Photo: Getty Images
JasonMartin, also known as "Problem," and Glasses Malone are longtime friends who know the streets of Los Angeles like the back of their hands. When they got the chance to work on FX's "The Drop: A Snowfall Saga," the seasoned rappers couldn't wait to get started.
"It was a natural thing for us," Martin says. "It's network TV. It's a lot of rules, and we don't like rules. We're from the West. We don't really do rules, but this specific show was about what we actually derive from. That's the beginning of the West Coast explosion in music. So it was a natural fit."
Martin wrote the lyrics to the songs performed by the cast, including Artillery's "Back To The Hood," which is performed by Buddy, and Tip-Toe's “Ruff & Tuff,” performed by Symba. He also handles vocal production and serves as a creative consultant on the show. The 41-year-old artist got his start in the rap game by ghostwriting for other artists before he gained notoriety for his own music. He's worked with numerous West Coast legends along with other notable acts like Wale, Chris Brown, and more.
After writing for other artists and releasing his own music over the years, Martin says writing for characters like Artillery and Tip-Toe is easy. However, there's a key difference between writing for a TV character and cooking up lyrics for the biggest stars in the rap game.
"The biggest difference is that this has to be a certain way," Martin explains. "Where the other way I kinda can free flow a little bit. Because these songs have to lead to the next thing that happens in the story. These are brand new characters. A lot of these people on 'The Drop,' outside of Leon's character and Gail's character, we've never seen them. So it's fun. You can give them a little you. You can give them a little of [DJ] Quik, a little 'Pac, a little Ice Cube, a little whatever it is that you think is gonna complete it."
Meanwhile, Glasses Malone, an accomplished rapper who's been in the game for over two decades, originally signed on as a cultural consultant for the show. After spending some time behind the scenes, the 47-year-old artist was eventually forced into his debut acting role as "Voltron," a character who was inspired by his OG who passed away when he was younger.
"I wasn't gonna do it," Glasses says. "The consulting part is how they got me in. The writing part became the bonus, and being in a room with a bunch of really great storytellers. I never wanted to act before because I never knew what it was about. I knew it was more than just bulls***ting. So then when opportunity presented itself, because I was laughing at certain people that was sending in their cast tapes. They was sending in the casting calls and they couldn't do certain things that was supposed to be indicative of a gang member. And they was like, why don't you do it?"
JasonMartin and Glasses Malone may have minor roles in front of the camera, but their work behind the scenes is what helps make "The Drop: A Snowfall Saga" one of the most popular television shows right now. The spinoff of FX's "Snowfall" stars Gail Bean, Isaiah John, Asante Blackk, Peyton Alex Smith, Simmie Sims III a.k.a. Buddy, and more. The soundtrack features all the show's original music as well as other contributions from Snoop Dogg, Kendrick Lamar, and others. Tune in to new episodes every Tuesday until the season finale on October 27.
Watch the entire interview below.