LUMBAJAC presents… music in a timeline. One of Santa Ana’s original game players has come a long way from spinning records at house parties and spitting verses over beats. The funny thing is that no matter how far Jeremy Serrato’s career takes him, he still finds himself back where he started.
Jeremy, A.K.A. Lumbajac, is the consummate professional. His journey through the world of music and performing arts has blessed a man who turned a hustle into a skill and created a path to freedom of his expression.
Born just outside Lake Tahoe in the tiny town of Myers, Lumbajac moved to Santa Ana in the fifth grade and established roots in the hip hop culture deeper than a Chinese proverb. Lumbajac started gaining respect in the rap game during the late eighties rhyming and graphing art. Though rapping was what most g’s did, Lumbajac got his name by cutting the records as a D.J. because back then, not many people had a set of turn tables like they have access to now.
Magnum Loc, a long time buddy, came up with the name Lumbajac when they were very young because his boy Jeremy was so busy “chopping up the turn tables.” Being that he was a white dude, the name Lumbajac just fit and stuck.
Over time, Lumba started working with aspiring musicians and, of course, all his friends. Strong work ethic and diligent practice afforded him strong industry contacts from the start. Tapping into friends of family like Compton’s Most Wanted and K.M.C. (do your research), Lumbajac’s name started hitting harder than the SP12 that he used to bang on.
“The more equipment I came up on, the less time I spent outside of the studio,” he says.
Eventually, Lumbajac started getting heavy into the post-production aspects of the music. Learning from experienced industry engineers like Knuckles out of L.A. and John Vestman in O.C., his mixing got insanely better. And the better he got on the boards, the less he needed outside help.
“It’s all about relationships…” Lumba says. “Who you know and then you apply what you know.”
As the pattern continues, so does the evolution of his trade. While putting out records with talented rappers like Warbux (now BUX) and Reppond from Santa Ana, Jac needed graphics for the albums to be completed. So again, “out of necessity,” the path to righteousness led him through Photoshop and other graphic art programs. Spending countless hours learning how to design graphics created separation between him and so many other producers because now he could help artists in ways that no one else could manage, finishing the records.
Within a short time period Lumbajac became a beast as an executive producer. He was able to turn his and all other artist raps, lyrics and songs into fully distributable albums. By 2005 his name was a key component on most of the hottest hip hop records coming out of the O.C.
The evolution continued. As a recording artist, producer, and graphic designer, the next component that was needed to gain popularity was the music video. The audio component was under control but it still needed a boost to get him and his talent to the next level. Once again out of necessity, Lumbajac hit the tutorials and embedded himself back into the lab and in front of the computer. The audio needed a visual to stimulate the market contenders.
Although hard work and mass time was spent in front of a computer monitor, video production was a natural transition for him. Having a background in writing and digital graphic design and being in the “age of visuals,” the multi-media world was a venture that could be attained. Plus, affording music video production from outside sources quickly grew tiresome.
“This was another way to keep myself in the game,” he says. “I’m not going to be rapping records when I’m fifty”.
Going on four strong years of video production has brought a new light to the industry for Lumbajac. It has created a niche that enlarges his circle of relationships and again gives him the requisite that so many artists fancy. Mastering programs like After Effects for special effects and Final Cut editing software has made him the guy hip hop heads want to share their vision with. His concept treatment and original creative artistry has established MOTION SICK MEDIA (his production company) as one of the most sought after post-production companies in Southern California.
Keeping his contact list strong has helped Lumbajac the most. In a short period of time, his credits grew rapidly. Producing music for corporate commercials like Avis Rent a Car, All State Insurance and the Tyra Banks Show gave notoriety that was earned and well deserved. Hits like “2 g’s” from the Sumthing Wicked album got national recognition and created a buzz that was heard throughout the underground and up to the ears of the most recognizable names in urban music.
His recent works included the “Dime Piece” video for Lilana feat. Snoop Dogg and Twista’s latest smash single “Birthday.” He shoots in high definition in front of the green screen which enables him to remove the backdrop for special effects, though he admits he loves live shots the most. Get your lighting right and amazing shots can happen, he explains.
“These days it’s a level playing field with regards to equipment because all of the cameras and software are accessible and relatively affordable. So it goes back to creativity. Staying creative is the way to keep ahead of the game and not get you lost in the crowd”.
Lumbajac loves to help everyone around, admitting that it’s part of his success and failure. He still hangs with much of the same crew he ran with from the early times, and he often helps with strategies in the video production world as well, stating that it helps keep him from alienating himself from all the pure musicians and producers he has worked with for so long.
There are thousands of tutorials and formal classes to teach aspiring producers things that they will need to know but the trick is to “do something different with what you learned. Do your own thing. Just don’t quit your day job,” he says with a smile.
Lumbajac has always done his own thing but realizes that “it always comes back to the music.” The future looks bright for this family man and musical virtuoso. New score production and dabbling into short film direction are in the plans as well as serious marketing strategies to build on his eminent momentum with Motion Sick Media. Check out his visual portfolio by going to VIMEO.COM/MOTIONSICK.
“Adapt and be creative” is Lumbajac’s motto but his lead is what the game should plan to follow.
