DJ AMBIDEKSTRES  (August 2008) | Interview By: Javon Adams

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Interview was done in August 2008

Questions Asked By: Javon Adams

DJ Ambidekstres Interview Audio: Listen Here

DJ Ambidekstres Gave Dubcnn A Shoutout: Listen Here

 

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Dubcnn: Dubcnn: Alright Dubcnn with DJ Ambidekstres welcome to dubcnn how are you doing man?

Thanks. Thanks for having me man. I’m just out here doing it movin’ as much as possible.


Dubcnn: I hear you. Well tell the folks where you’re from.

Well, I’m from the Bay Area. South Bay Area, San Jose. I’ve moved throughout the Southwest as well through New Mexico and Arizona and I’m back out here now.


Dubcnn: Now I used to live in the Bay Area myself, in San Jose and I remember when compilations were the in thing and now mixtapes have kind of taken over. Now everybody seems to have a mixtape so how hard is it to cut through the clutter as a DJ and make a name for yourself?

You pretty much have to decipher yourself away from the 6000 mixtape DJs in San Jose alone. You pretty much have to create a new lane with new marketing ideas and kind of set yourself a part from what 5000 other DJs are doing as well.


Dubcnn: Now I know networking is important in any industry but how valuable is networking to you as you make a name for yourself?

I’m just trying to basically network as much as possible and pretty much networking is the main thing as far as Deejaying and mixtapes are going. Basically everybody has teamed up especially here in the Bay Area. It’s pretty much a small industry as far as that goes and we aren’t out there necessarily as far as nationwide. Networking is a huge thing as far as where you’re trying to go. Basically build that new lane and take the whole team with you.


Dubcnn: Speaking of team I know DJs often roll in units and you’re a part of the Mixtape Mobb right?

Yes, I’m a part of the Mixtape Mobb. We got Ra2K in there and we got a few other DJs worldwide. A lot of us actually came out from the South Bay Area and pretty much just teamed up and we’re doing something positive and make a movement. Basically become the new team of the West Coast.


Dubcnn: Now I’m curious, when you have teams of DJs and you have a group like that how does that work? How is that beneficial for the DJs involved?

Basically, as far as the whole team that we have you just have a whole team of networkers. So basically everybody that I’m messing with I can throw towards RA2K and when RA2K got somebody new that I don’t f*ck with he can throw it towards me. Its just a networking door that opened up for me as far as the Mixtape Mobb.


Dubcnn: Ok. Explain the process of creating a mixtape and maybe how each mixtape is different. Explain that process and how you go about that.

Basically the way I start it is by figuring out what the new lane is and what the new idea is going to be. Right now I’m working on the “New Blood of the Bay”. I actually got volume one out already with Willie Joe so y’all can peep that out online.

But you basically just get yourself a marketing idea, find out what’s good and what’s going to be the new thing and pretty much just push it towards that. From there you just get in touch with the type of people that you are going to do. Or if it’s an artist mixtape you record the whole mixtape as it is. Some of them have freestyle joints so it kind of just depends on what I’m trying to pick at that point.


Dubcnn: So, kind of along those same lines when you have those different ideas…you said you are working on the “New Blood of the Bay” so what is your approach with that aside from bringing out new talent I would imagine. What is your approach?

The approach I took with that one is…in the last couple of years the Hyphy Movement kinda got it’s roar and kinda seen its downfall as well. What I learned from that is like everyone took the recognition of the E-40’s and Too Shorts and pretty much used that as a stepping stone. So I pretty much went out and grabbed everybody that was new, I grabbed Willie Joe that was the new face of the Bay…I went out and got tracks with everybody as far as the Hoodstars and Fab and got all kinds of new sh*t from them. I took that and linked it up with the Old School vibe and had a few of them do some of the Old School joints and that’s where we got the ear from all of the Old School stuff. So I got the respect from the Old School cats as well as the younger ones who never really grew up on them.


Dubcnn: As your star starts to rise…I know a lot of DJs for example somebody co-signed by Funkmaster Flex or whatever DJ that’s really established…are you getting to that point that if you co-sign somebody that it’s kind of like a stamp of approval?

I’m trying to get to that point. I’m trying to basically become the new (DJ) Drama of the West Coast so that is basically the idea. I’m trying to push it towards that route. I think I have a little respect from the crews out here as far as the DJs coming out of the Bay and I’m trying to take some more of that.


Dubcnn: Now, kind of switching gears a little bit, I see from the picture on you myspace page that you embrace technology. I recently spoke to DJ Rhettmatic from the World Famous Beat Junkies and I asked his opinion on programs like Serato and how it relates to the DJ. He uses Serato and he thinks it’s a great tool but he feels sometimes that maybe some of the newer DJs…that it masks some of their deficiencies. What is your take on technology and the DJ?

I appreciate it actually both ways. I think when you come up, growing up you see all the vinyl and see that they kind of came from almost nothing. I think the ability to add a Serato to that, although you get a lot of flack when people say your only a ‘technology DJ’ and that (to do) a mixtape ain’t gotta have no skills…basically you gotta match what you learn from the Old School and what you take from the New and create that new lane. Basically just take advantage of both sides because without technology we wouldn’t have half the sh*t we have right now.


Dubcnn: That’s true. When I spoke to him he pointed out that now you can carry thousands of songs on a Jump Drive or something like that as opposed to carrying these heavy crates. So it helps as far as travel is concerned.

Oh yeah, especially that because pretty much everything you want you have it at any point. If you need to go an download that you don’t have to go buy a crate or buy the record or carry that with you to seven different cities if that’s what you’re going to do.


Dubcnn: So who are some of the artists you are working with right now?

My new artist right now, I’m pushing Jessie L. He is from the South Bay as well. He has the new album coming out pretty soon. I’m working with Willie Joe on the “New Blood of the Bay” like I said earlier. He’s got his team the Water Boys, shout out to the Water Boys Entertainment in Vallejo, CA. They’re doing it real big. I’m about to drop a mixtape called Oakland Dynamite with Do Dat from the Water Boys. Shout out to Willie Joe again. Basically I’m trying to do everything I can. I’m in the works right now with Erk the Jerk as well a few other people who will remain nameless at this point because it ain’t final. Trying to do as much as possible.


Dubcnn: I’m not trying to get you to divulge any secrets but what is the process like when you see an artist and you want to work with them in terms of doing some exclusive type of mixtape? What is that process like? Is it a negotiation process or is it just how you vibe together?

It’s pretty much the relationship between the two. There have been points where artists where I’m just emailing and not really talking much and you pretty much just get what they have at that point. What I try to do is build a relationship with them and that way your input is a little more valuable because you have one opinion and they have one and you both see where you’re coming from. And at that point a little more creativity comes in mind and you kind of find a medium ground and basically build something new that you’re not used to.


Dubcnn: It seems like DJs are really multi-talented because they produce or do A&R work, maybe they run a promotion business and stuff like that. You define yourself as being unusually skillful so what else do you do besides being a mixtape DJ?

Well, I got the name Ambidekstres from sports in high school because I actually use both hands as far as that went. I got into the DJ game more so because I wanted to engineer. So as far as being unusually skillful, I’m trying to basically do everything possible. As far as being an A&R, as far as engineering, deejaying and whatever is really needed at that point I’m on it.


Dubcnn: Ok, I got you. So any last words for dubcnn? Tell the folks how they can look you up and how to spell your name when they look you up on myspace.

Yeah, that’s the most difficult part about it. Some people call me Deks and some people don’t know what an ambidextrous person is. You can check me out on MySpace. You can check out the music at your local Rasputin’s, Street Life and your local music store. Get online at the myspace like I say. You can go to calimixtapes.com and everybody just be on the look out for the new face of the mixtape game in the West Coast.