DJ KHALIL (PART 1)(July 2009) | Interview By:
Nima Etminan
Dubcnn sat down with possibly the hottest producer in the game right now, DJ
Khalil for an in-depth 2-part interview. In this first part, we discuss DJ
Khalil's upbringing, being the son of a NBA player and how he first got
introduced to music. Khalil tells us about his inspirations and his first
steps as a musician and how he ended up meeting his partner-n-rhyme Chace
Infinite to form Self Scientific.
We then get into his relationship with Dr. Dre and Aftermath, on which we
tried to get Khalil to talk as much as possible.
As you know, it's hard to find out what's really going on in the Aftermath
studios, but Khalil opens up about the recent Detox leaks and Dre's reaction
to them, what he thinks of fans criticizing Dre's perfectionism and why he
admires his mentor as much as he does.
Look out for Part 2, where Khalil describes a typical studio session with
Dre, talks about Bishop Lamont, and his current projects. We talk about the
Slaughterhouse album, producing the Clipse & Kanye track "Kinda Like A Big
Deal", Khalil's group the New Royales, and what else we can expect from DJ
Khalil in the times to come.
As ever, you can read this exclusive interview below and we urge you to leave
feedback on our forums or email them to
nima@dubcnn.com.
Download The Full Interview Audio:
Here
Download The DJ Khalil Dubcnn Drop:
Here
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Dubcnn: Dubcnn is right here with DJ Khalil! We're gonna go in-depth on
this interview, so before we get into all the greatness that's going on
right now, let's rewind back. Tell us about ur upbringing and how music
found its way into your life.
Well, my dad played in the NBA. He played for like 10 years, and being
how NBA players are, even today, they hang out with a lot of musicians. Back
then it was a lot of jazz musicians, my dad used to get records from
everybody. I just grew up around a lot of great music. My dad is from Philly
so he's a big jazz head. I grew up listening to that, Luther Vandross, a lot
of soul stuff, everything. That's kind of how I got introduced into music. I
used to always sneak in my dad's stereo component system and I used to make
tapes, pick out my own songs and all that stuff. I just grew up around a lot
of great music. Then I finally picked up DJ'ing when I was in junior high.
After that I just had the buzz, I loved DJing. That's pretty much it.
Dubcnn:
As far as your transition into Hip-Hop, who were you listening to when you
got into making beats?
When I started making beats, which was around '91, I was listening to
Gangstarr, Pete Rock, Main Source, it was the Golden Age! Public Enemy,
anything the Bomb Squad was doing, Marley Marl, 45 King. I wanted to make
that music. I met a friend who had a studio and he had a sampler and all
kinds of stuff. I used to sneak out my dads records and go over there and we
would just make beats all day. That's all I did, every summer, making beats.
I had no idea what I was doing, but I loved it! I wanted to spend all my
time doing it and eventually, when I went away to college, I bought a ASR10
and started doing it everyday. That's pretty much like how I got started.
Dubcnn:
You got your first break as one half of the group Self
Scientific. How did you and Chace Infinite hook up and decide to form a
team?
It's funny cause Chace and I met through playing basketball. They have this
thing in Santa Barbara called Superstar Camp and it's a invitation only
basketball camp where they take some of the top junior high players. He was
invited and I was invited, we were like the top guards in our age group. We
ended up playing against each other and that's how we got introduced to each
other. We started becoming friends and we were playing in the same league in
high school. So before the games we would hook up, I had started making
beats and Chace was rhyming. After a while we became really good friends, he
started coming to the studio and we started recording! We cut like a 4 song
demo in one summer and that's how we started. We weren't even called Self
Scientific then, we were called something else.
Dubcnn:
What were you called?
We were called the Numbskulls. *laughs* We were just making music, we didn't
think about getting signed or whatever. We just wanted to hear ourselves.
That's how I got started. But Self Scientific didn't actually come about
till we went to college in Atlanta. We lived together for a while and I was
making beats every day and Chace was just rhyming, he came up with the name
Self Scientific and all that. We started recording, making songs, and
everytime we came out to L.A. we recorded demos. That kinda blossomed into
the group.
Dubcnn:
Back then, when you were on an underground level, did you have
aspirations to become a force in the mainstream scene?
Nah, man. I didn't even really know you could make money doing it! *laughs*
I wasn't really focused on that, I just wanted to make beats so I could
listen to it in the car, you know? Like I'd hear a Pete Rock beat or a J
Dilla beat or whatever and I just wanted to make something that fresh. For a
while, I just loved the craft, being able to do that, listening to new
records, new styles of music, trying to see what I could come up with. I was
fascinated by it and I didn't really know until around 2000-2001 that I
could actually make money and have a career! That wasn't my focus at first.
Dubcnn:
At what point did you first meet Dr. Dre? I heard it had something to do
with a Keith Murray record that you did?
Well no, all that kind of happened at the same time. I had Keith Murray's
joint, Def Jam calling me, and then Dre had signed an artist named
Brooklyn.
She did a demo with a bunch of my beats and a couple of other producers like
Jake One. Dre heard it and loved all the music and he wanted to keep it for
an album. I actually met Dre for the first time when I was 13 at my parents
house, through a mutual friend. That day, I talked to him and I told him I
was a DJ. He was my hero! So I was talking to him and I was bugging out! I
told him "Dude, I'm gonna be a producer!" He remembered that.
When I saw him
when we reconnected through the whole Brooklyn thing, we had a laugh about
it, he was tripping out over it! At that point, I had so much music that I
started just giving him stuff. He was really excited about what I was doing
and just how creative I was. Back then I was still very raw, but he saw
something. Probably a month later after connecting with him that day, they
were like "Yo we wanna bring you on board." I've been there ever since!
Dubcnn:
Did you have any doubts about becoming part of the Aftermath team?
Nah, not at all. At that point I was so new and it was an opportunity to
learn from one of the greats and be associated with him. Everything is a
stepping stone and he has helped me with every stage of my career. Directly
and indirectly, Dre has been a mentor to me. And it made perfect sense at
the time: they had 50, Aftermath was on top! That made the whole situation
that much better. But just to work with Dre and have him interested in my
music, you can't beat that!
Dubcnn:
That's what every producer says that worked with him, they only have
positive things to say, like being around him is such a great experience.
But concretely, what are some of the most valuable lessons you've learned
while being at Aftermath?
Man, there have been so many. For one, Dre, through everything he has
accomplished, is still a very humble person. That's one thing that when you
meet him, that strikes you. He's very humble. But he knows that he is about
excellence. That's one thing that you pick up. You can't go into a room with
him and play him something that's half assed or that's not up to par. You
can't fake it with him, he'll call you out. He'll tell you! He gives you
constructive criticism and he does it to me all the time, even now there are
a lot of things that I have to improve on. But the main thing is that he's a
producer. Like he produces vocals, he's a perfectionist, he can jump on a
SSL and mix a record, he knows exactly what he wants and he makes decisions.
As a producer, you have to make a lot of decisions, every little thing,
every little vocal, every snare, every hi-hat, where stuff is supposed to
go. He is very in tune with that and just trying to craft the best piece of
music possible. Recently I was in the studio with him and I got to actually
watch him coach somebody doing vocals and just how he thinks about records.
He wants everybody to love whatever record he's working on. He wants cross
generation, world wide type records. He's very particular about what's being
said on a record, how it's being said. He's just the ultimate perfectionist,
professional producer. That's what I learned the most.
Dubcnn:
What's funny is that you see Dre getting criticized by the public a lot for
taking so long to put something out. But all the artists and producers who
work with him never have anything negative to say about him. What do you
think that makes him so special to people working with him?
I guess it's because we're close to it and we support him. If anybody has
the right to take as long as they want for a record, he can. His resume
speaks for itself. Not only that, but he still has the most anticipated
record, period, anyway. That's undeniable. It's not like if he puts his
record out now people aren't gonna go get it because they're mad! *laughs*
People are gonna get the record. Now how they take it in or whatever, that's
up to them. But I just feel like if he wants to take time out to make the
best record possible, then I think he's earned that right.
Honestly, he has
nothing else to prove to anybody, as far as I'm concerned, after breaking
superstar artists and creating several different movements and hit records.
What else does he really have to prove? It kinda sucks that people even
wanna doubt him like that, but that's Hip-Hop. That's the record business,
it's all about what you've done lately. Especially in Hip-Hop, I don't think
it's like that in Rock or anything else. But I think Dre has earned the
right to take the time to make the best product possible. Every time he
drops, it's a new movement, and it takes time to create that. They've had a
heck of a run so now it's like starting fresh. Only he has the answers to
that and nobody else.
Dubcnn:
I believe Focus... recently left the 'Math and he said he was tired of
making music and it not getting released. Is that something you can relate
to?
No, I don't look at it that way. I work for Aftermath, I'm a staff producer,
I signed the deal, so no. I've also been able to work with Jay-Z and Game,
50 Cent... I'm able to do records outside of the camp so for me personally I
don't have any regrets about anything. I don't know, I can only speak on my
experience. I can't speak on Focus, who is one of my favorite producers and
one of my mentors too. Everybody's experience is different. But me, I don't
have any problem whatsoever. At first, I just wanted to be heard over there!
After a while it was like, you couldn't even get heard over there! But now
it's different. I don't have any issue with it at all. If they hold on to
stuff, then that's what it is. I gotta keep working regardless. That just
means I gotta work ten times harder. Dre is very particular about what he
keeps anyway.
Dubcnn:
There was a Detox leak with T.I. on it and Kobe on the hook, that sounded a
lot like your work, is that correct?
You know, I can't comment on any of that stuff... just so you know... I
can't really talk about it either way...
Dubcnn:
I'm just saying, it sounded like it was you behind the boards. That was a
good record too, I liked Kobe's hook. You know which one I'm talking about?
That "This Is Detox".
Right, right.
Dubcnn:
How slim are the chances of leaked records ending up on the final product?
You know, who knows... He has so much music, there is so much music. Who
knows what's gonna make it, what's not gonna make it. He's got an arsenal of
music that's crazy. Stuff that just leaked and that's kinda out there, who
knows if he's gonna keep it or not. I mean the response was really good on
everything that got leaked, so that's a positive sign. But who knows!
*laughs* He might scrap everything right now and just start fresh. You never
know with Dre.
Dubcnn:
What's behind these reference tracks that leak? Is that actually a Dre beat
for Detox that Ludacris was rapping over on the new joint that just leaked?
Or did somebody make a beat that sounds like a Dre beat and he writes to it?
What's the system behind that?
I don't even know. There's so many people working on songs for him and so
many people that wanna be on this record. There are a lot of producers that
are submitting ideas all the time and of course they end up getting leaked
or whatever, then it's like "Oh there is a Detox leak!" Who knows if it's
official, if Dre's even heard it or anything.
Dubcnn:
What's Dre's reaction to these leaks?
He's very calm. He's jut like "Oh well".
Dubcnn:
Does he even give a f-ck?
He does initially, because that's his record, his ideas that he's been
working on, so of course, that would make anybody upset at first. But his
attitude is more like "well, what can I do about it now?" *laughs* It's
done, he can be upset about it or just keep working. He's really cool about
that. A lot of the records actually leaked on his birthday and we were with
him and talked about it and he was just like "we'll make more stuff". He
doesn't really trip off that stuff.
Dubcnn:
What I don't get is, why do these people who write for him, all write the
same sh-t?! Isn't he tired of hearing that he's the greatest, he brought you
the Chronic, I'm in my 6-4? Nobody can come up with something creative for
Dre?
*laughs* I don't know, there's way more to him than just that. He's not
gonna talk about his accomplishments on every record. There is a lot of
stuff that he's learned along the way, he's had a long career in the music
business, so many stories. But see, when you start creating for him that
way, that's a first sign that he's not even gonna listen to it. He's gonna
be like "nah, I'm cool". Because he's heard it so many times! He's the
greatest, this and that.
Dubcnn:
Yeah we don't wanna hear a whole album of him bragging.
Oh no it's not gonna be a whole album of that. But that's what everybody
keeps submitting!
Dubcnn:
Can you describe a typical studio session with you and Dr. Dre? How involved
are the musicians in the creative process?
Look out for Part 2, where Khalil answers this question, talks about Bishop Lamont, and his current projects. We talk about the
Slaughterhouse album, producing the Clipse & Kanye track "Kinda Like A Big
Deal", Khalil's group the New Royales, and what else we can expect from DJ
Khalil in the times to come.
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Download The Full Interview Audio:
Here
Download The DJ Khalil Dubcnn Drop:
Here
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