DJ REVOLUTION (Part 1) (September 2008) | Interview By: Jonathan Hay

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Interview was done in August 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 1
By Jonathan Hay
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay


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Dubcnn: Here we are on the verge of your highly anticipated release, “King of the Decks” – what are you feeling at this moment?

I feel really excited but that excitement is almost cancelled out by apprehension and anxiety. I’m happy that I created what I feel is my masterpiece but also I’m stressed out because I’ve been trying to accomplish many things that need to be done in order to get this album into peoples’ hands.


Dubcnn: What are your own personal goals and milestones for “King of the Decks”?

One of my main goals with this album is to re-define the perception of the modern Hip Hop DJ. Pushing the envelope without pushing people away would be a good way to phrase it. I chose the artists I wanted to help me do this very carefully. People will hear [what] I’m trying to do. It’s obvious. I’m trying to re-establish a broken connection between MC and DJ. Most artists and producers look at DJs now in a completely different way than they used to. We have become simply an outlet for them to get exposure. They take us for granted and when some of us refuse to play their garbage records after all this time they act like babies and say the DJ is dead. We as DJs used to be involved in every aspect of an artist’s success. From the studio to the stage, on the radio and in the club, the DJ put the artists on. Ultimately, I would say my main purpose was to make a great Hip Hop album.


Dubcnn: Name some of the emcees that are featured on “King of the Decks”?

The list is long and I’m really proud of the work that everyone did on it. I feel like I got A+ performances out of all the artists featured. I’m also proud that it isn’t just emcees that are featured. I have everyone from legends like KRS-ONE and Bumpy Knuckles to well-established brands in Hip Hop like Dilated Peoples. I got plenty of up and coming talent from the East like Joell Ortiz and Termanology as well as Royce Da 5 9” and Guilty Simpson on the same track representing the D.

The west coast is home base so the talent line up is heavy. Crooked I, Bishop Lamont, Strong Arm Steady, Planet Asia and some new artists who I think are the illest new cats out here, Styliztik Jones and KBimean. But you know I can’t forget the focus of the album, the DJ. So once again, I went to DJ Spinbad from NY and also connected with Qbert from SanFran. In addition to that, I went all the way to Switzerland to recruit one of the sickest new kids on the cut, DJ Raid. Dude is a monster. Of course, I got Jazzy Jeff and Premier to do some classic shit as well.


Dubcnn: Is there anybody that you wish you had on this album but, because of schedule conflicts etc., weren’t able to get on?

Of course. I actually have a joint recorded with Redman that didn’t make it because there was a lot of business bullshit that eventually lead to it not being cleared through Def Jam. It was a kind of ‘too many cooks in the kitchen’ situation. But its incredible and hopefully it will see the light of day sometime. It’s actually the remix to the song “Raided R” that is an all scratch joint on the album with that kid DJ Raid I was talking about earlier. I also recorded some shit with Big Pooh from Little Brother and Phonte was supposed to get on it. He didn’t for some reason and Pooh had some of his cats get on it and murder it. It came out great, but I’m such a fan of Little Brother I felt like I wanted to wait until I could get ‘that song’ from them. Kweli was actually scheduled to get down as well. He had already picked the beat but by the time that had happened, I found myself with almost 30 songs recorded and I had basically completed my vision with the album. I didn’t want to force it just to have him on the record. I’m a big Kweli fan and if it was gonna add that jewel in the crown I didn’t want to do it. Next time for sure.


Dubcnn: How did you become aligned with Duck Down Records?

I’ve know the guys at Duck Down basically since I started at the wake up show 10 years ago. At the time, all those guys were killing shit and were around on the show a lot. Of course I was a big fan of everything Duck Down put out since its inception. Over the years I just developed a cool relationship with Dru Ha and the guys. About a year and a half ago I just happened to mention to Dru Ha that I was thinking about starting a new record. Even without hearing anything or knowing the concept he expressed a lot of interest in putting it out on Duck Down. I kicked it around in my head but didn’t dwell on it because I hadn’t even started the record. Eventually I did start and both Dru and Noah from the label were still really into me coming on board. I still put it off because I was really in creative mode and was actively looking for a home. I was using my own money to fund all the recording so I didn’t really need any label backing at the time. When I was ready to think about it Dru was right there ready to go. They sent me marketing plans and told me about how they got down and over all this time I watched them succeed with every release they put out. Bottom line is, they know what they are doing and showed a sense of commitment that no one else did.


Dubcnn: You’ve been in the industry for a while, what is the biggest difference between Duck Down Records and some of the other labels you’ve seen in the game?

The Biggest difference is….they are STILL HERE! Even the major label that had once signed Duck Down to a huge deal is now gone. They have outlasted the biggest of majors and the biggest of independents. They figured it out and have been carefully observing trends and also learning new ways to penetrate into the ever-changing marketplace that is the music business. Having a tight knit family team makes them able to do things other labels can’t. They can turn on a dime if they anticipate a change in anything and are able to execute plans much quicker because there is no inter-departmental red tape. Maybe the factor that supersedes all of that is the fact that all of the members of the Duck Down team have a REAL love of the music and know its history.


Dubcnn: What do you think is the secret behind the phenomenal success of The Wake Up Show?

The chemistry between all three of us. Sway is a master of communication. He’s like the mayor of any city he happens to be in. I’ve never seen or heard anyone be able to extract the kind of information out of people in an interview like Sway. Simply the best at what he does. King Tech is a DJ and has that knowledge and experience of that under his belt. I think that in combination with his ability to orchestrate big things behind the scenes for the show added something that other people that did the same type of thing couldn’t possibly have. He also was the liaison between us and the various sleazebags at whatever radio station we happened to be on at the time. My role changed as time passed. At first I was a guest DJ that brought the NEW shit to the station. New music, new east coast attitude and perspective, a new style of dj’n and a hunger to destroy any and all competition. As I became the official DJ I took on much bigger responsibilities like handling almost all of the production and editing for the show. I also stuck out on my own and built ties into the up and coming LA scene. Artists, Dj’s, promoters and such. I still kept my name in the street on all kinds of things outside the show and that in turn helped the shows presence in the community.


Dubcnn: What is it like working with Sway?

I know what it was like to work with Sway. He doesn’t really come around much anymore.
MTV and all that. But when he does come around its always an honor to work with him. I love watching and listening to that dude do what he does. I have learned so much from his experience in the business and the way he interacts with people. I’m really proud of him for succeeding and bringing that Hip Hop shit to a place that hasn’t really cared about the culture for years. He has made major contributions to the scene over the years over there and I hope he continues to.


Dubcnn: What radio-personality has been a significant inspiration to you?

When I was young and lived in NY and Mass I always loved listening to KISS FM in NY. Friday night’s Red Alert spun all the new dope shit while Jeff Fox hosted. Fox just happened to be there while the legendary Dj was in running shit on NY airwaves. Red wasn’t so much a radio personality as a Hip Hop icon. He definitely influenced me and indirectly taught me lessons that I would later use in my own radio career. Aside from my peoples Sway & Tech and Julio G I really thought most on air radio personalities were just cornballs. With a few exceptions, they are mostly just a way break up the monotony of repetitive music and advertising.


Dubcnn: Can an artist, without a major budget, or without a big-name record promoter pushing his project actually get on major radio today?

Unfortunately not. I’m sure there are exceptions to the rule but generally the way it works today is money talks, good shit walks. What major record labels that are left often work payola amounts into their artist’s promotional budgets. Radio DJs and stations alike have polluted the industry and created a lockout for new artists that are trying to make it on their own with only quality music to stand on. There should be a fuckin’ Hip Hop American Idol so at least some people with talent can get major exposure. All this is not new, its been happening for more than 5 years and shows no signs of slowing. You can’t really blame the labels for it. The blame falls on the DJs for shaming themselves by taking money to play records and opening the door for more of the same. This means that now you don’t have to be an actual artist of have talent to get on, all that stands between you and success is money. Again, there are exceptions to the rule and this is just based on my personal experience.


Dubcnn: It seems like all the talk of “payola investigations” are dead… is this a correct perception?

Payola investigations are dead. Payola is not. All these people that are wrapped up in it just find loopholes and ways to circumvent the laws. Instead of getting paid directly for playing a record, a major label might give a radio DJ/Personality a deal so that they in turn would get spins all day long for the artists on that labels roster. Or a label might sponsor a big event at the station or outfit a DJ booth and expect a certain amount of spins in return for their financial support. Its not technically payola….but you see what a blurry line it has become. It happened in the 60’s and 70’s too. It’s been going steady since then and will never stop. It will just morph into another form.


Dubcnn: You’ve been credited for helping to break out such artists as Eminem and Common, tell us about the actual process of breaking an artist?

Well, there really isn’t a set ‘process’. For me as a DJ its really simple. Take a stand for an artist you really believe in. Play his or her music every chance you can. In a club, on the radio, on a mix CD etc. Tell you peers about them and ask them to do the same. If you work on the air at a station, you cant be afraid to walk a new artist into the MD’s office and fight for it. I don’t see that happen much anymore. I did it many times and so did Sway & Tech. They taught me how it was done. It’s a DJ’s job to tell the PD that an artist is hot cuz 9 times out of 10 the PD and MD are so disconnected they have no clue what is hot anymore. Especially now, these programmers are always waiting for someone else to tell them what to play Whether they are looking at MTV or BET or another stations playlist. Bottom line is. You can’t be afraid to fight for the music and unfortunately DJs aren’t really doing that. They are mostly just robots on the radio.


Dubcnn: Did you know that Eminem would become such a mega-artist that he is now?

Not after the first few times that he came to the show, or after the first few records he put out. It took Dre polishing him up and packaging him to make it work. Em just by himself without that would have been a jagged pill for the average rap fan to swallow. Just pure, raw-as-fuck talent. The first time he came to the show he was playing the back of the studio and was the last to spit. When he did...he shut everyone down. Everyone included Mos Def, Kweli, High & Mighty and a few others. When he left we were all like, who the fuck was that dude?


Dubcnn: Have you ever come across an artist that you were sure was going to breakout, but it just didn’t stick…

So many. That list is way too long.


Dubcnn: I know you started very young, but do you remember a particular moment when you realized you were gifted at what you do – and that this could actually be a career?

Actually I do. It was when I bought my first real mixer. Up to that point I was just listening to the cuts that Jazzy Jeff and Cash Money and Tat Money were doing and I couldn’t get em down cuz my radio shack mixer didn’t even gave a fucking cross fader or line switch. I was practicing all these scratches on the up and down line channel faders that just didn’t have the sharp cut off I needed to get them down. I was really discouraged because I thought I just sucked. I was really young and didn’t have the technical knowledge to understand what was happening. The Day I got my first mixer, a Gemini MX 4200 or some shit, everything changed. I hooked it up, threw on an instrumental and pulled a record I was using to practice these cuts on. It was instantaneous. I had no problem doing all the cuts that my idols were doing. I thought “Holy shit…I am as good as these guys….I can do this shit for real.” It was over after that. Practiced all day everyday. My boys would come over and here it and be like “Damn man, you need to be making records or DJ’n for somebody big.” So here I am doing all those things and then some.
 

To Be Continued…