Jadakiss Explains How He Developed His Signature Laugh

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Legendz of the Streetz Tour Reloaded - New Orleans, LA
NEW ORLEANS, LOUISIANA - FEBRUARY 03: Jadakiss performs live during Legendz of the Streetz Tour at Smoothie King Center on February 03, 2023 in New Orleans, Louisiana. (Photo by Kaitlyn Morris/Getty Images)

Jadakiss' engineer urged him to keep the iconic ad-lib.

Even those who aren’t privy to Jadakisscatalog can detect his iconic laugh from miles away. The LOX rapper’s signature laugh became just as part of his music as his bars. Over time, it felt as though a song from Jadakiss isn’t complete if he doesn’t drop the iconic laugh at some point. However, many have wondered how this iconic chuckle came to be. During a recent interview, Jadakiss explained that it was largely due to his engineer at the time, who insisted that he includes it in his records.

Jadakiss recently sat down with the I Am Athlete podcast where he reflected on signing with Ruff Ryders. He said that the laugh was actually a technique that he used to clear his voice before he records. Due to his gravelly tone, the laugh would often help him approach the record with a fresh set of vocal cords. “I was recording some verses and my voice is so raspy sometimes, I’m clogged up, I would do that as a tension breaker to clear my throat and my voice before I’m about to do the verse,” he said.

Jadakiss’ Engineer Convinced Him To Keep Laugh

Jadakiss said his engineer,  Dragan ‘Chach’ Cacinovic, recorded him after they met through Ruff Ryders. However, when he let out one of his raspy laughs, Chach discovered a new sound that he needed to use in his music. “[I] never intended on him keeping it. So I do it, I get out to come hear the verse and he kept it!” he continued. “I’m like, ‘What’s that?’ ‘Nah, you gotta leave that.’ I’m like, ‘Aight.’ So then I just started doing it and people started loving it!”

There’s no doubt that Jadakiss’ laugh has formed a life of its own. The rapper said that even those that you wouldn’t suspect listen to hip-hop recognize him solely off of the laugh. “Aunties coming up to me in the morning, ‘Hey, ain’t you that boy who make that sound?’” he recounted. “Then it just became my signature trademark.” Check out the full interview above and sound off with your thoughts in the comments. 

About The Author
Aron A. is a features editor for HotNewHipHop. Beginning his tenure at HotNewHipHop in July 2017, he has comprehensively documented the biggest stories in the culture over the past few years. Throughout his time, Aron’s helped introduce a number of buzzing up-and-coming artists to our audience, identifying regional trends and highlighting hip-hop from across the globe. As a Canadian-based music journalist, he has also made a concerted effort to put spotlights on artists hailing from North of the border as part of Rise & Grind, the weekly interview series that he created and launched in 2021. Aron also broke a number of stories through his extensive interviews with beloved figures in the culture. These include industry vets (Quality Control co-founder Kevin "Coach K" Lee, Wayno Clark), definitive producers (DJ Paul, Hit-Boy, Zaytoven), cultural disruptors (Soulja Boy), lyrical heavyweights (Pusha T, Styles P, Danny Brown), cultural pioneers (Dapper Dan, Big Daddy Kane), and the next generation of stars (Lil Durk, Latto, Fivio Foreign, Denzel Curry). Aron also penned cover stories with the likes of Rick Ross, Central Cee, Moneybagg Yo, Vince Staples, and Bobby Shmurda.