DAMON ELLIOTT (November 2006) | Interview By: Yash

   

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Interview was done in November 2006

Questions Asked By: Yash

Damon Elliott exclusive Dubcnn Drop: Here

Full Audio Interview Here
 

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Dubcnn: How did you get into producing?

I was like 14 years old sitting in my house, had a couple of pieces of gear in the closet and started making beats. Then I found some artists and learned how to start putting together songs and records, writing music and that’s pretty much how it started.


Dubcnn: You’re the son of the famous singer Dionne Warwick right?

Yea that’s my mom.


Dubcnn: Did that have a big effect on you?

Oh yea, no question. She was like... she still is and everything I do I run by her because she knows everything about everything. So she had a major effect on me.


Dubcnn: How was your childhood?

It was pretty normal from my mind. I don’t know when I tell people about it they bug out about it. It was kind of like I grew up in Beverly Hills I guess I had more than a lot of kids growing up but it was kind of normal to me.


Dubcnn: Your first big project that you worked on was Flesh-N-Bone right?

Yea Flesh-N-Bone.


Dubcnn: How was that and how did you meet up with him?

I met up with Bone when I was in the studio working on a project with my mom. It was a radio show and they were in the next room just goofing around writing and I walked in on them. It was real uncomfortable I remember that because I was like “Who are yall”? And they were like “Who are you?” then I was like “Don’t worry about who I am”.

You know just playin’ and then Layzie and me clicked instantly on some silly shit, just being goofy and then he said “Yo I want you to meet my brother...Flesh was in the booth and so Flesh walked out and then I met him and then Layzie was like “We’re working on his stuff so if you can come up with a couple of songs, come back later or tomorrow and we’ll see if we like them”.

So I went home and made 10 songs that night and all 10 of them ended up on Flesh’s album and that was what kind of jump started my career. I had the first and second single and I don’t know if you remember that song with Reverend Run.


Dubcnn: Yea I remember that song. Did you produce that song with BG Knocc Out?

With umm Bobby...Man I did some songs with BG Knocc Out man. God...


Dubcnn: Man you know he’s fresh out of jail now. Did you know that?

He’s out of jail?


Dubcnn: Yea I’m just hooking him back up with everybody.

When did Knocc Out get out?


Dubcnn: He got out like 2-3 weeks ago. He been working with G-Unit and shit. I’m just trying to help him get back into the business and if you can hook me up with a number I’d give it to him.

Yeah, definitely man, I’ll shoot that too you, tell him to holler at me man.


Dubcnn: Fosho man. I’m just trying to help him because he’s been locked up for 10 years man.

I know he was locked up for ten years and Flesh got another 5.  He was in for a minute but I’m glad he’s out man he did 10 years?


Dubcnn: Yea

Every bit of it yep, because it was 96 and I remember that like yesterday man. We were in the studio and I remember getting a call saying Knocc Out went to jail. They said he got an L [Life time sentence) and I was like WHAT??


Dubcnn: Yea I was shocked when I heard that too I was little back then.

Yeah.


Dubcnn: You have been working with a lot of big names in the past. Like Pink, Beyonce and the list goes on; how are those divas like in the studio compared to rappers?

I mean everybody in the studio is real cool man, because they know that it’s a job. Like Beyonce and Pink; they all just normal man. They don’t act out because they probably know I don’t get down like that. We all act real goofy man and I like people who got personality.

Beyonce is a clown man she’s funny as hell, she’s like normal I mean it’s a job so it’s not like people put a certain perception on people because they are successful. I mean success changes people to a certain degree yea but I guess I’m to work with people who can handle it. Where I come from my mom she’s very successful and she’s very normal and I kind of know how to pull out the normal thing out of people and be just grounded, don’t let all this bullshit get to your head because that’s all it is. It’s hype and your success can go tomorrow.


Dubcnn: Exactly man it’s cool that you are down to earth like that and they are too.

Yeah that’s how I was brought up.


Dubcnn: Do you have a crazy memory you can share with us like when you were with Beyonce and Gwen Stefani?

Yeah *laughs* Well like I said B [Beyonce] is a clown. A funny memory I had. We where working on Gold Member that movie and she was in the studio and we were bored and we had some down time before Michael Myers; you know the dude who played all the characters and co produced the movie. He was on his way to the studio and she was bored so she went into the vocal booth and said let’s make a CD called how not to sing. So she did a song trying not to sing. You know they have those info commercials on how to sing and dance and all that other shit?


Dubcnn: Yea.

She was like let’s make one called “How not to sing”. It was so funny man. Trying to hear her sing off key was crazy to me and she did a good job. She actually sucked *laughs*. And one day we be able to put that out and then I want to go to like J Lo after that and do a “How not to dance” video and do a comedy scoop off of everything.


Dubcnn: What’s your process of making a song? Do you help out with the chorus and stuff?

Every process is different with different artists. A lot of times the artists will come prepared; like they will have a song idea in their head. I’ll either just make the track on the spot or sometimes we’ll write it from nothing or I have a song for them that I had an idea for. But every artist is individually different.


Dubcnn: Ok man, you know the hit single with Kelis “Bossy”...How did that happen?

That record is funny man it came from Atlanta originally and I honestly didn’t know it was going to hit the way it hit. Let alone having the impact it did because I couldn’t stop hearing that damn song.


Dubcnn: Damn and how did Too Short come into the picture. Because I was shocked when I saw him on a song with Kelis...

Too Short umm that was Kelis, she called him and you know he’s on Jive aswell so it was a label mate so she just called him in and he came down…Actually he recorded his vocal in Oakland I remember and he just emailed them to us and then we put it together like that.


Dubcnn: Which albums are you working on right now?

I’m working on an artist that I signed named Janae who’s from Ohio and is 16 years old. Man look for her album probably first or second quarter next year. I can’t say where we’re doing the deal because it’s not completely finished yet but I will make that announcement; everybody will know when I do the announcement within a few weeks but her record is really dope man it’s kind of like…

I guess what I’m telling everybody is she’s 16, half black half white and real gorgeous girl and everybody knows me from creating artists like Keyshia Cole who’s ghetto as hell and from the hood. And I say to everybody that if they like Keyshia watch out for Janae because she’s Keyshia Cole times 3000 with crossover appeal plus she’s a lot younger so she got way more time on her hands.

She got a lot of growth time and I think her fans will grow with her and learn to love her.


Dubcnn: Tight man I’m looking forward to it. Speaking of Keyshia Cole bro. Do you know Cole’s brother Nuttso?

I know Nuttso real well *laughs*


Dubcnn: Are you working on something with him?

No actually I know she’s doing her new stuff and he’s working. Keyshia moved down to Atlanta and I talk to her every now and again. But Nuttso is working on his stuff and I’ve known him for awhile. He’s a good cat.


Dubcnn: Yea he’s a good cat. Who’s your favourite artist that you have worked with?

I never answer that question because I work with mostly women and if you know anything about women they start spreading it and the other ones call you get your eyes scratched out. They are all my favourites *laughs*


Dubcnn: How about producers beside yourself who is your favourite producer?

Quincy Jones and Burt Bacharach because those are some real producers that’s where I come from.


Dubcnn: Who would you like to work with that you haven’t worked with?

Shakira, I was at her office in New York right a couple of days ago and I saw a picture of Shakira. I’m going to give you the story real quick: I was real tired man I was like hallucinating because me and Janae had like 8 meetings or maybe 10 meetings in the span of 2 days. Back to back we’re running around it’s raining, we’re hungry and I saw a little poster of Shakira and I said dam I got to work with her! *Laughs* Because I have never worked with her.


Dubcnn: For sure.

She’ll probably call me and be like “blab la will you work with me?” *laughs* “Hello Hello Hello” and all that shit *Laughs*


Dubcnn: Man how much would you charge if an independent artist wanted to buy a beat from you or work with you?

You know what I never have a set price. Like most people have a set price like 75 000 a song I don’t do that because every artist is different so if an independent artist wanted to work with me they will need to present their budget.

They need to tell me what they have and what they will pay because I like too see what people think I’m worth and I will go from there. And it’s cool if you ain’t got a lot of money then I’m not doing it at this point just for the cash, I’m doing it for the love you know. If the artist is wack they can offer me a Jet and I’m working with them. *laughs*


Dubcnn: Alright man let’s get back into the producing part. What kind of equipment did you start using back in the days and what are you using right now?

I started with an MPC60, Drum machine and I think I had a... damn man you taking me back and out dating me now but it’s okay *laughs* I ain’t old I’m in my 30’s.

I had a Roland I think it was a A80 keyboard and a Lyn9000 drum machine also, Yamaha XY 77. Man I ain’t gone tell you all this equipment because it makes me look old man.


Dubcnn: *laughs* Okay what are you using right now then?

I use a MPC 3000 which is custom made by Bruce Forrad music. I use Triton trinity umm Roland and I work with Pro Tools. Normal stuff man I ain’t use nothing crazy.


Dubcnn: Do you do anything on the Motif?

Everything, I love that keyboard.


Dubcnn: My friend uses that too. When I listen to your beats I don’t hear a lot of samples. Do you usually play everything?

Yeah I usually play everything, I don’t believe in sampling too much because 9 times out of 10 you can’t clear it anyway and you know I like writing songs. I like writing from nothing and creating stuff.


Dubcnn: Let’s talk about your record label Confidential! How did you start that up?

I started Confidential Records in 2001 when I signed Keyshia. Then I signed her to Interscope through my label Confidential and then through the growth I partnered up with a friend of mine who I was friends with like since I was 3 years old and started BH Confidential which is Beverly Hills Confidential. That’s the new label which is bigger, better and we made a lot of mistakes on the Keyshia stuff that I won’t make anymore and now we got Janae who’s the breath of fresh air on the BH Confidential and ready to run man. Plus I got a couple of artists in development and that’s how it works on a label.


Dubcnn: You have a group too called Beverly Hills Gangstaz. Who’s in the group? *laughs*

*Laughs* Beverly Hills Gangstaz is a laugh...


Dubcnn: Yeah I was like what’s up with the name?

It’s like started to catch wind you know? It’s me as a character named Dollar Dame who’s a rapper from Beverly Hills, kind of like Richie Rich. A funny cat who sits around all day and doesn’t do anything. Kind of like me.


Dubcnn: When are you putting out that project?

I don’t know. I think that my biggest fan is my artist Janae she always begs me to hear it and I don’t even know if I’m ever putting it out to be honest with you but leave it up to her and she will find a way.


Dubcnn: Alright, you worked on a couple of movie scores; can you tell them about that?

Yeah I scored a few movies thank god. I scored a movie called Malibu's Most Wanted which did pretty well with Jamie Kennedy and then I scored a movie called “First Daughter” which is at where they catch an airline and that’s about the only place it plays. is at where they catch an airline and that’s about the only place it plays. No I’m just playing but Forest Whitaker directed it and then I did a movie called “Fat Albert”; I directed some music in that and the movie stuff has just been really cool with me, they’ve been very nice to me over there in movie land.


Dubcnn: So what’s the difference between working on a movie production compared to working with an artist?

When you working on a record you don’t have visual like stimulations but with the movies you have pictures that you are scoring too, you have scenes that you work on. Everything is set for you but when you are working on an album you kind of set the tone.


Dubcnn: What would you be if you weren’t a producer?

If I wasn’t a producer I probably be a mass murderer. If I wasn’t a producer I’m pretty sure I’d be a fighter because that’s my passion and I still do that but I don’t as serious as I could because I make music for a living.

Dubcnn: Okay I just want to end the interview with word association so I’m going to say some names and you just tell me what comes to your mind first.


Dubcnn: 50 Cent

Bully!


Dubcnn: The Game

NWA comes to my mind.


Dubcnn: Tupac

All around gangster, just one of the greatest.


Dubcnn: Biggie.

Again another one of the greatest, a legend.


Dubcnn: Bone Thugs

First thing that comes to my mind is…Thank you Jesus I met them! *laughs*


Dubcnn: Eazy E

Oh man Pioneer.


Dubcnn: Beyonce

Jelly!


Dubcnn: Suge Knight

Ooo! *laughs*


Dubcnn: Alright bro thank you so much for getting down with us!

Thank you man, have a good day!