By: Josh Kitchen / October 21, 2024
Cam Jacob’s journey through music is layered, passionate, and authentic - kind of like the harmonies he crafts. Growing up in Inglewood, Cam’s early years were shaped by a mix of gospel music and life in LA.
Jacob is an up and coming independent artist with a new project out, Tempus Noli Prohiberi. The record reflects not only years of hard work but also time itself—a theme that runs through the release both lyrically and in the journey it took to create. I caught up with Cam to discuss his path, his influences, and the story behind the new release.
Photo by: Pedro Salcito
How does it feel to release the new record?
I’m really proud of it. This project has been about three years in the making, starting right after I moved back to LA. Some of the songs were written as far back as 2021. There were periods where I couldn’t record because I was navigating financial challenges, but that struggle shaped the project. The fact that it took so long definitely influenced the final product.
Tell me about the album’s title.
Originally, I was going to call it Long Time Coming—because it took so long to make. But I still wanted to keep time as the theme, hence the hourglass on the cover. Tempus is Latin for time, and the full title is Tempus Noli Prohibere which loosely translates to "time doesn’t stop." I wanted the title to reflect that idea, even though there isn’t a perfect translation in Latin. Time keeps moving, and that’s the essence I wanted to capture.
It definitely fits the vibe. The dreamy rhythms, the vocals—it all feels connected. How did you develop your voice and sound?
It’s a mix of gospel music, Mariah Carey, house music, Miguel, and Prince. My mom was a gospel singer at our church, so I grew up in that environment. I didn’t listen to non-gospel music until middle school. I remember discovering Prince and being captivated by him. Over time, I blended those influences, especially in how I layer harmonies and structure my melodies. Miguel and Prince have been major inspirations, and I was really into Mariah Carey in high school, especially her vocal compositions. She taught me a lot about stacking vocals and composing harmonies.
You’ve been releasing singles from the project for a while—are you performing live? What’s next for you?
I’m planning to do more live performances, mainly open mics around LA. I want to perform at least twice a month and get a feel for how people respond to the music live. I’m also finishing up a new single. It’s different from anything I’ve done before—experimental, and a bit nerve-wracking, but exciting too. After that, I’ll be working on my third project.
Last question —if you could go back and give advice to your younger self, what would it be?
I’d tell myself to loosen up on planning. It’s good to plan, but sometimes things don’t go as expected—like COVID, which completely changed my trajectory. I’ve learned that everything happens for a reason, and the world keeps spinning no matter what. So, I’d say be present and don’t stress too much about the future.
Listen to Tempus Noli Prohibere below and follow Cam Jacob here.
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