what his dad did, and now he’s on one of the biggest stations in the country, he’s a music director, and a Veejay. We went from making nothing to this. The thing about Canada is we are behind on the music infrastructure. Drake blew the doors off for us. A bunch of people were coming through. He has created probably 2000+ jobs here.
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s good to hear other artists acknowledging Drake, and other artists in general. You don’t see it a lot.
Peter Jackson: No, because most people aren’t good in their own situations. How can you give somebody else props if you’re not good in your own light? I’m good. I got love for him, and vice versa. And there’s others who came before him, like Maestro, and so on. He is setting it up for those behind him. Like two kids just got signed to Def Jam from Toronto. Other artists are booming. Toronto is one market. It’s not a whole country. There’s a bunch of markets, but he’s opened the doors, and he’s giving me ideas too. He’s creating a blueprint the same way we are.
U.G. Digital Mag: I love talking to you for your insight. This tour is going on, and ends on the 20th. You’re doing 45 dates starting next year. Where can everyone keep up with you, and stay posted on the tour dates?
Peter Jackson: Instagram, Twitter, and Facebook. I’m touring from January 10 through March 3rd. Then we’re going to Europe. Riff Raff has been amazing with me. We have 3-4 records together. We have a good relationship, and we’ve built so much together. I just recorded a new project called Married to Success. It worked out strange. I went to record an EP, and came out with 6 singles. I really have 6 of the biggest records I’ve ever had. I have a single and video out with Waka Flocka called “Havana”. It won video of the year over here. This new project is big for me. As an artist, I really got to say what I wanted. I got to portray it and put it out the way I wanted. I have a single with Tory Lanez coming. A lot of stuff going on.
U.G. Digital Mag: It’s amazing man. I’m looking forward. We’ll definitely stay connected. Any words of encouragement?
Peter Jackson: Really, the message is to push. I’m still building. I say I’m good, but for me it’s a continuous build. It really does not stop. My stage show is super tight, but I’m performing all new records, so I’m back at the drawing board. It’s not a hobby. This is a job, and it needs to be treated as such. The hood stuff is the hood stuff. That’ll get you what you think is respect, but it’s about much more than that.
