Hi-Tek: Consistently Blazing Paths (interview about new album,aftermath deal...)

[Elano]

When family problems arise, even the best-laid plans get put on hold. Cincinnati production kingpin Hi-Tek took a little time away from the game recently when his daughter took ill, but thanks to a big paper hustle and some focused foresight, not many would have recognized his momentary absence.

Even from the days of his youth, he was advanced, a young chameleon adapting to any circumstance. This is something he proclaimed proudly back in 2000 when “The Blast” hit the airwaves and Reflection Eternal was a phenomenon from coast to coast. If you ask Hi-Tek today, not a whole lot has changed from the ethos he laid out in those first 16 bars. Hard work, determination to be the best, and an ever expanding versatility are what keep him one step ahead of the competition.

Now ready to get back in the Aftermath studios to work on the ever elusive Detox album as well as drop the third installment of his Hi-Teknology album series, Hi-Tek had a few things on his mind when he recently spoke to AllHipHop.com.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve got the new project coming. Did you feel pressure from fans to close the gap between albums after the time between Hi-Teknology 1 and 2?

Hi-Tek: Yeah, somewhat. There’s definitely a lot of reasons for me wanting to drop so quick. I was under a lot of pressure with the label, and I definitely felt like I need to drop more consistent and to keep in moving and give back to the fans, because I think when you wait so long, you’ve got that growth period and people might not understand your growth in music. So I definitely want to keep it more consistent.

AllHipHop.com: You said before that despite selling over 250,000 copies of Hi-Teknology, you weren’t that happy with the way Rawkus promoted or marketed the album. How did you feel about the way Babygrande handled Hi-Teknology 2: The Chip?

Hi-Tek: It was about the same deal with Rawkus, you’re independent so you’ll only do so much. I really feel like I make major records for independent labels. I'm making these major records, and they’re not doing what they could do with them, but that’s the give and take of dealing with an indie. At the same time, my purpose is just to put out music.

AllHipHop.com: So are you feeling good about your album situation with the label?

Hi-Tek: It’s OK. It’s 50/50, it’s a Catch 22 you know? Cause one minute I’m don’t really feel like they’re doing what they could, but at the same time nobody else was interested in doing a deal.

AllHipHop.com: With the new one, is the title still Hi-Teknology 3: Underground?

Hi-Tek: (Laughs) Naw man, that’s what’s crazy. That was like a label mistake, that was something they came up with. They basically came up with their own artwork, their own title of the album. So I scrapped the title, it’s not called "Underground," that’s wack. You know Tek don’t come wack (Laughs). That’s something they rushed into, we spoke briefly about the ideas and concept. And the idea of the album was supposed to be that in order not to go into clearance problems, we were just going to go back to the original blueprints and grab more up-and-coming artists. Which actually I really wanted to do, because that made me more excited about doing the project. But other than that, I had to shoot down the Underground title because that wasn’t my idea.

AllHipHop.com: You said that with Hi-Teknology 2 you were giving artists a chance to breathe and bring something different than they would with their major label. What’s going to be the feeling with this one?

Hi-Tek: It’s always a combination or a collaboration that you wouldn’t normally hear with Hi-Tek.  The concept is always being able to have an artist on a different type of track, or even give me a chance to spit different. I always bring a versatility, and I like playing with the tracks and having fun with it, and really giving back to the people. It’s a competition thing with my peers and other producers. Showing versatility, and seeing if they can get down.

AllHipHop.com: What are the expectations that you have set for yourself with the release, being it’s an ever-shifting and declining music market right now?

Hi-Tek: One thing I can say is I think I have a fanbase, my main concern is that I make quality beats. I feel like I’ve done everything I had to do, but it’s up to the label to really sell this record and do what they got to do. I definitely gave them some hit records and some groundbreaking music, but I’m not really concerned about sales like that. I know I’m going to sell records, I’ve got a set fanbase and people know word of mouth is the best publicity.

AllHipHop.com: Are you still under a production deal with Aftermath?

Hi-Tek: Oh yeah.

AllHipHop.com: How’s that deal working for you?

Hi-Tek: It’s going great man. But you know, my daughter got sick so I had some family issues, and I’ve kinda been laying low. Luckily I had the album all ready. I’m supposed to be out there working with Dre right now, but I had to lay low due to my daughter. I’ve been fiending to get back into the studios and really work hard, so I can make some music for the Detox.

AllHipHop.com: Is everything OK with your daughter right now?

Hi-Tek: Yeah man, everything’s OK.

AllHipHop.com: That’s good to hear. Well if there’s one thing nobody can get enough of it’s updates on Detox. What can you reveal about the project at this point?

Hi-Tek: It’s no information man…(Laughs) You’re not gonna get it out of me! No, I’m just playing. On the real side, I just try to constantly deliver music that Dre is going to like, but only he really has a vision in his head of what he wants Detox to sound like. But at the end of the day I just know he wants some hot, hard beats. Some ground breaking music. He definitely always tries to take it to the next level.

AllHipHop.com: I know he’s bought tracks from other producers that were supposed to be on the album, but has the project been given a makeover from what it was originally?

Hi-Tek: It’s hard to really say, it’s just a process of elimination, that’s what producers really do. He’s very determined to put the best product together, and just have a flawless album, no matter how long it takes. At the end of the day he’s a perfectionist, and if I had the turn to do that I’d do the same thing. I would never let no one dictate when I was supposed to drop an album, because you can’t rush creativity. But you also don’t want to upset the fans, so for the fans that are waiting on the Detox album: it’s greater later.

AllHipHop.com: As a talent scout for Aftermath, you must get a ton of music put in your hand. Do you spend a lot of time listening to submitted work?

Hi-Tek: I don’t necessarily spend a lot of time listening, but when I do get a chance and I know how I got it, and how somebody gave it to me, I might listen to it. I mean, I listen to a lot of stuff that’s given to me, but I can’t spend a lot of time listening to each and every person.

AllHipHop.com: Maybe you could elaborate. What’s the most professional or best way somebody can get you to listen to their beats?

Hi-Tek: It’s the approach. A lot of people approach you, and they claim “This conversation is going to be short.” Next thing you know, you sitting there and they keep explaining the same thing over and over. How hot the music is, and it’s this and it’s that, trying to gas me up. It really don’t take that for me, the music got to speak for itself. Somebody that talks about it is usually not that hot.

AllHipHop.com: You’ve said before that there were scheduling problems for you and Talib Kweli to get back in the studio to revisit Reflection Eternal. Now that both of your solo projects have dropped, have you guys agreed to get in the studio?

Hi-Tek: Yeah, we’re looking forward to getting in the studio. Hopefully everything will work out with the label on the business side, and we get the budget up to work on the album. But last time I spoke to him, we were both focused and ready to get into this record.

AllHipHop.com: Last time out your single “Where It Started At (NY)” was really paying homage to the birthplace of Hip-Hop. I wondered if it was it ironic for you doing that song, being that you aren’t from New York?

Hi-Tek: Yeah that song meant a lot to me. I like to show my appreciation. A lot of people didn’t understand what I was doing it, but sometimes you gotta just tell people how much you appreciated them and let them know. At the at the time, I think a lot of people was trying to s**t on New York and just really take they props, and almost forget about where Hip Hop started. So I wanted to step in and kind of help fight the battle, to show my appreciation and give them my support and let them know they had my support. Let them know how much I love New York, and to do a classic record with an all-star lineup to give it that New York feel. I like to brag on my versatility, how I can really go in deep with that New York sound, go in deep with that Cali sound, or the South sound. I just like to play with the beats. Overall, the song was a dedication to New York, because New York always supported me coming-up in the game, and they really embraced me. To go to New York was always exciting, and from day one there was always support for my music.

AllHipHop.com: You also got to work with your father Willie Cottrell for your second album. What was that like?

Hi-Tek: It was like a dream come true for me, and a breath of fresh air. It was something I always wanted to do being that my father was an artist once. They had they thing going on back in the day, and they didn’t really make it, it was hard for them. So for me to get in the music scene and show him how the music was, because I don’t think he really believed in the beginning. It took me proving to him that it was really working, and I was really a true talent. Instead of me really saying “Oh Pops, you didn’t support me in the beginning with the music,” I wanted to show him that I still appreciated him. So I couldn’t wait to get into the studio with him and show him my production skills, and make him sound like a million dollars. The song we did was like 30 years old, he wrote that before I was born. For me to be able to bring that out, and put Ghostface on the record with him, it was just a smash. Not a lot of people can really do that, so it just definitely meant a lot to me being able to work with Pops in a real way.

AllHipHop.com: Was he tripping off of Ghostface being on there, or did he even know who he was?

Hi-Tek: (Laughs) I started getting him more hip, and now he knows all about all the rappers and everything that’s going on in the industry. But I definitely inspired him, he wasn’t really a big fan of Hip-Hop like that. But I think I made him a fan, he definitely likes Ghostface. It was dope though, matter of fact…(Laughs). When Ghost was rapping about “Josephine”, he was like “Damn man, I didn’t know Josephine died of AIDS. I didn’t want her to die from AIDS.” (Laughs) So that was just a funny thing, because that song meant a lot to him. I even knew that going into it, so I was real careful about who was going on the record. He really cared about “Josephine.”

[wcsoldier]

I wasn't impressed by the Vol 3 at all .. a few dope beats and too many no name artist on it .. people should stop asking about Detox, they won't get any infos on it

[Elano]

I'm very curios to hear his work on detox