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Jak describes himself as a Jack of All Trades and a "creative colossus".
An ex-model, one of the most successful with dreadlocks (he is an
ex-Rastafarian), Jak has been involved with the music and theatre
industries from a young age.
When he left school he joined a boy band called Stigma, and, after
this, moved into working with producer Jazzy B, and playing keyboards
for Seal and Elton John. He sings, raps, plays the piano, and was
the in-house sound engineer at Ronnie Scotts for three years.
Once his first child was born, he left the music business in search
of a "sensible job" and went to university in London to study social
work. He finished with a qualification to practice social work and
started working with disillusioned kids.
He found that many young black boys did not identify themselves
as Black British, but instead tried to act as Yardies or as Americans.
So, Jak, unable to resist his creative drive, devised an educational
board game - which has now been sold around the world in three different
versions, called Nubian Jak, which is all about black identity.
The game is hugely successful, having broached a niche market and
has outsold Monopoly and Trivial Pursuit combined in some
outlets.
Jak has since secured a US publishing deal with Harper Collins
for a book called Nubian Jak's Book of World Facts. The book is
scheduled for release in 2004.
Jak lives in Chiswick and is currently buying a house in Marble
Arch. He has a fiancé and three children aged 12, 5 and 6
months. He still mentors young disadvantaged kids twice a week.
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