By Scout Nicholson / The Jambar
A JBL speaker and a dream were all Boardman-based social media personality Jacob Latessa needed to make his name known in Youngstown.
Latessa is known in the area for his eccentric pop-up events where he’ll show up somewhere unexpectedly — whether that be a festival or a restaurant — and begin to sing and dance. Latessa said sometimes he gets kicked out, and sometimes he doesn’t — it’s all part of the risk.
Latessa said the idea came to him in 2024, which led to his first performance at the annual Mt. Carmel Festival in Lowellville.
“I had this crazy outfit on and a masquerade mask and everything. The song was actually ‘Karma’ by JoJo Siwa. So, I walked in there, and I started doing my thing, and this group of people started circling around me,” Latessa said.
That performance, Latessa said, kick-started his career, and people started reaching out to him to perform at a variety of locations in the area. He has performed at the Eastwood Mall, private parties, school pep rallies and Penguin City Brewing Co.
Latessa said he has always been into performing, and took a lot of inspiration from singer-songwriter Michael Jackson as a child. The influence still translates into his performances today, which often features a singular glove on his right hand like Jackson sported.
Latessa’s reason for his performances is to show people not to be afraid and do what they love, no matter what people say.
“It’s not just about me. People think it’s all about me and stuff — it’s not. I like to inspire others to not be afraid, and go out there and do what you love, and don’t be afraid to do it,” Latessa said.
Latessa is open to being his authentic self, and while some may criticise him or his performances online, he said he doesn’t let it upset him.
“There’s always going to be haters, no matter who you are,” Latessa said. “But, it doesn’t bother me a bit because, if you comment on my posts and say stuff, it’s like, you’re still giving me views. So, it’s just funny to me, how some people will backlash you and stuff, and like, they’ll be commenting on every single one of your posts, like you’re obsessed with me.”
One of Latessa’s slogans, “I do what they don’t,” appeared on one of his billboards in Canfield in 2025, which helped spread the word about his performances.
“I’m like, ‘What the heck am I going to say on the billboard?’ And so I’m brainstorming ideas, and I’m like, ‘Wait, I got a good idea. How about if I put, ‘I do what they don’t’ because I go to these places, and no one else does that. I sing and dance at the same time, and no one around this area does that,” Latessa said.
Latessa said his favorite performance thus far has been the Canfield Fair, which had one of his largest turnouts.
“That was crazy, the fair, because no one knew where I was going to be at in the fair. I told people I was going to be there, but I didn’t say what time and stuff. So I had like, about over 1,000 people waiting to see where I was going to be performing at,” Latessa said.
In addition to his pop-up performances, Latessa said he is currently working on his first batch of original music, with three songs set for release this summer.
“One is a sad song, and one is an energetic song, and one is a party song. The only thing I have to do now is put the music to all of them. After I do that, I’m going to release them probably in the middle of the summer this year,” Latessa said.
Latessa said in the next five years, he hopes to get recognized by a music producer to expand his career even further. For now, he will continue to perform across Youngstown.
Latessa will be performing from 6-8 p.m. July 2 at the Eastwood Mall.
Those interested in Latessa can follow him on Instagram at @jacob__latessa.
