Known for spearheading the Jazz-Hop genre, Kero One, a San Francisco rapper/producer/DJ, stands as a testament to the do-it-yourself success story. Using only his homemade studio and personal credit card, Kero One pressed and released his first 12” record Check the Blueprints in 2003 on his own imprint, Plug Label. Without any experience as to how he should distribute his new record, Kero One spent endless hours researching, cold calling, and seeking help from friends. Of the 50 copies that were eventually distributed around the world, one landed in a tiny record store in Tokyo, Japan.

Read more about Kero One on Last.fm.