DJ DRAMA (September 2009) | Interview By: Nima Etminan

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Interview was conducted in August 2009

DJ Drama Gave Dubcnn A Shout Out: Listen Here
 

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Dubcnn: We're right here with Drama, what's going on with you right now?

I've been good, just doing what I do best: feed the streets. I just dropped the Cam'ron tape, that's new on the strreets. I just finished up Gucci's new project "The Movie Part 2", that's out in the streets. My album is out in stores, I'm working on a bunch of other projects. I'm just keeping the music alive, doing a lot of travelling, on the road, city to city, state to state. I just got back from Dubai, South Africa and Toronto.


Dubcnn: As you just mentioned, you were in Dubai. I know you stay international, I've seen you work with DJ Neptune out of Germany, how is the mixtape scene outside of the country?

It's hot man, it's dope. Shouts out to the homie DJ Neptune, he's definitely doing his thing. It's a lot of love man, the places I go, I go based off the popularity of my mixtapes, my success with T.I. as well, and they know projects, they know the mixtape scene, they have favorites. It's kicking, it's dope to be able to go to Dubai and talk to them about my Pharrell tape, or go to South Africa and they tell me they love my Little Brother tape or ask me about Gucci or Lil Wayne or Jeezy or T.I. or anybody I've worked with.


Dubcnn: You know you're on dubcnn right now, and I believe you're doing a West Coast project wit DJ Nik Bean from L.A.?

Yeah that's my homie man, Nik Bean has been doing his thing for quite some time. We've done a couple of mixtapes together, I definitely respect his grind and what he's doing. I've done a couple of projects on the westside of things, shouts out to my man DJ Skee we did the R. Kelly project together. I did a mixtape with my man Terrace Martin, I've worked with Dogg Pound, Snoop Dogg project. I'm also in talks with Jay Rock to work on something, me and Nipsey Hussle working on something. I'm a big fan of the Bay Area culture as well. So we'll definitely get some things going.


Dubcnn: Who are your top picks from the West Coast right now?

Definitely my man Nipsey Hussle, definitely Jay Rock, Mistah FAB is always holding his thing down, my man The Jacka and I like Messy Marv out there as well.


Dubcnn: I know your main thing is doing the mixtapes and promoting music. But you know people love controversy, and what's been in the news the past couple of weeks is the situation between you and Jeezy. How do you view that situation now?

I don't really think much of it. Jeezy said what he had to say, I responded as well, I put out my response. Past that, I just leave it alone. More than anything, I'm a fan of the music and again, it's sad that it catered to that because the people like what we've accomplished and they wanted to see it again. But it is what it is really, I've pretty much said my piece on what I feel about the issue at hand.


Dubcnn: Do you feel that if a DJ has a main artist he works with, he has to stay loyal to that artist and not work with other artists that your main artist might have issues with?

To answer that question would kind of be diving back into the issue and again, I've said my piece on it, I'm a loyal dude, I'm a man of my word, and that's pretty much where I stand.


Dubcnn: I respect that. Have you spoken to T.I. recently?

I haven't talked to him recently but not too long ago. He's doing good. T.I. doesn't really need to keep his buzz up, he's an international superstar. So my objective really is to grind it out in the streets, keep making money for myself, the Aphiliates and Grand Hustle and get back to work when Tip gets home.


Dubcnn: You also have two artists that you work with closely, Willie The Kid and La The Darkman. What's the status on them?

We're about to put out a new mixtape DJ Drama & Willie The Kid "The Floss", so that will be in the streets within the next couple of weeks. It's crazy.


Dubcnn: You've been in the mixtape game for a minute now. Do you feel that the position you're in now as far as the mixtapes are concerned, you're doing better than you were a couple of years ago before the feds did that big bust?

My career is in a great space. I've pretty much accomplished everything there is to accomplish with mixtapes. For me, I do them because I love the game, I love the music and I feel like it's my obligation to feed the streets. When I was at the height of the mixtapes, I was trying to prove something. I just do what I do cause I love it now. I have a lot of other things going in my career, endorsements, radio shows, travelling, doing my own events and gigs and what not. I'm in a great space now, was in a great space then. My cup is always half full, if not all the way full.


Dubcnn: As a last question, how do you feel about fans, especially online, complaining about DJ's tagging songs and yelling over them?

How I feel about it? You can't please everybody... Me personally, they tell me they love it when I talk that shit. I can go anywhere in this country, possibly in this world, and get noticed and get love and get respect, and that's based off some of the work I've done in the mixtapes. So do I care about the ones that complain? Hey, don't listen to it!


Dubcnn: We appreciate your time, any last words?

Gangsta Grillz Vol. 3 is on the way!