DJ REVOLUTION (Part 2) (September 2008) | Interview By: Jonathan Hay

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Interview was done in September 2008

Questions Asked By: Jonathan Hay

DJ Revolution Gave Dubcnn.com A Shotout! Check That Here
 

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The DJ Revolution Interview Part 2
By Jonathan Hay
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay


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Dubcnn: What sacrifices have you had to make in your life in order to be standing in the position you are right now, as one of the world’s most well known and respected DJ’s?

Really, the sacrifices are nothing to me. Yes, I spent years and years hunched over some turntables in a room mastering this craft. Yes, I blew off many girls and stunted my social growth because as a teenager I never went out unless I was spinning somewhere. I have sacrificed being just a fan of the music like I was when I started out for someone who plays it, creates it and does it for a living. That is a HUGE sacrifice because that changes forever the way you hear music. With all that being said, those are such a small prices for me to pay in order to live this extraordinary life as a Hip Hop DJ and to have an influence on people in so many different ways.


Dubcnn: People always have their top five-emcee list, what is your all-time top five DJ list?

That’s an easy one:
Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, DJ Aladdin, DJ Scratch and GrandMaster Flash.


Dubcnn: How important has DJ Jazzy Jeff been to the DJ side of our hip-hop culture?

He has been important to all aspects of the culture. Making monumental contributions to the community through artists and producers he has discovered and developed over the years. For two decades, Jeff has maintained a level of skill that still is hard for most of the worlds most renowned DJs to match. Being a part of one of the most successful rap groups of all time. Being the first Rap DJ to win a Grammy. Holding many titles in DJ competition. Ripping clubs all across the world. Basically, I’ll be trying to be Jazzy Jeff until I’m just to damn old to do it anymore. He is the epitome of what a DJ is and should be.


Dubcnn: What would like to see still happen, or change in the world of Turntablism?

I would like turntablists to learn some hip-hop lessons. Just cause you can scratch doesn’t make you
A Hip Hop DJ. Just as owning a pair of turntables doesn’t make you a DJ. Being a turntablist is just one aspect of being a well-rounded DJ and the music has suffered because a lot of people that could potentially be great DJ’s choose to be just average turntablists.


Dubcnn: Do you have any DJ battle highlights?

Not really. I never entered the DMC or ITF circuit. I just did local college battles and contests when I was a kid. Me & the homie battled in different neighborhoods for each others equipment. Amps, tables, chump change and respect. Respect and practice was my highlight.


Dubcnn: What are your thoughts on Roc Raida?

Raida is a great guy and a great DJ. His juggling routines are unmatched in my opinion. He also has vastly improved his scratching technique over the past few years. Plus, he’s fuckin’ hilarious to hang around.


Dubcnn: Has DJ Shadow been an influence to you?

No. Not one bit.


Dubcnn: When you hear the name “Eric B” (from Eric B & Rakim) what comes to your mind?

Some of the shittiest scratching that was ever laid to tape.


Dubcnn: What is your all-time favorite verse spit by Rakim?

“No Competition”. First verse, Follow the Leader. 1988 MCA/UNI records


Dubcnn: Terminator X – what do you think X has changed in the history of hip-hop?

He has helped bring DJ’n to the forefront of Rap by being an integral part of a multi-platinum, Revolutionary group.


Dubcnn: What do you consider to the tipping point, or revolution among DJ’s in the history of hip-hop culture?

Well, those would be two different things. The tipping point was few years ago DJs became the new token ‘cool guy’ in fast food commercials and movies. They still are. Funny thing is, most of these ‘pseudo-lebrity’ DJ’s aren’t making a lot of DJ’s look good cause they aint the least bit cool in my opinion. Sometimes I’m almost embarrassed to be DJ and wouldn’t be caught dead hanging around with some of these fools. Some of these cats are looking real suspect lately. Anyway, the revolution was the introduction of a stable digital DJ software that affected everything from the way we construct out sets to the how music is distributed and ultimately contributed to the death of many record stores.


Dubcnn: Is the mixtape game over saturated right now, or is it still a viable and necessary business for the industry?

I don’t even listen to mixtapes anymore. Unless its from a trusted source of quality I mostly just toss them. As for the business, people still listen to em….but they just download em on the internet. You gotta do something extra ordinary to get people to pay for em. I always come up with a theme and or a cool concept for them that will set me apart. Plus, I always make sure I play the music so people can check it while I also be rippin shit up. That’s a mixtape.


Dubcnn: Reflecting back, when the mixtape was actually a tape – as in a cassette tape… what are some of the earlier mixtapes that influenced you, or you simply just wore out.

Tony Touch tapes were the shit. Kid Capri stuff, Ron G when they were all coming up because they were all different in some way. They played what they liked and in their own unique way. Exactly what you should do as a DJ. That was also how I learned what the next hot shit coming out of NY was. Only a few cats had actual skill that influenced me. DJ Shame from Connecticut and DJ JUICE from Jersey were really ill. Spinbad’s 80’s mixes were killer. Also, I had a friend who used to get tapes from his cousin in LA so I got to hear some of Dr. Dre’s early mix tapes and shit like that. I loved em cuz at that time the East wasn’t giving a shit about LA hip-hop. It gave me some balance and a taste of a different style of DJ’n.


Dubcnn: In your highly respected opinion, is Jay-Z the greatest rapper of all time?

No. But he is definitely in my top three.


Dubcnn: What else would you like to accomplish in your career?

Score more major films. See as much of the world on the DJ circuit as I can, and then go see it again as a tourist. Put out a brand new artist or artists and watch them become more successful than I imagined.


Dubcnn: Final thoughts for Dubcnn?

I just want people to check for this album on some Hip Hop shit. I don’t want people to get scared because it’s got a DJ one the cover. It’s not a Khaled album or Clue compilation where the DJ doesn’t do any DJ’n or production. I produced 99% of it all. But on the other side of that coin, I don’t want people to think its just 80 minutes of scratching. Although I am pushing the envelope and show- casing my skills, I’m doing it in a way that the average fan of good Hip Hop music can relate to.