C MAJOR  (July 2008) | Interview By: Jonathan Hay & Chad Kiser

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Interview was done in June 2008

Questions Asked By: Jonathan Hay & Chad Kiser

C Major Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Click Here

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The C Major Interview
By Jonathan Hay and Chad Kiser
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay
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Dubcnn: First off, what is reason you chose the name C Major?

C Major is a name that was given to me at the very beginning of my career. I was running a recording session and one of the artists stopped recording and said, ‘Yo C Major, this song is gonna be hard!’ It’s funny too because I was looking for a name at the time, so I was like, that’s a tight name…and he said, ‘Well, your first initial is ‘C’ and everything you do is MAJOR!’ This track is gonna be crazy! It was a dope name so I stuck with it.


Dubcnn: Can you tell us how you hooked up with Ca$his & Shady Records?

To be honest, it was completely unexpected. Last year around May, I moved from the Bay Area out to San Diego to change scenery and get away from music for a while…if not permanently. My boy Vas hooked me up with a job and while I was there, he introduced me to one of his homies named Will. Will was doing promotion for Shade 45 XM and had a gig to do promotion for Ca$his. He took me up to the studio in Orange County one time and I kicked it with everyone. Obviously, I didn’t tell him the first time that I was a producer or even an engineer because that dude gets people telling him that all the time. So I made a couple more trips up there and one time I was talking to Ca$his’s producer Rikanatti about engineering and then we mixed some songs. Ca$his came back to the studio the next day and was like ‘Heeeeyyy, you mixed those songs yesterday! Those songs sound incredible!’ And ever since then I’ve been Ca$his’s head engineer and another one of his producers.


Dubcnn: During that divine intervention, did you have a feeling when you first hooked up with Ca$his that it would turn into such a great working relationship?

We had a great working relationship from the get-go. We work well together because we share the same work ethic. Even beyond music, I get along very well with everyone in the camp. There’s one thing that I leaned as an engineer…the first impression you make isn’t your talent, it’s your personality.


Dubcnn: Can you share some stories about you and Ca$his in the studio?

One time we were in the studio and the intern for the studio was wasted. She was slurring her words and was interrupting our recordings. She even came into the control room and tried to tell me how to mix the song. Eventually she left me alone ‘cause she knew she was pissing me off and went to the other room to continue drinking. We left the studio at like 10am after an all night session and her ass still wouldn’t leave. So we told her to get something out of her car, locked the door to the studio and bounced. I think she got fired the same day.


Dubcnn: Can you give us any information we might not know about the upcoming Ca$his Loose Cannon debut album?

The Loose Cannon is going to be crazy! He’s got features from Em -- of course, Dre, T.I., Jay, 50 and more. He has a song he recorded when he was at Em’s Studio in Detroit about a real personal situation he had while ago. The song is out of this world. I can’t even give you the low down on it, but you’ll definitely know the song when you hear it. It’s crazy!


Dubcnn: How much is Eminem actually involved in the career of Ca$his?

Eminem is always there for Ca$his whenever he needs him and vice versa. When Ca$his got signed, him and Em had an hour-long conversation and didn’t even talk about music. They are folks, so Em will do something if needed, but he really gives Ca$his a lot of freedom.


Dubcnn: Will there be any Dr. Dre tracks on Loose Cannon?

I know he’s recorded songs to some Dre tracks...


Dubcnn: Do you know if Ca$his will be appearing on Detox?

Same situation -- he’s recorded some tracks with Dre, that’s all I can tell you.


Dubcnn: Have you personally submitted any tracks for Detox?

I submitted some tracks a while back to Aftermaths head A&R Alonzo Jackson, so if he likes anything then he’ll forward it.


Dubcnn: Can you give any insight or information on either Detox or King Mathers?

From what I know, Detox and King Mathers are almost done. I mean, they could both put out those records tomorrow and they would sound amazing and sell through the roof. They just have extremely high standards for themselves and they have to meet those standards before they release any records.


Dubcnn: Being that you are Shady Records affiliated, what is your personal opinion on the 50 Cent and Young Buck beef?

I wouldn’t even call that whole situation a beef. It all seems like a misunderstanding. Once in a while, the media will grab hold of something and blow it out of proportion. There are plenty of misunderstandings that get taken care of and no one ever hears about it.


Dubcnn: Switching gears… what is it like working in the studio with Rikanatti?

He’s a great dude to work with. He stays focused on the song(s) we are working on and will even get involved with the engineering aspect, which is great to get from another producer. Especially if it is one of his tracks we are working on; his input is very important. He produces some real dope tracks, too. I’m feelin’ that song that just leaked, called “22,” featuring Eminem.


Dubcnn: You’ve done a lot of engineering for cats like Too $hort, Dangerous Dame, Mistah F.A.B. and V-White. Who are some of your favorite bay-area artists and producers?

I’m a big fan of Bay Area music and always have been. I grew up listening to C Bo, San Quinn, JT Tha Bigga Figga, The Delinquents (V White), Too $hort, Richie Rich and so many other artists. You can definitely hear the Bay Area influence in my engineering because I like my Snares/Claps up front with the Kick and the Bass real heavy.

My favorite producer from the Bay Area is hands down Rick Rock. I guess because he isn’t one of those guys who is always out there and in your face like a Swizz Beats or a Pharell; he hasn’t gotten as much recognition as them but he has done hit records for numerous artists. Just about every popular artist has gotten a track from Rick Rock, and now even G-Unit has a new song from him. He’s got a very unique sound that people like to hear. That’s something I take with me and apply to my own music to stay unique.


Dubcnn: On your MySpace page, you have an impressive list of influences. However, it wasn’t Dr. Dre, 2Pac, or Quincy that stood out to me, but Green Day & Mozart – they’re names we don’t normally see from a hip-hop producer. What about those people influenced you?

My parents loved classical music so Mozart was pretty common to hear in the house. Other composers such as Mahler, Wagner and Beethoven were amazing as well but not all shared the same passion Mozart did. Mozart made music because he loved it and it was all he had. Most musicians can relate to the idea that music was their first love and in some cases their only real love. Mozart’s passion for music really shined through in his compositions and passion is something that is missing in a lot music you hear today.

Green Day has been an incredible band for over a decade now but the reason they made my list of influences was for the latest album American Idiot. Everything on that album is amazingly creative and is full of sonic character. Everything from the song writing to the recording, mixing and mastering on that album is amazing. Every time I play that album, I get new ideas for my own music. Plus as a producer and engineer, you always have to keep an open mind about music and be ready to challenge yourself. The more you challenge yourself, the better your music will turn out. You can grab ideas from any genre of music if you’re really listening.


Dubcnn: Many people overlook the engineering aspect of recording. With today’s technology allowing people to record at home, on their computer or in their closet, why is engineering so important?

Engineering is becoming the new ‘producer’. It used to be that when someone called himself or herself a producer, they knew how to run a session -- they would be there during the mixing process to give ideas, or in a lot of cases, actually be the one to mix the records. A producer used to be someone who knew how to guide a song and than guide an entire album. Now there is just a bunch of ‘beat makers’ and really producing records is now, for the most part, a thing of the past.

Engineering is going through the same process. Technology made is possible for people to start making music at home very easy and it’s become the same for recording, mixing and even mastering. Although I don’t think there is anything wrong with more people having a chance to do what they love. But with records floating around that were recorded at home, getting a professional mixing and mastering engineer [is] more important than ever! Mixing and Mastering will make an okay song a great song -- and a great song a hit, plain and simple.


Dubcnn: Explain the “3-Second Rule”.

It’s an industry term labels use to describe how much time your music has to grab their attention. The first 3 seconds of your song better grab their attention or your CD is going straight to the trash. I know it might not sound fair, but imagine being an A&R and getting into work one morning with a pile of 1000 CD’s on your desk with a note next to it saying ‘Listen to all these before you go home today’. How much time would you give a song to grab your attention?


Dubcnn: There are so many people looking to make it in the music industry these days. What advice would you give to an upcoming artist?

Build a team. With a team built around you that believes in what you are doing, you can’t lose. Don’t go looking for the deal, a good deal will always come to you. Make noise locally and then start to spread outside of your city, don’t try it the other way around. As an artist, you have a lot of pressure to ‘represent’ where you are from, especially in hip-hop. Also, invest some time learning the business. There is plenty of literature about the music industry out there. And don’t record a demo if you are recording hip-hop; these days hip-hop expects an entire album from you. Labels don’t have time to groom you and teach you how to be an entertainer. It’s rare to have the situation Ca$his does, even though he didn’t ever need to be ‘Groomed’ for anything, the label didn’t expect an album from him upfront. That doesn’t happen very often anymore. So make sure you have an album ready for the Labels when they do come knocking on your door with a contract in hand.


Dubcnn: What other projects are you currently working on?

I’m working on an EP with Danny from Sobrante. He’s a cat from Sobrante Park in Oakland, CA. I met him on his first day out of jail and he had the most raw and uncut delivery I had seen. He also has great song content; so I think most people will grab on to what he’s saying because they can relate to him. I’m also working with my boy Ducktape, from Berkeley, on some production.


Dubcnn: Final thoughts for Dubcnn?

Look out for that new Ca$his & Young De album Homeland Security. Their first single, produced by Rikanatti, “Can’t Move Me” was mixed and mastered by yours truly. Stay updated with music from Danny from Sobrante at myspace.com/dannyfromsobrante. His debut album Tha Lion’s Den is already available on iTunes. You can check me out at myspace.com/cmajor21. Jonathan [Hay] and Chad [Kiser], you guys are the shit. Dubcnn, we keeping it west coast all day! Peace!