RapCommunity.de Interviews DJ Strong

[HIPHOPWEST.COM]

RapCommunity.de Interviews DJ Strong
its in German on the site but here is the English interview below

Interviewquestions: DJ Strong
www.rapcommunity.de
http://www.rapcommunity.de/hiphop-specials/special-140.html GERMAN interview

RapCommunity
Hey what up man, how are you doing? I guess most of the people should know you but can you please introduce yourself for those that don’t know yet.

DJ Strong from the West Coast California known for pumpin out street projects and mixtapes for the masses.

RapCommunity
You’ve already been in the game for quite a time now. If im not wrong, than your are already djing since the mid 90s. How did you first get in tough with all this and what got you moving to where you are now?

Yeah youre right I started in the mid 90’s and just got into it from my love for music and wanting to contribute. I had always loved music since I was little from Michael Jackson to the beatles, eagles, led zepellin all the way up to NWA, too short, e40 tupac and beyond. Djing was a way for me to get my creativity out. Im not a rapper although I would mess around with my friends back in the day freestyling, but djing was just a natural thing for me and I had the drive to do it.

RapCommunity:
You now are allso the co-founder of the Cali Untouchalbles. How did this whole thing start off and what was the idea behind it?

It was started by Warrior and me back in early 2001-2 around that time there was and still isn’t that much music on the streets in the form of DJs breaking new music and pushing tapes so we formed it to start flooding the streets but really I was doing it to push my name and to really get creative with mixing and putting out albums in the form of mixtapes. And from there the word grew and all the biters and people that really respected (I define biting and hating as two forms of respect haha) us started showing their support.

RapCommunity
Together you guys probaly dropped like 100 projects so far. Half of them where your work and you had a lot of big names so far. With what artists was working the most fun and why?

Man worked with dogg pound, kurupt and daz, lil easy e, game, crooked I, outlawz, e-40, three six mafia, strong arm steady, akil from Jurassic 5, Murphy lee, j-ro from the alkoholiks, dj babu from the beat junkies, boo yaa tribe, Y.A, tristar, lil tone, mitchy slick, roccett, the list goes on and on oh yeah and one of my favourites was ice cube since he never had hosted a mixtape before it was a big project for me.

RapCommunity
Was there ever an artist you wanted to do a project with that than said no? If so, who was it?

No one really said no, with some artists things just didn’t work out  due to time constraints and all that. But no one has ever refused a project, no.

RapCommunity
Now a lot of people are probally thinking that it is pretty hard to get the contacts and than get the people to really do this with one. How did you get a grab of the contacts and how long did it take you to get where you are now?

You gotta figure since the first day I picked up the turntables I was working at making a career in the music business so I’d say it took me years to do it. But once I came out with palm trees and gangstas which was only my 2nd or 3rd solo mixtape then people started hollering at me cause that mixtape is a banger and ever since then I just keep a good work ethic and do good business and the artists come to me most of the time.

RapCommunity
And is there somebody you realy want to drop a project with in the near future?

Right now I want to get out the projects with some new artists like lil tone, tristar, ashkon, kartoon from ruff riders, and still do some more stuff with lil easy, game, I would like to do projects with lil wayne and dr dre for sure…more so dr dre but if its meant to be it will happen otherwise im not worried I have a master plan and right now you will be seing more projects coming out for the masses…..Also I gotta mention I have a CD that people can buy on itunes, it’s a conceptual album I did and just re-released with artists like abstract rude from freestyle fellowship, mr brady, wildchild from lootpack and stones throw and its hosted by king tech…this was a cd I put out back in 04 and with the digital age I wanted to re-release it with a fresh cover and put it online so check that out and buy yourself a copy…I will have more projects soon! Also go to www.hiphopwest.com and you can cop my other cds.

RapCommunity
On what project are you working right now? What can we expect and when is it going to drop?

Kartoon: the 1st driveby is coming out within a month that one is a dope album! Also jt bigga figga, and I got a couple more promotional mixtapes for the fans one with P’s & G’s clothing line, one with Gd Up Apparel clothing line, and a few more for the masses. I am pushing an artist by the name of Ashkon too he will have an album out this sept called Final Breakthrough and it will feature the hit single “hot tubbin” which you will be able to get on itunes too…..There is many more projects but I will get to them on another interview when they are ready to drop. I might have something with skinhead rob and another one with young dre so we will see!

RapCommunity
Do you spin records at the clubs too? Or are you more focused on your mixtapes?

I can and I started djing parties and college spots but right now I just focus on the music and albums and my companies and putting out songs that can have a place in peoples lives you know that’s very important to me in my big plan and I wanna be a bigger outlet than just parties for west coast artists and talented individuals as a whole that’s why I am working on some bigger outlets to bring the DJ Strong name too (nothing I can mention yet but youll be the first one to know when its out!)

RapCommunity
You also got your own clothing line and a shop called Hip Hop West. Why did you want to start out in this business?

Yeah hiphopwest I used to be at a shop called el Mercado running a small independent distribution company and online store/marketing company and now I have the hiphopwest retail store on pico and la brea right across from roscoes chicken and waffles in Los angeles, (5003 W Pco Blvd Los angeles CA 90019) www.hiphopwest.com and www.stronghouserecords.com so I handle online, retail, wholesale, a clothing line (called P’s & G’s which is my own new line), distribution, a record company (StrongHouse), cali untouchables, radio and tv should be coming soon, and on top of that I executive produce projects, mixtapes, songs and such so its all different pieces of the same pie.

I had always wanted to have my own store I just didn’t think it would be a clothing store but its been 2 years running and extrememly successful so part of it fell into my lap the other part was a lot of hard work and im definitely blessed, make sure anyone in the LA area come down and visit also you can buy online at www.hiphopwest.com we ship worldwide.

RapCommunity
And are you satisfied with sales and the reaction you get?

God is good. I am.

RapCommunity
Do you think living on the west coast is a special kind of lifestyle? I mean, if you look around, its something different than like New York.

Yeah totally different then New York. LA is its own world but yeah I love Cali, born and raised! You just gotta live it to know why its different you know!

RapCommunity
Now I think I know the answer but what style do you like more? West, East, South or the Mid-West? And why this one style?

I like all styles, I like the flow of East coast artists like Nas Jay Z biggie lox etc even I like dipset camron etc I like how they used to put together records like purple city it was different to me. I like the south cause it reminds me of the early rap days with the 808 and simple hooks although its got a different twang to it and some of the “ringtone type songs” wear on me after the 15th time hearing it but I do listen to all regions. The bay is dope I have always respected how they get money out there too and West coast and souther California to me is where all the Gangsta rap came from so from the death row era and NWA that’s what made me pay closer attention to rap but southern cali has a lot of talent you just might not have heard about them cause labels really haven’t been pushing them heavy as the south or as heavy as the media pushes the east but its all good.

RapCommunity
The west had its biggest time in the 90s. Lately you don’t get to here that much coming from that area. And over here in germany the only one you kinda here from is The Game. Whats your point of view on this? Do you think the west will come back as strong as it used to be?

Its never gone anywhere, just need the right deals and the west will be back in the forefront but it all goes in cycles. Im over here doing pushing hard and making money so its coming!

RapCommunity
Do you have any tip? Who is real hot in the west right now and who should we keep an eye on?

Tristar, Lil Tone outta vegas, Perfecto, Ashkon, Kartoon, Young Dre, Mistah Fab, Mitchy Slick, Strong Arm Steady, Roccett, Omar Cruz, G Malone, Ricashay, Hot Dolla, man theres a lot of artists and I know im forgetting somebody…

RapCommunity
Good, now lets say you crusin down the street and the weather is nice and hot. What three records should I be bangin in my trunk?

Right at this moment, something from young dre, Kartoon, and the hot tubbin record by Ashkon! That record is hot!

RapCommunity
And what three albums should a real hip hop head call his own? No matter if new or a classic.

I don’t know about anyone else but I would have something from dre, tupac, and I would take crazyn the last days by tear the club up thugs haha I love that album. Nas, Jayz reasonable doubt, I like 50 cents first album….damn too much to list!!! Haha you got me on this question.  If I was stranded somewhere I would take some classic rock too I would have to be balanced! Just load my ipod up!

RapCommunity
Okay, that was it again. Thanks for taking your time and doing this with us. Do you hve any thing you still want to say? The last words are yours.

Thank you to rap community.de, to timothy, and to all the readers and fans who support me and the west coast! I will have more music for you I promise and check me out on itunes, search for DJ Strong and you can hit me up at www.hiphopwest.com www.myspace.com/djstrong and www.djstrong.com
thanks