DJ RIP  (April 2008) | Interview By: Noncentz

      

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Interview was done by phone in March 2008

Questions Asked By: Noncentz

DJ RIP Gave Dubcnn.com A Shoutout! Check That Here
 

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www.coredjs.com
www.myspace.com/ripcityent
www.myspace.com/derdywork
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Dubcnn: Dubcnn: Rip! How are you doing, man?

I’m good!


Dubcnn: For those who don’t know, can you give us a little background on who you are and what you do?

I’ve been a student of hip-hop since 1980, and I’ve been DJ’ing since 1985. I produce, arrange and remix. I’m also a tour DJ, and I own a management company called Rip City Management. I manage J-Bo of the Youngbloodz, Sky, Amir, and I co-manage the Outlwaz, 2Pac’s group. I also help run the biggest DJ organization in the country called The Core DJ’s.


Dubcnn: Being from Nebraska, especially back then, how did you get so involved with it?

When I first heard “Super Rappin’” by Grand Master Flash & the Furious Five, and then the next record “Christams Rappin’” by Kurtis Blow, followed by Sugarhill Gang with “Rapper’s Delight”, I just started following hip-hop. Being from Omaha, Nebraska, I followed it the best way I could; I tried break-dancing, but was no good at it, I tried beat-boxing and was fair at that. I even tried to rap, but was no good at that. So, I tried DJ’ing and it started feeling good to me.

By 1990, I had moved to Queens, New York, in the Lambert projects as a teenager, with Rahiem, from the Furious Five. That’s when I first witnessed real hip-hop. When you move from Nebraska to New York, you learn fast! About this time Rahiem was recording a song for his album and the “Juice” soundtrack called, “Does Your Man Know About Me?” I was there while he was recording that, so I was able to meet Public Enemy, Chuck D, Melle Mel, Kool Herc, Special Ed, DMC, Ked Creole, etc. So first-hand, I was able to meet the foundations of hip-hop, and a lot of them are my good friends now. So I respect the foundation of hip-hop, which is New York, but I respect all forms of music given that I’m from the Midwest and we got hit with all kinds of sounds.


Dubcnn: As a DJ, who were your influences?

Some of my early influences were DJ Bobcat, who was one of LL’s original DJ’s, DJ Evil-E, Jam Master Jay, Grand Master Flash, Afrika Bambaata and Grand Wizard Theodore. As I started progressing as a DJ, Kid Capri was a big influence to me.


Dubcnn: Who are the Core DJ’s and what is the organization all about?

It’s really set up as like a fraternity for DJ’s, similar to a union. It’s the strongest and most respected DJ organization in the country because it’s for and about the DJ. Hip-hop was started in 1973 by Kool Herc, so hip-hop was originally created by the DJ; the DJ has always been the most important, influential and strongest force in hip-hop. Back in the day, it was always the DJ’s and the rappers: Grand Master Flash and The Furious Five, Run-DMC and Jam Master Jay, DJ Jazzy Jeff and The Fresh Prince. The DJ was always its own entity.

A lot of your top producers started out as DJ’s. Take a look at Dr. Dre, who is the most important and influential producers of our time, he was a DJ for the World Class Wreckin’ Cru. He was DJ’ing skating rinks, prior to being a producer. Even MC’s turned into to DJ’s to further their career. Grand Master Caz, D-Nice and Biz Markie are ones that come to mind.


Dubcnn: With hip-hop being about the rapper nowadays, and no longer the “DJ & The Rapper”, what is the DJ’s place in hip-hop for today’s generation?

Back in the day, the DJ always had a song featured on the album. “Eric B. Is President”, Jam Master Jay had his song on Run-DMC’s first album, and even Lil’ Wayne had a song about Mannie Fresh. So, the DJ has become the rapper. Kid Capri had put out one of the first DJ albums. Funk Master Flex put out the first mixtape album, the “60 Minutes of Funk” series. Now you have your Felli Fel’s, Clinton Sparks, DJ Drama’s and so on. Now they’re the artist, highlighting the rappers, as they always were. The DJ’s were the foundation of the music, whereas the rappers were the voice of the music, as it still is today.

Just like Dr. Dre created the west coast funk “sound”, and was the most pivotal piece and foundation of that movement, you saw what happened when Snoop lost Dr. Dre. It’s not that Snoop couldn’t maintain on his own, but you saw the driving force behind that sound was Dr. Dre. Just as with Mannie Fresh and that Cash Money Sound; it’s not that they can’t maintain without Mannie Fresh because they can, but they had to go a different route. Because Fresh created that Cash Money “sound”.


Dubcnn: What’s an advantage you have over somebody form New York, L.A., or Atlanta, being that you’re from the Midwest?

Like I said, I respect the foundation of hip-hop, which is New York. But by not being from New York, and being from the Midwest I’ve created a non-biased attitude towards all forms of music. The Midwest is a melting pot of everything. We were getting east coast and west coast records, from the down south and Houston, Chicago and everywhere. I have a respect for all forms of music because I wasn’t in a position where we were creating the music. I was hearing House music from Chicago to Go-Go music from D.C., to east coast hip-hop to west coast hip-hop to funk from George Clinton! A lot of people think the funk came from the west coast, but it really didn’t. Most of the founding funk is from the Midwest! So, by adopting this non-biased attitude, I can respect music from everywhere.


Dubcnn: Why do you think that so many artists are now going back to the independent route, versus striving for that major label money?

Because it out-priced itself all across the board. Back in the day, it was an accomplishment to go gold. Now, you’re almost a failure if you go gold and you’re on a major record label. They dump so much money into you that if you only do 300,000 on a major, you may just get dropped! But if you’re independent and you sell 300,000, you’re a millionaire! So the game is really going back to how it started. Independent is now the way to go, as it was before.


Dubcnn: Why aren’t more artists going that route, like Ice Cube and Too $hort are now?

Because they don’t have the money to finance it themselves. There are different levels to it. Ice Cube has been on a major, he’s got the following, and he has that movie money. So he doesn’t need major label money anymore, when he can pay for it himself. All he needs is distribution. Too $hort can afford to do it because he’s been in the game so long. A lot of people can’t afford it or don’t have the resources to do it.

Then there are people like B.G. He left Cash Money and went independent for like 4 or 5 albums with Koch and was very successful with that. But then he went back to major because a major can put in certain positions that an independent can’t. Major money can get you on BET & MTV. It also comes down to do you want to make money, or be famous? A lot of people making money aren’t in the forefront. Like KRS-1 who was signed to Jive and was on magazine covers, in videos on MTV because Jive had the resources to put him there. Now that he’s independent is he making more or less money than when he was signed to Jive? He’s making more because he’s making more money off his record sales because he’s independent. And he has a fan base so he can continue to tour, which is where most artists make their money with merchandising and things of that nature.


Dubcnn: Speaking of that, a lot of cats on the Dubcnn boards wonder why Dr. Dre doesn’t go independent and release who he wants to release, instead of letting Jimmy Iovine have control of that.

Well, Aftermath is his own entity, distributed through Interscope. When you’re on a major label you have that machine behind you working your music. There’s a whole staff that Dre doesn’t have. All of the major artists that have come through Dre’s camp, has Dre “found” them, or were they given to Dre and he basically nurtured them as artists and put out great music? Snoop was found by Warren G, 50 Cent was found by Eminem, but who brought Eminem to Dre?

Well, you have to look at for what it is. Dre is an incredible producer, but is he an incredible record label executive? Is that any disrespect to Dr. Dre? Hell No! He’s an incredible producer and he’s a genius when it comes to production. I don’t know how to say with out sounding disrespectful because he’s very accomplished, obviously. But is he a great businessman as a label executive? Everybody has to play their part. Is Jimmy Iovine an incredible producer? He’s obviously a great record executive. Snoop could have done the same thing. Why did he sign to No Limit after he left Death Row? Why is he signed to Geffen now? It’s because that machine works in a way that the independents can’t. Eminem has Shady Records distributed through Interscope. You have to have a parent company. The real question to ask is why have guys like Puffy, Jay-Z or Master P not looked into buying out their own distribution company? That’s what people are lacking is the distribution.


Dubcnn: What are some current projects you’re working on or involved in?

J-Bo is working on a solo album. The Outlawz just recently signed to Young Buck and are doing a Ca$hville Compilation album. The Core DJ’s are also putting out an album in 2008 as well.


Dubcnn: Oh yeah? Who can we look forward to being on the Core DJ’s album?

We have songs with Jaime Foxx, J-Bo, Polow Da Don, Lil’ Jon, E-40, Too $hort, LL Cool J, Twista, Mase, and more from people all around the music business.


Dubcnn: Any last thoughts for the readers out there?

I just want everybody to know that the DJ is the most important part of the music business. The music started with the DJ and will end with the DJ. Kool Herc started Hip-Hop. I want people to really take the time to research Kool Herc [Editors Note: If you don't know - school up!] and what he did for hip-hop. You don’t know where you’re going if you don’t know where you’re from.