TERRACE MARTIN (PART 1) (August 2007) | Interview By: Eddie Gurrola

       Dubcnn only spoke to Terrace Martin back in May but it was critical for Dubcnn to link up with him again to discuss his ever-growing number of new music projects. In the first part of this in-depth interview, we discuss Terrace’s new “street album” at length. What exactly is this new “street album/mixtape?” All of your questions will be answered about the project. We also speak about the Niggarachi production team that Terrace formed with Snoop Dogg, and he explains what they’ve got in store for us in the near future.



Terrace also schools us on the meaning of the term “producer,” and explains the difference between a “beat-maker” and a music “producer.” He tells us about upcoming projects with Kurupt, Problem, and Tri-Star as well.!


As always we have both the transcript and the audio for you to check and please feel free to send any feedback regarding the interview to: eddiegurolla@dubcnn.com

 

Interview was done in July 2007.

Questions Asked By : Eddie Gurrola

Terrace Martin Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here

Full Interview In Audio : Here

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Check out Part 2 of this Exclusive Feature Here

Check out Part 3 of this Exclusive Feature Here
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Dubcnn: We’re here with Terrace Martin – a real busy man! He took time out of his day to do an interview with us! So you’ve got your new mixtape, street album, or pre-album – whatever you want to call it, coming out soon. What’s the difference between a street album and a mixtape for you?

For me, I call [the project] a mixtape because it’s easier for me to say that, and to give people some type of idea what I’m doin’. [But,] I call it an album because it’s all original music. There’s no throwaway song on here. I took time with each song, [and] I did a lot of these beats for this. I did spots and beats for verses for this. That’s why I call it a street album, but it’s easier to say “mixtape.”


Dubcnn: Yeah, because people on started talking about “street albums” recently…

…And I don’t even like saying “street album!” It’s a record.


Dubcnn: So, it’s an album that’s not going to be sold in stores…

Not for sale at no stores!


Dubcnn: What are you hoping to accomplish with this album?

More awareness about Terrace Martin, more awareness about Problem, Mykestro, Young Walt, Roscoe, Madam Brown, and even more awareness about Snoop and The Game! [Basically,] more awareness about everybody that’s involved in this record. [Also,] more awareness about good music [in general.] The whole statement I want to say [with this record] is that it’s OK to be different. It’s OK to be yourself musically. You don’t [have] to ride another wave! Let’s keep on pushing this innovative line. That’s what good music is about – [being] innovative. All the records I grew up loving – they were innovators. It wasn’t copying what was going on before. They were moving forward in life [and] moving forward in music.


Dubcnn: That’s definitely what separates this album from all the others out there, because it’s so musical and it seems like you really put a lot of time and effort into it. So, this album is pretty much your “coming out party,” as one would say…

Yeah! I think this album is more important than my album I’m "working on" working on. This album is more important to me, and it’s the one that everybody’s gonna have because it’s free. It’s going to be up for free download. A bootlegger might sell it to you, but I’m giving this away. This is not to make money – I don’t even have any sponsors. This is all out of my pocket and everything. I just want to give it away. I want to be one of those cats [that’s] doing my part. I don’t want to ask “what can the industry do for me?” I want to see what I can do for the industry.


Dubcnn: So you want people to hear this and say “Terrace Martin is tight! I’m gonna be checking for his stuff now…”

Definitely, and I also want people to see it and be like “You know what? I’m gonna do some different stuff! I’m not gonna ask ‘what can the industry do for me?’ I’m gonna ask [myself] what I can do for the industry!” I’m gonna try to help re-build music. I think music is getting kind of weird right now, so I just want to help re-build it.


Dubcnn: That’s definitely a good way to approach it! DJ Skee is going to be hosting this album, and he seems like he’s got everything on lock here in California, as far as getting the mixtapes out. So, did you approach him and say “can you get this out for me?” What’s his role going to be on this album?

He’s putting it out, [and] he’s hosting it. DJ Skee is a dear friend of mine. He lives five or six blocks away from me. We sit down and talk about life, we talk about the game, definitely talk about music, and [we] talk about L.A. So, I wanted to do this [project.] I’m just not good at doing blasts, the e-mail thing, and the radio. Skee is my right-hand man for that. I always break all my records with Skee. Anything I do that has to do with networking in music, I try to use Skee, and we help out each other.

I approached Skee about it because I love what he did with the Topic situation, and the Crazy Toones [“CT Experience” mixtape.] I love what he always does with The Game. I like how DJ Skee moves. He’s a good dude, and he means business. He moves fast, like I move fast. A lot of people out here in L.A. move a little slower. Not everybody [moves slow,] but we’re spoiled by the sunshine, the palm trees, and the women.

I was telling my friend that a lot of MCs and producers are so involved with telling people “I rap” or “I’m a producer.” [They] have the outfit, the jewelry, [and] everything – except the talent. I think that’s why we’re wack right now. We’re more into what it looks like. Not everybody [is like this -] there’s cats that mean it! Glasses Malone, Bishop Lamont, Mykestro, Problem, Roscoe, Madam Brown – there’s some people that definitely mean it!

So anyway, to make a long story short, I like how Skee moves, and Skee’s with the same thing I’m with!


Dubcnn: You’ve got a lot of guest appearances lined up for this album. Tell us a few of the people you’ve got featured on here…

Snoop Dogg, Roscoe, Kurupt - oh my god, wait ‘til you hear this new Kurupt stuff! [Also,] Madam Brown, Ill Noise (my cousin,) Problem, J Black, Uncle Chuck, Young Walt, Latoiya Williams, The Game, Nate Dogg, Busta Rhymes, [and] Too Short. There’s too many guests [to name,] and I produced all the music!


Dubcnn: This is a new situation: to have a mixtape come out from a producer, where you’re doing all of the music yourself, but you’re not prominently featured as an MC. Tell us why you wanted to do it like this…

I wanted to showcase me as a producer. [A] producer is not a beat maker. Although I made all these beats, I produced all these records. [For] 95% of them, I was in the studio producing the record hands on – from the artist writing the vocals, to the end of the record, to the mix of the record. I stood by the record [throughout the whole process.] A lot of cats that call themselves “producers” nowadays are not producers. If you do a beat, put it on the CD, give it to somebody, they do vocals at their spot, and they give it back to you and it’s done, you didn’t produce that record. They produced that record. You made the beat, which [does] not [make you] a producer.

People should strive more to be producers. I was taught by the best. I was taught by Battlecat, Soopafly, [and] Daz. I was taught by them. I grew up wanting to be like Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis [and] Dr. Dre - and all those cats are producers. I didn’t want to be like the beat makers growing up. So I [put this project together] to showcase me as a producer, and put some good, [well-] produced music out there!


Dubcnn: Break that down for us a little bit more. So as a producer, you’re in there for the whole session, coaching the artists, and you’re the overseer of exactly what happens in the studio?

Exactly! That’s what a “producer” means to me. If I take somebody else’s beat right now, give him credit for making the beat, [and then say] “”You know what? I like this beat, but I want to throw Mykestro and Problem [on there] and then have Kurupt do the chorus, and add Snoop at the end of the record. I want the topic to be about this on the record. I’m gonna do a reference to ___ …and I’m gonna play a little bit of keys on top of this…” If I take that beat somebody gave me and make it into a record, I produced that record.

If somebody gives me a beat, and give it to Mykestro to do, [and] he goes home and he does it - he does the hook, he does everything - [then] he produced the record. That’s a producer! Dr. Dre, Jimmy Jam and Terry Lewis – those are producers! Battlecat, DJ Quik – these are producers, and these are some of the last producers of our time. Quincy Jones is the producer. But as far as our time, the Quiks and the Battlecats and the Soopaflys – these are some of the last producers. Snoop is a producer. He’s one of [the] last producers of our time. You know what I’m sayin’? That’s what it is.


Dubcnn: Tell us a little bit about the Niggarachi production company you formed with Snoop…

Snoop was “Niggarachi” before [I was involved.] He brought me in because I was always with him, doing beats. The first record we did together was “Gangbangin’ 101.” That was such a successful record – it wasn’t a single, but it was one of the most talked about records on “The Blue Carpet Treatment,” which is now platinum. That was actually the most talked about record. Snoop and Game [were] on it, and the content of the record was so aggressive.

So, he liked that, and he came to me [and said,] “Let’s go 50/50 on Niggarachi. Let’s work on these records. Let’s do it – let’s produce! I like what you do, you like what I do – I’m your big homie, you’re my little homie. You play music, [so] you bring a different element to me, [and] I bring a different element to you. Let’s merge teams.” That’s what we did, and I love it!


Dubcnn: So that was both of you guys producing as a team on the majority of “The Big Squeeze” album?

Well, most of that is really just Snoop, because we got everything solidified in the middle of [recording] that [album.] But we’ve been working a lot together anyway.


Dubcnn: Can we look forward to any other Niggarachi productions on other artists’ albums in the near future?

Oh yeah! We just got out of the studio with Amy Winehouse. What’s up Amy? We’ve got a pop group in Australia that’s doing crazy things. We just did a record with Damian Marley, [and also] my record, [and] Kurupt’s record. We’re gonna start cooking up some stuff for Game’s record. So, we’re working! We’re doing more than hip-hop though – we’re doing pop and R&B. A lot of pop though.


Dubcnn: So you just did something with Amy Winehouse?

Yeah, a crazy record…


Dubcnn: Was it different to jump into producing a pop-type record?

For [Snoop,] he’s a walking record crate, and he knows a lot of information. I know how to play [music.] So it wasn’t different [for us.] There’s only two kinds of music – good and bad. There’s no such thing as rap. There’s good and bad music. If you’re good, you’re good, [and] if you’re bad, you’re bad.


Dubcnn: That makes sense. So, tell us about the new Kurupt album…

Man! Kurupt is brand new again – a breath of fresh air. He’s inspired. This game can tear people down. He didn’t let the game get to him. I hear a lot of people saying “We want the old Kurupt,” and “Kurupt fell off.” I see a lot of those [comments] on forums, and [from] people in general. What people need to understand is [this.] Miles Davis was great at a young age. Kurupt was great at a young age. After you go so far up at such a young age...Kurupt was a child prodigy! All [of] them dudes [are] prodigies. After you go up, and you’re quoted [as] being one of the best MCs, sometimes it’s hard to deal with that. After you go up [to the top,] where do you go from there?

When people change in this industry, they call it “bad.” When people evolve and people grow – you know, sometimes you’ve got to grow! Sometimes fans don’t let you grow. Kurupt, to me, has always been one of the greatest. I’ll always look at Kurupt as Miles Davis. [Miles Davis] was so great at such a young age. I remember they crucified Miles for doing records like “Bitch Brewin’ On The Corner” because Miles started using electric instruments. Miles was so big in the 40’s, 50’s, and 60’s for using all the acoustic instruments. Then he changed. He wasn’t playing as fast as he used to, he slowed down and took a different approach to music, and they crucified him. They called him “strange,” and they said he couldn’t play [and] was washed up.

They said the same thing about Kurupt. But he’s not. I still don’t know anybody that’ll serve him, especially when me and him get together. I don’t know anybody that can serve that combination - with Kurupt and Terrace Martin on the beat. I don’t know! If you know, put it in the forums and call me.


Dubcnn: What’s new with Problem? You guys have been collaborating a lot together recently…

Problem is another breath of fresh air. Problem represents this new movement of California. Not only that – Problem represents this new movement of music. He’s a songwriter: he writes songs from blues, to pop, jazz, R&B, and then into hip-hop. Problem understands all walks of life and all different genres of music. He’s a breath of fresh air.

[There’s] not a lot of people like him around. They come around once every few years. He’s special, [and] I know special when I see special. I’m a jazz musician first. I believe jazz musicians have a whole different insight towards everything. He’s special – he’s not just an MC trying to buy a big chain and 10 houses. He has a gift, and there’s not a lot of people like that out here. God has something special in store for him. As long as he stays humble and stays loyal, he’ll be alright. So many people drift away with everything in life, and they end up being special in a corner, alone. I don’t see him doing that. He’s special.


Dubcnn: Last time we talked, you were telling me about a group album with you, Kurupt, and Problem. What’s been happening with that?

We’ve been working. We’ve got like 16 songs done. We’ve been working very hard. We’re doing Kurupt’s solo album right now, Problem is doing his thing, but it’s the same unit. We all work together a lot. So it’s just crazy!

That’s a fun album. It’s fun to work with because we just care about music. We don’t care about how many records we’re going to sell. We’re not dissing nobody. We just care about music - and it’s a statement. You know my whole movement is about good music, [with] everything else last. Our sound sounds like nobody else’s. You can’t say, “that sounds like ___.” None of that! It’s crazy man. That’s the record! Problem is showing his butt off on that record, and Kurupt is showing his butt off. These cats are killing it.


Dubcnn: Who else have you been working with recently?

Another cat I’ve been working with is Tri-Star from Y.A. Tri-Star is on a record company called Jaded [Entertainment,] over there with Eastwood. What’s up Eastwood? I be seeing you in church every Sunday. That’s what’s up. I’m right there too!

Tri-Star is gifted. I told myself I wasn’t going to work with that many more rappers this year, but he just came along and his spirit is right. He cares about the pen. He’s a special one too. He’s like Problem – he’s special. Not a lot of cats are like these cats man! These are special people. They aren’t just rappers with L.A. Dodger hats to the back, saggin’ with white tees. These are special MCs. We don’t have a lot of special MCs out here. We need to take care of these people, and uplift these cats and push them. Tri-Star is definitely one [to push.] One day, we’re gonna work on an album, just me and him, probably within this year. [As a] matter of fact, I’m gonna call him when we’re done with this!


Dubcnn: Is the street album going to have constant yelling and interruptions from the DJs? I know that for a lot of people, the downside to a mixtape is that the songs get interrupted frequently…

Me and Skee already talked about that. It’s not going to be one of those kinds of mixtapes, because to me it’s not really a mixtape. I’ve just got to call it that so everybody can grasp [what the project is.] If you say it’s a “free album” – they’ll [just] think it’s not good. So I’ve got to say “mixtape.” I mean, [Skee’s] still gonna be doing that (tagging the album,) but not as much as most mixtapes, because I want you to hear a full song!

I want people to be able to drive home from work, have their favorites, drive to the club and have their favorites, drive on Sunset [Blvd. in Los Angeles] late at night, bang it going to the Slauson Swap Meet, the Compton Swap Meet, or the Del Amo Swap Meet - wherever. I want them to be able to play this record without… *makes DJ shout out impression.* You know, I just want them to play the record.


Dubcnn: So, you’re going to be blessing us with this album for free download on Dubcnn!

Free download, with the artwork and everything! I just want to give it away. I want to give the people something to listen to.


Dubcnn: We definitely appreciate it!

But if you guys download it for free, and you see a bootlegger in the street with it, buy it from them too! Support him too! That’s the problem out here – we don’t buy each other’s records. But [for] this, I’m giving it away. I want everyone to have it. It’s a free download.


Dubcnn: Is there going to be a “part two” to this street album?

Nope. But then again, who knows? Right now I’m saying no, [because] I don’t really have a lot of time to keep putting out street albums.


Dubcnn: What’s the official date when this street album will be available?

Keep tuning in to Dubcnn!

 

Stay tuned for part two of this exclusive interview, where Terrace walks us track-by-track through his new street album!