THE THOROTRACKS  (August 2008) | Interview By: Jonathan Hay

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Interview was done in August 2008

Questions Asked By: Jonathan Hay

Thorotracks Gave Dubcnn.com A Shotout! Check That Here
 

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The Thorotracks Interview
By Jonathan Hay
www.myspace.com/jonathanhay
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Dubcnn: First of all, thanks for taking the time out to sit down with us here at the West Coast News Network. Who is your favorite West Coast emcee, both past and present?

We’ve always loved the West Coast scene. We grew up on NWA and Cypress Hill. As for the present, Planet Asia, Casual, Game. Rass Kass, Crooked I and Dialated Peoples are all dope. Peace to the whole West Coast, keep reppin that Real HipHop!


Dubcnn: Who do you think is the greatest emcee to ever emerge out of the West Coast?

Ice Cube


Dubcnn: What is your all-time favorite song by Ice Cube?

Today Was A Good Day


Dubcnn: How would you describe the Thorotracks…

We are a production duo from Queens. We were introduced through our boy Dj Skyhigh about 7 years ago and we started makin beats together and formed the Thorotracks.


Dubcnn: What is a typical recording session like for you?

A dope sample, an MPC, Pro Tools, some liquor and a dope mc.


Dubcnn: Can you tell me a little bit about your collaborative process in the studio?

Pretty much we listen to some samples find something hot, I’ll cut the sample and then my partner Jay does the drums, we add a baseline and maybe some scratches or other instruments then dump the beat into Pro Tools and mix.


Dubcnn: What equipment are you currently using?

Mpc 2000XL, Yamaha Motif, Triton Extreme, Couple of EMU rack modules, Pioneer CDJ, Technics 1200s, Pro Tools, Pair of NS10s and tons of records.


Dubcnn: You worked with Bay Area legend, Casual from the Hieroglyphics, what was it like working with him?

Being That Casual is so far from us, we reached out to him to jump on [the song] “Connect 4” and he came through and showed mad love and sent us like 20 bars of crack and it only took him a couple of days, so much respect to him, he’s a dope mc.


Dubcnn: Another Cali Titan you all worked with is Planet Asia -- how was that experience?

Planet Asia is dope to work with, he’s nasty on mic and we always link up when he’s in NY for some drinks and business.


Dubcnn: What do you think it will take for the amazing Planet Asia to really break out in the mainstream hip-hop culture...or do you think he is content where he is respectfully at?

We haven’t really spoken to him about that, but to us, he represents real hip-hop. He’s a real versatile rapper so I’m sure he could accomplish anything. P always be doin his thing and getting that paper


Dubcnn: We here at Dubcnn featured the incredible underground emcee Mike Reka earlier this year, what is Reka like in the studio?

Reka is our brother, he’s dope in the lab [with] no papers cuz he got his shit memorized, so he just gets in the booth and does his thing. He’s a dope mc and people need to check him out, Reka The Saint.


Dubcnn: Represent your hood. What is your observation of the rap scene in New York?

There is a lot of good stuff coming out of the underground in NY right now, but New York as a whole are acting like followers rather than being trendsetters like we used to be. Too many NY artists are trying to be something they not rather than just spittin some real shit.


Dubcnn: What is the current identity of a New York emcee?

We feel that some NY mcs have lost there identity


Dubcnn: What is the biggest misconception about New York from a hip-hop perspective?

That we hate hiphop from everywhere else


Dubcnn: How did you end up working with Killah Priest, and what is like working with him?

We would speak to Priest a lot on the phone for about a year before we actually really got up and listened to some beats. He loved the tracks and from there it was history. Priest is def one of the hardest workin people in the game and hes one of the nicest lyricists.


Dubcnn: With Killah Priest being such a man of spiritual character, what are your personal beliefs about God and religion in general?

We both definitely believe in God and everything is part of Gods Plan.


Dubcnn: Favorite emcee the general public hasn’t really heard?
Blaq Poet of Screwball


Dubcnn: The music industry is so fickle…what is one project that you were told you had, and then at the last minute it didn’t come through?

To be honest, it really hasn’t happened to us.


Dubcnn: Favorite sample you could never get cleared?

If we told you that we would have to kill you *laughing*


Dubcnn: What was it like working with Sean Price?

The song we did with Sean Price was actually [sent to us] recorded; we weren’t at the session but he got back to us mad quick so much respect to him for that.


Dubcnn: You all did something with Timbo King too, right?

We did a song with Planet Asia that featured Timbo King and Hell Razah so that was a dope vibe in the lab on some real hiphop shit.


Dubcnn: What are your overall feelings on your "The Saga Begins" project?

Our feelings on The Saga Begins are that it’s dope. We get nothing but love on it and a lot of people be arguing about what the best joint is. To keep it real, we don’t like everything we work on, but its crazy cause when we put in The Saga Begins we just let that shit ride all the way through. So if yall love real hiphop, you gonna def feel the CD it’s hard beats with dope lyrics.