With all of his many influences, DJ Toomp’s had a lot of firsts in his career and life – here, he shares five of them with AllHipHop.com:

First piece of advice that stuck:

“That came from none other than the legendary Betty Wright. She told me there are a lot of different things that can come right along with the good; just be on the lookout for that, and stay grounded. That’s something I got from her a long time ago. I don’t even think she remembers. Now she and I actually communicate often with each other. That was back in ’89 when I was down in Miami working with Luke, but I never forgot it.”

First hobby:

“That would be drawing, painting, and sculpturing. I still do some drawing, cartoon characters and what not. So I may take that to the next level sometime soon.”

First song that made you fall in love with music:

“Earth, Wind, & Fire, “I’ll Write A Song For You,” was it. My dad taught me how to sing when I was a kid, so I used to sit in the den and sing that record word-for-word. That’s when you’d print the lyrics out to every song. Falling in love with that song made me really start digging more into the crates.”

First Grammy nomination:

“The first one we got was for the record, “You Don’t Know Me,” which was me and T.I., of course. I was excited with just the nomination. It made me feel like, ‘Wow, it’s way bigger than Atlanta.’ I was wondering how everybody else took to our sound, because we really started here. But sometimes you’ll hear your record on the radio, you’ll see the video, but you still don’t know how many people really love what you do. Then something like the Grammys comes about. That’s when you really see, okay, it’s just not a Southern thing. You see you have people in the Midwest, on the West Coast, and up north loving the music, too. So when the Grammy happened, I was definitely excited.

First time finding a niche with music:

“I knew music was my niche when I started DJ’ing. Nobody really taught me how to do it, either. I just watched somebody do it once, and naturally knew I could do it, too. It was the same thing with music. I’m actually learning music theory right now. But I’ve been teaching myself everything else so far. Well, just me and God. It’s a gift. I had my first record with Raheem The Dream in ’85 or ’86, and the minute that record hit the radio and I got the reaction that I did, I knew I was on to something. Even my teachers at the time – I was in the 9th or 10th grade – was asking me was that my song. After that, I was able to charge about $100 more than the average DJ. So that’s when I really just started taking it seriously. I really saw a career at that point.

Tawni Fears is a freelance writer and contributor to AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@brwnsugaT).

Lesson #1: Learn From Other Legends

When I first got in the game, I came in as a DJ. I wasn’t really looking to be a producer. I didn’t even know what a producer was. Two of the first people that I met were Teddy Riley and Marley Marl. Both of them I met through Andre Harrell, so between the three of them, a huge impact was made. From the cultural sensibility of Andre, and the R&B and Hip-Hop sensibility of Teddy Riley, and the Hip-Hop sensibility of Marley Marl, I was learning so much. I was getting training from the top people in the field. That was instrumental to my career. The value can’t even be put into words.

Lesson #2: Use Music To Educate People

Both of my parents were teachers; my father is also a guidance counselor. Education was big with my family. I had a partial scholarship to college. I didn’t complete school, only because we got a record deal. But education was important, and still is. I’ve always been into music, but doing well in school was a passion as well. I value all of the other things that music gives you the leeway to push, be it community involvement, politics, or learning. I look for an intellectual discussion that’s going to move us forward in everything. I think one of the reasons I became a manager, A &R, and executive is because I saw a way to educate others. I also became a coach and a teacher in a sense. I did it so much that my company developed from it. I believe you can use music to get people to focus on, and further, the conversation on important issues.

Lesson #3: Never Lose The Memories

The way that our group was organized, a lot of people don’t know that me and Heavy D were actually partners; we were 50/50 partners. We talked a lot in the beginning because we made a lot of the business decisions together. The one thing that people didn’t know about Heavy was that he would never compromise his viewpoint or integrity. He would never do anything just for the money. If it wasn’t true to who he was, he wanted no parts of it. He would never do anything he didn’t believe in. Even if it hurt his finances, he focused on his legacy. Heavy was sometimes seen as difficult because he would do the right thing. He simply wouldn’t take the short cut.

Lesson #4: Appreciate The Difference In Then And Now

I started as a DJ, and I still DJ. So I love all music, as long as it’s good music. I’m not one of those guys who walks around saying the music now is not how it use to be. I feel there are great songs out now, as there were back then. With every generation, the music changes; that’s just how it goes. Someone will always see the changes as not being real music. At the end of the day, it’s about how the music makes you feel.

Great artists move you today just like artists did 10 years ago. As technology changes, problems will continue to arise. There used to be a filter. At one time, it cost a certain amount to even record. There was a financial barrier back then. You had to convince someone you were good enough for them to spend money on you so you could get in the studio. Now anyone can do it, so the industry is over-saturated. It’s quantity over quality. It’s not a matter of less music with substance, but a lot of junk blocking the good. More clutter, if you will. But still there are executives who find the stars. It’s a testament to the power of excellent music.

Lesson #5: Grow With The Art

Music is a lot easier to make now, but the work ethic shouldn’t suffer. Put the time into your craft – that’s what I tell new artists. But as the art form improves, the music will get better. The artists have to keep up with all of that, though. Growth should be seen on all ends.

Lesson #6: Define Success Yourself

Success is feeling good about what you’re doing. As long as you’re comfortable by your standards, that’s success. One person can make $10,000 and be happy; another can make $500,000 and be miserable. Back then, we counted every accomplishment on our journey, and we had fun while doing it. As you get older, the simple things matter more. I can look back and remember when Puffy lived with me; now look at him. It means more when you can see the progress and appreciate it. The struggle should make you value any amount of success you obtain.

Follow DJ Eddie F on Twitter (@djeddief).

Tawni Fears is a freelance writer and contributor to AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@brwnsugaT).

In the realm of music, 9^th recently released his third collaborative album with Buckshot, The Solution, and his fifth joint venture with Murs entitled The Final Adventure. The collective efforts spawned by each of the two MCs when working with the Jamla headman offer a similar goal with two very different final products.

AllHipHop.com recently talked with 9^th Wonder about music, education, and how the two provide valuable lessons for those wanting to learn from them:

AllHipHop.com: Musically you just released The Solution with Buckshot – this is the third one you’ve done with him. Every time I hear him on your production, it’s perfect because he fits so well with it. What makes you come together with him time and time again to put these out?

9^th Wonder: I just feel like it’s a brand of Hip-Hop that people want to hear, and it may not be for the masses so to speak and we’re talking about the general root of Hip-Hop anyway. It was never meant for the masses anyway so that’s what it is. There’s a certain amount of the population that want to hear the music that we make, and we don’t want to keep those people underserved. They’re underserved enough, and so that’s who we go for and we’re concerned about the 3,000 or the 300,000 that’s listening rather than the three million that’s not and that’s what keeps us happy, that’s what keeps us in the place of making the music that we want to make, and that’s what it’s all about. And that’s why we continue to do the records with me and Buckshot and me and Murs, too – same deal.

AllHipHop.com: How did you and Buckshot originally meet?

9^th Wonder: It was a series of people that approached me. The first person that approached me was Mr. Walt. Mr. Walt was the guy that contacted me outside of Duckdown, and then the next person to call me was (DJ Evil Dee), and then the next person to call me after that was Dru Ha, and then I remixed some songs with Dru Ha. That was in 2004, and we was like, “Man, you’ve just got to come down.” And so he came down, and we went from there.

AllHipHop.com: Right, and Jamla and Duckdown have always been intertwined especially with the Justus League. Earlier you mentioned Murs and you have the album with him that just dropped too, The Final Adventure. You have such a deep catalog with Murs as well, and it’s always dope, too. What are some of the distinctive qualities this one has from maybe the other ones you’ve done with him?

9^th Wonder: Um, you know it’s hard to say, I think that the distinctive quality that this album has is that Murs’ subject matter. If you listen to him through out the album, you can tell that he’s growing up, you know what I mean? 316, it was a harder record. It sounded hard, and what he was talking about was hard and some of the stories but now, like first he was saying “Walk Like A Man” and all that, but now he’s got the joint “Walk Like A Woman”. It’s showing his growth and that’s the difference.

AllHipHop.com: Something else that you are involved in is academia, and you teach through music and you teach how to produce as well. But teaching through music, do you think there is a need for an increase in music pedagogy in not just universities, but schools in general?

9^th Wonder: Yeah, but I think more so from a Hip-Hop standpoint is just the fact that the art taught people how to think outside of the box whether that be art class or shop or wherever, and it really just taught you how to think outside of the box. Instead of just learning a math problem and that was it, it taught people how to be creative and that always needs to be a part of it. Now if we’re talking about Hip-Hop history I think that’s something that really needs to be taught on a collegiate level only because we’re not talking about Hip-Hop and how to become a rapper or a producer, we’re not talking about that, we’re talking about a culture that has affected our society in the past 30 years, you know?

AllHipHop.com: Right and Hip-Hop is often times a subject that comes up during the course of teaching an African American studies course at a university, I know that firsthand. But I also think African Americans or anyone often times have to wait until college to learn at a major extent about the positive leaders and past that their culture shares and a lot of those leaders have been through Hip-Hop. Do you believe that is the case?

9^th Wonder: Yeah, I think it does but more so at Historically Black Colleges and Universities, they need to take pride and they need to take more of a leadership role in the teaching of it and the reason that they don’t is because most Historically Black Colleges and Universities are run by people who are from a different generation, so it’s hard to sell to them the fact that we need to learn about this culture on a university campus when the only experience of knowing about the culture is through the media; it’s just hard.

The media teaches you nothing about the culture; they teach you about everything else like society in America, but it doesn’t teach you about the actual culture of the people so that’s the whole tide and bind. It’s just trying to get those universities to understand we’re not talking about that; we’re talking about something else.

AllHipHop.com: Finally, what’s next for 9^th Wonder in your immediate future?

9^th Wonder: Well, you know, next year will be the first time that all of Jamla will become artists in the stores. We started out as free virals and then we went straight to iTunes with a few of us putting out hard copies but then next year all of us will have hard copies and that’s the gradual build that I wanted and that’s a program that a lot of artists can’t deal with. You gotta flow, and the end result will be a whole lot better and the end result just turns into a stones throw so that’s number one.

I’ll be releasing my compilation album, Dream Merchant Vol. 3, next summer, happy about that. I’ve got to do my colloquium talks in February at Harvard in front of a room; there’ll probably be some artists in there, but there’ll probably be a whole lot of people who don’t understand the culture. Everyone won’t enjoy [laughs]. So those are the three things I’m working on right now, but I’m working on the colloquium speech right now, man.

Check out 9th Wonder and Murs’ The Final Adventure HERE.

Check out 9th Wonder and Buckshot’s The Solution HERE.

And yes! We know we’ve selected just a few of the talented producers out there making dope music. So, these producers are listed in no certain order – check out our list of “5 Indie Producers You May Not Know, But Should”!

Khrysis

While the Hip-Hop heads may know Khrysis, much of the masses have not been properly introduced. Well, allow us to make the introduction! The best way to describe the magic that Khrysis is able to create is by simply saying the word blends. He is like a mad scientist in the lab when it comes to blending feel good, throwback melodies with cutting-edge percussion and other sounds that are perfect for when the party jumps off! There must be something good in that North Carolina water, as this seems to be a big part of that music scene down there, and Khrysis is no exception. The warmth of his tracks induce head bobbing from all within the listening area of his audible treats.

LexZyne Productions

How can you sum up LexZyne Productions in three words? Cuts, scratches, and blends! There is no denying that they are phenomenal at all three, but it runs deeper than that. The sound is decidedly Golden Era with a new millennium flair – a task many attempt but few actually accomplish. LexZyne pleases their listeners by bridging the musical gap between the generations. The Dallas Dynamo has a talent for creating what’s been missing, and allowing it to be fresh and new at the same time is superb. But don’t just take our word, have a listen to LexZyne Productions.

Dirty Joker

Hailing from Hartford, Connecticut, Dirty Joker has an ear. Plain and simple, he can take the most innocent track and dirty it up with percussion and strings, then slap it around with a few futuristic effects. The result is something amazing that sounds so current, yet still adheres to Old School principles. You can listen to a Joker track several times over, and still not pick up on all of the nuances laced throughout the piece. It’s those little discoveries that make the listener want to hear it again and again! Check out Dirty Joker.

Jinesis

Jinesis has the distinct knack for taking what’s comfortable and familiar, and making it something completely brand new and all his own! The New York City native is the definition of versatility, and he constantly creates tracks that allow artists to stand out while still keeping the listener caught up in the music. While this is what music is supposed to sound like, in these times, many artists are either overpowered by their music, or the music is reduced to a mere afterthought by the artists’ strengths or weaknesses. With Jinesis, that delicate balance of musical, lyrical yin and yang are accomplished with ease.

JayJosh

The Chi-Town sensation has the ability to hopscotch between different genres of music, yet is just as successful at blending those various types of Hip-Hop, R&B, and Reggae when such a mix is called for. His commercial sound is being found in places that range from the R&B Charts with Willie Taylor to Nickelodeon kids programming. But make no mistake, he is able to work both ends of the music spectrum without missing a beat or leaving the Hip-Hop heads out. Sample some JayJosh below.

Follow the producers on Twitter (@KHRYSIS @Jinesis @LexZyne @DirtyJokerzLLC @jayjosh).

Let us know who you think we should be checking out and featuring! Share the best beatmakers from your ‘hood in the comment section below!

The mix features a variety of MCs, including Sean Price, Torae, Soul Khan, Freeway, and more. Good stuff, E Holla! We’re thankful for you, too!

Download DJ E Holla’s “Thank Goodness for AllHipHop” Thanksgiving Mix

Tracklist

Intro
American Beauty Freestyle – Clap Cognac
Sinful Ways – Brown Bag AllStars (J57/Kon)
Rhett Committed Murder – BBAS (Audible Doctor)
Brown – BBAS (Soul Khan)
They Never Come Close To – J57 F/ Theroy Hazit
Truth Be Told – Apollo Brown & Guilty Simpson
On My Way Up – A.B. (M.B.C)
Danger – Journalist 103 featuring Freeway
Non Cypher – Torae
Bar Barian – Sean Price

Follow DJ E Holla on Twitter and Facebook.

Last month, the legendary producer teamed up with his son, P. For Real, to release a Hip-Hop comedy album entitled Negroes on Ice – once again showing that he’s not afraid of taking risks and trying something new.

AllHipHop.com caught up with Prince Paul and his son to talk about their new album and get yet another perspective on a successful father/son Hip-Hop collaboration (see also: Kid Frost’s Kid, Scoop Deville, Part 1 and Part 2). Read on:

AllHipHop.com: Prince Paul, it’s an honor to talk to you today. DJ P. For Real, hopefully you didn’t hear all of that stuff your dad was saying about you while we were waiting for you on the other line. [laughter]

Prince Paul: That’s OK. He’s heard it all before.

AllHipHop.com: Well, I don’t want you two beefing and making diss songs about each other. The last thing rap needs is a father and son diss battle! [laughter]

Prince Paul: Maybe we’ll team up and battle other father and son teams, like Master P and what’s his son’s name?

AllHipHop.com: Romeo.

Prince Paul: Yeah, Romeo. [laughter] That would be the most uninteresting battle ever.

AllHipHop.com: We don’t see too many father and son rap combos, but it’s nice to see whenever we come across it. Our site featured Kid Frost and his producing son, Scoop Deville, earlier in the year.

Prince Paul: It’s like all of the guys from the Golden Era are all old men now. I think what’s different with me and my son is that I don’t rhyme. He really doesn’t rhyme either. The first time he rhymed, I forced him to do it on this Negroes on Ice project. That was a painstaking process. We’re more like a production creative force.

AllHipHop.com: P. For Real, you followed your dad’s footsteps into the production side of things.

P. For Real: I grew up in the studio, so it was kind of natural. I wasn’t always nice. Not saying that I’m super-nice now, but I’ve figured things out.

AllHipHop.com: Your dad had a crib set up in the studio while he worked?

P. For Real: When he was working on The Gravediggaz album in the studio, he would be holding me.

Prince Paul: I remember I was working on Bulloone Mindstate with De La Soul – which we never completed together. I demo’d the album, but they completed it on their own. I was holding my son in the studio while sampling and blasting sounds at the same time.

AllHipHop.com: Did you ever think that your son would follow in your footsteps? Or did you have other hopes and dreams for him?

Prince Paul: I never really wanted him to follow in my footsteps, honestly. As a parent, your job is to project your children. The music business has so many ups and downs. When the getting is good, it’s good – but at the same time, when it’s bad, it’s bad. There are so many things that can happen. You’ve got to be strong, because feelings can get hurt when people diss you and use you. There are crazy women out there, drugs, and every possible thing. You look at your children, and you don’t want them to go through that.

When he started doing this, I really didn’t take it serious. I was like, “Yeah, yeah, whatever.” But I couldn’t stop him, and he kept going on with it, so eventually I had to pay attention and respect it.

AllHipHop.com: P. For Real, why did you follow in your dad’s footsteps instead of choosing another career path?

P. For Real: First, my dad is my role model and second, I love music. Watching him all of my life, I’ve always wanted to do what he did.

AllHipHop.com: But those are big shoes to fill. Your dad is a Hip-Hop legend, and with that comes high expectations. That’s a really big burden.

P. For Real: You have to create your own lane. If I try to make myself Prince Paul number two, then yeah, it is a big burden.

Prince Paul: Wow. You gave me some high praise. I got legendary status. I bet if you got on the phone with Skee-lo right now, you would say the same thing. [laughter]

AllHipHop.com: The “wish I was a baller” rapper? No, I wouldn’t call him a legend. I’d call him a veteran, but not a legend.

Prince Paul: That’s smart, but you’re a writer using words like “legend” and “veteran.”

AllHipHop.com: I feel it’s justified. You’ve got some great accolades and accomplishments there.

Prince Paul: I’m just happy to be somewhat relevant. When people don’t want to talk to you anymore, that’s when I get nervous.

AllHipHop.com: What I think is cool about you two is that I wish that I could have shared a Hip-Hop bond with my father. His genre of music was early rock ‘n roll, and although we shared a lot of love for music, we didn’t have a Hip-Hop connection.

Prince Paul: It was the same way with my father. We shared a love for jazz, but that was it. With me and my son, we love Hip-Hop, but there’s a lot of stuff that his generation plays that is crap. It’s garbage! Although we both love Hip-Hop, sometimes we don’t share the same tastes – if you even want to call some of that stuff Hip-Hop. [laughter] But he’s a lot savvier than a lot of friends his age, because he’s grown up on the old stuff. As far as today’s rappers, especially the ones that come out with one just one hit, I don’t know those too well.

AllHipHop.com: What about you, P-For Real? Is there anything about rap from your dad’s era that you can’t relate to?

P. For Real: I think all of that “yes, yes, y’all” is wack. The stuff that came out when I was baby like Public Enemy and LL Cool J, I like. When I was a kid, Nas’ Illmatic album was what my dad played every day when we got in the car.

Prince Paul: Curses and all. I didn’t care.

AllHipHop.com: Curses and all with your kid around? What was your reasoning for that?

Prince Paul: I was just playing hot music. It was a dope album. My son used to mimic The Beatnuts when I would play them in the car. I would also play De La Soul’s Stakes is High album, and I had nothing to do with it at all except for demo’ing it at the start. I thought it was a great album, and I would play it a lot for us. It was our bonding time together. What’s funny is that when P. For Real went down to Atlanta, his uncle took away his Nas album! [laughter]

P. For Real: He took my album away because there was cursing in it. That was wack.

AllHipHop.com: You two made this new Hip-Hop comedy album together. Was it a challenge working with you dad? Was he ever too hard on you?

P. For Real: There was always critiquing going on. This was my first time recording an album. There was a lot of stuff that I didn’t know about, and my dad would tell me to do it again. Plus, on top of the stuff in the studio, there were outside father and son things going on, too – like him asking if I finished with the dishes. [laughter]

AllHipHop.com: Were you hard on him, Paul?

Prince Paul: I think that my son had it easy. From my era, there are a whole lot of elements that come with paying your dues and earning your stripes. If you’re going to get in the booth, you’ve got to have some kind of talent, even if you’re my son. If someone is wack, they are wack.

This project represents me. I love my son, and I love the music, too. I have to make sure that whatever he does, it has to be to the best of his ability. I don’t know necessarily what his ability is, but as a producer, my job is to figure that out – even if that means making him re-record things over again. We recorded and re-wrote this album like a billion times. It’s still not what I hear in my head, but I know what his abilities are, and I have to respect that. Sometimes what I hear and what I want is probably out of this world. I’m a perfectionis,t unfortunately. That is a blessing and a curse.

AllHipHop.com: There used to be a lot of comedy in rap back in the day. Watching a few of the videos from your album made me very nostalgic of that time in Hip-Hop.

Prince Paul: That’s just who we are around the house. We joke around 24/7. Don’t walk into my house expecting to chill out and not get snapped on. Everybody has thick skin, and we laugh and joke. It was natural for us to do this kind of project.

P. For Real: Like he said, all we do is make fun of everything and each other.

Prince Paul: A lot of the humor on this record, some people get it and some people don’t. Some people that I’ve played it seemed like they didn’t want to be my friend anymore.

AllHipHop.com: Maybe they just expect the Prince Paul of old, and not the one now trying to do something different?

Prince Paul: Yeah, I’m doing something different. At the same time, have you ever watched “Adult Swim” late at night, and the comedy was awkward and different? And you wondered, ‘What the hell this is?’ That’s kind of like what this is.

AllHipHop.com: [Laughter] Maybe they just want your Gravediggaz stuff?

Prince Paul: I was talking to RZA just the other day, who happens to be on the record as well. I mentioned a new project that I wanted to work on with him. He didn’t give me a ‘yay’ or ‘nay.’ He gave me that basic, “Yeah.”

AllHipHop.com: Does that hurt a little?

Prince Paul: Nah, not at all. I’ve got a reputation that’s always left people wondering of what I’m doing. I did a skit on my last album Handsome Boy in which I had someone do an impression of RZA. He was on the album in one of the songs, but he didn’t know about the skit. While on tour, a kid approached him and told him that he was mad funny on the album. He thought the kid was talking about the song. Then finally he went back and heard the skit on the album and told me, “If it was anybody else, I would have had a beef with them.” He gave me a pass because I’m Prince Paul, and this is what I do. [laughter]

AllHipHop.com: P. For Real, I hope that you cherish this experience. When you have kids, you can show them this project that you made with your father.

P. For Real: Oh yeah, it’s a great bonding experience. He’s my best friend.

Prince Paul: Wow! That’s the first time I’ve heard that. I’ve got to give this interview props. This is something I’ve never heard before.

P. For Real: It’s a friendship and a bonding experience and (pauses), I really don’t know where I’m going with this.

AllHipHop.com: Do your friends ever try to get you to get a beat from your dad?

P. For Real: I’ve been getting that forever. It got worse when I got into a high school because that’s when people started to find out who my dad was. I would always get mixtapes from kids at school to give to my dad. I know my dad’s ear, so I knew what he would like and not like. I would listen to them first. It never made it past me if I knew that it wasn’t going to make sense.

Prince Paul: Oh, there was some crap that he brought me. I was like, “What is this? I can’t believe you are wasting my time.” But I’ve met up with some of his friends and suggested things and gave advice.

AllHipHop.com: What’s next for you Paul?

Prince Paul: I want to make a Prince Paul record. I haven’t made one in a real long time – a serious one. I’ve got so much music that I’ve saved up. I’ve got to put it out. It’s bothering me. I’m going to try to get that done and have it out sometime next year.

His readiness is even more apparent now that his new solo project has dropped, and in a recent meeting with AllHipHop.com, The Audible Doctor spoke on I Think That… and his feelings about stepping to the front of the stage on his own. He also promised he isn’t going to be “shutting up anytime soon!” Check out AllHipHop.com’s interview with Brown Bag Allstars member, Audible Doctor:

AllHipHop.com: Thanks for sitting down with us, Let’s just get right to it. This is your very first solo project on this side of the mic. How did it feel to create this project as a solo act versus as a member of a large group?

The Audible Doctor: Thank you for sitting down with me. It feels really good, but it’s also scary. I’ve been rapping longer than I’ve been producing, but this is really the first time I’ve stepped out on my own as an MC. It’s very different having all the creativity and all the content of a record resting on just your shoulders, but it’s something that I’ve been wanting to do for a while now, and it feels good to finally have the first project out. I hope people like it, because there’s a lot more on the way. I’m not shutting up anytime soon.

AllHipHop.com: Can you speak to the inspiration for this project and who worked on it with you, both the artists and producers?

The Audible Doctor: A lot of the inspiration for this record was just things that have been happening in my life and things I’ve been thinking about. There wasn’t any direct theme throughout the record, although you’ll hear me coming back to certain ideas and certain topics on different songs because I’ve been thinking about them a lot recently. Part of the idea of naming the project I Think That… is it’s really just a bunch of my thoughts put to music.

This was my announcement to the world that I rap as well as make beats, and a lot of the artists you hear on the project are people I’ve been working with in some capacity. I didn’t reach out too far for any special features; it’s mostly just family. I also reached out to a few people for outside production in an effort to try to get myself out from under that “oh he’s just a producer” shadow.

AllHipHop.com: What was the biggest lesson learned for you during this process?

The Audible Doctor: I procrastinate WAY too much [laughter]. I always knew that about myself, but I really stressed myself out with this one. I think I put too much pressure on myself because it’s my debut vocal project. I ended up having to cut a song, because I didn’t have the time to finish it and stay on track with the deadlines. But I’m very happy with how it came out, and I feel like I can only get better from here.

AllHipHop.com: What do you hope the listener takes away from this project?

The Audible Doctor: Really, I just hope they can relate to it. I connect with the music I love on a very personal level. I feel like I understand what the artist is going through and what they felt when they made the song, and that’s what I want to give to my fans. I hope they appreciate the music I make the same way I appreciate the music made by those that I’m fans of. I met a fan once that told me that I saved his life. He was going through a hard time and was suicidal, and in his darkest time, he found a CD of mine and put it on and just started writing. He ended up writing an entire project about his situation and came out the other end stronger than ever. Music is a very powerful thing, and I try to make genuine music that people can connect with.

AllHipHop.com: Are there anymore videos from this coming out soon?

The Audible Doctor: Yeah, I dropped the “Success (Part 1)” video featuring Chaundon, and I just dropped another video for “Baby Momma” recently. There is at least one more video on the way, but I’m not sure exactly when yet. The next video is going to be for “Andy Kaufman Theory”.

AllHipHop.com: Is there anyone that you haven’t worked with yet that you hope to work with in the future?

The Audible Doctor: Hell yeah, man, that’s a HUGE list. Um… lets just say my top five artists I hope to work someday with in no particular order are Ghostface, Pharoahe Monch, Black Thought, Andre 3000, and Gladys Knight. I feel like most of them are accessible, it’s just a matter of time. I’m coming for you, Gladys!

AllHipHop.com: What will make this first solo experience complete for you?

The Audible Doctor: A Grammy. No, I’m kidding. Honestly, it is complete. The project came out, and I’ve gotten a lot of really great positive feedback on it. I don’t like to dwell on things, so it’s time to keep it moving and focus on the next project. I set out to establish myself as more than just a producer, and I think I have. Now it’s time to keep running with it.

AllHipHop.com: What five words best describe this project?

The Audible Doctor: Genuine, Soulful, Good, Hip, Hop. Yeah I got lazy with the last three [laughter].

AllHipHop.com: What’s up next for you?

The Audible Doctor: My next project drops on the 30th of October. It’s an instrumental project called Doctorin that is executive produced by Large Professor. It’s 12 tracks of soulful Hip-Hop production, and you should buy it because I need to pay rent. You can and should pre-order it on iTunes now.

AllHipHop.com: How can people catch up with you?

The Audible Doctor: You can keep up with all updates on my website www.AudibleDoctor.com, or follow me on Twitter (@AudibleDoctor) and make sure you like me on www.facebook.com/AudibleDoctor. Or, you can always just Google me and you’ll find me, I’m lurking just around the corner on the Internet.

DOWNLOAD AUDIBLE DOCTOR’S I THINK THAT… EP HERE

This past August 14, DJ Cassidy, DJ Rashida, and D-Nice joined Obama for America in launching “DJs for Obama”. They recently held a call with DJs across the country committed to re-electing President Obama. Court Digga was instrumental in getting the DJs aware of the conference call. He was asked  by Valeisha Butterfield-Jones and Michael Blake, who both work for President Obama, to ensure that as many DJs as possible were reached. With powerful forces like these coming together, music and politics have the potential to change things. As election day nears, they are doing all they can to reach as many as they can.

A few of the DJs for Obama shared their thoughts and plans with AlHipHop.com before the pivotal election takes place less than two weeks from now:

DJ SCRAP DIRTY (CHICAGO/JXN & WRBJ/Violator Radio syndicated/Founder of Violator Management/Violator Allstar DJs)

What do you feel is music’s role in politics?

Well, I think we play a big part in politics as a whole. We are the original honchos of the grassroots campaign. Music tells the story and hits the people directly instead of the “paid” talking heads spreading their agenda to the masses.

What are you doing in your city and among your fans to spark voters for Obama?

Well, me personally, I have my own roundtable discussions amongst the power players
in this city (Jackson). Sometimes it’s each one teach one, aka taking it back to the grassroots game plan.

What would you tell the Hip-Hop and urban community about the importance of this election?

Use your head and turn off that matrix box aka the T.V!

What did you walk away with after the call?

We all play a major role in this election as we did four years ago. We need to use our big (Barry White) voice to get OUR people to the poll.

DJ IRIE (99 Jamz WEDR-FM)

What are you doing in your city and among your fans to spark voters for Obama?

I feel my duty is to educate and promote voter registration. 1^st and foremost I want people to register and get out to vote! No matter what your party affiliation the more people that vote the better the system works period. In terms of the Obama campaign there’s just so much misinformation out there that I try to make sure my fans have access to the TRUTH! I don’t want people to go out and vote for Obama just because I support the campaign. I want people to go vote for him because they’ve educated themselves on the issues that matter most to them and from that information they come to their own conclusion that Obama is their candidate.

What do you feel is music’s role in politics?

I feel music should play the same role as any other media such as television, print, online, etc. If you’re a musician and you want to get your political message out then music is your medium to be able to do that. i.e. Will.I.Am’s “Yes We Can.”

What would you tell the Hip – Hop and urban community about the importance of this election?

I would tell them not to get blinded by the blatant lies & rhetoric the other campaign is pushing out there. This election matters not only to you but to generations of your family to come, healthcare, education, the environment, taxes, women’s rights, foreign policy, the national debt, you name it. Both sides have very different views on these issues and you need to know where you stand! You as an individual have access to the TRUTH right from the Obama 2012 campaign itself. Log on to vote.barackobama.com for early voting information and barackobama.com for a clear position of the administrations accomplishments over the past 4 years, and what’s to come.

What did you walk away with after the call?

The TRUTH! Really the call was very important because we got to hear right from Jim Messina, Obama Campaign Manager, on what messages were most important for us to share with our fans. The importance of getting people registered to vote, and best thing of all is that as a DJ I felt really empowered. Here we have a presidential campaign putting time, effort, and resources into DJs as they finally recognize the reach and power of the DJ.

These DJs are stepping up because they know so much is riding on this election, every vote and every person counts toward President Obama’s ability to continue to evoke change. But the change starts with each one of us. 

DJ SNS, CIROC BOY DJ/Producer

What do you feel is music’s role in politics?

Music in politics is very strong. The word can be taught through good music, and even in negative music there is a voice as well. When we are in these clubs, it’s like a rally to make people pay attention to the cause.

What are you doing in your city and among your fans to spark voters for Obama?

When I DJ, I stop the music and encourage the people on how important November 6 is, and please get there and vote.

What would you tell the Hip-Hop and urban community about the importance of this election?

It’s far greater now than four years ago, trust me!!

What did you walk away with after the call?

The call definitely enlightened me and made me push even harder that I have before!!

DJ AK (President and Founder of the Shadyville DJ)

What did you walk away with after the call?

It’s awesome that our president would use his resources and team to do outreach in the DJ community. Who does that?? A president that cares, that’s who.

What do you feel is music’s role in politics?

Music, in particular, Hip – Hop, plays a major role in politics. It’s the voice of a generation. The cool thing is through music you can bridge the gap between various generations. Everyone’s listening.

What are you doing in your city and among your fans to spark voters for Obama?

The best thing we all can do in our city and community is stay up on the facts and make ourselves available to those that are confused about issues or have questions as it relates to politics and our country.

What would you tell the Hip-Hop and urban community about the importance of this election?

VOTE as if your life depended on it, because it does. This is a very important period in the history of America and the world. We need to get it right.

Be counted. VOTE.

Tawni Fears is a freelance writer and contributor to AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@brwnsugaT).

The former host explained, “My personal opinion – technology happened. When you look back to the last seven or eight years of what’s happened, you’ve got YouTube, MySpace, Facebook; even the street DVDs took a lot of steam out of what people once had to go home to and watch on TV.

“You could think back to a period in time where if you wanted to know what was happening in the world of Hip-Hop, you only had a few options of what to check out -  The Source, later on XXL, at one point, “YoMTV Raps”, and of course, “Rap City”.

Mad Linx offered some of his personal highlights from working on the show: “There was definitely a lot of people that came through ‘Rap City’ while I was there, a lot of people I wish had come through that didn’t. The most ironic thing of the time I was there, Game had just come out at the time; he was the newest signee to G-Unit. Right around the time he was supposed to appear, the whole Hot 97 thing popped off.”

Regarding some of his favorite freestyles: “Cassidy was a high point; Kanye West was great to have – at that point in time, he was just coming into his own; he was ascending. Late Registration had just dropped. We had Talib Kweli, Xzibit, and the Strong Arm Steady crew.”

In the meantime, in 2012, fans who are still holding onto the nostalgia of shows like “Rap City” can tap into the show-inspired, artist mash-up Mad Linx is promoting via a new mixtape entitled What Happened to Rap City? Vol. 1.

Download What Happened to Rap City Vol. 1 here

Follow Mad Linx on Twitter (@MadLinx).

Follow Mikey T The Movie Star on Twitter (@MTMovieStar).

It is a rare conference in that it was formulated by veterans of various important major label enterprises. These industry titans also possess experience in the A&R realm which creates a win-win for all involved. The AAMC music competitions are not to be missed, so AllHipHop.com checked in with two of its recent winners – Buda Da Future and Grandz Muzik – who are making their mark as sought-after producers:

AllHipHop.com: First off, congratulations on your win! That is completely impressive! How did you guys hear about the contest and then go about entering it in the first place?

Grandz Muzik: Thank you! We’re graciously humbled by this win! The competition was fierce, and we were up against some impressive producers. We heard about the event through Walter Randolph; he reached out to us and encouraged us to participate. Our hard work and collaborative efforts were recognized. The All Access Music Conference is the very best music conference out there for up and coming producers.

AllHipHop.com: What is different about this conference that makes you guys feel that way?

Grandz Muzik: We don’t think that just because we won it either! We feel that way because there are a lot of bogus conferences out there that take advantage of artists and producers, but this one doesn’t do that. They really come through on what they promise. We are proud to have been a part of it whether we won or not.

AllHipHop.com: Buda, I recall you telling a really amazing story about how you got started in the industry and production game. If I remember correctly, you said it had something to do with being inspired from a meeting with Young Guru. Would you care to let the readers hear about how he inspired you, and what it all means to you at this special moment in your career?

Buda Da Future: One fall NYC day, before I even knew what a MPC was, I went to meet my good friend, The Hitmen/Platinum Boy Music Inc. producer Amadeus, at zomba studios. It was my first experience in a recording studio, and it was a session with Amadeus, the rapper Shellz from the Bx, and the legendary engineer/DJ Young Guru . I was amazed at the atmosphere, the vibe, and all of the equipment.

Young Guru

The session was for a new EA sports game called “FIGHT NIGHT”, and Amadeus was producing the theme song to the video game. As soon as I sat down, I began to watch and observe. I had to ask questions after an hour of watching Guru and Amadeus go to work. From the jump, Young Guru was super cool, and when I started asking questions about the recording process, Guru was very receptive to me and began giving me advice on engineering and production through out the whole session. We were going back and forth about our favorite times in Hip-Hop, and he was shared some of his experiences in the game. I can’t front just him building throughout the session and explaining his experiences in the game got me inspired to the utmost, and it changed my life forever. Not to mention watching what Amadeus did with his crazy production during that session. It was amazing to see Guru add his expertise mixing.

That 12-hour session changed my life forever. The very next day I thought I was dreaming, like I hadn’t really been there! But it was real! Real enough to even make me decide to quit my job! I had a good paying job after high school, but I had the urge to start a new path in Audio Engineering and Music Production. My family thought I was buggin’ – well, with the exception of my grandma. My grandmother was extremely supportive. I also had a few friends who supported me, too.

I decided to enroll in the Institute Of Audio Research in NYC also known as IAR. The very first day of class I met my brother, Grandz Muzik. Our group Voltron was formed. The days turned to months, and while we were in school, we got our first placement. Our very first time hearing someone on one of our tracks was a 50 Cent song called “Paper Chaser”. That placement created a monster! We thanked God for every opportunity. But once again, if it wasn’t for Amadeus inviting me to that session and having that life changing conversation with Young Guru, who knows where we’d be? (laughter) But I’m grateful for every moment, and super grateful for meeting my brother, Grandz Muzik!

AllHipHop.com: That is quite a story, sir. Thanks for telling it again, Buda! OK, so Grandz, given the whirlwind that you guys have been enveloped in since you first got started in your careers, I’m sure there have been a lot of amazing moments that you have experienced along the way. What are a few of your favorites so far?

Grandz Muzik: Yes, there have been many moments which stand out; winning the UMA Producers of the Year in 2011 at BB Kings was surreal! The fans voted on this win, so it really was a testament to our hard work, and it showed! This win showed us how many supporters we have out there, including family and friends who encourage us every day to keep winning.
Being a guest judge on “106 and Park” on BET was an awesome experience. To be seen on national television was a huge moment for us. It was definitely a reality check; a proud moment.

AllHipHop.com: Anyone who has seen you working either in the studio, judging beat battles, on TV, or speaking at music conferences can see there is a unique friendship between the two of you and a loyalty that can’t be sabotaged. How important do you feel your friendship has been in getting you through the rougher periods so that you could find your way to where you are today?

Buda Da Future: Our friendship is beyond the “music or entertainment industry.” Grandz is the brother I never had. I wouldn’t want to be a producer if Grandz was not my teammate. He’s my left hand, and I’m a righty. I consider him family. Words can’t describe how Grandz and his family have been there for me. This bond is beyond music or legal tender.

Grandz Muzik: Since day one, we have had mutual respect for one another, we share many common interests. Working together for almost a decade has really brought us together on a very personal level. Our friendship goes way beyond music. Our families connect and are huge supporters of what we do, we see each other on a regular basis, and we work as a team. At first it was rough juggling our occupations, family schedules, and personal responsibilities; but our strong bond allowed us to compromise our hectic schedules to make sure the beats didn’t slow down…we are finally starting to see our hard work pay off, and I can’t thank anyone but Buda. We inspire one another, always have.

AllHipHop.com: Jumping back to the contest for a moment, $15,000 is a lot of money. What does winning the $15,000 prize mean for your immediate future and your ability to do what you love?

Buda Da Future: It allows us to continue to work hard and make sure to complete our obligation to give back to Hip-Hop. We always want to give quality music, and do our part to preserve the culture – this will help that.

Grandz Muzik: We feel extremely blessed to win this contract. Faith and prayer are part of our everyday lives. Some major upgrades are due and necessary. Certain personal matters can finally be taken care of.

AllHipHop.com: What advice if any would you give to other young producers out there who are trying to get their music to the industry?

Buda Da Future: Build a brand! Be a visionary and show love and inspire the next person to do better. There’s a lot of musicians, producers and artists with the same mission to make history while making a great living, so stay positive and spread the love if you have the ability to help someone. And always keep GOD first.

Grandz Muzik: Believe in yourself, have patience but stay confident, work hard at your craft; mentally invest in furthering your education, keep family first, and keep striving!

AllHipHop.com: Those familiar with you know, that you guys are all about being positive and giving back, what roll does this play in your lives both musically and personally?

Buda Da Future: Musically, I believe that being positive and keeping good karma in your actions and movements will help you advance conscientiously and in life. It continues to bless you in everything you do. Personally, I was raised in a rough background but was extremely loved by both my parents and have very good friends.

Grandz Muzik: It plays a big role. We believe in always giving back; we strongly believe that positive energy creates positive results! As a father, my children keep me grounded, and that enables me to be a better role model for all the young, up and coming producers. Education is the key for our future generation. Keep music alive in schools!

AllHipHop.com: What’s up next for Grandz Muzik and Buda Da Future?

Buda Da Future: Everything! More production, more room to grow as producers. We learn and get inspired everyday, so it means more projects. Each learning experience is a stepping stone to greatness, so we just gotta put in work, and we are prepared and qualified to do that! You will hear more from us, God willing.

Grandz Muzik: We are currently working with a very talented singer/writer by the name of Katt Rockell; we are working on an album with her. We continue to work with Fred The Godson, a tremendous artist; he’s family. Look out for our track on his new mixtape, Gordo Federico featuring Fat Joe! We are working with Joe Buddens, and of course, our Geffen Interscope family!

AllHipHop.com: If someone is interested in working with you guys, how should they go about it? And how can people keep up with you in general, be it online or otherwise?

Buda Da Future: They can contact us directly via Twitter – @BudaDaFuture and @GrandzMuzik, and for all other music inquiries, holla at @Wayno119.

Be on the lookout for new projects dropping soon from Buda Da Future and Grandz Muzik.

Skyyhook is CEO/FOUNDER/General Manager of Skyyhook Radio and a contributor for AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@SkyyhookRadio).

It means that whatever your style – electro, melodic, trance, house, hip-hop – you are committed to killing the dance floor. It’s substance over style and the beat over anything. It’s knowing that the lifestyle is nothing compared to the music and the flow.

It’s remixing right down to the tiniest detail and pushing your mixer, your turntables, your headphones, your amps and cables to the absolute limit to get your fans off the wall with their hands in the air.

With that in mind, and as a follow-up to our month-long “Salute the Spin Doctors” series earlier this year, AllHipHop.com is featuring a number of Monster DJs – like DJ Mark Da Spot, Big Tigger, DJ Baby Yu, Amanda Seales and more – and asking them how they got their start, who their favorite spinners are, and why it’s so important to “respect the DJ.”

Check out Part 1 of our Monster DJs feature below:

DJ Mark Da Spot

I Became A DJ Because:

It ran in my family, and once I tried it out, I fell in love with it! It doesn’t hurt that I grew up on and love music; because of that music is my life.

My Favorite DJ’s Are:

Kid Capri and DJ Craig G because of their skills of mixing and MC’ing at the same time. They are what I call REAL party-rocking DJs! They don’t just play music they put on a show.

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

The DJ is the party! The DJ is the one breaking the records, the DJ is an artist, and a DJ’s job is not an easy one. We work just as hard as the artist making the music; well, some DJs do.

DJ Qness

I Became A DJ Because:

I have always had the unique and amazing talent of being able to read a crowd at first glance, and be able to pick out what they can dance and move their body to, and this is what a DJ does. He takes a crowd he has never seen or been with before and just entertains. It takes him one glance to know the crowd, and that’s me. The thought of using music to control a crowd has fascinated me from day one, and up to this day, it continues to. Every time I play it feels like I’m playing for the first time, and yet, I’ve been in the game for years.

My Favorite DJ Is:

DJ Khaled. He may not be the number one DJ in the world right now, but I truly respect his hustle. He came into the game and gave hope to DJs like myself. He made it clear to us that we, too, are possible. Looking at his journey from his first album, to signing a deal with YMCMB, to reaching the point where he is right now to all the collabos and platinum records, I truly respect his hustle.

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

Hate it or love it, DJs have become trendsetters. You may not like a record for the first time when hearing it, but the more DJs in the club pump it, the more they exercise their power to make the masses love or hate something. In that regard, a DJ needs to be respected as the success of a record almost entirely depends on them depending on how much they love it, and how many spins they will give it, whether it be in a club or on the radio environment.

DJ Shelly Flash

How I Became A DJ:

I am often mistaken for a DJ – the modern day “I’m with the DJ” shirt rocker.  As a radio personality and event host, I have promoted, toured, hosted with, and rocked alongside several DJs in my career – gaining the moniker from many as “a DJ’s partner in crime.”  I was bitten by the DJ bug early on since getting my start in radio as a mixshow coordinator and having an absurd vinyl collection.

My Favorite DJ Is:

DJ Irie because he makes memories through music; he is personable and not too Hollywood.

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

Respect for both DJs and their craft lies beyond a 45, and in the fact that a DJ conducts the moods of many through music. They select the transition, the record, and the time to play it for a party of anywhere from one to several thousand. Music is the universal language, and the DJ is the ultimate translator.

DJ Shogun

I Became A DJ:

After seeing Jam Master Jay, Red Alert, Kid Capri, Eric B, Marley Marl, DJ Premier, Jazzy Jeff, and Pete Rock do their respective things. Inevitably, the turntables called me to them. The love of Hip-Hop, that boom-bap, it was just so undeniable. I had to be more involved, outside of break-dancing and doodling with graffiti. The power of moving the crowd and creating a vibe in a basement, club, or arena was MY calling. So one hot New York summer, I used funds from messenger work to purchase my first DJ set, and the passion took off and became a reality.

My Favorite DJ Is:

DJ Premier – although it’s hard to name just one. The head-banger tracks he produced alongside the magnificent scratching did it for me, and I have to say, in terms of the club DJ/Party-Rocker, Kid Capri is another favorite; the way he rocks a crowd is legendary. Those two, for me, each embody the many facets of the DJ.

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

The DJ has to be respected because, without us, there’s no music being played properly in the clubs and on the radio. DJ’ing is a real art form for those that adhere to its “rules.” To be able to read a crowd, dictate how you want them to move, and create the “mood” for an event takes a skill that can’t be bought at your neighborhood music or electronics store. Going back to the Father of Hip-Hop, Kool Herc, the DJ is the starting point and backbone of Hip-Hop music.

People seem to forget that it was Grandmaster Flash and the Furious Five, Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince, Eric B and Rakim, the list goes on. The DJ is the rock star, but celebrity DJs are popping up everywhere now, and I hope that all these “new jacks” will respect and honor the culture the way they should.

Funky Pharoah

I Became A DJ Because:

It is the most creative form of musical performance. The ability to blend in a range of different songs from different genres and make them something completely different and better than the original, and then viewing the look of surprise and appreciation on the face of your fans and listeners, is a better rush than any drug in the world.

My Favorite DJ Is:

DJ Chuckie, the lord of Dirty Dutch, because he has the magical ability to bring the worlds of Urban Music and Electro-Dance together, and make them gel harmoniously like no other person on this planet.

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

Because he or she is the most important person in the music industry. We control dance floors, move people, make records, break records, and give the most honest and quickest feedback ever! If it ain’t monstrous, we ain’t approving of it!

DJ MLK

I Became A DJ Because:

It was a passed-down hobby, or you can say it was a talent I was born with. My dad was mobile DJ, so it was something I was around 24/7 growing up.

My Favorite DJ Is:

I’ve got a lot, but I’m going to say the first name that comes to mind is DJ Nabs. This guy has the complete package of an all-around DJ.

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

Because we as DJs carve the path of the artist’s career.

Big Tigger

How I Became A DJ:

I became a DJ in the ninth grade because of my love for music, and because it was the thing to do growing up in the Bronx. I was a beatboxer and MC already, so I decided to learn how to DJ from two of my best friends.

My Favorite DJ Is:

It’s a tie between DJ Jazzy Jeff, DJ Scratch, and the late great Jam Master Jay. All three were pioneers in many regards, and have skills that have yet to be matched to this day!

Why We Need To “Respect The DJ”:

Respect is necessary because, even though technology has allowed a lot of people to “masquerade” as DJs, real DJs are unique individuals who not only make the party jump, but provide the soundtrack to memories for the rest of your life!

Check back next week for Part 2 of our Monster DJ feature.

For more information on Monster DJs, visit www.MonsterDJ.com.

Gospel group The News Boys filed a federal lawsuit against the group on July 6, in District Court of Middle Tennessee, Nashville division.

The lawsuit, which was filed by The News Boys and Wesley Campbell, claims that fans are confusing the gospel group with the Hip-Hop group.

Wesley Campbell, who own and manages The News Boys, said that he is invested millions of dollars and years of hard work to promote The News Boys, who have 28 #1 singles.

The gospel group, which was formed almost 26 years ago, has won numerous awards, including Best Christian Rock Band by Readers Choice.

Problems between the groups began into 2009, when Warner Music signed the rap group known as The New Boyz.

The lawsuit claims that “The New Boyz music is sexually charged and the lyrics are sexually explicit in content,” and that “the lead singer for The News Boys, Michael Tait and the members of the Warner Bros. group, The New Boyz are of the same ethnic and Hip-Hop origins.”

According to the complaint, there has already been several instances the fans confused the gospel group with the Hip-Hop group.

“Plaintiff has already documented several instances of actual confusion among its customers, prospective customers and other outside observers who mistakenly assume a connection between plaintiff and defendant and the respective music they offer.”

Check out a copy of the lawsuit below:

AllHipHop.com gets a candid glimpse at one of the names who will go down in history as rubbing elbows with and helping to launch some of Detroit’s biggest rap records and names. Check out Part Two of our exclusive interview with DJ House Shoes:

AllHipHop.com: You were definitely a foundational part of the Detroit Hip-Hop community. When you look back on that, what were some of your fondest memories?

House Shoes: It’s just an honor to be in the equation. Cats put the Detroit Ambassador title on me, and I’m honored for that, but at the same time, it’s just another box that somebody is going to put you in. I’m honored to have been at The Hip Hop Shop, f*cking with P, and Dilla, and Em. I’m honored to be a part of that serious lineage that we come from. I’m honored to have been able to break Dilla’s sh*t in the D, to have been a part of breaking Black Milk, and pushing Danny Brown’s sh*t in our Hip-Hop scene, and then they took it around the world.

AllHipHop.com: You DJ’ed at St. Andrews, which was later portrayed in 8 Mile. How did you start playing there?

House Shoes: Fall of ’93, V-Styles would come up to Eastern Michigan University where I went to school and would take me down to St. Andrews, The Rhythm Kitchen, and just seeing that we had our own Hip-Hop sh*t, it was bugged out. I got kicked out of Eastern and spent the rest of my book and tuition money on records.

I would take a little stack of records down to St. Andrews every Friday night and see if I could get the last 15 minutes, at the end of the night this little white motherf*cker on stage trying to DJ. I would try to do different sh*t, do a lot of ill remixes over different sh*t. One night, one of the main DJs got into a fight with somebody, and I got the job, and the rest is kind of history. I was St. Andrews for 11 years.

AllHipHop.com: You were there when Em was just coming around. How do people respond to that when you tell them, ‘Yeah, I knew Marshall’?

House Shoes: Uh, people are like, wow. But everybody was there from Em to Proof to Fuzz -  some of the best rappers and some of the best people you ever met. Baatin (Slum Village) dancing, Wajeed (Platinum Pied Pipers) chilling, all of the sergeants-at-arms of our sh*t. My favorite memories were getting records, getting the white label for “Shook Ones” three months before that came out. I liked breaking records; that was my favorite part of DJ’ing at St. Andrews – having a strong influence on the ears of our scene during the Golden Age of Hip-Hop.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about Dilla. Describe your relationship.

House Shoes: That was my man. I met Dilla in ’94. He played me some music, I loved that sh*t, and I had a platform to be able to cram that sh*t down motherf*ckers’ throats every week, so I did. He respected my passion for his sh*t. That was my man; I would go over there and smoke, chill for hours, and just listen to him play music. It was crazy.

AllHipHop.com: You named your son after him.

House Shoes: Yes, I did. James DeShaun.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the middle name; let’s talk about Proof. What do you miss most about him?

House Shoes: Man, just his energy. Proof was probably one of the best people I’ve ever known in my life. It’s such a void. Even almost six years later, you can still feel something missing. With Dilla being gone, you can feel the musical void, but with P, he was so involved in everything back home. He was the glue that held everything together.

AllHipHop.com: What do you wish that Detroit Hip-Hop knew about itself, if anything?

House Shoes: How respected our music is worldwide, internationally. To understand that our city has some golden sh*t that nobody in the city pays attention to. I’ll probably catch some heat over this sh*t, but more suburban cats know who the f*ck Dilla is than the average person living in the city. Cats in Switzerland and Vienna know all the words to all of these songs that motherf*ckers in our city created. I remember the first time I went to Paris, I was DJ’ing, we got to spot early, and the DJ was playing Marvwon’s joint (“This That”) from Sound of the City (Black Milk’s debut album), and cats was singing every word. I was like, if only Marv was here to see this sh*t.

AllHipHop.com: I think about when I came around in the late ’90s, and the time I spent as a part of Detroit Hip-Hop as some of the most beautiful moments in my life. I wouldn’t trade it for the world. What do you wish the world knew about Detroit Hip-Hop?

House Shoes: Honestly, they already know. Detroit, in my opinion, is one of the most influential and well-known sub-genres of the art form outside of the original incarnation of New York Hip-Hop. I think the key is… I don’t give a f*ck about everybody, I stick to my peers, the OGs, and motherf*ckers who have a lot of respect for the genre. It would be great financially for these artists if everybody in the world knew about Detroit Hip-Hop, but the people who do just have really good taste in music period. Detroit Hip-Hop is the best sh*t ever.

House Shoes’ debut album, Let It Go was released in June on Tres Records. Full of both the darkness and desperation and the hope that springs eternal in Detroit, Let It Go features two-discs one full of standout features from a dozen artists from across the country, especially Detroit; the other features the instrumentals. Let It Go is available on iTunes and other online music retailers.

DJ House Shoes is a touring performance DJ and has been tour DJ for artists like Black Milk, Guilty Simpson, and his good friend, Mayer Hawthorne. Follow him on Twitter (@HouseShoes).

That was the impact that these men had on the small Detroit Hip-Hop community. These few hundred men and women who grew up together, learning and loving this industry together, most with a shared history that extends 20 or so years, of battling a larger city that wouldn’t accept or acknowledge its contributions to music. It is from this small community of people that Eminem, Royce Da 5’9”, Black Milk, and many more artists honed their skills and influenced them to become the artists that they are today.

Within the Detroit Hip-Hop community, House Shoes played an integral part for over 20 years. A DJ at the legendary St. Andrews Hall, as well as numerous other Detroit music venues, “Shoes,” as he is affectionately known, broke records by Detroit artists, and connected countless people and dots with amazing results.

It was Shoes who introduced Guilty Simpson to J. Dilla. It was Shoes who first broke Danny Brown’s music at Northern Lights Lounge. For years, Shoes worked in Detroit for little to no pay, helping others, producing music for free, spinning for next to nothing until 2006, when he experienced his own transition and moved to Los Angeles, and started a family, with a daughter on the way and a three-year old son appropriately named, James DeShaun.

DJ House Shoes recently talked to AllHipHop.com about his new album, Let It Go, and what it means to stay true to Detroit while finally being true to himself:

AllHipHop.com: Shoes, my brother, tell me about the album.

House Shoes: I think it’s kind of unique in the way that it’s not a compilation; it’s my album in that the motherfu*kers on it are speaking for me. It doesn’t just sound like a collection of songs that somebody produced and just got somebody to rap on. It’s a really good record in my opinion, and I don’t listen to my music like it’s just my music. I listen to my music like it’s something that somebody is putting me up on, very critically. It’s getting pretty good reviews, and I’m feeling pretty good about the momentum that we have going on right now.

AllHipHop.com: I know you did compilations before. What’s the difference?

House Shoes: A compilation is just a collection of pre-existing songs that are gathered and presented. It’s a lost art to creating an album that makes sense structurally and with continuity. I really think that I did that; there are interludes between every song that sort of weaves the whole album together. There are no dead spots; it just keeps moving, one thing leads to the next. I did a damn good job, Biba.

AllHipHop.com: [laughter] You did. So, what was the motivation behind saying, “I’m gonna do my first album.”

House Shoes: Pretty much that it’s time to do me, man. I’ve been taking care of other people for way too long and not focusing on my own priorities and not prioritizing myself.

AllHipHop.com: What was the motivation behind the title?

House Shoes: The motivation behind the title is the same as the motivation behind the album – just letting go of the past, letting go of all the charity work that I’ve been doing for years. Catching up on all the lost time. I don’t know how to do anything else, but I’m about to be 40 years old, and if this sh*t don’t start turning into something a lot more economically beneficial for me, I might have to let this sh*t go – even though I don’t know what else I would do. It’s some grown man rap situations at the end of the day.

AllHipHop.com: How did you choose who to put on the record? You’ve got Danny Brown and Black Milk on the album, artists who are pretty well-known, and some lesser known cats like Moe Dirdee and Fatt Father.

House Shoes: Those are all people that I have personal relationships with. I’m kind of a coach; I f*ck with the players on my team. I can create a lot of magic with just the people in my circle.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about home. We both happen to be people who were a part of the same community that left Detroit. How have things been for you since you left Detroit?

House Shoes: Hmm. I’ve been to Europe about six times, New Zealand, Australia two or three times, Korea, and I never went out of the country once before I left Detroit. I had that Detroit tunnel vision, trying to get your city to love you, and Detroit ain’t no Hip-Hop city. That’s that struggle and that battle there. And, plus, perspective. Realizing that life is bigger than the block; it’s bigger than your city. I went out to California, I got a family, I have a beautiful son, I have a daughter on the way, I have a highly attractive mate [laughter]. Sh*t’s good, man.

Check out Part Two of our exclusive interview with DJ House Shoes tomorrow. Let It Go is available on iTunes and other music retailers.

Follow him on Twitter (@HouseShoes).

If there is a stage, a live performance, and an eager artist ready to shine in the spotlight, then J Hatch can’t be too far away! His contributions through iStandardProducers.com and the “Get Your Buzz Up Showcase” are but a few of the things he does well.

He’s a host, a moderator, and a professional, and AllHipHop.com got a moment to talk with J Hatch to learn what it takes to make his Hip-Hop world go-round, the endless travel scene, and how many people he relies on to make each showcase a success.

AllHipHop.com: J, you do a whole lot in the music industry. We’re not sure when you find time to sleep, sir! Explain what iStandardProducers.com, the “Get Your Buzz Up Showcase”, and Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes are?

J Hatch: I am the co-founder of iStandard; we’ve run the largest live producer-driven event in the nation for seven years and are currently doing said events in 25 cities. We have placed records with artists such as 50 Cent (most recently on The Lost Tapes), Diddy, Rick Ross, Sean Kingston, and many more. We also operate the largest online production website, iStandardProducers.com, where new producers can not only get up-to-date news and exclusive production oriented content, but connect with their favorite artists by submitting music directly to them through our relationships.

I am the founder of the “Get Your Buzz Up” Industry EXperience, an artist showcase that takes things to the next level in regards to exposure for artists who are involved in the movement. Up until about four months ago, I was the VP of Coast 2 Coast Mixtapes, and I helped expand the brand into various markets through their monthly industry mixers. I also was the project manager on their annual Coast 2 Coast Convention for last four years.

AllHipHop.com: How did you become involved with them?

J Hatch: Every great company has a great team. I don’t do this myself. Don Di Napoli (my business partner and co-founder of iStandard) approached me with an idea of doing some type of event for producers, since I had already been doing them for artists. We sat down at the famous Katz Deli in NYC and mapped out a game plan. Seven years, multiple placements, staff expansion to 35 as of July 1, site numbers through the roof, we couldn’t be happier.

“Get Your Buzz Up” I started with my business partner Drawzilla and Mike Trampe of Maad Management. We wanted to create a special experience for up and coming artists that other showcases failed to do. We provide all artists with additional perks through doing our show, such as their own HD video clip, placement on a mixtape that gets distributed to four million contacts, a chance to perform in front of influential people in the music industry, an incredible prize package that includes a full paid trip to Miami to perform, and much more.

Coast 2 Coast is an explosive brand with a lot of potential. I met the CEO, Lil Fats, through one of my interns who was working on getting one of my artist’s additional mixtape exposure. We spoke on the phone, clicked quickly, and started working on some initiatives between brands. After a year or two, I became a consultant and project manager for their convention and helped get their business into an organized self-sufficient powerhouse.

AllHipHop.com: What is it that you guys are looking for an artist to bring to the stage when they are performing for you?

J Hatch: I want to see professionalism, passion, and pure talent. Also, a lot of artists don’t realize they are a walking billboard and must present their brand consistently every day. Being on Twitter and Facebook spamming people with links is not going to get you recognized. Wake up people, you can’t sound like every artist out and make it in the game.  Be yourself and push the envelope.

AllHipHop.com: It seems like you are always on the road! That has to be hard. How often do you get to see the inside of your own home?

J Hatch: Man, as we speak I am home for only 18 hours, head out to L.A. tomorrow and have seven events in four cities in next nine days. It’s definitely something you have to be built for, but I couldn’t even be doing this without our incredible support system within iStandard and Get Your Buzz Up.

AllHipHop.com: With all that traveling, you must have some pretty interesting stories from a city or two. Care to share any of them?

J Hatch: Every city has its own story, honestly. The producers all bring their own take on this production thing, so it keeps everything very interesting. I would say one of the high points was our recent session with The Mekanics, in-studio with Yelawolf at ATL’s legendary Patchwerk Studios after our 5th Annual “Beast of The Beats” (our year-end event powered by Monster Energy Drink that brings back all the winners in the 25 cities to New York City for a major finale with a major prize package – see videos below).

Plus, meeting and building relationships with some of the biggest names in the production game is always an incredible thing, too.

AllHipHop.com: What’s up next for J Hatch and all of the various projects you are working on?

J Hatch: Next up is an overseas and Canada expansion and a new event roll-out called “Beat Camp” for iStandard in 2013. I’m focusing on a few other non-music projects as well. To find out what we have going on, follow us on Twitter (@iStandard) and (@GetYourBuzzUp), and follow me personally (@Mogulstatus).

We have a lot of positive things coming up. Big shouts to my incredible business partners, Don Di Napoli, Mike Trampe, Drawzilla, and the the whole team, Rhythm J, 2ew Gunn Ciz, PJ, Daniel R, J Wil, Gerald Kong, Premise, Shah Evans, Joe Ramos, Ace, and anyone else that has helped advance my career. Thanks!

Check out video from Days 1-3 of “Beast of the Beats”, including an in-studio session with Yelawolf in Atlanta:

One moment you’re bobbin’ your head to Big Daddy Kane, then the next, nodding to Go-Go with EU, only to be completely sideswiped with a Red Hot Chili Peppers song! As a result, DJ Sixth Sense’s segment has easily become a fan favorite.

AllHipHop.com got a chance to sit down with the man behind the mix to gain some insight into just who DJ Sixth Sense is, and how he’s innovating these days. We were also excited to receive our very own mix of “The Wrong Songs“ by DJ Sixth Sense!:

AllHipHop.com: Hey Sixth, thanks so much for taking the time out for AllHipHop.com today. Can you talk to us about where and how you got started DJ’ing?

DJ Sixth Sense: I’m from the DMV Area (District of Columbia, Maryland and Virginia), and I started to DJ in high school at Howard University’s Student Station (WHBC), which is now on Sirius XM, but back then it was 830 AM.

AllHipHop.com: Oh wow, okay. So,can you tell us about “The Wrong Songs”? Where did you get the idea to do that kind of a mix?

DJ Sixth Sense: “The Wrong Songs” started on the “Russ Parr Morning Show”. Russ got tired of playing the regular rotation and picked some CDs out of his car – rock, old school and pop. He played several songs, and people went crazy calling in, but the boss got upset, saying, “You are playing the wrong songs!!!”

AllHipHop.com: Hilarious! What would you say inspires you each week when you are putting the playlist together?

DJ Sixth Sense: Each week, I let the people on Facebook and Twitter pick the songs I play. It’s the peoples chance to be the DJ, and I just pull it together.

AllHipHop.com: So, the fans get a say in what you select – nice! What other projects are you currently working on?

DJ Sixth Sense: I’m teaching a beginner’s DJ class to help develop the next generation of DJs. I also produce the “Russ Parr Morning Show” in D.C. and DJ at private events.

AllHipHop.com: That’s really dope. Must be nice to have a hand in the creation of the next generation. Tell us, will you be going back on the road with another D.C. favorite, DJ Herkules, for BET in the fall?

DJ Sixth Sense: Yes, I will be back on the BET Black College Tour for the fifth year.

AllHipHop.com: Great! Now, where can people check for you? Is there a website or Twitter, etc.?

DJ Sixth Sense: You can friend me on Facebook, follow me on Twitter, and hit my website.

AllHipHop.com: So what’s next for DJ Sixth Sense? What can we look forward to hearing from you in the near future?

DJ Sixth Sense: Well, next for me is a record/mixtape in early 2013 and more touring.

Download AllHipHop.com’s “The Wrong Songs” here!

Thanks, DJ Sixth Sense, for creating AllHipHop.com’s very own “The Wrong Songs” mix! Be sure to check out DJ Sixth Sense on Mondays through Fridays on “The Russ Parr Morning Show”, either on your local dial or on the ‘Net…and coming soon to a Black College campus near you!

Skyyhook is CEO/FOUNDER/General Manager of Skyyhook Radio and a contributor for AllHipHop.com. Follow her on Twitter (@SkyyhookRadio).

DJ Baby Yu is known as the “Remix Kid,” largely because of his impressive blends that can pair one song with another that most people would never imagine together. Beyonce’s “Love on Top,” and The Clipse, “Grindin’?” Believe it or not, it works. And, it works in a major way. Baby Yu’s “5 O’clock Happy Hour” mix, which airs every weekday as part of the Ryan Cameron Show on W-VEE, V-103 in Atlanta, Georgia, is rated number one… in every demographic.

DJ Baby Yu is a Toronto, Canada native whose name is homage to his Japanese heritage. When he is not moving crowds in Atlanta’s hottest nightspots, he’s on the road extensively through the United States, Canada, Europe, and Asia. DJ Baby Yu is currently Young Jeezy’s tour DJ, traveling across Europe with the “Hustler’s Ambition” Tour. On the road and at home, Baby Yu loves playing unique mixes to influence people to open their hearts and minds through music.

“I do what I do for the love of music, also for the love of influencing others in the right direction by having a great time at a party,” says Baby Yu. “Being a vital part of those enjoying great mixes and music through their Ipod’s, radio, internet and so on, pushes me to continually achieve creative greatness…I believe I can make a difference.”

AllHipHop.com sat down with DJ Baby Yu at the V-103 studios, where he takes regular ribbing from his colleagues, Crash D and Ryan Cameron, about his ever-increasing popularity. We spoke to the 34-year-old about the art of DJ’ing, the direction of the art, and modern DJ’ing as big business:

AllHipHop.com: I am such a big fan of your blends, the instrumentals and vocal tracks you choose. How do you do it?

DJ Baby Yu: When I started DJ’ing, I just started remixing right off the bat. Before I understood how it worked, for me it was kind of boring to hear the same song, the same way that it plays on the radio. I think it just comes natural. I don’t know – it just comes to me. I guess I’m lucky. I think loving so many different genres of music keeps your mind open to being creative.

AllHipHop.com: That’s another thing that people love about your mixes – you blend so many different genres. How is the response? Being in an urban city like Atlanta, can you play Blondie or Queen?

DJ Baby Yu: I just do it. I don’t even care. I know this city is open-minded enough for it, when it comes to music. I think it used to be a lot more closed and segregated by genre, I would go to a Hip-Hop club and they would play all Dirty South, the same four songs. So, one of my goals was to help the city get back to what it was. The city is filled with people from all over the country. But now, people just accepted it; now they are used to it, and they love it. I think it’s opened a door for DJs around the city to play a lot more different kinds of music. There are no rules.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me more about the Jeezy tour? How has that been going?

DJ Baby Yu: It’s been great. We’ve done the East Coast, West Coast. The L.A. show and Detroit were probably the best. I just got off the Canadian tour, then Europe.

AllHipHop.com: So, I’m sure you guys probably became acquainted here in Atlanta? How long have you been in Atlanta? And what do you love about it?

DJ Baby Yu: Four years… and the food. I had never tried Southern cooking until I moved here, collard greens and all of that. [laughter] We don’t have it up there in Toronto. I love the food, but I moved here for the music. I felt that I had done all that I could in Canada. I had done major after-parties for everybody. Mixtapes. Radio. But, I just felt like I wasn’t growing. Then I started getting into the U.S. market with XM Radio until the merger. I was DJ’ing for Jin, and then I started coming out to Atlanta and was working with a big club owner, so I moved. The first year was tough, because I moved right when the economy crashed, but I’m good now.

AllHipHop.com: I guess you can’t mention Hip-Hop and Toronto, and I not ask you about Drake.

DJ Baby Yu: Yeah, I had a radio show and podcast thing going on. I interviewed him before he really blew up. I’m happy for him. It’s great.

AllHipHop.com: DJ equipment has changed so much over the years. What direction do you see it going in? What do you use? And what would be a dream piece to have?

DJ Baby Yu: Serato is the industry standard. When it first came out, a lot of people were hating on it. But you have to evolve with the times. It’s just like how a Jay-Z or LL Cool J lasted so long, because they were able to evolve with the trends, with the changes in Hip-Hop. In DJ’ing, you have to accept what’s coming.

Because of the technology, anybody can DJ now. It used to be that certain singles and albums, you couldn’t get, unless you kind of knew somebody or really digged to get it. Now, it’s like you can go on iTunes, and you can just buy it. A lot of the traditions of being a DJ are kind of gone now, but I’m happy with where it is. Jazzy Jeff says it all the time that he loves it, and if even a pioneer like him can say he loves the evolution… Serato is my weapon. Ableton is what I love to make music. It allows you to pre-produce a show.

AllHipHop.com: I heard you mention Jazzy Jeff. If you had to pick a few legendary, favorite DJs, who would you pick?

DJ Baby Yu: Jazzy Jeff is a good friend of mine. He is someone I look up to. I never started DJ’ing because I loved DJs; I really loved collecting music and DJ’ing just sort of fell into my lap. But, then I started seeing people like Clinton Sparks; I loved his branding strategy. DJ Vice, an amazing DJ from the West Coast. There are a whole bunch of amazing DJs out there, especially in Canada, who just started from scratch.

AllHipHop.com: Another thing I really admire about you is how dedicated you are to your branding. You have podcasts, you are developing an iPhone app… how important is business and branding to a DJ?

DJ Baby Yu: Very important. I tell everybody, you can be the best DJ in the world, and be a basement DJ for the rest of your life. There are a lot of big name DJs who may not be that talented, but they network, they know the right people, they work on their branding. If you have everything together, the brand and the talent, it’s great. I mean, it helps what I want to accomplish, I feel like I can change people’s direction in life by just giving them a good time at a club or listening in traffic. I just want to pass on positive vibes to people.

AllHipHop.com: Where do you think the art of DJ’ing is headed?

DJ Baby Yu: I don’t really know where the art is going. I hope turntables don’t disappear. I hope they won’t; there are too many DJs out there who love the turntable and can use it with the technology. But, I can’t really tell, with all the programs there are that mix for you… it seems like every company is trying to make DJ’ing a simpler art. For all the DJs who are good today, it can help them be great, I guess.

DJ Baby Yu “The Remix Kid” is on the air every weekday in Atlanta on V-103 and can be heard via Podcast at babyyu.urbanradioondemand.com. Check his website, www.babyyu.com, and follow him on Twitter (@djbabyyu).

If you’re lucky enough to be in Europe in the next two weeks, catch DJ Baby Yu on the Euro-leg of the “Hustler’s Ambition’ Tour with @YoungJeezy.

Let’s just make one thing clear, you can’t possibly “Salute the Spin Doctors” without talking to Jeffrey Allen Townes first. Known best to the world as DJ Jazzy Jeff, he is one half of the duo who won the first ever Grammy Award for Rap with their 1989 hit  single, “Parents Just Don’t Understand”. Not to be forgotten as his partner’s star rose, Jeff has continued to DJ, produce, and help develop and guide budding music careers.

With Virginia’s own Skillz by his side and Hip-Hop icon Biz Markie handling duties on the 1′s and 2′s during a recent in-store appearance at West N.Y.C., Jazzy Jeff mingled and socialized with curious onlookers of his upcoming sneaker, along with all-around admirers and appreciators of the immense time, work, and overall class that Jeff has contributed to Hip-Hop for almost three decades.

AllHipHop.com was on hand to catch up with Jazzy Jeff during his Pro-Keds in-store and got him to speak on the signature sneaker that he designed for release in November. He also noted whether he has any desires to venture out further into the sneaker fashion game.

Jeff then went into “spinner” mode and compared the role and importance of the DJ 20 years ago to what it is today. In addition to some other great tidbits, DJ Jazzy Jeff told AllHipHop.com he is ultimately responsible for Mac Miller and DJ Premier hooking up, and that he thoroughly supports the Pittsburgh native in all of his endeavors.

Check out AllHipHop.com’s full interview with DJ Jazzy Jeff below:

Follow DJ Jazzy Jeff on Twitter (@DJJazzyJeff215).

This week, we’ll feature two separate pieces from the producer behind records from 50 Cent, Skyzoo, and Smif-N-Wessun. First up is !llmind naming the “Top 5 !llmind Beats He’s Most Proud Of” below:

Follow !llmind On Twitter: (@IllmindProducer)

Check back later this week for !llmind’s “Top 5 Producers Dead or Alive!”

Having worked with the likes of Heltah Skeltah, Skyzoo, Little Brother, 50 Cent, Emilio Rojas, Redman, Chaundon, Tek, Jared Evan, KRS-One, Buckshot, Scarface, Sean Price, Akrobatik, Saigon, and countless others in such a short amount of time, almost sounds too good to be true, but to !llmind, it’s just another day at the “office.”

!llmind checked in with AllHipHop.com on a plethora of topics, including his background in production, his early aspirations to be a rapper, and having the opportunity to meet his all-time favorite producer, J. Dilla, before he passed. Check out the first part of our interview with !llmind below:

In part 2, !llmind spoke on the Beat Society and the integral role it played in his life and career, his experiences teaching at New York University, and making people aware of his new venture, B.L.A.P. (Beats, Love, Alcohol and Party):

In the final part of our interview, !llmind talked about the work he’s currently doing in the studio with Jared Evan and Skyzoo, as well as his goal to bring Korean music to the U.S. in a major way:

Check back next week for a continuation of our time with !llmind, where he speaks on the Five Beats he is most proud of and his “Top 5 Producers Dead Or Alive.”

Follow !llmind on Twitter: (@IllmindProducer).

As part of our series, we chilled with one of the dopest tour DJs to hit the stage! “The African DJ”, DJ Spintelect, took a few minutes to chop it up with AllHipHop.com about touring, Talib Kweli, and what’s going on with him currently!

AllHipHop.com: Hey, DJ Spintelect, let’s just go right to the beginning! How long have you been DJ’ing, and how did you get started?

DJ Spintelect: I’ve been DJ’ing for about 11 years, almost 12. I got into DJ’ing through my older brothers. They’re both DJs, so it was passed down.

AllHipHop.com: So, it’s a family talent! Dope!

DJ Spintelect: But I actually started producing on the MPC before DJ’ing first.

AllHipHop.com: We know you are doing your thing DJ’ing on the road. Who have you toured with in the last year or so? Any special show memories that you care to share with us?

DJ Spintelect: The past year I’ve been touring full time with Talib Kweli, as well as doing spot Black Star show dates.

AllHipHop.com: Nice!

DJ Spintelect: Also, by touring with Kweli, he often brings out a lot of special guests, so I’ve gotten the chance to rock with Bun B, Jean Grae, Pharoahe Monch, Schoolboy Q, Ab Soul and many more.

AllHipHop.com: We’ve seen you a few times in various places with Talib Kweli, and those shows are crazy high energy! What do you do to prepare for each show?

DJ Spintelect: I normally relax in my hotel room a few hours before the show, listening to music, getting in a zone, head to the venue in one hour or two to check out the crowd, listen to what the opening DJs/performers are playing because I usually spin for about 10-15 minutes before Kweli comes on to perform. And, it is up to me to bring the energy level to the maximum before Kweli comes out.

AllHipHop.com: Getting the crowd ready in advance always sounds like a good plan.

DJ Spintelect: Then about 30 minutes before showtime, grab a sugar-free Red Bull and a double shot of Jack and get ready to hit the stage. Ha!

AllHipHop.com: You guys were rockin’ stages all over the place at South By Southwest (SXSW). Was there any one show that stuck out as memorable for you at SXSW this year?

DJ Spintelect: This SXSW was a crazy one for me, going from doing a couple of showcases at last year’s SXSW to rocking over 10-plus stages this year in a matter of three days. So, this whole SXSW is gonna be the most memorable, because I rocked so many different stages and crowds, from shows with Talib Kweli to upcomer Alexander Spit, and then doing my own DJ showcases and after parties. This whole SXSW was memorable!

AllHipHop.com: So, you have also been doing some DJ gigs back home in California. What do you like to put in a set when you are able to just get open in the club, and who are you feeling right now?

DJ Spintelect: To be honest, I like spinning all kinds of music, ideally doing a three to four-hour sets are the best, because I get to go through a good amount of music. Starting off by playing smooth, vibing music into the club stuff, whether it be Top 40 music or Hip-Hop – because a lot of folks don’t know I’m a big fan of house music, like Bob Sinclair house vibes.

AllHipHop.com: Oh, wow! I bet they didn’t know that.

DJ Spintelect: The artists I’m really feeling right now have to be Big K.R.I.T, Schoolboy Q, Gibby & Sham, Yuna, 2 Chainz, and Chief Keef. That’s who I’m really listening to.

AllHipHop.com: So, what’s up next for DJ Spintelect?

DJ Spintelect: More mixtapes and bigger projects [that] I can’t quite speak on at the moment.

AllHipHop.com: That sounds intriguing! Thanks so much for your time, DJ Spintelect. We look forward to hearing what you are working on soon, and a little birdie told us that there may be an exclusive mix done just for AllHipHop.com!

Be on the lookout for DJ Spintelect coming soon to a stage near you. In the meantime, follow him on Twitter (@Spintelect).

If you were in the crowd at the South By Southwest Vibe House in Austin, Texas last month, there was no not noticing Timbaland’s DJ during the producer’s set. For a man to keep up with one of the hottest producers of all time on the 1′s and 2′s and not miss a beat was a feat that few talked about but many noticed.

DJ Freestyle Steve was that man, and he has been the man helping Timabaland rock and perform for sold-out crowds across the world for years as the Grammy Award-winning producer’s official DJ. While there is much to hear and be told about how travels, experiences, and working relationship with Tim, Steve’s past is just as integral in his story as his present and inevitable future.

Coming up under Uncle Al in the South Florida music scene, Steve was practically the first DJ to play New York Hip-Hop on the radio in South Florida, and the rest is pretty much history. Literally. No one can tell a man’s story better than the man himself, though. So, AllHipHop.com caught up with Freestyle Steve before he hit the stage to back Timbaland and Missy Elliott in New York City for a special, surprise performance:

In part one below, Steve talks about his come-up, the reaction to him playing “N.Y. Hip-Hop” in Florida, his thoughts on the current role of the DJ and much more:

In the second half of our interview, DJ Freestlye Steve recalls how he first linked up with Timbaland and how their working relationship helped catapult his career, as well as what he thinks about the new music Tim is cooking up, looking back on SXSW 2012, and what he has in store for the rest of the year:

Follow DJ Freestyle Steve on Twitter (@DJFreestyleSteve).

Read excerpts from Drake’s Feb/Mar VIBE feature:

Drake has also made detractors of colleagues. So many subliminal disses have been hurled his way recently, it’s hard to keep track. Pusha T, Ludacris and Future have all had something to say about him. While most didn’t address him by name in their lyrics, Common, rap’s mild-mannered elder statesman, has admits he is referring to the young Canadian on the song “Sweet” when he raps: “Singing all around me man la la la/You ain’t no motherfucking Frank Sinatra.”

…

When asked about all of his alleged nemeses, Drake tries his hand at diplomacy. “I’ve got no issues with him,” he says of Future, who was upset that Drake didn’t appear in the video for his single “Tony Montana.” “I’m happy I got on the song.” Pusha T, who once cryptically rhymed that “the swag don’t match the sweaters,” gets off easy, too. “I’ve been really open about my love for the Clipse,” he says. “I don’t know, maybe that guy is bored.” Ludacris, who was accused of stealing Big Sean and Drake’s hashtag flow, also receives a halfhearted smackdown. “That’s a case of somebody trying to use my marketing money to get things going again for themselves. That didn’t affect my day, my month, my year. I didn’t take any of that seriously.”

But when it comes to tossing off disses, Drake’s not above delivering his own veiled swipes these days. On “Dreams Money Can Buy,” he surveys the hip-hop landscape and decides he’s sorely disappointed by what he sees. “Lately it went from top five to remain- ing five,” he rhymes. “My favorite rappers either lost it or they ain’t alive.” He stops short of mentioning names, but doesn’t back away from his declaration. “I wasn’t in rap when I was idolizing a lot of these people,” he says. “But times change. People don’t sound the way they used to. It’s inevitable. Someday Drake won’t sound the way he used to. I’ll do anything in my power to still sound relevant, but unfortunately Drake may not. And yes,” he says with a chuckle, “I referred to myself in the third person.”

“[That Ludacris diss is] a case of somebody trying to use my marketing money to get things going again for themselves. That didn’t affect my day, my month, my year. I didn’t take any of that seriously.”

Click Here To View Nicki Minaj’s Feb/Mar VIBE Cover

With the release of Electroman, Benassi substantiated his love of Hip-Hop, which is often overshadowed by his status and influence on the electronic dance music scene. In support of this effort, he squeezed some time out of his busy schedule and settled down for an interview with AllHipHop.com – reflecting on the global emergence of Hip-Hop, European club culture, and his musical partnership with his cousin, Alle Benassi.

AllHipHop.com: In your travels and experiences, as an Italian DJ, you have been able to witness the global emergence and dominance of Hip-Hop music. When you reflect on the past decade, in what interesting ways have you seen the genre expand and develop?

Benny Benassi: When Hip-Hop first came over to Italy, it was something really new. I grew up listening to disco music, but I also listened to the early hits and even played some as a deejay and started connecting with the sound. I didn’t understand a word they were saying, but I sensed it was important for Americans – an expression of rebellion. There was nothing comparable in Italy. Obviously, Hip-Hop has gotten bigger and bigger, and now there are Italian Hip-Hop artists rapping in Italian who are local superstars.

What has changed in the last decade is that barriers are breaking down. When I started out, you were either a trance deejay, a techno deejay or a house deejay. That’s all changed. And in those days, no one imagined that American Hip-Hop could be [mixed] with European club music. But that’s what’s happened, and it’s good. I believe in the message of cultural [combination]. Let’s listen to each other, respect each other, and make music together. At one level, you could see it coming because Hip-Hop and club music have always been experimental. They’re always looking for new sounds and new ideas, so it was inevitable that sooner or later they would find each other.

AllHipHop.com: Of your early remixes, “Ghetto Musick” is extremely significant, because of its inclusion on Outkast’s critically-acclaimed double album, which featured Big Boi’s Speakerboxxx and Andre 3000’s The Love Below. Does this remix serve as a particular benchmark in your career?

Benny Benassi: I have a simple answer for a complicated question! I work with my cousin, Alle Benassi, who’s my producer and studio partner. As provincial Italian boys, just having the opportunity to be able to remix Outkast was a dream come true. On the production level, we did what we always do! We applied our sounds – our grooves and bass – to the vocals. To us, it felt very natural; but looking back now, it was an important crossover success!

AllHipHop.com: Although you are well known in electronic and dance music circles, a close examination of your catalog reveals a strong connection to Hip-Hop. In fact, your first Grammy Award stemmed from a remix of Public Enemy’s “Bring the Noise.” On a personal level, what does the original song, in addition to the 2007 remix, mean to you?

Benny Benassi: Ultra [Records] – our label – asked us to choose a Public Enemy track to remix. Since I was always a fan of P.E., “Bring the Noise” was a natural choice, because that was the track that made the most noise in Italy. I also thought it would connect with listeners outside the hardcore P.E. fanbase. At the time, my love of Public Enemy was very naïve. I just dug the music. It was great! I loved the sound – and it was amazing in clubs. There isn’t a house deejay in the world who hasn’t tried to sample P.E. at least once; isolated vocals used on a house beat. I didn’t fully understand the social and political message, and I didn’t read that much into it. I was just a resident deejay in northern Italy living in a very local reality. But now that I know a little bit more, I know that we share some values, too! And that’s the force of music!

AllHipHop.com: You were recently featured on “Beautiful People,” which you produced for Chris Brown’s latest album, F.A.M.E. What additional beauty have you found in the power of music?

Benny Benassi: The real beauty of music is that it connects with people across cultures and age groups. I just like taking people on a musical journey – one where everyone dances and has a good time. It’s a positive message; it’s simple and not political. I don’t have enough information and background to make political statements, but I stand for everybody when it comes to inclusion. No one should be excluded. “Beautiful People” is a great example of collaboration. Alle and I made a beat. Then we sent it to Jean Baptiste Kouame, who wrote the idea of the topline. Once he finished, the song was shared with Chris Brown, who liked it and killed it! He sent some ideas to us and we totally loved them. So here, you have Italian producers, an American singer, and universal lyrics creating a song that fuses electro-club music with R&B to crossover to pop worldwide. That’s a good thing!

AllHipHop.com: With your latest project, Electroman, what distinct evolution can you note?

Benny Benassi: For me and Alle, the idea was really just to experiment with combining our production sounds with a range of different vocal styles. We wanted to make songs, but we also wanted harder club tracks. We were amazed and honored by the responses we got from all the featured artists.

AllHipHop.com: Long before Hypnotica, and on the path to becoming a successful deejay, what life event – or series of events – do you credit for making you an “electroman?”

Benny Benassi: It’s a combination of different factors. Life is what happens to you! My earliest inspirations were eighties electro-pop. I started my career as a house deejay. Alle is a classically trained musician and when he started making music with me, he had a weak spot for techno music. We learned our craft in a small town in northern Italy, Reggio Emilia, which had an amazing output of Italian house productions, so there was already a scene present. “Satisfaction” was the watershed. On that track, Alle gets all the credit for the riff. At the time, he invented a unique way to use compressors in the studio, which gave the track that signature pumping sound. When we cut the track, we knew it would do fairly well in the clubs and become a favorite with niche deejays playing early electro-house music. When “Satisfaction” exploded, that is when I became an “electroman!”

For more information on Benny Benassi, visit his official website. Follow Clayton Perry via Twitter at @crperry84.

16 Producers.

Atlanta.

A magnificent event is about to descend on Atlanta, one of the new Meccas of Hip-Hop. The event will line up 16 talented producers for a battle for the next “big tune” that will move the Hip-Hop crowd.

On November 3rd, Atlanta’s Opera will host the national finals of Red Bull Big Tune, where the eager crowd will determine who the winners and whose beats knock the best. Here’s how is will go down:

Eight qualifying battles were held across the US bringing the winner and runner-up from each stop to represent in the ATL.

Before each producer rocks the stage they will have one-on-one experiences with top name talent Just Blaze, Mr Porter, DJ Toomp, The Bizness and Don Cannon. The Hip-Hop heavies will help them gain industry insight during two days of mentorship.

Then, on the 3rd, Opera will host a night that will offer performers like Jadakiss, Alchemist, Mr Porter, Just Blaze, and The Bizness.

Here are a listing of the producers and the runner up in each region.

Phoenix

Winner: LiftedRunner up: Young Seph

Denver

Winner: Boon DocRunner up: Xperiment

Chicago

Winner: J RellRunner up: J Mac

Seattle

Winner: Marcus DRunner up: KD Cutz

Minneapolis

Winner: NicademusRunner up: G Mo

Detroit

Winner: Apollo BrownRunner up: Frank Dukes

New Orleans

Winner: Hannibal the Beat AnimalRunner up: Sky Scrapa

Las Vegas

Winner: DJ FinylRunner up: D1 (Deuno)

One of these aspirant beat maestros will be proclaimed the victor and will receive the opportunity of a lifetime. They will be bestowed with the opportunity to record at the Red Bull Studio in Los Angeles with an A-list emcee of their choice.

Presently, the artists have yet to be announced, but previous rappers include Nas, Young Buck, Common, The Game, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco and Talib Kweli. Last year’s Red Bull Big Tune winner, C-Sick, recorded his song with Nas and loved the experience.

AllHipHop.com will follow the 2009 winner as he moves through his mentorship, victory and eventually recording with a Hip-Hop mega star.

Until then, watch C-Sick as he meets and works with Nas.

NAS – “FILM” – PRODUCED BY C-SICK

Peep this:

Zaytoven Beats just landed Jeezy’s new single “Trap or Die 2.” You probably already know that Zaytoven is Gucci’s producer, and along with “Bricks,” Zay is also responsible for the song that started the Gucci/Jeezy beef – “So Icey.” Anyway, everyone on the net is wondering why would Zay work with Jeezy if he also works with Gucci.

This is what Zaytoven said on his twitter page (Twitter.com/ZaytovenBeats):

“I just like to make music. I don’t get involved in all that other stuff.”

Regarding the effects beef has on business, Zay stated in an interview with Mandatory Business Magazine:

“The beef affected me when ‘So Icey’ came out. It was a big song, and I felt like it was my breakout song, but didn’t nobody like Gucci Mane so nobody really liked me. Nobody wanted beats from me. People are passed that now. Everybody knows me. I feel like I can work with anybody, and I’m working with everybody. So even if they don’t like each other, they still gotta like me.”

Shout out to Ms. Rivercity. Illseed’s new boo for the info and video.

He knows what these lists do to the public, but he is willing to offer his Top 5 Dead or Alive Producers anyway. Still, after running down a few names, he seems somewhat conflicted. Is he secretly worrying in the back of his “evil genius” brain that the Ill Community may skewer his opinions on the bar bee?

Only he knows. Still, with DJ Don Cannon there to add to the suspense, Green gave his favorites and the pair jokingly offer a couple of surprises to boot.

Here is the video with the goods.

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D’Agostino, better known as, DJ Green Lantern, has been personally

honoring Hip-Hop since ‘89. Creeping towards perfection, the self-proclaimed The Evil Genius can

transform a computer into a musical instrument, “People are surprised

when they find out I’m a professional producer. I’ve been producing

since 1991; I never stopped.” Adding to his diverse musical repertoire

The Evil One has become an accomplished DJ, an entertaining on-air personality

and a prominent mixtape guru. These collective efforts are a way in

which he continues to infuse his unique creativity into Hip-Hop.

      Having

worked many of Hip-Hop’s elite, The Evil Genius still welcomes working

with the inventive new faces like Johnny Polygon, the compelling voice

that singing the hook on Nas’ “Black President.” JP is the first

artist signed to Green’s Invasion Music. “He actually has a project…

look out for it. It’s pretty dope—it’s left of what you’d expect.”

Johnny Polygon’s debut effort, Wolf

In Cheap Clothing is due later this year.

      In

an exclusive interview with AllHipHop.com, DJ Green Lantern discusses

everything from his favorite creative aspect of Hip-Hop to payola to

beef.

AllHipHop.com:

You can be considered a musical Renaissance man you’re a DJ, you’re

a producer and you’re an on-air personality. Within Hip-Hop what’s

your favorite creative medium?

Green: With producing

I can do what I want to do. I can take a sound-bite from a movie, I

can take a little phrase that somebody says from a record and use it

a’capella and little phrase that someone says from a record. I can

get a beat from somewhere else and mix ‘em all up and do what I want

with it; and make it all artistic and creative. People will be able

to sit with it and rewind it and really catch the creativity. Sometimes

being on the radio those elements like fly over people’s heads. You

just listen to it in real time you don’t get to rewind it like that.

So you do different things on radio you have moments with [the] artists.

Then in the club those kind of moments kind fly by them. When you put

a set together you do it more simple [and] more to the point. You try

to get that response in the club. I would say creatively, just strictly

creatively speaking, I would say the mixtapes. But I enjoy being a club

DJ, a DJ and an on-air personality and writer of songs and what not. 

AllHipHop.com: Can you

remember what motivated James D’Agostino to make Hip-Hop his career?

Green:

To make it my career was [doing] the mixtapes. The rush that you get

from the love from putting out a project. People are ohhhing and ahhhhing

over it because it was so creative. It was next level with the production

and what not on it. It wasn’t what people were used to. I was getting

responses like, ‘Yo, that shit was crazy. That shit is hot.’ It

was a different type of response. I was like I can work with this thing.

It wasn’t let me make a living off of this; it was let me just keep

getting that response. The by-product of that was all of a sudden some

money came through. I was able to quit a job and really realize my love

and just do this. 

Before I was a DJ I was making

beats and calling myself a producer. This was back in 1991. Some beats

I had was on the back burner then the DJ thing came around. Then the

mixtape thing and it brought my name to the world; people kinda paid

attention when I produced a song. I was able to walk into a studio with

a big name artist and turn in my beats because they knew me as a DJ.

That’s how I got able to produce Ludacris “Number One Spot” and

Busta Rhymes and Rick James “In The Ghetto,” you know stuff like

that, Nas’ “Dear President.”

AllHipHop.com: Have

you ever recycled a beat?

Green:

Man, I think I just did that. That’s a thorough-ass question; I just

did that, probably a few times. Like, I might have made something and

I really didn’t do nothing with it or nobody took the beat. I guarantee

you I just did that for this dead prez song. I had an original beat

that I had made. Damn, I don’t want to give this away—okay, I’ll

say it like this. There is this huge project that is coming out that

I can’t say the name of. I had shopped the beat to this artist. He

ended up not getting back to me saying that he wanted the beat until

after I had recorded the beat with dead prez. 

That’s just kinda the standard

in the music game; you shop beats to a whole bunch of different people,

whoever wants to get on it will get back to you. If business is right

that’s who gets it. Sometimes people will have beats. Just because

they have six million beats in their computer doesn’t mean that they’re

theirs. You have to pay for them… Bottom line, there was this song

I shopped to this huge artist. This artist has been working on this

big ass project that everyone has been waiting on for a bunch of years.

And that says enough. 

AllHipHop.com: What’s

your overall feeling about the time that you spent with Shady Records?

Green:

Ah, man, blessings, I learned a whole lot. I toured the world. I was

kind touring the world before that. I had been to Europe and Australia

on a deejay level where you’re doing clubs and things like that. But

that was a whole ‘nother level that I saw with [Shady Records] which

was like 50,000 people in an arena, and outside and shit like that.

It was definitely a great time in my life; big up to everybody over

there. 

AllHipHop.com: Armageddon,

what’s its status, will it be forever banished to the land of lyrical

purgatory? 

Green:

[laughs] You have a crazy vocabulary on you. Did you say purgatory?

Wow. Dang, can I use that? Armageddon was almost finished and

it was kinda left alone when I left that situation. You know, some of

that music was attached and owned by the labels, so you have label issues

going on. I make so much music— so if that’s going to be a stipulation,

then aight, cool. 

AllHipHop.com: How do

you incorporate an artist that you normally wouldn’t listen to? When

there’s a popular record that people love; but, you as a man may think

it is garbage; when you’re deejaying, how do you remain unbiased? 

Green:

Interesting, that kinda doesn’t collide with me, I’m really lucky

to be in that situation. In my current radio show on Sirius Radio they

say play what the hell you want to play, you know. But at the club,

I would say that that may apply because I play for the people; I play

for the crowd that’s in front of me. If I don’t like a particular

record—Like, I wasn’t big on Miami Bass. Honestly when it first

came out I wasn’t big on it but I knew that for at least for that

10 or 15 minutes a night you had to play at least four records at the

club. If I gotta play “Me So Horny” in the club, if that’s going

to make the crowd go crazy, how could I deny that? It’s only like

that in the club and I’m not mad at that because I can look at these

1000 people going crazy to this record…

AllHipHop.com: As a

man with a voice you’ve been forthcoming with some of your political

opinions you were part of the “Bin Laden” track and you teamed up

with Russell Simmons for the Yes We Can

Mixtape. Do you think that Hip-Hop is an effective form to catalyze

political change? 

Green:

Most definitely… To put it in simple terms, if you have the people

and you have the politicians, if the politicians see that the people

are feeling a certain way and that they’re organizing and gathering

a certain way and they’re gathering around, let’s say music. Then

you have people with political ideas like Immortal Technique or a Dead

Prez and it’s galvanizing x amount of people and these people are

protesting and their voices are starting to get heard. Then x amount

of politicians or political entities will take that into consideration

when they formulate policy.

That’s how I look at things.

If you stay quiet and keep your mouth shut, to them everything is cool

there’s no problems, nothing needs to be changed. On a basic level

people are stirred up or inspired by music. Say a song like “Bin Laden” 

or whatever else, you know, Nas’ “Black Presidents” or Jeezy’s

“My President Is Black” — the people that are making decisions

just on a small level will consider [that] if I want to stay in power

[and] if this is the general consensus of the people that will be electing

me two years from now, I’ll need to put some policies in play that

will reflect their concerns and their interests. 

AllHipHop.com: Let’s

bring this back to Hip-Hop, as a DJ you have a lot of power in regards

to what songs will get played. Have you ever participated in any payola?

Green:

Hell no! Something was brought up, there was a disgruntled artist [who]

put a accusation out there that I told him I needed some money from

him to play his shit, and hell no! First of all, let me be clear, I

work one day a week on satellite radio for two hours. That don’t garner

no damn payola. First and foremost, if they’re paying somebody they’re

paying the guy’s that on every day. But strictly speaking, they don’t

even offer the one-day-a-week guys no brown paper bag or no type of

money, period. Because, we don’t affect the BDS’s (Broadcast Data Systems) like the every day

guys do. So, when you hear about people being accused of payola, it’s

mostly the guys that’s on every day. That’s not to shine the light

over there; I’m just saying you shouldn’t look over here. A once-a-week

guy is not enough to sway your BDSs. If I give you one spin a week,

you know, the math doesn’t add up.  

AllHipHop.com: Within

the last five years which two Hip-Hop tracks do you think have had the

best production?

Green:

Great question, damn. I would say one of which is the Jay-Z and Nas

“Black Republicans” and I believe that L.E.S. did. That was on the

Nas album it was the song where they crushed the beef and all that.

That beat to me is just retarded; definitely a favorite. I loved the

Jeezy beat from the last album, it was a song called “Who Dat,”

Shawty Redd made the beat. The “Who Dat” beat is crazy. I appreciate

the Southern just as much as I just named the “Black Republicans”

beat [because] it’s a straight sample and horns and a super New York

sounding beat. I still appreciate it for what it is a straight super

Southern joint in my eyes. It is done well. To me that beat right there

is straight aggression, the way the drums come in, and it switches up

and goes up in the register.  It’s crazy to me. I love the Busta

Rhymes [“Respect My Conglomerate”] beat. I love that beat. I’m

just a fan of beats. I could go on and on. 

AllHipHop.com: Let’s

get on producers; within the last year has any emerging producer caught

your attention?

Green:

Probably Exile. He’s crazy… If you Google him or YouTube him, Exile

does these live MPC things where he’s going crazy on the MPC live.

His beats are real ill. He’s kinda in the school of J Dilla where

it’s like super chopped up samples and dope shit like that. I would

say Exile and on the Queen side of things, there’s a up-and-coming

producer, Nicco.  The reason I say him is because there’s another

spectrum across from Exile. He has a really dope futuristic-sounding

music where it’s not sampled based. I can appreciate the whole spectrum. 

AllHipHop.com: Last

question, beef; is it necessary within Hip-Hop? 

Green:

I f**king hate beef; I’m a vegetarian. I think that beef has gotten

extremely out of control. It’s not genuine anymore; the issues that

people have I don’t believe anything anymore. I feel like the whole

thing is just a marketing ploy. It’s been pimped and ho’d like many

other aspects of Hip-Hop. At one point it was interesting because of

the human nature point of it all. You know, back when LL Cool J versus

Kool Moe Dee that was interesting. Back then we never thought that shit

was a fake or WWE; but, later on you did because it got pimped and ho’d….  

With KRS-One versus MC Shan,

that thought never crossed your mind, that that s*** was fake. That

s*** was real. The money wasn’t there; they weren’t using it as

a marketing clause for album sales or visibility on blogs or to help

generate interest on a album; none of that s***. It’s become retarded

it’s crazy. I hate the word and it’s disgusting.

The homey Denada took some jabs last week for his sample heavy style but still came out on top with about 59 percent of the votes. JRB The Producer put up a great fight with an eclectic blend of sounds and ear jolting changes.

The BeatDynasty.com staff does it’s best to incorporate all forms of music into the battles. Hip-Hop music has changed forms so many times since it’s beginning roots. Originally, rappers used a microphone to kick rhymes alongside a DJ who would spin disco instrumentals. Then DJs began to use smaller portions of the songs and loop them, which is where sampling began. With the expansion of technology and the money that Hip-Hop music could generate, some have switched over to a more keyboard based style of production. But it’s all Hip-Hop. From Just Blaze, The RZA, or Primo, to Timbaland, Dr. Dre, or DJ Quik. There are 6 million ways to do it. If your head nods, that’s the right one, whether you’re using dusty 45s or FL Studio.

That being said… Denada earns the esteemed title of “16 Track Boarder” with his second straight victory. He’s halfway home to “Immortal Trackster” status. Check the battle below, vote, and comment. Let the games begin!!!

Challenger

Name: Ill Will The Champ (Drank King Productions)

Where you are from: Columbus, GA (C-Town)

Who is your favorite producer: GOD (The man upstairs be helping everybody make heat; we just vessels! Say I’m lying…)

A description of your style of music: Words are dangerous. If I say one style I may haphazardly speak into existence something that would restrict my growth as a musician… (Sorry to the reading impaired… that was the long a** way of saying NO COMMENT)

The best way for someone to contact you: kendricks1wh@aol.com or drankkingpro@yahoo.com

marvgraindrumwrap

piratehorndrum

oneuwithdrum

Reigning Champion

Name: Denada

Where you are from: Los Angeles/ Currently in Birmingham Alabama

Who is your favorite producer: DJ Premier, Rza, Madlib, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Dilla, Flying Lotus, The Beatnuts, Beatminerz….etc

A description of your style of music: Some head nod s**t

email — suazeone@yahoo.com ……….

Rising Sun

The Soloist

The Joy

Use the custom Poll below to vote, but don’t forget to also leave a comment.

DiscussionsView Results

movement in 1992 the artist collective has birthed clothing brands,

radio shows, records, internet ventures, and the most general parturition,

a movement. Starting in 1997 the Soul Assassins took their artistry

to the recording studio, crafting Chapter 1, which became a classic

Hip-Hop acclaimed compilation. Now, in 2009 the group has reclaimed

the spotlight with the recent, Intermission, an LP highlighting

their new school protégés and their old school roots. AllHipHop.com

sat down with their fearless leader, DJ Muggs, to pick apart the creative

brain of the Soul Assassins and to find out the future of the west coast

born collection.

AllHipHop.com: I wanted to start

with your point of view on the progression of the Soul Assassins from

the inception in the early 90s to the present year?

DJ

Muggs: Well when we first started it was a bunch of rappers and

producers/DJs as our extended family of Cypress Hill. It just grew into

a collective of artists that got together to help with our career goals

and personal goals in our lives. You see it too many times when somebody

helps someone in their career and they go and blow up and never get

back to pass that back to you. So at a certain point we decided that

we’ve got to look out for each other and create our own economy within

ourselves. As an artistic collective we reach out to all those artists,

everyone from Mr. Cartoon to Alchemist to myself.

AllHipHop.com: As the years

have progressed and artists grown would you describe yourself now as

more of a loose collective?

DJ

Muggs: Well everyone is pretty much a good person and everybody

keeps themselves tight. We just grow and grow and everyone is working

their hardest to do what they’ve got to do so that they can contribute.

We’ve all been friends for a long time so we keep pushing it.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of present

Soul Assassins, you recently dropped Intermission. The title

isn’t fitting with the previous chapters, does this serve as a break

between Chapters II and III?

DJ

Muggs: Yea, we’ve been working on Part III so this is actually

the bridge. We didn’t want to keep people waiting until next summer

so we decided to put this out right now. I don’t consider it part

of the three chapters. I consider it like an interlude and a break from

the other two. A lot of music we had sitting around on the computer

so we wanted to put that out instead of letting it go to waste while

we work on Chapter III.

AllHipHop.com: Since you don’t

consider it part of the “chapters” catalogue, couldn’t you have

released it as a mixtape? It seems that is popular for artists who have

material sitting in their computers to drop it on the net for free.

DJ

Muggs: Well that’s because I don’t like mixtapes. I think it’s

a waste of time and I think it cheapens music. I think they’re good

for new artists if you want to put your demo out though. If I would’ve

done that it would have disappeared after two or three days and be gone.

Putting it as an album it will be there forever. It will be on the shelves

of record stores and magazines take it seriously, but most important

people take it seriously. When it’s a mixtape, it’s just

a mixtape and it gets overlooked on the desk.

AllHipHop.com: One thing that

people may overlook on the new record is your addition of your past

musical endeavor, Dust. Why did you choose to include the Dust record

for the album?

DJ

Muggs: Man I’ve got about eight or nine songs I’ve never used

from Dust and I loved that record right there. I was playing it one

day in the studio for the homies and people were like, “man let’s

put that sh*t on the album.” And others were like, “na, it doesn’t

fit the album.” Honestly thought, it fits the album because it is

what it is and this is what it is so we put that sh*t out there. That’s

actually a four track. It’s a four track demo and we actually tried

going back and recording it in a big studio and cleaning it up and separating

all the tracks but it didn’t sound right so we left that sh*t as a

four track.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of Dust

and your range in production, where do you feel you are at and will

be at with it in the near future?

DJ

Muggs: Really now this year, I’m jamming shit. I’m gonna start

making a little more music in a minute but for right now I’m just

taking a break from music. We’ve got about three quarters of Chapter

III done so I’ll take a few months off and just DJ. What’s inspiring

me right now is I’ve been doing a lot of shows so I’ve been practicing

everyday and letting these motherfuckers in the tight pants out there

stand at the screen and think, ‘look at this is art form man, you’ve

got to put in practice, you’ve got respect this.” You play a professional

sport you can’t suck, you can’t be wack. Music seems to be like

the only thing you can suck and be wack but dress up and be successful.

AllHipHop.com: Again, looking

ahead, what is in store for Chapter III

in the Soul Assassins catalogue?

DJ

Muggs: Chapter III is coming with a documentary that I’m

doing right now with Soren Baker. Chapter III

will be more like the soundtrack to the documentary history of the Soul

Assassins. We’ve recorded music for it and we’re looking for the

release next year.

AllHipHop.com: Along with the

documentary we’ve heard rumors of a possible memoir in the works –

DJ

Muggs: No that was a mistake in print; I don’t know who printed

that. It’s just a lot of time and energy and it wouldn’t get enough

return. I’m definitely gonna do it but probably in about ten years

though. We’ve got so much more to do so I want to finish up everything

first. I think some things come to early, artists put out two albums

and their already writing their life story. I think we need to go and

do a little bit more.

AllHipHop.com: Speaking of a

decade, what do you think the Soul Assassins will be seen as by then?

DJ

Muggs: I’ll see Soul Assassins as the number one artistic movement

ever out of Los Angeles. We accompany any kind of artist there is; visual

artist, graphic artist, photographers, video producers, some of the

biggest rappers and rap groups. I don’t see us slowing down. We own

clothing lines, international businesses, and they’re all climbing.

We’ll continue to grow and maximize our full potential and most importantly

continue to help each other with our personal goals and our artistic

goals. In the end, we’re pretty much artists that just want to create

art the way we want to create it and not have to conform to all this

commercial stuff that we’re not really into. We want to continue to

inspire the youth to push forward and create the kind of art they want

to create from their heart and not from their pocket book.

week’s competition scorched up like a tar roof in Texas.  The homies

Denada and Underground Lab Productionz went head up for the vacant title. 

In the final tally, Denada took the belt under some public scrutiny.

Denada earns the title of “Casio Banger” for his first victory.    

This week Denada returns to defend

the crown with some new tracks against a formidable opponent. 

All comments and critiques are welcome.  With those constructive

ideas, all producers and beatmakers can grow and perfect the craft. 

Remember the criteria producers.  Variety of tracks, arrangement,

and originality are key.  Add some drops and changes to your beats. 

A nice hook, a beat break, extra snare kick, or a change in melody can

mean the ultimate difference in selection.  

Without further ado, let the battle

rage on.

Challenger 

Name: JRB the Producer 

Where you are from: Gresham/Britton’s Neck, South Carolina 

Who is your favorite producer: Timbaland & Just Blaze  

A description of your style of music:  

I just want to add that most of my beats switch up almost the whole

way through so if you listen to “Never Rain on Me” & “Different

S**t” please if you can listen for a while. But I would simply

classify my music as “future Hip-Hop, Pop, Techno, Rock, Polka,

Trance, R &B, and Soul music”  

The best way for someone to contact

you: 

jonb348@hotmail.com

www.pmpworldwide.com/jrb-the-producer

www.myspace.com/jrbtheproducer

www.twitter.com/jrbtheproducer 

“murder everything moving”

“never rain on me”

Reigning Champion 

Name: Denada 

Where you are from: Los Angeles/ Currently in Birmingham Alabama 

Who is your favorite producer: DJ Premier, Rza, Madlib, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Dilla, Flying Lotus, The Beatnuts, Beatminerz….etc 

A description of your style of music: Some head nod s**t 

The best way for someone to contact you: email — suazeone@yahoo.com   

“So Slick”

Use the custom poll to cast your

votes, but feel free to drop a comment or appropriate feedback. 

DiscussionsView Results

But in the spirit of competition, somebody has to be chosen, somebody has to win. Narrowing the overall field to only two producers was very difficult. There were many that fit the criteria set forth to be in the top two.

This week’s winner will move on to face another challenger next week. Good luck!

Contestant #1

Name:

Underground Lab Productionz

Where you are from:

Gainesville, GA

Who is your favorite producer:

RZA, Mannie, Curtis Mayfield, and Larry Smith(to name a few)

A description of your style of music:

Hip Hop, R&B, Pop, Rock

The best way for someone to contact you:

Underground Lab Productionz

DJ Cube/CEO

ulabpro8@gmail.com

http://www.myspace.com/undergroundlabproductionz

King Philip/President

kingphilip2000@gmail.com

http://www.myspace.com/kingphilipulp

“ULB Track 1″:

“ULB Track 2″:

“ULB Track 3″:

Contestant #2

Name:

Denada

Where you are from:

Los Angeles/ Currently in Birmingham Alabama

Who is your favorite producer:

DJ Premier, Rza, Madlib, Pete Rock, Large Professor, Dilla, Flying Lotus, The Beatnuts, Beatminerz….etc

A description of your style of music:

Some head nod s**t

The best way for someone to contact you:

email — suazeone@yahoo.com ……….

“SUNDAY MORNING” :

“ALONG THE NILE”:

“UNTITLED”:

Use the poll to vote for your favorite producer of the week, but also don’t forget to drop a comment to explain the thought process behind your vote.

Log onto BeatDynasty.com for the latest in production news, interviews, and tech articles.

 VOTE!

His relationship to Eminem may get him accolades, but Riggs he’s just as significant for his extensive history with managing producers like Alchemist, Fred Wreck, Lord Finesse, Domingo, Dame Grease and many others though Shady. His ability to point out talent is wide-ranging so AllHipHop felt the need to get his Top 5 Dead or Alive Producers and make it official.

Here’s his Top 5 Dead or Alive Producers and it’s quite a potent list.

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keybangers, tech nerds, and production enthusiasts.  The Beat Melee

is back!! It’s time to step into the arena, get judged by a collection

of your audio loving peers, to determine who is the best unsigned, untapped

producer in the World.  Don’t be shy or afraid to take your creative

talents to the next level.  The rules for the competition are as

follows..

Each participant

must submit 3 tracks to qualify for the battle.  Tracks must be

in Mp3 format, playable through Gmail. No zip folders or external links

will be opened.  Submit tracks to BeatDynasty@gmail.com with subject line “Beat Melee”

Copy and Paste the form below with the appropriate information.

Name:

Where you are from:

Who is your favorite producer:

A description of your style

of music:

The best way for someone to

contact you:  

Each producer by

participating is certifying that he/she is not signed or does not have

any standard industry credits to their resume.

Submissions must

be made by 12am Sunday night to be judged for the Wednesday battles.

Submissions will

be judged by the following criteria

Variety of beats

Arrangement

Clarity of the mix

Variety of Sounds

Battles take place

every Wednesday exclusively on AllHipHop.com

The first week two

contestants will be selected to duel. Weekly winners will continue to

advance until they reach “Immortal Trackster” status.

The online community

will judge the battle and the winner is the one who receives the most

votes by 12am on Friday night.

If you’re tracks

are not selected initially, keep submitting.

Status Levels are below

After One win = Casio Keybanger 

After Two wins= 16 Track Boarder 

After Three wins=  Pro

Tooler 

After Four wins= Retired “Immortal

Trackster” Each producer to reach this status will receive a feature

interview on the popular production website BeatDynasty.com.

Good luck to you, and happy

submission.    

Clientele: Jim Jones, LL Cool J, Mickey Factz , Fat Joe , Jackie Chain, Young Dro, Sheek Louch, Daytona

Equipment: Logic Pro on a Mac, Some analog synths, Juno-106, MS-20, Guitar and Bass

Everyone knows the story of grinding out until you finally get recognition. It takes some people a very long time before they reach a plateau of substantiality.  The Illfonics have been patiently working behind the scenes with television shows such as Rob and Big, underground artists like Mickey Factz and video games like NBA ‘07. With the recent success of their current beat with Jim Jones “Na Nana Na” it seems like they are finally going to get the credit they been waiting for.

AllHipHop.com: What initially got you guys into beat making and then becoming overall producers?

Jed: We both had been playing guitar since we were real young. We met at school, NYU, we were studying music technology. The transition from beat making to instrumentalist just kind of happened.

Matt: We went to school for music technology and focused on production. We were into the more electronic sounds and weird instrumental stuff. What we were making were beats, but, no one could necessarily rap over them. They were really hectic musical stuff. In 2002-2003 we decided to go more main stream with our stuff.

AllHipHop.com: Why are you guys called the Illfonics?

Jed: A friend of ours actually thought of it. It’s kind of like a play on the Delfonics.

Matt: We were just trying to come up with names and we hated everything we came up with. A friend said you guys should call yourselves the Illfonics. We were like alright cool. It’s not that deep honestly we just kind of went with it.

AllHipHop.com: Do you guys use a lot of guitar riffs and stuff when making beats?

Matt: In some of them. We use more electronic “synthy” stuff.

Jed: We do Rock stuff and Pop and R&B as well. Rock stuff is all guitar and bass most of the time.

AllHipHop.com: Do you think it’s harder to be in a partnership than it would be if you both worked individually? How do you guys conduct business?

Jed: In terms of what?

AllHipHop.com: For instance since you guys are considered as one entity is it harder? Does one guy come in and make a beat than the other might come in later and tweak it?

Jed: It goes both ways. We make beats together for the most part. There are joints that we’ve made completely separate. There are things one may start and the other person comes in and finishes it.

Matt: We all kind of cover the same basis. We both use program drums or play drums. We play guitar, bass, keys and stuff so we can both take something from start to finish. Sometimes we’ll just start something together completely and finish it. As far as the business end of things, we let our manager Toshi handle that and our lawyer Paulina.

Jed: We’re just doing the music.  

AllHipHop.com: What was your first piece of equipment? 

Jed: It was the MPC 3000

Matt: I don’t even remember…wow. I think it might have been the MPC 2000. Yet I’m almost positive I was tinkering around with other stuff as well before that. 

AllHipHop.com: What’s your favorite piece of equipment to work with?

Jed: The computer.

Matt: We do everything in Logic. There’s a lot of stuff in there, a lot of sounds in there that we can use. We have a lot of analog synths and stuff.

Jed: There’s a virtual MPC in the bottom.

AllHipHop.com: I bet everyone asks you this question, but, how did you link up with Jim Jones? What was it like working with him?

Jed: Our manager is cool with Jim’s publicist. That’s how the initial connection was made. He gave Jim’s A&R a beat CD and he really felt this one beat. The beat later became the “Na Nana Na” track. He just kept playing it. Jim was in the studio and he just had the beat on repeat.

Matt: He wrote down his stuff. The whole thing happened real quickly. It took about four days.

AllHipHop.com: He was here in your studio?

Jed: No he has his own.

Matt: They started on a Saturday or something like that. He laid down his thing and then they hit us asking us if we’re still doing this. They invited us to his studio and we met Bree as she added her vocals. We all just hung out and stuff and met Jim. That night into Sunday morning we were awake doing a mix session until 6 a.m. By Thursday it was on the radio. It was nuts because the album was already closed already.

Jed: They bumped somebody’s track for ours.

AllHipHop.com: So the track wasn’t even supposed to be on the album?

Matt: I know the album was supposed to come out earlier, but, I think there were other reasons as well. The album got pushed back and stuff.

AllHipHop.com: Jim liked the track enough to get it pushed on the radio and stuff?

Matt: Yea. He liked the single and I think they were floating two other tracks before that and testing them out. He just really liked “Na Nana Na.”

AllHipHop.com: Where are you guys going next with producing and who do you have lined up to work with?

Matt: We got a track with this guy Jackie Chain. He’s on Universal and the track will probably come out in the Summer with his project. Nipsey Hussle is another one. We’re doing a real West coast track.

Jed: Honestly we’re going to keep the rest f our endeavors quiet. Keep our mouths closed…haha.

Matt: We got stuff in the works. We have a lot of projects we’d love to get on.

AllHipHop.com: When it comes to music do you want to stick with just Hip-Hop?

Jed: No not really.

Matt: It’s pretty funny because we started off doing hip hp stuff for the longest. It just wasn’t happening. We started doing pop stuff and got such a strong reaction from that. We kind of left the hip hop stuff behind and then the LL Cool J stuff happened. After that things started to pick up and we went back to it. We are definitely trying to get the pop stuff off the ground again. Some rock stuff as well.

AllHipHop.com: What else outside of the music industry are you involved in?

Jed: We did a lot of TV stuff. We got some tracks with Everybody Hates Chris. We did a lot with Rob and Big on MTV. We did a track for Entourage on HBO. We have a lot of stuff we’ve made in the past that still might get used. Music supervision companies will have it and will take it when they feel.

Matt: MTV has a bunch of our tracks and they’ll throw it on there. We’ll get ASCAP checks months later in the mail.

Jed: There are a few tracks on Rob and Big that I didn’t even know were placed on there.

AllHipHop.com: What’s the difference in making a beat for an artist and a video game? I know you guys made a beat for NBA ‘07.

Jed: The video game situation is a more hectic time constraining situation. We had to make about 60 beats or rather 30 second snippets in about a month.

Matt: It was actually more like 2 weeks. They than gave us an extra week.

Jed: So basically 3 weeks total.

Matt: This is all while working full time jobs. It was pretty hectic.

Jed: We were just banging em’ out. They would give us direction as well. We also made the theme song for that particular game.

Matt: The difference with an artist is it has to sound like a record. It has to have a certain quality. Videogames don’t always have to sound like a real record. Some do, but they can be more abstract. Another thing with video games is there is no sampling. You have to make each one different. You can start t run out of ideas.

Jed: Quality is compromised with time constraints.

Matt: That was dope for us because we learned in two weeks how to pick up a lot of tricks and stuff. Trying to model beats out of what was out already.

Jed: We needed Dre sounding beats and stuff like that, in the club sounding joints. In the process of recreating those sounds we learned a lot and it came through in our future creative processes.

Matt: Basically to make a beat for an artist it’s different because they will just ask for a hit. With the TV or videogame stuff they will give you references. They tell you what they’re looking for. Making it for an artist is much more vague and elusive.

Jed: Most of the artist situations we’ve had they didn’t specifically ask us to make a beat. They just heard a beat they liked. The LL joint we made for him. He felt it. We already had one track placed, but he heard a different beat and went with that one.

Matt: Artists always pick the beat you least expect them to. I won’t want to play something for them, yet we do it anyways and they pick it.

AllHipHop.com: Are ringtones a viable option for producers?

Matt: In terms of making stuff strictly as ringtones? We never actually did a deal to just make ringtones. I’d be open to it. It’s more the Jim Jones track will be a ringtone.

Jed: As far as revenue goes it is a viable option. It is something to think about when making a track. Would it be a good ringtone?

Matt: It seems like Timbaland could do a deal with Verizon to make 40 original ringtones and that’s a pretty sweet deal. Once you get to a point where your name counts for something it can get a company to want to use you to market.

AllHipHop.com: What’s your take on the current rap game?

Matt: I think there is a lot of cool stuff going on. There’s stuff that gets boring and monotonous. There are a lot of guys trying to do new and interesting stuff.

Jed: I think something is going to happen at some point soon. I think it’s been a bit oversaturated with the down South 808 sound. I feel like a new sound is going to break sometime soon. It has to.   

Matt: I like a lot of the dudes coming out now. I like Mickey, B.o.B. or Cudi. They seem like the guys that care less about being rappers as opposed to being artists or musicians.

Jed: I think one of those dudes is going to come out and set a new wave of creativity.

Matt: I think it’s where people are at with music in general. The genre line gets blurred more and more and it matters less and less to be a certain way. There will always be rappers.

AllHipHop.com: Any advice for someone who might want to be a producer?

Matt: Don’t do it…haha. It’s hard. You have to be patient.

Jed: Send your music out to everyone. The biggest mistake for a lot of up and coming producers is they worry about their music getting taken. You just gotta send your stuff out to as many people as possible. You have to expect to get ripped off. It’s gonna happen at some point. Most new artists and producers have that happen all the time.

Matt: You have to be patient and believe in what you’re doing. Get a good team. Get a manager. Get someone to help you put your stuff out there.

Jed: Get someone to handle the business side too. When you meet up with the artist and talk music the business end doesn’t fit. It’s hard to do both. It’s much better having someone else handle the business stuff.

Visit Illfonics MySpace page at www.myspace.com/ILLFONICS

Several weeks ago a new Jay-Z record surfaced on internet blog sites everywhere. The title of this record was “Death of The Autotune” and it was produced by none other than No ID himself, a longtime collaborator of Jay-Z’s. The title alone had people everywhere curious and after listening to the record, one could not help but ask questions. Fortunately NO ID has answers.

AllHipHop.com: Let’s talk about the D.O.A record, the Jay-Z record that everyone is talking about. What was the thought process behind the record? How did it come together?

NO ID: Actually we were all in Hawaii. It’s actually a pretty good story. There was a debate going on in the studio and some of the main components were Timbaland, Kanye, Jay, Guru, Don Chi, I was in there, and some others and there was a Dj in there. And we were just going over all the records and talking about the sonic direction of the project. And somehow it got to one of the Dj’s saying that Jay needed a record that can hit the kids like Soulja Boy does. And the conversation went a little further and then Don Chi was like..I don’t know about that. And Jay was even like he didn’t know about that. And in that climate I had that beat in my computer unfinished. So I just put my headphones on during the conversation and I finished making it. Then after awhile Kanye was like play what you got in your computer right there. So I played it and then he immediately walked over to Jay and gave him the concept and the chorus. And that’s pretty much exactly how it came about. He was like this song right here should be like dissing everything that is not real. Then Jay took it home that night and the next morning he had the song laid.

AllHipHop.com: It seems everyone has their own opinion about who they think he is going at or if he going at anybody. What do you think?

NO ID: I don’t think he’s going at anybody. I feel like when you really listen to the whole song, there are a lot of things he talks about in the song that don’t have nothing to do with autotune but its just themed “Death of the Autotune”. I would more so look at it as if he’s just taking a position that comes up every so often. The same position that maybe 50 Cent took when Ja Rule was making a lot of commercial music or throughout history its been times where certain aspects get attacked but it really just represents getting back in control and making music and trying to be dope and not just trying to sell records and be popular by imitating what’s selling. That’s my opinion of the record. Everyone else can take the “autotune” theme and run with it, but I look at hip-hop as the pursuit of dopeness. And when you get outside of trying to be dope and you are trying to make money only…that’s the thing he attacks in this whole song. Dealing with the way you dress, the way you act, and the final blow is to the autotune. I don’t really look at it like its coming at one person. I see it as him coming at all the things that he feels like are not pursuing dopeness.

AllHipHop.com: So you see the record as more of a general statement? Kind of like how Nas came out with Hip-Hop Is Dead?

NO ID: Exactly. Same exact underlying point. Except Jay honed in on something that everybody is doing. Hip Hop Is Dead was like a broad statement that didn’t exactly hone in on what people were doing at that time. That’s not an attack on individuals per say in my eyes. Its an attack on the idea of “Is it cool to just do anything if it sells?”. Is it cool to just say anything if it sells? Is it free reign to just say anything and nobody’s supposed to say nothing because it works? I think he was just like I don’t care if it works, this needs to stop.

MC Hammer Talks “D.O.A.”

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AllHipHop.com: This record really kick started the anticipation for Jay’s next album. Do you feel like this record represents where Jay is as an artist right now?

NO ID: I think at this moment. That’s where he is,but I also think he’s in a lot of places. And I feel like even up to this every minute he’s still recording and getting everything out of his mind. To try to box Jay into just one record is hard because he has way more depth to him as a person and as an artist. But I know he definitely felt like he had some things he needed to get off his chest. Even with the Soulja Boy thing. He was like “Yo What’s going on?” Why are you mentioning Jay in that light? “Like if BIG was here do you think he’d be cool with me trying to make a record for that crowd? Not to diss Soulja Boy or nothing because personally I like Soulja Boy. But I don’t want to see Jay do a record to try to get his crowd.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve been around for a minute and seen the different phases in rap kind of come and go.What do you think about the state of Hip-Hop right now and some of the things jay touched on in the record?

NO ID: I like it because for me rap is a contact sport. This is what it needs. It needs different opinions and different views. Like if I was an autotune rapper right now, I would jut go and try to kill the game with autotune. There’s no era or theory that embodies hip-hop more than another. Its about whoever wants to be dope and take it there. I like Hip-Hop right now because its wide open. Its a lot of space with the internet and dwindling amounts of record deals. Its getting back to where it was when I came in and it was like special to have a record deal. If you come out now its like you are doing something right. It got to a point where anybody could get a record deal and anybody could put a record out and move some units. I love whats going on right now because even the stuff I personally don’t like, it motivates me. I’m a fan of the music. I have 60,000 songs in my itunes and I’ve seen all of this happen before. My first record was in 92. I’ve seen these cycles occur in different ways. I’ve seen Big Daddy Kane dancing and being tough and dropping knowledge and I feel like we are putting the cap on this too much. I’ve seen Big Daddy Kane singing but still murdering people on the mic. It really just needs to get back to people being as dope as they can be without caring what people say.

AllHipHop.com: A little while ago Soulja Boy came under fire from Ice-T because he felt as though Soulja Boy was not living up to what Hip-Hop was “mean to be”. And other rappers have also been attacked by some of the older figures in hip hop for pretty much the same thing. What are your thoughts on that?

NO ID: I feel like I understand both sides. You can’t make somebody who wasn’t even born in that era stand up for what we know from being there. I’m sure Kurtis Blow and Melle Mel felt like people in the 80’s weren’t keeping it real because they weren’t in the park. Then people in the 80’s felt like people in the 90’s who were sampling weren’t keeping it real. Its always been this way. So when older cats say what they say, its valid. But younger cats only know what they come up in. So if you come up in something and this is what you’ve embraced and you don’t necessary know the full history, there’s really no way to learn without somebody putting you up on it. There’s a lot of people from my era who are stuck in what they did that they can’t make relevant records now.

AllHipHop.com: Musically what artists excite you right now? Or does anything excite you?

NO ID: In Hip-Hop I like what Drake is doing. But I really listen to a lot of old music because I really don’t like the way people put their albums together anymore. They put so many different producers on it that it just sounds like compilations to me. I like albums that really have one sound and one sonic direction and one purpose that why I really like most of the Kanye albums because they make sense when I play them all the way through.

AllHipHop.com: Where do you see music going from here in terms of the sound and the business end of it?

NO ID: It will probably just follow the cycle. It will eventually leave out of the dance music and pop/rock sound and head back in a soulful direction. And then go right back through the stages. Even in the 70’s it went from Soul to disco to pop/rock in the 80’s then it went through those cycles in hip-hop. It was soulful then Puff came. And honestly one of the reasons I started working heavily with Kanye on production is because I had a vision to put together like a real good team affect where music is going to go rather than predicting or watching. So we are in the final stages of finalizing me playing a heavier role in GOOD MUSIC to take some of the pressure off of him and also helping him develop a good sound and a label from what he already had. Going back in with Common and maybe John Legend and all the other artists and just get some new energy and hopefully that will be apart of where it goes. But music is really just going to go wherever the leaders take it. And right now I think the DOA record has some of the leaders re-thinking where they want to take it. Or maybe not. Maybe they just want to keep taking it where it’s going. I mean, I like what T-Pain did. But the question is after he heard DOA what does he want to do now?

AllHipHop.com: So 30 or 40 years from now if someone had to come up with one word to describe your body of work and your contribution to music, what would you want that one word to be?

NO ID: Consistency.

Only a select few can match the repertoire that Preemo has cultivated over the last 20 years. But, this is an intro about those beat maestros that Premier loves and respects. Understand, Premier is no child so his influences and Top 5 is reflective of his background.

Without further delay, DJ Premier’s Top 5 Dead or Alive…

“Larry Smith is a producer that used to work with Kurtis Blow, Run DMC with “Rock Box” and all that. He did a lot of the Whodini records. Very, very, very good producer.”

[Early in his Hip-Hop career, Smith crafted songs for Kurtis Blow and Grand Master Flash and the Furious Five, rap’s early super stars. He later produced Run DMC’s first two albums, their self-titled debut (1984) and King of Rock (1985). Additionally, Smith wove a string of hits for Whodini, including their 1984 debut Escape with hits like “Friends.” – source AllHipHop.com]

“Marley Marl is my idol of Hip-Hop. He’s like the James Brown of Hip-Hop.”

QUINCY JONES

“Quincy Jones is a no-brainer too. He did movie soundtracks back in the 50’s and 60’s when he was a young cat and all the way up until he produced “Thriller” for Michael and all that. He broke the code of music theory and created his own lane on how to count and start on the “2” and not always on the “1.” You gotta watch him to know when to change up, because he’s so unorthodox with his production and his talent as an artist.”

“James Brown is just super ill.”

“Rick Rubin is a major, major reason – no disrespect to Russell, because we know Russell’s that dude… Rick Rubin did a lot of them beats that transcended…hard reality of production. And to be a founder of Def Jam Records when it was Def Jam…before it got soft and watered down. Signing groups like Public Enemy and the Junk Yardband. Showing that they can sign a Go Go act. All the way to all the old Beastie Boy records when they used to have the purple label. When MCA and Berzootie and Jimmy Spicer. Even with Russell and Jazzy Jay with the record Def Jam. LL Cool to be the first official artist that they signed with “I Need A Beat.” T La Rock “Its Yours” on the Party Time label which is really the official first Def Jam record ever. That’s how far back it goes so shout out to Rick Rubin too.”

“Rock The Bells” – LL Cool J (produced by Rick Rubin)

“On some real s**t, I gotta make it six. George Clinton, Parliament Funkadelic, Booty’s Rubberband, Eddie Hazel, Parlet, the Brides of Funkenstein. He [George Clinton] was James Brown spaced-out – on some other s**t. James Brown was spaced out anyway, but George Clinton living is just the epitome of funk and all that other s**t.“

So, it is quite apparent that when these aspirants begin to formulate their list of Top 5 producers, Just Blaze will be high on their lists. But, who is on Just Blaze’s list? The New Jersey-bred, New York-based producer admits it can go any number of ways depending on how he feels on any given day.

“I’ll do it, but I might change my mind tomorrow,” he admits in a moment away from the chaos of the convention. “I say that because lists like that are hard, because you have to think about it.”

Nevertheless, Just Blaze gathers his thoughts on May 9, 2009 and gives AllHipHop.com his Top 5 Dead or Alive Producers.

Just Blaze: I was having this conversation the other day and people asked me what my favorite album is. And it was a toss up between [A Tribe Called Quest's] Midnight Marauders and The Infamous (by Mobb Deep] but Q-Tip wins because he was instrumental on both of those albums. So, I definitely got to put Q-Tip on that list.

RZA

Just Blaze: I definitely would have to put RZA on that list.

Just Blaze: I definitely would have to put Marley [Marl] on that list. He’s the godfather of what we do and how we do it. He was the mastermind who knew about the machines. If you listen to these interviews now with members of the Juice Crew, they will tell you, Marley didn’t necessarily have the idea to do the beat – I gave him the record. But he’s the one who had put it together. He’s the one who knew to take this loop and take these drums, put it on top of it, take this hi-hat and program it. He was an engineer as well. The most powerful producers are always going to have an engineer [background], like myself, like Rza, like Dre. You are just going to have [an ear] for those sonics. If you listen to Marley’s records versus anything that came before it, it was a different sound, a different grit…

THE BOMB SQUAD

Just Blaze: Bomb squad [the production team that provided the sounds for Public Enemy]. A lot of people forget, because it was so long ago. I think those four are solid [as 1-4].

The fifth one could be interchangeable. Editor’s note: The Bomb Squad (Chuck D, Vietnam and brothers Hank and Keith Schocklee. Later others such as Gary G-Wiz, Sleek, Easy Mo Bee and Panic would join the team.)  is an American Hip-Hop production team, known for their work with Public Enemy. The Bomb Squad are noted for their dense, distinct, innovative production style, often utilizing dozens of samples on just one track. They are also known for their ability to incorporate harsh, unmelodic sounds and samples into their songs, generally enhancing them. They also produced albums and songs for the likes of Ice Cube (AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted), Slick Rick, Run DMC and others. (Source: wikipedia and about.com)

Just Blaze: Growing up, I was a bit of a Large Professor “stan.” I wanted glasses and the whole nine. I see him and its like hanging out with my big brother. But see, there’s also Dre. I was one of the only kids in New Jersey that was bumpin’ NWA early when New Jersey wasn’t bumpin’ NWA early. After “F**k The Police” I was like, “What’s that?” [Somebody else says] “You ain’t never heard that?” “No.” This was in like ’86. We were Juice Crew’d out and he put in this tape like…coursing… And the beats are different, but Its hot, you know? If you look at everything he’s done, from then up until now, you gotta put him on that list. Then you gotta have this man right here…

[Pete Rock strolls up]

Pete Rock: Who me? I’m nobody!

Just Blaze: Pete Rock is probably one of the only people to take a Bomb Squad production and make it better.

AllHipHop.com: The “Shut ‘Em Down” Remix

Pete Rock: I can honestly say that Green Street used to be my home and I used to watch those brothers [the Bomb Squad] in a session. That’s part of my inspiration. The Bomb Squad was great – huge.

AllHipHop.com: The greatest remix ever?

Just Blaze: “Hold it now!” [Quoting Public Enemy's Chuck D and his opening line on "Shut 'Em Down"]

Pete Rock: What I heard and learned, I incorporated it on some Pete Rock s**t.

Just Blaze: Its nothing like being able to kick it – even 30 seconds – with somebody you idolize. It’ll change your life.

“Triumph” – Wu Tang – produced by RZA

“One Love” – Nas – produced by Q-Tip

“Shut ‘Em Down” – Public Enemy – remixed by Pete Rock

Shut Em Down (Pete Rock remix) – Public Enemy

“The Symphony” – Marley Marl (featuring Kool G Rap, Big Daddy Kane, Masta Ace and Craig G)

“Looking At The Front Door” – Main Source Rapped and produced by Large Professor

“For All My B***hes and N***az” – Snoop Dogg – produced by Dr. Dre

“Fight The Power” – Public Enemy -produced by The Bomb Squad

Busta Rhymes, LL Cool J, Cam’ron, 50 Cent,

Logic, MPK 49, AKAI MPC 2500

17 Years.

The moniker “super producer” is too often given out freely based on the number of years honing one’s craft. While this is important, the criteria should also recognize those whose production throughout their career has proven to be consistent while at the same time adapting to the constant changes seen in music.

Veteran producer Ty Fyffe’s repertoire shows that he’s been serious since day one about putting out quality beats. He’s worked with Slick Rick, LL, G-Unit, Teddy Riley and the list goes on. While on a recent trip to Cali, Ty talks about his early days working with Wreckx-n-Effect, why he created TyFyffe TV and shooting down rumors of his reputation for jacking experienced producers.

AllHipHop.com: First I want to ask you about “Hustla’s Anthem”. Is that something you previously concocted, or did you work with Busta in the studio?

Ty Fyffe: I had it created before that. I had the beat and he needed a club record, so I thought that was perfect for him.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve done a lot of work with Flipmode in the past right?

Ty Fyffe: Yea I worked on a Flipmode album that was supposed to come out on J-Records, but it never came out. I also did some work for Lord Have Mercy.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your early days as a producer?

Ty Fyffe: I started producing with Teddy Riley with his camp under New Jack Swing. I did six records on the Wreckx-n-Effect album. And the single “Rump Shaker” did like 2.5 million and the album did 1.5. That was the way to get a jump out there. I also did the first Black Street record that was on the CB4 Soundtrack with Teddy.

AllHipHop.com: What was it like working with Teddy Riley?

Ty Fyffe: Aw man it was amazing because I learned from a genius. He’s like a legend in the game and he’s one of the best that ever did it. So I felt like I was on the right track.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve also worked with the Slick Ricks and the LL’s, how did you make your connections so early?

Ty Fyffe: As far as LL, we from around the same neighborhood and I always like his music. I grew up with that music. And Slick Rick and The Great Adventures of Slick Rick was my favorite Rap album. So it was an honor to work with Slick. A friend of mine was working at Def Jam at the time, and that’s how I got plugged in with that.

AllHipHop.com: So how would you describe your production style?

Ty Fyffe: I pretty much go with the times and try to make good music. That way people could identify. I guess I’ve fallen into a sound cause a lot people say they can identify and hear my sound now. I try to put my ear current to what’s going on and get my hands on it.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about the equipment you use.

Ty Fyffe: Now I mess with Logic. I get musicians that come in there and we play around until we get the right stuff coming out. Then I arrange everything in Pro Tools. I use the MPK 49 now as far as the machine and I’m kind of liking that because it’s made by Akai and I’m used to the MPC 2500.

AllHipHop.com: With almost twenty years in what has been the most memorable studio moment for you?

Ty Fyffe: Ah man, making “Rump Shaker” I remember we spent 24 hours on that record. We had to turn that record in. We made a whole lot of mixes to that record. That was like one of the best times I was in the studio.

AllHipHop.com: Was it intimidating working with someone like Teddy at such a young age?

Ty Fyffe: It wasn’t intimidating. I was actually just learning and watching. I was like his little brother just watching how to make a hit. A lot of people when they come into the game they don’t really get to learn from people that’s established. Like Teddy to me is like the new Quincy Jones. That was unforgettable.

AllHipHop.com: Were there any producers or artists you looked up to?

Ty Fyffe: Definitely Teddy Riley, Dr. Dre, Roger Troutman. Producers out now I like Just Blaze, Alchemist, Havoc, Rodney Jerkins; just real producers that have longevity. Like Ryan Leslie he’s really hitting the scene with some excellent music too.

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your first time getting jerked.

Ty Fyffe: That was earlier in the career. I didn’t know the business, but at the same time I wasn’t really a real producer back then. I was a beat-maker. There’s a big difference between beat-making and producing. Learning arrangements and how to format a song and the melodies that will go on top to make the chorus feel like they can match is what a producer does.

AllHipHop.com: Talk a little bit about TYBU Productions.

Ty Fyffe: That’s a company I formed in 2001 to get a distinctive for my own credits. I had another company prior to that in early ’98 and it was a bad turn out with bad representation. It was just the wrong route.

AllHipHop.com: There’s also the Music Factory right?

Ty Fyffe: Yea that’s a recording studio I built in West Hempstead for the public and for my own services. I really just wanted to have a place to go to work at. In New York I didn’t want too many people at my house. I feel more like I’m doing actual business. It’s a spot where everybody can link up.

AllHipHop.com: What are qualities you require when working with newer artists?

Ty Fyffe: I look for artists that pretty much listen and let me guide them in the right direction. Because a lot of artist really think they know what they talking about; and even sometimes established artists. I’m not knocking the hustle because a lot people sometimes like to guide their own situation, but at the same token the producer is suppose to be the one to guide the direction. That’s what they’re there for. They’re not just there to make the beat and that’s the record. They’re supposed to tell the artist which way to go and how it’s supposed to flow. They’re supposed to tell how the hook is supposed to be and if they’re delivering it right. You got to bring the best out of the project.

AllHipHop.com: So then how do you deal with a difficult artist?

Ty Fyffe: I just don’t deal with them at all. If someone gets on my nerves I wash my hands and it’s a wrap. I move onto the next project.

AllHipHop.com: What other projects you got under wraps?

Ty Fyffe: Red Café, 50 Cent, Fabolous, I think Juelz Santana. I’m also doing some work with Keyshia Cole. I got a track on Blood On The Sand , Kay Slay, Red and Meth. I got a lot of stuff I’m working on.

AllHipHop.com: How was it working with artists like UGK considering most of your work is with East Coast artists?

Ty Fyffe: Whoever I’m about to work with I study their music before I present any product. The A&R told me which way to go with it and I played them some beats and they picked something.

AllHipHop.com: I’ve read that you once developed a reputation for exploiting experienced musicians. Can you speak on that a bit?

Ty Fyffe: You know somebody tried to throw salt in the game and I never did anything of that sort. Somebody got access to Wikipedia, and they tried to throw salt in the game. I’m a straight up business dude. You’re always going find haters. Everybody runs through bad roads with people. People usually come to me I don’t go to them. I’m not one to talk about past incidents and naming names. I handle them accordingly. I did my business, they got their money and if there was a problem I handle the problem with them personally. I’m not an industry dude neither I just make money in the industry.

AllHipHop.com: How do you want people to remember your contribution to Hip-Hop?

Ty Fyffe: I don’t think I’m ever going retire. I’m going to build a company that’s so established to where if any representation goes to any company in the future for me, we don’t even have to play any music they just put us in the budget cause they know my name alone is going be quality. And they know I’m going bring them a hot record.

Lil Wayne, Trina, Rick Ross, Pitbull

Logic, Motif, Phantom, AKAI MPC 3000

5 Years.

Paying the cost to be the boss has taken on a whole new meaning with regards to showcasing your talent. Brazilian born rising producer Andrew “Drew” Correa has definitely paid his dues in his very short yet promising career. The Miami-based producer who is now Lil Wayne’s top pick may still be an unknown to many, but has already managed to receive a Grammy nomination which many other producers can only hope to obtain.

The coy yet diligent twenty five year-old talks about being the only musical one in his family, his decision to quit engineering and the backlash that followed and why he tricked Wayne into picking “Mr. Carter”.

AllHipHop.com: How did you know early on that you wanted to produce rather than perform?

Drew: I don’t like to perform. I just love Hip-Hop, producing, and making beats. I just love music in general so ever since I was like 15 or 16, I wanted to be the guy behind the scenes.

AllHipHop.com: You started off engineering for some pretty big names, how did you make those connections?

Drew: Right after University I started interning at a studio in Miami called Studio Center, and worked my way up to engineering. Then I started to work with Trina, Pitbull, Rick Ross, etc. Then Wayne came in to record and him and me vibed really well. And he said he wanted me personally to engineer for him and no one else.

AllHipHop.com: Just from the repertoire you had with him in the studio?

Drew: He came in one night and we vibed really well and then the next night he told me he wanted me to be his main dude. I was always making beats on the side and he rapped on a bunch of my stuff. I mainly started engineering because I knew that would be the easiest way for me to get my foot in the door and all the connections that it would build and help me as a producer.

AllHipHop.com: So you decided a couple years ago to get into producing?

Drew: Full time yes. I was always doing it part time but I was so busy engineering with Wayne. He works like an animal, so it’s hard to do anything else. So it got to a point where I was like “you know what, I can’t engineer anymore”, so I quit engineering for Wayne.

AllHipHop.com: Were there any drawbacks to you doing that?

Drew: No money, I was broke and unemployed really. I was just constantly making tracks and showing up to Wayne’s sessions and playing beats. It was rough for a minute but luckily I got on Tha Carter III [“Mr. Carter”].

AllHipHop.com: What’s Wayne like in the studio?

Drew: A workaholic; very creative and a perfectionist when it comes to what he wants. It’s pretty interesting because he doesn’t write anything so it’s interesting to see how he listens to a beat and maps the song out in his head. It’s pretty cool.

AllHipHop.com: What was reaction to hearing about the Grammy nomination for “Mr. Carter”?

Drew: I knew Wayne would be nominated for something. I knew he would be nominated for best Rap album, but I was really shocked that he got nominated for the album of the year, then to hear that “Mr. Carter” got nominated for best collaboration, that blew me away more than anything.

AllHipHop.com: And that was all you?

Drew: Me and Infamous. He also co-produced “Prom Queen” with me.

AllHipHop.com: Was there anything in particular that inspired the creation of “Mr. Carter”?

Drew: Yes. I had this weird dream where I heard that hook in my head. It wasn’t those exact lyrics, but it was something similar and after I thought about it, I wrote the hook and I had my friend sing it. Then I speed him up to make it sound like a sample. Then I started the beat around it and made it sound like I sampled it from something. That’s kind of how I sold it to Wayne. I went into the studio and told him “Wayne I found this sample you got to hear”. So I kind of tricked him and when he heard it he was like “man that’s crazy”.

AllHipHop.com: That’s your friend on the finished track singing?

Drew: Yea, my friend Shiroc, he’s a singer out in Miami. I think Wayne still thinks that’s a sample I don’t think he ever found out.

AllHipHop.com: Was it a smooth transition for you working on the Rock record with Wayne?

Drew: It wasn’t that hard of a transition. I listen to Rock so it wasn’t that hard. Especially the way Wayne came about it. He called me up and said “Hey come through I want you to make some beats”. I said Ok; he’s never asked me to just come in and make beats and I didn’t know where he was going with it.

So Infamous and I went over there and he told us he was doing this Rock thing. We made two beats that night and one of them was “Prom Queen”. We went until like seven that morning. Then he called me a couple days later so we can go hear what he recorded. When he told us it was going be the single it was kind of surreal. He recorded so much that I thought he was just doing it for that night.

AllHipHop.com: What type of instruments do you use?

Drew: An MPC drum machine, a Motif keyboard, Phantom keyboard and I just recently started messing around with the program Logic. 99% of my tracks are originals unless I find a really really hot sample. But I’m not much of a sampler.

AllHipHop.com: Would you say that you have a particular style?

Drew: No my style is all over the place. After “Mr. Carter” came out a lot of people were asking me for that same sound.

AllHipHop.com: Did you decline?

Drew: Well I gave it to them, but I don’t want to do something that I’ve already done, I want to keep it fresh. A lot of producers have that signature sound and I want to stay away from that. I want to be that one dude where you hear “Mr. Carter” then you hear “Prom Queen” and you’re like oh, is that the same guy?

AllHipHop.com: Tell me about your craziest in-studio moment.

Drew: Actually I don’t think I should say [laughs]. I don’t know if I could do that, Wayne might kill me.

AllHipHop.com: Ok someone else then.

Drew: When I was in the studio with Wayne and Wyclef. Wyclef made a track for Wayne on the spot. It was just cool. 

AllHipHop.com: So how long have you been officially producing; seems like you came out of nowhere.

Drew: Officially I would say like four or five years really. Yea it always seems that way but it’s never that. When I was engineering I was always making beats on the side. I quit engineering in early 2007 and when I quit every day I was just making records. But I’ve been always producing since 2005.

AllHipHop.com: Talk about the first time you got jerked. Now you have to tell me this one since you didn’t answer the previous question fully.

Drew: There’s so many empty promises in the music industry. I’ve done so many records with up and coming artists that never had a release date and I never got paid for a lot of my production; just invested a lot of time and effort.

You get jerked a lot especially as an engineer. You work some crazy sometimes 16-hour sessions for five days a week and at the end they dip and run and don’t pay you. From being around as an engineer and watching other producers get screwed, I kind of caught on to how the industry works. So, on the production end I haven’t really been jerked.

AllHipHop.com: That never turned you off to doing all of this?

Drew: It didn’t turn me off but it pissed me off. I would probably never work with that artist again but it definitely didn’t turn me off. I’ve been in situations where the artist would just completely disrespect you and call you all kinds of messed up names. Those I think are really the worst moments. When you have like a really big top notch artist to say bad things about you is crazy. It’s never their fault.

AllHipHop.com: Who are some artists you would love to get in the studio with if given the opportunity now that you’re Drew Correa, Grammy nominated producer?

Drew: I definitely want to do something with Jay-Z; Britney Spears, I would love to do something with her, Nas; just all the people I really grew up listening to. Jadakiss, LL Cool J. I’d even like to collaborate with other producers like Alchemist. I would also like to do a compilation album and make it diverse; Hip-Hop, Pop, R&B, Rock.

AllHipHop.com: How do you hope to see your career expand in the next few years?

Drew: You can expect a lot of great music. In a couple years I’m definitely going to be up there. All sorts of genres; I’m always going to go back to Hip-Hop no matter what, but definitely a lot of Pop records and Rock. I got some stuff coming out too with Fat Joe.

AllHipHop.com: What does your family think about your career?

Drew: They’re in shock. I come from a poor background and the only family I have here are my mom, dad, aunt and uncle. Everyone else is in Brazil. So they just can’t believe it. My family didn’t have a lot of money coming in so they’re really proud of me and can’t believe I’ve reached where I’m at now. No one else in my family is musical at all.

Now, Domingo presents his Top 5 producers of all time.

5)

Sir Jinx – “Jinx was one of the West Coast’s prolific producers of the 90’s. Homie right here always had some kind of surprise in store on songs he produced. From Ice Cube to Kool G rap you knew that when his beats dropped it was a roller coaster ride of change ups and hard sounds.”

Audio example: Ice Cube “Endangered Species” from AmeriKKKa’s Most Wanted (1990)

4)

Large Professor – “Large Pro held it down behind the boards and on the mic, one of New York’s first to do that. He produced many, many Hip-Hop classics and was a beast on the Sp1200. Extra P has influenced many other producers including myself throughout the years.”

Audio example: Nas “It Ain’t Hard To Tell” from Illmatic (1994)

3)

Dr Dre – “Yeah of course Andre Young would be on my list and of course he is an obvious choice of many. But this man brought the G Funk sound to the forefront in the 90’s and has withstood time musically – consistent with the Midas touch. But with a platinum crown on just about everything he has produced. His signature one two drum patterns have kept many heads bopping and necks snapping over the years.”

Audio Example: Dr. Dre and Ice Cube “Natural Born Killaz” from Murder Was The Case soundtrack. (1995)

3a)

Just Blaze – “Ok, now I know this is a Top 5 but I could not leave out Just Blaze so I’m putting him right with Dr. Dre. Just has been hitting them out the park for the last few records he has produced. I gotta say he did one of the most incredible jobs of chopping up a record with Jay-Z Kingdom come. Even the late great Rick James would say, “Damn, that s**t was hot.” Just Blaze: The Man, The Beast on the beats.”

Audio Example: Jay-Z “Kingdom Come” from Kingdom Come (2006)

2)

Paul C McKasty – “Now this is someone who many people are going to say, “Who the f**k is that?” Well, I know Paul C’s contribution to late 80’s, early 90’s Hip-Hop was crucial to the New York sound. Paul C was a mentor to many and his production techniques got picked up by many New York producers including Large Pro, Ced Gee of the Ultra Magnetic MC’s and even myself. I had the honor to work with him a few times. If you don’t know who Paul C McKasty was, then do yourself a favor and google his name. Real Hip-Hop history right here.” (Editor’s note: Paul C was murdered in 1989 by a gunshot wound. The crime has never been solved.)

Audio Example: Super Lover Cee & Casanova Rud “Do The James” from Girls I Got Em Locked (1988)

1)

Marley Marl – “Simply one of the most innovative Hip-Hop producers ever. Marley is responsible for spawning the many careers of Hip-Hop’s legendary elite Juice crew (Editor’s note: The Juice Crew was Big Daddy Kane, Biz Markie, Kool G Rap, M.C. Shan, Masta Ace, Craig G, Roxanne Shante) and a lot more artists outside that crew. Everything Marley touched back in the 80’s and 90’s was classic material such as “The Symphony,” Hip-Hop’s greatest classic posse record. He was also the first producer to use the chopped drums from “Impeach the President.” A great deal of the New York sound wouldn’t have been what it was if Marley didn’t set the standards of production. Marley also helped launch my career and other producers such as K-Def who came from under the House of Hits and Marley’s mentorship. Also, we can never forget what he did for LL Cool J’s career on Mama Said Knock You Out. So without the greatest Hip-Hop producer Marley Marl there would not have been many legendary records coming out of New York City back then.”

Audio Example: Marley Marl and the Juice Crew “The Symphony” Marley Marl In Control Vol. 1 (1988)

Audio Example: LL Cool J “Mama Said Knock You Out” from Mama Said Knock You Out (1991)

50 Cent, G-Unit, Ludacris, Lupe Fiasco, 88-Keys, & Jadakiss.

AKAI MPC 4000, Roland Fantom G & Studio Electronics SE-1

8 Years.

Growing up in the Midwest exposes you to all types of music, which is a beneficial when choosing the music industry as your career field of choice. Lansing, Michigan Native Khari “Needlz” Cain got a slow start coming into the production world, but that didn’t last long. His first big record Young Buck’s “Let Me In” hit the airwaves and he hasn’t looked back since.

Unlike many in his craft, the NYU alum has both the education along with the talent to back his skills. We talk his come up, why he’ll need to get gassed in order to become an artist and creating one of the biggest records on this year’s Notorious Soundtrack in twenty four hours.

AllHipHop.com: Who gave you the name Needlz?

Needlz: I was diagnosed with Cancer in ’99, and when I was going through chemotherapy, that’s how I came up with the name. I just started making beats and had to come up with some sort of name, and I was sitting in there getting chemo and I was looking at my arms and had needles all in my arms and that’s how I came up with it.

AllHipHop.com: What type of music did you grow up listening to?

Needlz: Hip-Hop; I’m from Lansing, Michigan. We listen to everything. We listen to a lot of East Coast but we also listen to a lot of West Coast with Snoop, Dre and NWA. A lot of Hip-Hop, House, Base music; growing up in the Midwest you get exposed to all that.

AllHipHop.com: Describe your first taste of the grind.

Needlz: I went to NYU for grad school and part of the curriculum was to do an internship, so I did one at Bad Boy. I was there for a little less than a year and that was pretty much running around in the department that was over the producers. I was working for Francesca Spiro, she managed the Hitmen.  Then Folayan Knight, she was an A&R executive there, saw potential in my work and offered to manage me and help me craft my skills.

I first did work on Drag-On’s “Put Your Drinks Down” track that was back in 2001. It was crazy because I didn’t even realize it was on the radio until one day I was walking outside and heard somebody listen to the song I produced.

As far as what put me on, I would say Young Buck’s “Let Me In” from Straight Outta Cashville” and 50’s “Piggy Bank” were two pretty big records. With Young Buck I took a whole bunch of snippets and samples. Same with “Piggy Bank” and a lot of records I’ve done.

AllHipHop.com: When was the first time you got jerked?

Needlz: I wouldn’t necessarily say getting jerked, but it’s the nature of the business. You have to give a little or give a lot and also take a little bit from each situation as you’re moving up. You definitely get punked a lot on your way up, but once you get up there then you can turn around and start punking the labels. You just got to do your research and start fresh.

AllHipHop.com: How would you describe your style of production?

Needlz: Dirty, just dirty. It’s a dirty sound mixed with clean synths. It’s mostly just a lot of street, dark music. That’s pretty much my style for the most part.

AllHipHop.com: Are you big on sampling?

Needlz: I sample, but I sample in a weird way. I take snippets of notes and make them my own. I do both. Sometimes I’ll take one artist, and just sample that artist. But for the most part I just take snippets of notes and stabs.

AllHipHop.com: What was the toughest record you’ve created?

Needlz: I just produced the track with Jadakiss and Faith “Letter to B.I.G.” from the Notorious Soundtrack. When I did that track, I had to recreate the beat in one day because the original version I mixed was lost. It was crazy because I only remembered small parts of it, then I used one of those devices that you hold to the air when music is playing, and that helped me remember the rest of the original beat. And I was able to recreate it in 24 hours.

AllHipHop.com: Do you make beats for a particular artist, or do you create them and send it off to the first taker?

Needlz: A lot of times you don’t get to work in the studio with the artist, that’s just how the business is sometimes. In the past with some artists I’ve created the beat, had it shopped around and then they get in touch if they want to use it. With newer artists you have an opportunity to really sit in the studio and work with them one-on-one.

AllHipHop.com: What separates a producer and a beat-maker?

Needlz: A producer is a person that is definitely hands-on with the artist but its becoming a rare thing because of technology and the way things go. A lot of artist record over songs they were sent and it’s becoming a rarity for the producer to be in the studio with the artist; unless your like Swizz or somebody that big. I think a lot of songs would come out better if there were more input from the producers. The way a lot of producers combat that is by sending their demos with their hooks on there. I’ve submitted songs with hooks and flows and everything. So if I’m not able to work with the artist I’m putting as much input on there when I send it off.

AllHipHop.com: Which artists have you worked with?

Needlz: When I first started I did some work with Ruff Ryders. I’ve also done stuff with G-Unit, Ludacris, Fabolous, The Game, Lupe Fiasco. I did a remix of “The Friend’s Zone” on 88-Key’s last album. I’ve also done some work with R&B artist Meagan Rochelle. Right now I’m in the studio with a new artist named Archie Eversole, and we’re working on his upcoming project.

AllHipHop.com: Are you particular about who you work with?

Needlz: Not really, but I’m actually about to start working with newer artists. I’ve also worked with established artists, but you can’t be picky especially in this economy.

AllHipHop.com: Aside from production work with artists, what else have you worked on?

Needlz: I’ve done work with both BET and MTV. I’ve done the theme music for BET’s Top 25 Countdown and Rap City. I’ve also done MTV’s Sucka Free Sundays. I also did the music for a Corona ad in the past and did music for different video games. There are definitely other facets of production and you don’t have to stay in one area.

AllHipHop.com: Since your move to Atlanta, what have you been up to?

Needlz: I’ve been working with a lot of southern artists. It’s been different. You can’t always get the T.I.’s and the Jeezy’s or whoever’s hot right now.

AllHipHop.com: You seem like a pretty mellow easy-going guy. Where do all these dark beats come from?

Needlz: I guess I’m depressed on the inside [laughs]. I don’t know, when I start creating beats they always come out really dark and grimy and that’s what I’ve become known for.

At Home With Needlz

The Game, Lil Wayne, Fat Joe, Amerie, Busta Rhymes, Lil Scrappy, Honey Score, Beef III Score.

AKAI MPC 4000, ROLAND Phantom X8, & Roland XV 5080.

9 Years.

He might not be a household name, but you’ve most likely zoned out to some of the several songs under his belt. For the last couple of years, Nu Jerzey Devil has quietly crafted the soundtrack to the new generation of West Coast Gangster music. Originally getting his start with Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins, the Bronx born producer soon found himself in Los Angeles.

His gritty street influence which reflects through his beats soon caught the attention of The Game. Now with records of his own set to be released this year, the bi-coastal producer talks about touring with Chuck Taylor, his preference for live instrumentation over machines and getting thrown under the bus by Darkchild.

AllHipHop.com: For those who aren’t familiar with you, tell us where you’re from and how you got into producing.

Nu Jerzey Devil: I was born in the Bronx, raised in Jersey, moved to Compton and pretty much that’s where my music started bubbling at. I’m a music producer, DJ, Rapper; I have my own label and clothing line. I’m pretty much a jack of all trades.

AllHipHop.com: Sonically what songs from that era stood out the most to you?

Nu Jerzey Devil: Back in the day I went through a big Boogie Down Productions phase obviously because I was born in the Bronx. “My Philosophy” from BDP was my joint. I wasn’t really aware of the production stage, I just knew about the rappers and the song. When I started learning about production, Havoc from Mob Deep really got my attention. Everything they were doing I felt like I could relate to and I think that’s what made me want to start doing beats.

AllHipHop.com: How did you get your first break?

Nu Jerzey Devil: The first time I made contact with anybody in the industry, I was in my studio in Atlantic City and I got a two-way message from Rodney “Darkchild” Jerkins. I didn’t even believe it was him to be honest. So I finally replied to him and he told me he heard my music from beats I was doing for people around the neighborhood and a lot of demo tapes I was doing. From there I really started getting noticed by my music.

AllHipHop.com: Talk about your time with Darkchild.

Nu Jerzey Devil: The first project was the Honey soundtrack. The very first song I did on the soundtrack was the Amerie song “Think Of You”. It was a crazy experience because I’ve never been around any famous people or nothing like that; I was only twenty one years old. It was crazy to hear the final product. Just to hear a big-time artist on one of my beats was amazing.

AllHipHop.com: How would you describe your production style?

Nu Jerzey Devil: Most notably everybody knows my music to be grimy, but right now I’m definitely trying to do everything. I don’t limit myself to one style of music. When you hear my music on mixtapes, it’s a lot of hard drums. If I had to compare it to anything, I would say it’s a mixture of a Mobb Deep / Dr. Dre sound because those are the two people I’ve been looking up to coming up on my production career. They definitely did have an effect on me.

AllHipHop.com: Where do you stand on using equipment versus live instruments?

Nu Jerzey Devil: I try to use a lot of live instruments because anybody can get a sound from a keyboard, but when you bring a musician in you get a whole new sound. When I bring a guy in to use a specific instrument, you can’t get that from a keyboard. It brings a live vibe to the whole situation.

AllHipHop.com: How did you link up with The Game?

Nu Jerzey Devil: Through Darkchild and the move to Los Angeles. We were working on the My Baby Daddy soundtrack. And my sound is way more grimy, street and gritty so he took to my music more and we just formed a bond. When my contract was up with Rodney, I just felt like my music and my style is more fitting and catered to The Game, so that’s when I just jumped ship.

AllHipHop.com: How did the Black Wall Street relation come about?

Nu Jerzey Devil: That was actually right before Game started bubbling. Black Wall Street started as just homies wearing t-shirts. It turned out to be something great; it’s a movement. Game is trying to take it to the next level of being an actual label; it’s not there yet, we’re still working out the kinks. It’s definitely helped me out a lot and took my career to another level. 

AllHipHop.com: Describe the first time you were jerked as a producer?

Nu Jerzey Devil: The first time I got jerked was Rodney Jerkins. It was actually with the Amerie song. I told everybody in the world go buy that soundtrack. I went with my brother to the store and then I open up the package and I’m looking through the credits, and I’m looking and looking, and I just see Rodney Jerkins; produced by Rodney Jerkins.

I was like is there something wrong? I didn’t even know how to read credits at the time because it was my first time doing anything. So I called him up and he told me it was an administration error or something like that. You know how that goes, but I felt like I paid my dues and I don’t hold no grudges or nothing like that. He still gave me my break but he’s doing his thing and I’m doing my thing, we’re still cool. I think it’s a stepping stone and I think everybody got to go through it.

AllHipHop.com: What’s your most memorable studio experience?

Nu Jerzey Devil: My most memorable moment was working with Game on Documentary and that was the first time I met Dr. Dre. Me being a producer obviously he’s somebody I look up to and he came to me and started giving me some pointers. We were in the studio room and we were working with Gwen Stefani, and he started playing me all his production he’s been doing with her and I was just amazed that I was sitting in the studio with Dr. Dre.

Not a lot of producers can actually say that they went in and sat with the one of the best producers in the world. It felt like just yesterday I was in Compton doing nothing and today I’m in the studio with Dre.

AllHipHop.com: What brought on the decision to go from producing to becoming an artist yourself?

Nu Jerzey Devil: It was always in the back of my head, but one day I was with Game and a fan came up to me and said ‘Hey Jerzey Devil’, and Game said “Man you got fans you might as well just start rapping.” So I tried it, and I liked it and ran with it. So the next time I came back to Game I played some songs for him and he liked it. When we went on tour I was doing the songs and people was feeling it so here I am.

Nu Jerzey Devil Featuring Lil Wayne

“Different Girls”

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 “People were walking up saying, Who are you, why should I buy a tape for

twenty dollars? I told them take my tape put it in your car and listen

to the intro, I guarantee you’re gonna come back and buy the rest of

the joints… Next thing you know every car that’s goin’ by, from the police cars to

regular people, every car had a Kid Capri tape. That’s how I got hot to where I got my first

album deal.”

AllHipHop.com: Your upcoming release, The Treatment, is billed as a mixtape. Everything in the game now is mixtape this and mixtape that. What is the true history of the mixtape and what was Kid Capri’s hand in that?Kid Capri: First off before we go there I don’t like calling this joint a mixtape that’s not really what it is. A mixtape is not taking a bunch of records and putting it out there on a joint. We call it that, but it’s not. A mixtape is when you’re deejaying and doing it all at one time playing records, there aint no computer involved there aint no stopping the record pausing it; that’s what I always knew a mixtape to be. But I guess this coincided with the ones we have out now so we calling it a mixtape. But really it was dudes doing an album and some of it may be other people’s music they’re still put together as though it was their album. What it does it gives you a chance to be heard the same way I used to do it.My contribution was that before me you had Starchild, Hollywood, Brucie B, Lovebug Starski, when I came in I started playing with Starchild, me and him was making tapes together and they did good. People would come to the S & S Club a lot of younger dudes and old timers in-crowd people they would come get ‘em so we was out. I did that for a year I was with Starchild for a year at S & S and the Zodiac Club. After that, Red Alert got me a job at Studio 54 I started playing there and it became pandemonium, it got so crazy I had to stop it. People were getting hurt, a lot of fights breaking out, a lot of folks was getting rushed it was overcapacitated I had to stop it. Between that I was doing little parties here and there in Virginia and I’d come back and do my New York thing, the Castle, Powerhouse, all that. But I said what am I gonna do now? I bought me a hundred tapes and sat in my crib and I made five or six different mixes that I had and I sat down on the street corner and I sold them tapes for twenty dollars. People were walking up saying, Who are you, why should I buy a tape for twenty dollars? I told them take my tape put it in your car and listen to the intro, I guarantee you’re gonna come back and buy the rest of the joints. They’ll take it, put it in their car, hear the intro come back and buy everything. It got so crazy that they’d come back, buy a tape that cost twenty dollars and then give me a hundred dollar tip. Next thing you know every car that’s goin’ by, from the police cars to regular people, every car had a Kid Capri tape and they’d be shouting it all over the street. That’s how I got hot to where I got my first album deal. That right there opened the door for other DJs to come in. After me came Ron G, Triple C, Doo Wop, they developed the same type of style the way I would talk on the tape, the things I would say on the mic. The way my mixtape got so big was cuz of the type of music I would play that people forgot about, the information I gave and how I said it. They felt my swagger by listening to the tape. You felt like you was there when you heard it. Even if it was made in my house it felt like it was made in a stadium. The Old School 1, the Old School 2, the James Brown, all those joints became classics. Magazines started saying I was making millions off the mixtapes, that wasn’t true. I was getting known from people copying the tapes but I wasn’t seeing all that money. The only way to get out of that was to stop it all together

 “How could any stupid person say the DJ’s obsolete? Where does your record get played on a mixtape or on the radio or in the club without the DJ playin’ it? Who else is gonna play it? The artist?”

AllHipHop.com: There’s been some talk dissing DJs lately like maybe they’re even obsolete. What’s your take on that and what’s the DJ’s role at this point in time?Kid Capri: How could any stupid person say the DJ’s obsolete? Where does your record get played on a mixtape or on the radio or in the club without the DJ playin’ it? Who else is gonna play it? The artist? The artist is gonna go in the club, turn on the turntable and play the goddamned record? No. And he’s sending his man which is some f****t s**t he’s sending his man to give him a shout-out and let people know he’s in the building instead of him coming to see the DJ. Sit back get your ego together and see the DJ and say “I appreciate you playin’ my s**t, B, and I need you and I love you for playin’ my s**t, you don’t have to play my s**t and I thank you.” Do that to me? Any one of them n****s know you see me you come to my joint you send your man to come say something to me, n***a it’s like you didn’t say s**t at all. You better come see me. “Kid, what’s up? I’m in the building.” People know that from me for years, that ain’t no new story. You’re a f**king star well I’m a star without you. I may not have the millions you have but I’m a star at what I do. You gonna respect what I do not for the fact of me being a DJ but for me being a man period. And then you’re going respect me for what I do. It’s just a matter of respect.AllHipHop.com: Where do you think that mutual respect got lost? Is it when people started to see a lot of money out of this?Kid Capri: That’s what it is, man. Being humble is not a hard thing to do. Everyone loves somebody that’s cool man. People wanna f**k with you, people wanna be around you, people wanna be you by you bein’ cool. If you’re walking around with an attitude cause you got a little money now. cause you a rock star or a rap star that s**t comes and goes. Be a Kid Capri.  Be somebody that’s been here from the beginning and is still here. Be that. Don’t be somebody that blew up and you the man and then you fell the f**k off because of the way you treated people and now you wanna get back and you mad cause nobody wanna help you

“My television presence on Def Comedy Jam you only saw me for a split second on there. Nobody really got what Kid Capri was all about on that show… What I did on Hip-Hop Honors and the BET Awards shows and all that was cool, that was a little display, but there’s so much more that people don’t even know.”

AllHipHop.com: When you look at that history that goes so far back, what really stands out for you personally as a moment?Kid Capri: The one thing that made me real proud and let me know that I really landed was when I got on stage at [Madison Square] Garden for Aaliyah. From what I hear there’s never been any pandemonium like that in the Garden that I created for that ten minutes or fifteen minutes. I’ve had people tell me that they’ve never seen a show like that, that they’d never seen a crowd reaction like the way I had them in the Garden. It was because I did it with just turntables. I did it as a DJ. I wasn’t a rock star, I had no records out, there wasn’t no iconic figure I was just a dude that made it doing it with turntables bigger than anybody else. To get the same reaction or a bigger reaction than an R. Kelly or anyone of these pop people or platinum people that I was able to do that was one of my proudest moments. Out of thousands of shows or parties that was the one that let me know I made it and that people really respect what I do and they understand. From there, being the first dude who owns a tour bus in Hip-Hop, being in all the television shows as a DJ, that let me know that I put the work in and I opened doors. Anytime somebody rolls up on me in a mall or on the street or at one of my shows and they say Kid it’s because of you I ain’t killin’ nobody right now, I ain’t robbin’ nobody’s house, it’s cause of you I changed my life it’s because of you I started deejaying and I’m able to take care of my family. Every time I hear it that s**t makes me feel better than anything because I know I made a difference to people and I didn’t have no records to do it, I didn’t have no strong television presence. My television presence on Def Comedy Jam you only saw me for a split second on there. Nobody really got what Kid Capri was all about on that show. That’s a conversation I just had with Doug E. Fresh. When people get a chance to see what I really do on the road, when they got a chance to see that that’s gonna be a whole other level. What I did on Hip-Hop Honors and the BET Awards shows and all that was cool, that was a little display, but there’s so much more that people don’t even know. When they get a chance to see that’s gonna really let people know that there’s no DJ on earth that does what this dude does. That’s not a cocky statement that’s not a bragging statement, that’s a fact. The reason is because I come from the Kool Herc days, Grandmaster Flash, Theodore, Breakout all these dudes from back then I was watching as a little kid all the way up until now. I put all those things together and that’s a much bigger look than someone who came in the business five years ago ten years ago. You’re talking about someone who’s been in the business 32 years. Hip-Hop is 32 years old, I’ve been there for 32 years. I can go out with Rakim, KRS, different people. I go back to the old school people and then I can go to the new people. I can rock with anybody. I didn’t [get] sucked into the timeline. I can rock with anybody, that’s a great thing.AllHipHop.com: One last question: what’s your number one record of all time?Kid Capri: Number one record of all time? [pauses to think]. To me, “The 900 Number.” AllHipHop.com: Any reason?Kid Capri: It doesn’t matter where you’re at, what age it is, everybody knows that record. That s**t the 45 King put together, that shit goes [hums saxophone line], no hook no rap, everybody knows that shit. White people, Chinese people. Everybody knows that record. That’s one of the all time greats.

“I was a DJ first.  I was a DJ for many years.  But when I heard that Grandmaster Flash was rocking the beat box, that was the natural progression for me to start making the beats.”

In 1987 Red decided to leave the East Coast for the hills of  Los Angeles, California. Along the way he made a stop in Houston, Texas to visit family.  In turn, what was supposed to be a two week stint in Texas, turned out to be a more permanent stay.

“My oldest sister had a little domestic problem with a cat in Houston, so she wanted me to come down there and check him.  So I told my mom I’m getting ready to go to Houston for a little bit, and I’ll be back. But I liked it down there a little bit, and I had just broken up with my girl, so I ended up staying and going to a battle of the DJs they had down there.

“Having adopted a New York DeeJaying style, Ready Red wowed the crowd in Houston by spinning breaks back and fourth, scratching, and blending in the fashion he picked up by hanging at block parties in the Bronx.

” It was more like a demonstration.  Me cutting breaks and going back to back and all that stuff, they weren’t used to seeing that, so they stopped dancing and came up around the turntables.  One of the affiliates was telling me about a group called the Geto Boys, who had a local hit called “Car Freaks.”

Having a ear tuned to boom bap beats and gritty street lyrics, Red was not easily impressed by the efforts of the Geto Boys  Proclaiming that “Car Freaks” was “wack.”

“I’m born and raised up in Jersey, so anything that’s not from Philly or New York to me is kind of wack. So I had to open my mind up a little more. I was hearing records like 2 Live Crew’s “Hey we want some p***y.”  I was like, they put that type of s**t on record?”The Original Geto Boys

After an impromptu introduction to Rap-A-Record’s owner J. Prince, Red was eventually signed.  With a TR 909 and about 50 records, Red set out to impress Prince, which eventually led to him being the official DJ and one of the  producers of the Geto Boys.  With the group consisting of Prince Johnny C., The Slim Jukebox, and dancer/hypeman Bushwick Bill, the group began production on their debut album, Making Trouble.  Shortly after members Johnny C. and Jukebox left the group because they were disgruntled the direction of the sound.  Red quickly forged a bond with Bushwick Bill.

“I have to thank Bill, he got me out of that rat infested car lot.  I met Bill, he was straight off the plane from Bushwick Brooklyn, and we bonded because he was a East Coast cat.  He knew how to dance to the breaks that I was cutting.  After three or four hours after meeting him, he took me to his sister’s house.  The next thing I know, they started arguing in the back room.  He came out and said “Yo Red, let’s go get your stuff, you’re gonna live with us.”"  

After the departure of Johnny C. and Jukebox, The Geto Boys went in search of two new rappers which was later filled by DJ Akshen and Willie D.

“There was this little cat at that was rapping called DJ Akshen.  I was like ok, let me hear you rap and he was not bad.  Come to find out that he was from Camden, New Jersey.  Then K-9, who was one of the original members of the group had just got out of jail and came back home.  I told Rap-A- Lot about Brad, and we had a battle between K-9 and Scarface or Akshen at that time.  They started rapping and Face blew him up out the water. That’s how Face got to be a Geto Boy.”"Scarface” The Geto Boys

Upon the joining of solo artist Willie D., DJ Akshen (Scarface), and Bushwick Bill, the grouped turned it’s sights on a much harder edged sound, recording Grip It! On That Other Level.  As the group’s popularity flourished and they began to travel throughout the United States, Red began to question the amount of money the group was being paid.  Crowds were swarming to see this new phenomenon and what once was a blind loyalty to Rap-A-Lot for giving him the opportunity to shine, began to fade into the shadows of naivety and disappointment.

“We were traveling all over. I’m saying alright this is gonna be a good little bank man. Not! I said, I’m not gonna say nothing, I’m just going to get me a lawyer, and a CPA.  They want family when it comes to them, but when it comes to us, they want us to accept what’s going on.  I was doing this all for love, but I’m not going to keep making somebody rich when I gotta worry about my lights getting cut off and all of that.  That’s the only problem that I ever had with James Prince.  Yo man, you pay people that make you respectable, you pay them!”Geto Boys on the road

Although he obtained a lawyer, he still didn’t feel that he was properly compensated.  Red also viewed the situation as a “Dead End” because Prince owned the record label, management, and publishing company that he worked for.  Finally Red assembled the Geto Boys in an effort to confront their label and management.  Contending that there was never an accurate account of royalties, combined with his increased frustration, led Ready Red to one final group meeting.”Do It Like A G.O.” Geto Boys

“I told them (Geto Boys) after a show that what we were going through wasn’t right.  Now if we stand as a group maybe they might give us our money.  But J. Prince came in there with his hard hitters, and they left me standing there by myself.   They kinda scooted over to the other side when the bass got turned up a little bit.  He came in there saying “Which one of yall think I’m f**king yall?”I said that happens to be me.  I ain’t never been one to not let my nuts hang.  He tried to flip it to make it seem like I had all the problems and issues.  It was four of us, but when it stopped it was me sitting by myself.  So I said f**k it, I’m out.”

Professionally scarred, and personally hurt, Collins remained in Houston and attempted to make a living from his past fame.  It didn’t take long to realize that his once friends were there only because of his standing in the group. His business relationships and access to certain venues in Houston ceased.  Shortly after, the group forged on, releasing their biggest hit to date, “Mind Playing Tricks On Me” from the We Can’t Be Stopped album.  Receiving constant taunts of regret from family, friends, and community members, and hearing the new single in heavy radio and video rotation caused Red’s life to spiral out of control.  He turned to crack cocaine as a means to ease the scrutiny of his decision to leave a recording contract at the height of his career.

“Mind Playing Tricks On Me” Geto Boys“With problems escalating from marriage that had too much weight on it, I turned to crack cocaine to help deal with everything. I never thought that I would ever have any parts of that drug.  It just happened to be there at that time to where you think it’s helping take all the pain away.  It just brought me misery for sixteen years. I never drank or smoked, I was clear headed.  The more you see that the status that you had was because of who you were down with, you really didn’t own that city at all.  Everything started to get cut off, it just became crazy.  It took me down to a bottomless pit, where I lost everything. I lost my Gold and Platinum records, I lost my cars, I lost my jewelry.”

Red returned to his home in Trenton.  Although he escaped the movement of the Geto Boys,  he did not escape his addiction crack cocaine.  Hitting a low in which he was homeless and living in an abandoned building, forced him to take a hard glance at what his life had become.  His despair and desperation for change, transformed into a cry and prayer for help.

“I grew up in the church and my mother played piano in the church.  As we get older we come back to that.  I started making vows to the Lord.  I said Lord if you pick me up out of this, I’ll never go back to it, and I will help any and everybody.  That was a struggle because I used to love to get high. They (drug dealers) used to try to put big golf ball rocks in my face to tempt me. But you trust and lean in the Lord and it’s all good.

“With  supplemental income from unemployment checks, and selling loose cigarettes,  Leysath moved to California to start a new life.  Living clean for almost eight years, has allowed him to re-focus on his spirituality and music.  He describes every day as “A good day above ground,” and prides himself on having control over his body and frame of mind.  Red is now an official member of the Zulu Nation and has plans to start a chapter in Trenton, New Jersey.

“My hometown is now overrun with the Blood gangs and they’re killing each other.  I have to at least make an attempt to reach out to anybody that needs help. I’m not trying to get in their face or anything like that, but if they need some help and a way out, I believe I can help them.  That’s what I have to do to make amends for my past transgressions.”

 Red is also focused on returning to his love for production and DeeJaying.  With his artist Naimaj, he has been touring through California taking performances back to the old school , DJ and MC style of Hip-Hop.  With a strong co-sign from some of his former group mates, a comeback for DJ Ready Red is not inconceivable.  When recently asked about him, Scarface said, “Ready Red was so far ahead of his time until nobody appreciated what he did until he was  gone.  Listen to “Mind of a Lunatic,” Listen to “Size Ain’t S**t, ” that motherfu**er Red was too far ahead of his time dog.”   Willie D also offered support saying, “Somebody that had as much to offer as Ready Red did, I think he can still do it.  He needs to get around visionaries in the music industry.  I think if he did that, he could return to dominance.”

Maintaining strong ties to his spiritual birth in the Zulu nation and a promise to the Lord, Collins Leysath’s new outlook on life will keep him away from his past perils one day at a time.

“The hardest thing that any man can do, is to get up and do the right thing.  With that comes that humbleness and inner strength where you can move mountains.  I get that voice that tells me to continue to do the right thing, and that’s what I’m going to do.”

On March 8, 2008, Dj Ready Red was involved in a accident in  Reno, Nevada totaling his Dodge Durango.  While trying to avoid hitting a flock of wolves, his truck careened out of control and rolled over three times.  Although shaken and suffering a few broken bones, he was able to walk away from the accident and is now back home living in Trenton, New Jersey. He attributes his ability to leave the scene relatively unscathed to  his faith in God.

DJ Ready Red next to his totaled truck

http://www.Myspace.com/Djreadyred