Seems like more and more, the young emcees coming up are making themselves more versatile, which is a good thing. That's what first drew me to today's spotlight artist, Boston's Fly-C. I've heard everything from straight up lyrical spitting, to songs about the ladies, to introspective type of lyrics. All this over a variety of different sounds in the terms of the beats. And the best thing, the past 8-12 months I've been following him, he's grown in leaps and bounds as an artist. This cat has the potential to make it on XXL's Freshman cover in the near future....
As he preps his upcoming mixtape, to be hosted by Statik Selektah, he took the time to speak with us....
Paul Lowe Feat Chachi & FLY-C "Take You To Mars" link: http://bit.ly/9ED4kE
Follow on Twitter: http://twitter.com/itsFlyc
WYDU: What's good dude, how about a little introduction before we kick this off?
Fly-C: I go by the name of FLY-C, and I'm just your typical rap artist trying to come up, haha.. just kidding, for those who are familiar with my music, you know what I do on records, and for those who aren't familiar with my music, give it a listen I'm positive you won't be disappointed.
W: Let's cover some of your history, what was your first introduction to hip hop? What made you want to be an MC?
F-C: My first introduction to hip-hop was a lot of old school stuff that my dad would play when I was real young, my father was a DJ for some years and I can say he was my introduction to the world of hip-hop, but what made me want to be an MC was seeing other artist on T.V., with money, cars, and jewelery. Hip-Hop glamorizes that lifestyle and in my eyes "then" it looked like it was the thing to be.
W: You are fairly new artist coming into an already saturated scene. How do you separate yourself from the rest of the stuff out there?
F-C: My music gives direction. In some of my records I share life experiences and tell people how I overcome the negative experiences. If you listen to what I'm saying and how I did it, you can overcome something by doing the same as I did. Music right now is a lot more heartfelt, which I'm very happy about. A lot of artist aren't just rapping about rims, cars, and diamonds, and I think thats amazing that us on the rise artist are keeping it real. Maybe when we get on in the industry we can talk about the rims, the cars and the diamonds (laughs) but I separate myself from other artist by giving direction.
W: Who are some cats that influenced you as an artist? If you could work with anyone, dead or alive, who would it be and why?
F-C: Definitely Kanye West, he's inspired me in so many ways. Kanye to me can't be average, he seems like an "I'm gonna take it to the extreme" type of guy, and I love and respect that. That's taught me to go all out instead of being your average rapper. It takes more then lyricism to be an icon in this game, it takes producing, being one of the most fashionable people in the world, takes the controversy to keep everyone talking about you, and it takes making great music. That's what Kanye does. So If I could work with any artists right now it'd definitely be him, because it'd be great to work with someone who I idolize, and definitely Drake, he's super talented he's another one that has been a great influence on me. He's inspired some of the directions I've gone with my music.
W: You hail from Boston, describe the Boston scene. What does it have to offer? What is it lacking?
F-C: The scene is dope, there are a handful of artists that are doing there thing on a major scale. The hip-hop is more hardcore. Boston is a very rough place, and where I'm from is a town called (Roxbury) it's a very dangerous place. So I can see what inspires my cities music. The only thing I'd say the city lacks is unity. No one can be happy for another man shining so they hate, but the unity is definitely getting better, slowly but surely
W: Wou seem to have a rather wide variety on topics and styles when you rhyme...do you credit that as just experimenting, or do you think that is a valuable tool in today's game?
F-C: For me it was experimenting that gave me a huge boost. I work very closely with the TrackSlayerz and the record that changed my life is a freestyle I did to Kanye West's "Say You Will" I sent it to the TrackSlayerz and they all loved it. It showed them growth, showed them I've elevated to the next level and that's what they wanted. I'm not trying to be your average joe. I want to make in impact on the world with my music. It's a very valuable tool I'd say. Switching my style up has been the best thing for my career as an artist. Right now at least.
W: So you can work with any producer and MC here or passed, who would you pick and why?
F-C: To be honest man, I love working with my team. The TrackSlayerz. because they know my style. I didn't go through a bunch of random records. They gave me the beats and topics and every record came out crazy. Certain records I didn't like at first, but Infamous of the Ts told me to trust him and I did and the records have grown on me and I love them as much as the people that have heard them. I'm sure the fans will as well. I'd also like to work with Pharell though, he's very creative and nobody has a sound like the Neptunes.
W: Talk about your upcoming project, The Business Proposal, what can listeners, new and old alike, expect from it? Do you have a concept you are following for it?
F-C: There is a very strong concept, its about me and my journey to the top, I start off in my house late for a meeting and that's all I can tell you for now, you'll have to listen to discover more. The fans can expect great production from beginning to end, great conceptual songs, the skits make the project have a movie feel. I've been told by a couple of people that I should do a short movie for it (laughs) It's a really great project man. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as I do.
W: What kind of future plans and goals do you have set for yourself as an artist? What comes after the mixtape?
F-C: To keep elevating. I want to keep getting better and better. In my mind I remove the word "Best" for the fact that I always want to get better, so even if people are saying I'm the best, I'm going to push to be better. After the mix-tape will be more mix-tapes from me, I'm a workaholic. I love being in the studio trying new things out, and experimenting with my records. Always trying to make things better.
W: Any last words for the groupies, haters, or fanboys?
F-C: Keep supporting and thank you for listening to my music, I love my fans. Rough Draft coming soon & The Business Proposal coming shortly after
3/26/2010
WYDU Artist Spotlight: Fly-C
3/25/2010
WYDU Spotlight: Numonics
I don't know how long I've been seeing the name Numonics in my email inbox, but it's been popping up in my emails for quite sometime. Now, I get a ton of emails, so I'll admit, I don't remember every one that sends me stuff, but often I do recognize certain names. I knew the name Numonics, but more as someone who was in the behind the scenes type of stuff. He would promote a ton of cats, some of which were rather talented. It wasn't until he sent me a song he did as a producer with one of my favorite cats, Shawn Jackson, that I realized, "Hey, this cat produces too, and he is rather nice!" It finally kicked in. Then I was on a mission to listen to Numonic's previous works, and it all leads to the conclusion that this Numonics cat is rather talented.
I also read about his upcoming project, "Being Cool Doesn't Pay the Bills," which featured some talent artists, including the afrorementioned Shawn Jackson track. This all lead me to hook up with Numonic's and talk about his many hats in the industry, his music and his upcoming projects....
A WYDU Exclusive
Dre Biggity ft. Fashawn and Diz Gibran - Cops Ruin Everything Around Me (Numonics Version)
Usershare: http://usershare.net/bw6egkygahc2
WYDU: What's good man, how about dropping a little intro for those out there might now have heard of you and some background info....
Numonics: I go by Numonics, I’m a hip hop producer based in Ft. Lauderdale, FL. I’ve been doing music as a whole for about 10 years now (I was also a drum and bass dj/producer for awhile as well). The first project I started promoting my work heavily in was 2009’s Monsters Ink compilation which was mixed by Mick Boogie and Terry Urban and presented by Akademiks.
W: Aight, so it appears you have your hands in all kinds of things, are you a producer, label head, PR guy? All of the above?
N: All of the above and a little more.
Outside of writing music, I am a marketing consultant for a few streetwear brands, I handle online press for a handful of extremely talented artists and I have a distribution agreement with Coalmine Records. In addition, I handle digital distribution for artists like Adela, Streetrunner and Protoman.
From time to time I also assist in strategic alliance and sponsorship. I have worked with Island Def Jam, Clarion, Rocksmith, IM KING, Clarion, 10 cane rum, RU vodka, Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival and more.
W: How do you juggle all of those titles? Is there any one thing you'd like to excel at the most?
N: I use my time wisely is the easy way to answer it. I have grown accustomed to multi-tasking all the time that it allows me to handle multiple projects. Coupled with the fact that a lot of my work is simply just phone calls and emails, it’s not as difficult as it sounds. The important thing is to find a balance and make sure you put equal effort into every project.
As much as I’d like to say my strongest suit is the music, I’d have to say my business acumen and knowledge of marketing is my strongest asset. Music is all about branding and it’s essential to pay attention to the business aspects of music.
W: From the PR perspective, what must one do now to get an artists name out to the masses? How difficult is doing that?
N: I think the most important thing is understanding your audience and your limitations.
I work with independent artists or those without huge budgets and a majority of what I do is free. The reason I bring this up is that we’re obviously not going to take out print ads, do display advertising or billboards, etc. The one weapon EVERY artist and publicist has is the internet. It’s a completely free medium to utilize PR based efforts to promote yourself and your music.
For me, I made up a “hot list” of about 75 or so sites that were relevant to the type of music that I do. From there, I made sure to get some form of contact for each of those.
The next step is deciding what to promote really. I work with a myriad of artists, some with a reputation, others without. For those without any real presence, it’s important to establish relevance with the audience your sending your content to.
This can be done many ways. What has worked for me is doing initial promo’s of collaborations or big name producer credits and then easing in to solo material or songs that lack the “wow” factor a 9th wonder production credit has or a verse from a more popular MC.
Once you start sending out material, your core audience will develop. Ones that will consistently feature you. From there, you just need to be persistent that everyone receives your collateral and the big boys will start paying attention once you make some waves.
W: Let's talk about your production game a bit. How would you classify your style/sound? What makes it stand out and make people say, "That's a Numonics beat"?
N: I know I have a very specific style. A majority of my beats are a blend of sample and original instrument and I usually chop soul more than anything. I’ve used rock, samba, afro-cuban, funk, etc. to base my beats around as well but the main focus has always been soul.
I tend to create what I feel is almost melodramatic hip hop. There’s always a certain depth to my beats in regards to the mood where it’s equally dark as it is light. I know that’s a strange description but that’s how it sounds to me.
W: How long have you been on the production tip? what made you want to go down that road?
I first started writing music at 16. I had been doing reviews for a Canadian hip hop site called Tha-Real.com. I was blessed with the opportunity of interviewing Peanut Butter Wolf for them. I feel that experience and my obsession with DJ Shadow’s “Endtroducing” led me into producing trip hop. This is where I found my love for sampling and how I can create original pieces using pre-existing measures of songs no one seems to care about anymore. Trip Hop at its’ core is instrumental hip hop. Really I’ve been writing hip hop beats since then, I just didn’t really figure out the proper sequencing til a few years later, ha.
W: What kind of equipment do you have up in the studio?
N: My process is about speed and efficiency. I don’t work on a particular beat for more than 45 minutes to an hour tops. I feel the more I work on something the worse it becomes (laughs). Because of that, I use a very basic setup. I use software primarily and my main weapons of choice are Reason and Cubase.
W: I always ask this with any producer, just for my own morbid curiosity mostly, what is your take on the whole hardware Vs. Software issue?
N: I think you can make great music using either. Software is more easily accessible and affordable but at the same time, nothing sounds better than MPC drums to me.
W: You have a project that is set to drop here very soon, "Being Cool Doesn't Pay The Bills," what's the story behind it?
N: “Being Cool Doesn’t Pay The Bills” is testament to this new era in music. It’s no longer good enough to be dope on the mic or behind the boards. You need to be your own manager, publicist, booking agent, etc. to be successful. In my eyes, the days of having labels and management teams do all the dirty work for you are over. That’s what the theme of the album is. What pays the bills is your ability to do all the things outside of the “cool” stuff.
W: The list of artists you have on the project is long and distinguished, how did you come to work with some of them?
N: I came to work with these artists through my work in marketing, via referrals and mutual friends.
Example: I have distribution with Coalmine Records and I help promote their artists and releases as well. I have a very good relationship with DJ Dutchmaster who runs the label. He is cool with Donny Goines. Dutch linked me with Donny to help with the release of “The Breakfast Club” last year. I was able to secure partnerships for Donny with IM KING and Clarion. We cut a record during the process of working on that project and that song became “Let the Rain Fall” with QuESt and Streets Buchanon.
QuESt is an interesting story as well. My friend intro’d me to Hallway from illroots and we worked on a project together to promote Method Man and Redman’s album last year. While we worked on this project, Hallway kept mentioning how dope QuESt is and how he’s from Miami, etc. I finally got in touch with dude and there was a definite mutual appreciation for each other’s crafts. He introduced me to TreaZon. TreaZ is insanely nice on the mic as well and he intro’d me to ThreatZ and Nero.
That’s how the album worked out really. One relationship leads to another that leads to another.
W: Was it sort of a case you made a beat with an artist in mind? Or find beats for an artist? How does one go about making such a compilation/producer album?
N: I never write a beat for a specific reason. Every time I do, it doesn’t come out right. Co$$ has a line in one of our songs about “not forcing the organic”. That’s how I feel about producing.
What I do is go through my catalog and match records that fit with the person’s style and previous work and a few left field options that I personally think will work. From there the artist picks the beat and we knock out the record.
W: Anybody you wanted to work with but got left off this time around?
N: Diz Gibran and Freddie Gibbs. They both put out tremendous albums last year and are personal favs of mine. I submitted beats for the project to both but schedules didn’t really permit anything to get done this time around.
W: What does Numonics the producer have on the slate for the near future?
N: My next release is with LA’s Co$$ and it’s titled “Revelations”. It’s an EP that’s being presented by IM KING and 2dopeboyz and will feature Reks, Shawn Jackson, Sene and some top secret features that I can’t announce just yet.
Following that I am releasing an EP of “Being Cool Doesn’t Pay The Bills” featuring the top songs and a couple of bonus tracks and remixes.
In the summer I will be releasing a collaborative EP with TreaZon and ThreatZ. Around the same time, I will be dropping the MADMAN reMixtape with Dub Floyd and an instrumental album.
My plans for the fall consist of an EP with Wrekonize and possibly one with QuESt, if our schedules permit.
I do have some loose joints coming out on projects here and there as well.
W: Any last words for the future fan boys out there?
N: My album, “Being Cool Doesn’t Pay The Bills” is available for free on DJBooth.net, IMKING.com and more on March 29th, 2010. It will feature Donny Goines, Reks, Shawn Chyrstopher, EL Prez, J the S, Lex One, Butta Verses, Bk Cyph, D Julien, ThreatZ, TreaZon, Nero, Paul Lewis, Saheed, Shawn Jackson, Co$$, Sene, RAtheMC, Streets Buchanon, Dre Biggity and more.
DJ RTC of Ruby Hornet & Closed Sessions is handling the mix and Hazardis Soundz is mastering the project.
A special thank you to incredible sites like WYDU and all the other blogs and websites that choose to cover our work and keep us informed with the latest and greatest from this wonderful art form we call hip hop.
Also thanks to Unkle Luc, my Monsters Ink fam, my lovely girlfriend and my friends for all the support.
3/12/2010
Artist Spotlight: Hollywood FLOSS
Just a like the saying goes, "don't judge a book by it's cover," the same should go for a hip hop artist's moniker. I'm guilty of passing over cats simply based on their name, in fact I doubt there is many if any at all that can honestly say they haven't done the same thing. So when the cat Hollywood Floss sent me an email about his music, it almost got the quick delete treatment. I don't remember what kept my finger off of the trigger, but I ended up checking some of his music and was pleasantly surprised. Although he comes out of Houston, land of Rap-a-Lot and southern gangster rap, Hollywood Floss is more along the lines of another Houston bred emcee Kay of the Kay & Nicolay fame. Floss brings his soulful stylings to the table with a bit of everything as far as the subjects go. This cat is versatile and has a lot of potential to make some noise in the coming years.
Hollywood FLOSS - She Said....
http://www.divshare.com/download/10737598-0e1
WYDU: What's good, can you give us a quick introduction to yourself and some background?
Hollywood FLOSS: What's good WYDU, I go by the name of Hollywood FLOSS, from Houston, Texas. I'm a Rapper / Producer extraordinaire that loves making upbeat soul music everyone can vibe to! I've always been around music and freestyling with my older cousins but didn't decide to take it serious until about 2005; but it has been a wrap ever since.
W: Alright, so on to the generic (but need to ask) questions, like....How did you get your name and what is the significance?
HF: LOL, everyone has inquiries about the name, but it started as a hood name "Flossy B". The B is the first initial of my government name and the flossy came from neighborhood friends who always said I was flossin' or fresh with clothes. I'm from a poor to low middle class hood but I was fortunate to have both my parents present and when they could, they would buy me extra Jordans or Polo or Tommy Hilfiger etc, and my friends would just say quit flossin on them. Well when I decided to rap I didn't like FLOSSY B, so I changed that to FLOSS, but then that was too plain so I added the Hollywood to make it memorable and a brand. So now when I book shows or release music, people don't know what to expec, is it a rock band, a girl or a boy etc. So it really helps marketing wise. I've had acronyms along the way like Flawless Lawless Opposin Stagnant Situations, but I like to keep the FLOSS to remind me of old times.
W: One of the things I've noticed about your music is that it's kind of covers both spectrum, you can rap about the "flossy, hollywood" things, but then you've got some thought provoking songs as well..what's the deal?
HF: Yea, and I plan to keep it that way, detailing my love for fashion, pop culture etc along with social messages from the heart. I think that's the best way to stay relevant and not limit yourself. When I make songs, I'm letting the beat dictate the mood and the lyrics come out. Plus I'm human, and we all have more than one side to us. Some days I love to go shopping, flirt with some women & other days it's alone time driving the streets reflecting on life. Always expect two sides from me.
W: You don't have that traditional southern sound that many of us would probably expect out of an MC coming from Houston, how do you look at yourself as an MC and what you bring to the table that differentiates you from that "traditional" southern sound?
HF: Don't get me wrong, I love the southern sound, but my favorite MC's have been able to reach to a mass audience ex: Andre 3k, Lupe, Cee LO. They all have a way of fitting in musically no matter where they're placed and thats what I want to be remembered for as well. Plus I'm not in this game to copy what has already been giving to people, I'm here to expand on me and give the game something new and original as much as possible. Shout out to those who paved the way in the Houston though, from KRIno, Scarface, UGK, Lil Keke, Big Moe and countless others. The thing that makes me different is a combination things #1 a slight southern voice, but its mid tone and proper sounding, so it throws people off when I say Houston & #2 I give the FLOSSY life mixed with perspective, I'm not afraid to rap about the other side of the coin (my fears,insecurities, etc)
W: How long have have you been honing your craft? Who are some MCs that have inspired you over the years?
HF: I would say seriously since 2005, both rapping and making beats. As far as rapping in general but not being serious on and off since 2000. I love music so I cant just say its only rappers that have influenced my sound, but my list of favorites reads like this: Andre3000, Lupe Fiasco, Cee Lo Green, Jay-Z, Nas, Eminem, Kanye West, Common, Big Pun, Mase, Snoop and Mos Def.
W: In your opinion, what makes a good MC?
HF: Good question. The Best MC's to me are versatile and aren't afraid to take risks musically!
W: Your internet hustle has been rather solid. How much does the internet help/hurt an up and coming MC such as yourself?
HF: Thank you, I appreciate that. The internet "buzz" is helpful because your able to reach fans that would've taken 2-3 years to reach in one night. Literally I can make a track and send it to London in 2 minutes!!! But where the internet hurts you is that you cant gauge your tangible fans. You have no clue who will really buy CD's or merchandise from you. You can be the hottest rapper on the net and cant even pack a show in your own city. The internet is a trip!
W: On your latest track I heard, "She Said...", it was noted that you did the beat for it, pretty fly beat. How long have you producing? Do you produce much? Is that something you get deeper into down the road?
HF: Thank you again, I'm always fearful to let people know I produce or make beats lol. I've been producing seriously since 2006 a year and some change after I took rap seriously, and that was out of desperation. I never had any intention of doing so, but as I couldn't get production I had NO choice. As far as getting into the production thing... SURE! I welcome it with open arms, because it will better my music in the end.
W: What can we expect from your upcoming album, "House of Dreams"?
HF: House of Dreams is the direct opposite of Art or Fiscal Intelligence. I want that to be known, because I feel the fans want the same project every time from the artist haha... Well HoD is definitely different and more personal, in fact its still good music, great music to me, but I wanted to pick up where I left off on the last tracks of AoF and show a better song making side.
The whole album is my goals, fears , dreams and wait to you hear it. I definitely brought a different approach to rap song making on this one. Each song has a twist at the end, which are suppose to be dream sequences, so definitely listen to tracks all the way through!
W: Anybody you care to share with us that you are working with?
HF: I work with other artist if there is a mutual respect for the craft, but I don't like collaborating too much. I will say shout out to TreaZ, Rob Jay, Uzoy, HasH Brown, John Dew, and Kidd The Great! I respect each and everyone of those artist!
W: What else is on the horizon for F.L.O.S.S.
HF: More music and shows fam! I believe to get better you have to put in work, well expect nothing less from Hollywood FLOSS, music around the year, and god willing a tour. I want to be able to do music full time by the end of the summer 2010.
W: Any last words for potential fans and future ex-wives?
HF: Thanks to blogs such as yourself and the many others that have shown me support over the past year. Please stay tuned to House of Dreams and cop it when it drops! www.hollywoodfloss.bandcamp.com ==> buy my music!
2/19/2010
Artist Spotlight Week: Intuition
Hip Hop is a funny animal. It's the chameleon of the music world, changing it's colors frequently. There is every kind of hip hop, I'm just waiting for someone come with a hip hop with a polka feel to it. Any more, I want to deal with "real" hip hop. Meaning music I can relate to. I don't bang, I don't have a fancy whip, and experienced a drive by in at least three weeks. So something with the daily crap throws at you, something about the numerous girl problems, and of course tossing back some cold ones. Intuition has all that in his music as well as more regular guy type of stuff.
He dropped an album in 2006, and while I don't recall listening to it, his buzz caught me with the video for the track "Al Bundy," a comical portrayal of a "morning after". Since then I've been checking regularly for his music. When the album "Girls Like Me" dropped, it quickly become a regular in my rotation. It was only natural that we got him on the site for a conversation
Intuition - Al Bundy from Lee Shaner on Vimeo.
Intuition - Buzzkill feat. Slug
http://usershare.net/qaw6d3ujv9zk
Intuition - Don't Try
http://usershare.net/cadhmo6isiwz
Intuition - Hold Your Breath feat. Raquel Rodriguez
http://usershare.net/ci2mmwwo38st
WYDU: First off, you have to be the first hip hop artist to make it out of North Pole Alaska, the only other person I ever knew from there is the Green Bay Packers and former Boise St alum, Daryn Colledge. Being from a small ass town myself, I understand how it happens, but explain how a kid from the North Pole get into hip hop?
Intuition: Well I haven't made it yet, but hopefully one day. But wow...holy shit, I had no idea that Daryn made it to the NFL. I used to play baseball with him. He was on my American Legion team. His mom is my mom's insurance agent. That's crazy. I don't really keep up with sports or with too many folks back home so I either had no idea, or maybe I heard that before and forgot.
I got into hip hop as a kid just by watching TV and whatnot. I'm part of that very first generation that was born into a world where rap music was already THERE you know. It wasn't like I just had some magic moment where I "discovered" it. I remember trying to learn to breakdance when i was five you know? By the time I was in 4th grade I had the words to multiple rap songs memorized, when I was in 7th grade I recorded my first song for a contest (it was a "Who can write the best anti-smoking rap" and I won two free meals at Wendy's for the song under the guise EZ-Lee).
Due to the large presence of the military in Alaska, it's actually a lot more diverse than most think, and we had kids from all over the country moving up there all the time, and there were definitely times during my youth where I was confused with my racial identity haha...there's definitely something fishy about a 5th grader dressed from head to toe in African color schemes rocking Cross Colours, but it was the hot shit back then.
W: Let's talk about moving from Alaska to LA, how much of a culture shock was that? How difficult was it getting your name out there? Did you ever have to get any waiter jobs or do the tour guide thing? haha
I: I've been living in SoCal for a while now (10 years), but I was bouncing around before I ended up in LA. Initially moving to California was just my means to escape Alaska, it was always just too small for me. I've been in LA almost 3 years now, but before that I was in Santa Barbara going to college and working, and when I FIRST moved to Cali I was living in Pomona going to school there. That's where it really dawned on me like "Hey, being a white rapper is not so weird down here in California, and I could probably actually do this." That was in like 2000. So moving to LA was not that big of a deal for me being that SB is only about an hour and a half away, and for the six years I was living there, I was playing shows in LA every other weekend for 3 of them.
I don't really know how I got my name out, I'm just a very tenacious person, I hate hearing "no" for an answer, but at the same time, I'm generally a good dude and I'm good at making friends. I was never a nerdy dude, which I secretly think a lot of rappers are. I think a lot of dudes start rapping to try and earn respect, and try to get laid, and try to look cooler, but I just started taking rap seriously because I was really good at it. I already knew how to get laid and be cool, and that in turn helped me earn respect from other folks and get my name out I guess. I just learned early to never approach someone else on some "fanboy" shit, because you will never get taken seriously by that person. And basically, the respect I worked long and hard to earn helped me get shows, and shows helped introduce me to more people, and press and yadda yadda. In short, I've just been paying dues a really long time.
W: On the new album, "Girls Like Me", you have a song titled, "I Love California", I take you've settled in nicely...When did you start to think that you were going to make it in SoCal doing hip hop? Meaning, when was "The Coming" of Intuition in Cali and hip hop in general...
I: Well, like I said, I've been here doing this for a long time. I knew from the time I was 11 I was going to live in California because I used to visit my grandmother here and I loved it back then. I think I've been a "California" rapper since the moment I started taking it seriously. You know, up in AK I toyed around with it, changing words of rap songs around to be about me and my friends and stuff like that, but I moved to Cali when i was still a very young adult and it definitely molded me. I've been hoping I was going to make it since the first time I recorded a song, but I don't know if I've really had my moment yet. Every time I put out a record I just hope that it will be the moment. I think, like most artists probably, I'm never satisfied, it never feels like you've done enough. I mean, I don't even pay my rent with rap money yet, so I still think my "Coming" is coming.
W: How about the Hip Hop scene in LA, it seems like it's getting better, but for awhile there, it seemed kinda cutthroat.....
I: I think it's still very cut throat. Just in the recent months it's started becoming a bit more united, but it's still very cut throat. That's simply because there's such a large pool of people here, I would say "pool of talent" but there's a lot of non-talent too. You gotta do what you can to try and rise to the top, and most people will even step on their homeys toes to do that, or forget about their homeys all together. I think the only way to make it in a business like this is to be cut throat though, now my friends and I have just decided to start being cut throat for each other as well.
W: You're first album was "Stories About Nothing", how did the album do compared to your expectations?
I: Well it was my baby at the time. I met Equalibrum (my main producer), and DJ Murj (the DJ i perform with) in 2003 and we all basically really learned to master our crafts together. I completely relearned recording with EQ, completely relearned a stage presence with Murj, and they both took it to the next level with me as well. We put a TON of work into that record, probably too much in hindsight, too nitpicky about details and such. I had this high concept of making a record where I never mentioned hip hop on it, no braggadocio, nothing like that. When we dropped it we thought it would be huge, but dropping a record is always anti-climactic and it never lives up to expectations. I will be honest, unlike most rappers, and say that that record only sold like 130 physical copies online. I mean it didn't do SHIT. I moved the remainder of 1,000 hand to hand, but really, that record didn't do anything for us monetarily, but in some small circles people love it, so it helped establish us as a team and helped get the name out as we discussed earlier.
W: There is quite the voice change from "Stories About Nothing" to "Girls Like Me", why the drastic change?
I: Yeah I finished "Stories" like early '06, but us learning all the right steps to getting a record out, and other assorted drama led to us not getting it out until '07. About three months after I put it out, I was having a lot of tonsil problems. They used to almost touch in the back of my throat, so I got them removed. My voice changed big time. I listen to SAN now and cringe. Sounds like I recorded the whole thing with something stuck in my throat...pause. My voice is a lot more resonant now, and it affected the way that I rap to an extent as well. I feel like the voice change really helped me become the rapper I already thought I was.
W: You gained a little buzz on the net prior to the release of "Girls Like Me", how important is the net these days for marketing and gaining new fans?
I: Well, I released an EP fittingly called "BUZZ" with the homey VerBS, over the summer. It happened really serendipitously, but at the same time I knew we were onto something, so I put my record writing process on hold for like 3 months while we did that, and that EP caught on way crazier than we expected. That really helped a lot with building up the buzz, and led to the blogs catching on to the solo project. I just happened to be the first of the two of us to put out a new solo record, but when VerBS drops the joint he's working on now I'm sure it will get the same level of hype.
Internet marketing is damn near everything in gaining new fans nowadays. It's the time of the 24 second news cycle. So if you're not up on the net somewhere every day keeping people interested, you're not going to make it. I'm trying to be better at being an early adopter with internet stuff, but in all honesty, I wish I had more help at it. The team I had helping me with this blog push was absolutely amazing though and i can't thank them enough. Hopefully we just keep building from here.
W: Let's talk about the new album then, "Girls Like Me", what makes this album different from the run of the mill hip hop album out there these days?
I: Well....it's really good. That's the main thing. I am the first person to admit that I don't think I am the BEST rapper. All my friends are better at freestyling than me, I don't sit around trying to write the "hardest bars," I don't give a shit about how many "styles" someone has...I just like writing really good songs with really good hooks. And that's what this album is.
In a way it's a throwback album because it really is PURE rap musically...we're not trying to make some crazy avante-garde record, we were just trying to make a really good rap record. And we didn't try to pander to what labels and radio want as far as stacking all the good songs at the front of the record for listeners with short attention spans and Itunes shoppers. We made a record that makes sense from a song sequencing standpoint and if you put it on in your car or in your headphones, we don't think you'll skip a single song.
W: After seeing the first video, "Al Bundy", I was expecting a lot more goofiness, but you've gotten a pretty good balance of seriousness, humor, and introspect. How difficult is it to balance all those things in an album?
I: I mean, I think that I have a good sense of humor about myself, and I'm a real smartass in person, I think my visuals will probably always represent that to an extent. But yeah, the Al bundy video just kind of fell into place, and we did what we could with a $0 budget. When I hear the song I don't think it's a very humorous song, but the video is definitely meant to have that sort of smartass appeal.
As far as balancing all the elements, I think that's what makes a good record. Just because I'm a class clown in public doesn't mean I don't think about things, or have interesting outlooks on serious subjects. So I wanted to bring a little bit of that to the table again, without being as serious as I was on SAN the whole time. I think good rap records are well rounded and can touch on multiple aspects of personality. Look at someone like Ghostface...he can write the most emo song and the most thugged out song and the most hilarious song all on one record.
W: Are you worried about getting the dreaded "emo rap" tag?
I: I used to be really scared of that honestly, but it doesn't worry me at all. If you actually listen to my records you will see they are not emo records. If you call them that you ain't listening. There are plenty of far more generic white-guy-that-shop-at-zumies rappers to tag that name on to. Most people that accuse me of being emo I could probably beat up.
W: The album is released on NoCanDo's new label Hellfyre Club, how did you hook that up?
I: Well, I didn't really hook that up. Nocan has been one of my best friends for a while now. We met in '03 so I've just known him for a long time. He will be mad at me for saying this but, when he first told me about Hellfyre Club I wanted nothing to do with it because I've seen friends start labels dozens of times and then just fizzle away after one release, and it's under the Alpha Pup umbrella and I wasn't sure if they would really be into pushing a purely rap record. But he called me every day for like two weeks when the record was finished just listing reasons why I should sign, and eventually he convinced me.
We're really hoping to turn this label into something. The old blueprint of how to make a successful indie rap label is obsolete, but we've paid enough attention over the years that we think we've learned from what they did right and learned from their missteps.
W: I've read in more than one place you have quite the live show, how important is a good stage show?
I: I think it's very important. I think that whenever I'm in front of a crowd, whether I'm the headliner or the opening opening opening opener, you can tell that I know what I'm doing, and because of that you want to pay attention. How many wack groups have you seen perform? Because I've seen more than I can count, and I don't remember any of their names. I just want to make sure that any time someone who doesn't know me sees me onstage, they will remember my name. Thankfully I have a great DJ behind me in DJ Murj, we are close friends as well so we really concentrate on making our sets flow like a damn mixtape. We get onstage and we don't really stop for a half hour...it's just boom boom boom boom. That attitude really crossed over into the stage sets VerBS and I would do together as well...when you get TWO solid rap performers on stage together healthily competing with eachother....it's trouble.
W: What's on the horizon for Intuition?
I: Next up I have a side project dropping called "I Ruined These Songs For You." It's a collection of about 12 songs that I love that I decided to do "unauthorized collaborations" on. Each song regardless of the genre (indie rock, soul, RnB, blues, etc etc) has these natural loops in them that are just asking to be rapped over, and I did my best to change the songs as little as possible and just touch each one with a verse that is relevant to the song, so it sounds like i was in the studio collabing with them at the time. It's basically like back in the day when you would make a mixtape of songs you like for a girl you liked, but then going "Oh by the way I rapped on all of them for you too."
After that I think VerBS and I are going to do a follow up to the BUZZ EP sometime this year, and Equalibrum and I will begin working on the next Intuition album, but I haven't even gotten an idea for that one yet, so we'll see what happens.
Also touring this year. West coast tour in April/May, headed to SXSW in march, and really working to try and hop on as a supporting act for a bigger artist.
W: Any last words?
I: Sorry I'm so long winded...thank you for the interview, shoutout to all my Hellfyre Club affiliates: Nocando, Open Mike Eagle, Kail, and of course Equalibrum and DJ Murj. Go buy "Girls Like Me" (as in "they appreciate my company," not "they are similar to") on Itunes and help us build a really great record label.
2/18/2010
Artist Spotlight Week: John Doe of the 1200 Hobos
SPOTLIGHT ON BLOGGERHOUSE: DJ ROB A (Great interview that covers three decades)
I've always had a rather serious admiration for the whole turntablist movement and traditional mixtape DJs. It's something I have very little understanding of, but the way certain dudes can turn a turntable and a wax disc into an instrument is nothing short of amazing to me. Throw in a DJ that can make a traditional style hip hop mixtape with scratching and mixing and I'm won over. That's exactly what John Doe of the world famous 1200 Hobos is all about.
Together with Mr. Dibbs and DJ Skip, John Doe has been a radio DJ, a battle DJ, and his latest inception as a mixtape DJ. My introduction to the 1200 Hobos was a rather memorable one. There used to be a little DJ/Mixtape place in Salt Lake City called The Hip Hop Shop. I used to go there and pick up Tony Touch tapes and the such. What started my mini fascination with turntablist like DJ Q-Bert, The X-Men (before they were forced to to changed their names to the X-Ecutioners) was a particular visit when I picked up DJ Q-Bert's "Hot Sauce In Your Dickhole" (which I still have somewhere) and the 1200 Hobos "Evolution" (which I lost over time). I played both tapes a ton on my little Sony boombox sitting in my room. At one time I could play the "air turntable" (closely related to the air guitar) almost on cue with the scratches. Therefore, I've always watched what the Hobos would do. Of course Dibbs keeps in the limelight, being a road DJ for Atmosphere for awhile and making his own mixtapes, but the one that I hadn't heard from in awhile was John Doe. That was until the cat it me up about doing some kind of post on his latest release, "The Last Amateur (One Hour Photo)". After listening to the project, I knew putting a turntablist up on a Spotlight was a MUST. So of course, here we are.....
Read Spotlight After Jump
John Doe - The Last of the First (Download Link) FROM: The Last Amateur (One Hour Photo)
Important Links
johndoe1200hobos at yahoo.com
myspace.com/johndoe1200hobos
johndoe1200hobos.blogspot.com
WYDU: What's good man, how about a quick introduction of who you are and who/what you are representing'?
John Doe: My name is John Doe and I represent the 1200 Hobos DJ crew out of Cincinnati, Ohio. Third member of the crew after Mr. Dibbs and DJ Skip.
W: You are definitely no new comer, as the 1200 Hobos have been around since the mid 90's. I remember a DJ buddy of mine introduced me to the crew as I picked up and Q-Bert's "Evolution" "Hot Sauce In Your Dickhole" from a hip hop shop in Salt Lake City of all places. Can you drop a brief history of how you came into the Hobos with Dibbs and Skip?
JD: I already knew the basics of just scratching before I met Dibbs through a mutual friend named Rubox. The first time he saw me scratch, he was pretty impressed, I guess. He made me a Hobo after that. Dibbs and I DJ'ed together on the B-Boys Underground radio show in Cincinnati for about 2 or 3 years.
W: Originally, you were known more as a battle DJ, competing in showcases and the such. Why the progression from battle DJ to more of a mixtape DJ?
JD: As time went on, I had less and less time to practice for battles and not a whole lot of opportunities to battle. But I always had ideas. So what I ended up doing was taking those ideas, extrapolating them and using them as the basis for my mixtapes.
Also, I was extremely disappointed with a majority of mixtapes that I heard around that time. A lot of them weren't worth listening to again. I would listen to other DJs' mixtapes and think to myself, 'If this was my tape, I would have cut this instead,' or 'I would have totally scratched this instead of that.' As the saying goes, "If you want something done right, do it yourself." So I did.
W: The term "mixtape" has obviously changed over the past 5-10 years. How do you view the traditional mixtape (with scratching, songs, and the good stuff) scene these days. How has it changed in your view?
JD: I don't know how many DJs are doing traditional mixtapes nowadays. What people call "mixtapes" today are either compilations or "street albums." My work doesn't really fall into either of those categories. They're totally different things from what I do, so it doesn’t really affect how I put my mixtapes together.
W: On your mixtapes, you still keep the DJ essence alive with plenty of "trickery" and to quote yourself, "vinyl manipulation". When listening to your latest project "The Last Amateur," it's a real listening experience, the whole thing just flows for a good 60 minutes. To you, what makes a good mixtape project?
JD: Whatever format (CD, mp3, etc) it is, a good mixtape should flow just like a cassette tape. It also needs to be more than just a collection of songs. A good mixtape should showcase your skills as well as what you're really about. That being said, there should also be a concept behind it to help bring everything together so it makes sense.
W: Explain the whole concept of "The Last Amateur". What can listeners come to expect from it?
JD: The main levels to the concept:
1) The packaging. For something amateurish, you would probably expect a CD-R with the title written in a Sharpie in a slim case. “The Last Amateur” is in a standard clear/clear CD case with a full color 4 panel insert and a pressed CD.
2) Method of recording. I used all vinyl for the beats and scratches, and recorded everything on a Tascam 688, a cassette 8-track. I didn’t use any kind of digital DJing program or software to record because I don’t own them. I don’t even have a computer in my studio.
3) Me. I’m technically an amateur DJ, since environmental chemistry is my profession.
What can listeners expect? A lot of breaks, samples, 90s hip-hop cut up, and tons of scratching. Expect to hear an hour's worth of songs reconstructed and/or deconstructed into its sample elements. There's also a lot of turntable wordplay and actual mixing! There are no less than 90 songs used in the 60 minutes, so it's packed pretty densely.
W: How much time did it take to make "The Last Amateur"? I'm assuming it probably wasn't a one take thing that you did in the afternoon. Do you have to do "practice runs"?
JD: It took about a total of a year's time to compose and record everything. There was a lot of planning and mapping out involved. Composition books, legal pads, and Post-It notes were all over the studio!
W: How do you choose what songs to cut up and manipulate? Are these personal favorites, or do you go with the general hip hop consensus of the classics? How important is it to pick the right song for the mood/feel you are looking for?
JD: Songs with a lot of samples in them are fun to work with, and if there are great lines in there, that's a plus. I'll start with one thing and kind of run with it. I try to stay away from the classics, but sometimes, those are great to take apart and put back together, especially if they're based on great samples - then you can go either this way or that way with it.
As far as going for a particular mood or feel, I just go with what makes sense to me. I don't know if it's my scientific background that makes me do that, but the flow of "The Last Amateur" is completely linear. There's nothing random. Every beat, every scratch, every insert is in there for a reason.
W: What else do you got on the burners for the upcoming future?
JD: There are plans for another CD in the vein of "The Last Amateur," but in the meantime, I will be dropping some short turntable-based tracks here and there. The tracks will be posted on myspace.com/johndoe1200hobos and/or johndoe1200hobos.blogspot.com.
W: Who are some classic "traditional" DJs in your opinion, who do you view as some of the best in the biz? What makes a good DJ?
JD: Good DJs are the ones that inspired me: Mr. Mixx (2 Live Crew), DJ Man, Mike Fresh & DJ Toomp, Mix Master Ice (UTFO), Cash Money, DJ Premier, Pete Rock, QBert, Mr. Dibbs, DJ Noize, Cut Chemist, and Kid Koala.
W: Any last words for the loyal readers/listeners/followers?
JD: I'd like to give a big thank you to all the people who have checked out my material, appreciated it, and understood it.
W: Thanks!
JD: No problem, thank you for the interview!
2/17/2010
Artist Spotlight Week: MIDIMarc
BLOGGERHOUSE SPOTLIGHT: Duval resident, the infamous Tough Junkie
Hip hop is the direct descendant of the Bronx, a sound that was developed in the '70's. Since then, it has went not only nationwide, but worldwide. Each region has added it's own flavor and style to the basic building blocks of the hip hop sound. It's evolved, for the lack of a simpler word. It's difficult enough to master one region's sound, but to be able to conquer multiple regions, that takes something, even though I know cat's won't admit to it. One of the best to cover the soulful sounds of the north and the ass shakin' sounds of the dirty south is South Carolina's MIDIMarc. I actually become aware of MIDI's talents before we started the blog, as he was a regular on the Justus League's message board, The Lawn. MIDI's soulful chops and sounds drew me in as he provided beats to some of the local emcee's on the board. It wasn't until much later when we had some conversations via email that he showed me his secret identity. MIDIMarc was just as comfortable makin' the southern fried funk as he was throwing down an Al Green sample. I'm by far an expert on the southern sounds, but MIDI provided the energy and "nastiness" that I would expect from the dirty dirty.
This spotlight has long been in the making, as MIDI has been a strong supporter to WYDU, something that I've always appreciated. This should have happened two years ago, but good things come to those that wait, so here it is.....
interest in the the release of the project. We both stand behind our creation 200 percent and hope that the music not only earns a spot in your iPod, Hard Drive, Thumb Drive, CD Player, Tape Player(If you're still dubbing tapes). If you find the music to you liking the best thing you can do is recommend the music to a friend. There is no greater compliment than word of mouth. No matter where we go in our careers nothing is ever going to sound like "InDAIpendent"...it is now officially the sound of L'Daialogue and MIDIMarc. -MIDIMarc
01. Cane's InDAIpendent Intro
02. Don't Get It Misconstrued (I'm From The Hood Like You)
03. Da Shape Of Ya
04. Departure Zonin'
05. Dreamschemes
06. InDAIpendent
MIDIMarc Myspace: http://www.myspace.com/beatsbymidimarc
MIDIMarc Blog: http://midimarc.blogspot.com/
WYDU: What's good man? For those that aren't familiar with you, while don't give them a little introduction and where you come from?
MIDIMarc: I'm MIDIMarc and I'm a champion producer from Hopkins, SC.
WYDU: I've known about you and your music even before starting the blog, first hearing you on The Lawn back in the day. Exactly how long have you been honing your craft? How did you get your start?
MIDI: I've been making beats since 1997. I had people in my hometown that brought about a great deal of inspiration (DJ Prince Ice, and StreetSide Records) but the straw that broke the camels back was when I herd Wu-Tang Forever. That album made me want to see what I could do as far as making music.
W: Let's talk about your sound. It's really hard to pin down, because I've heard beats of yours that sounds as soulful as the best but I've heard you put down some southern "crunk" type beats that could get nasty with the best of them. What's your secret for being able to cross into what is essentially to different strains of hip hop?
MIDI: Versatility is the key. When I say I love Hip Hop music I mean ALL of it. The beats that you hear from me are a reflection of what I grew up listening to. Being raised in South Carolina I was exposed to the greatest music from every part of the country and it all played a large part in my sound today (which is still growing by the way)
W: You and I have talked about this before in limited conversations, but what is your take on the whole North/South thing? A lot of cats that are into the more "traditional" sound reject any forms of southern music that isn't Outkast...
MIDI: It can be very discouraging when you do something with all your heart and soul and there are people that say that it "isn't real". I made the decision to not let it bother me and make what my spirit tells me to make.
W: Is there any one thing that you would say is "ruining" hip hop, at least the way we know and love it? How do you change that?
MIDI: I don't think anything is ruining hip hop right now...I think its still growing, and its still a new genre of music when you compare it to other forms of music. Folks who are whatever age have the way they remember it and the new generation has the way that they view it now. As long as kids are getting the same feeling I got when I saw the emcee battle
between Kid n Play on "House Party", or the feeling I got when I saw Omar Epps on the
turntables in "Juice", or the feeling I got when I saw the "We're All In The Same Gang"
video..I say let them eat cake
W: Where do you think hip hop goes from here? Is going to fizzle out from over saturation, or do you think this online thing takes it even further into the future?
MIDI: Like I said..its still growing, so I'm gonna sit back and enjoy the ride. You have to do way more than over-saturate to make this culture fizzle out. The only prediction that I feel
comfortable about making is that there will be a huge increase in successful independent
artist.
W: On to my questions I ask every producer, simply because I'm always curious. What are your weapons of choice when it comes to production?
MIDI: Right now i'm on FL Studio and the Novation Xio25. Who knows what I'll add to the setup though.
W: Let's talk about the whole "Hardware Vs. Software" debate, what is your take on the whole thing?
MIDI: Why choose when you can have both..haha..seriously.
W: Who are some of the MCs you'd most like to work with?
MIDI: Nas, Rakim, Project Pat, Bun B are some names that came to mind right now. Honestly there's no person I wouldn't work with though.
W: At the end of your life, you are given a chance to remix one hip hop song before your last breath, which one do you take and why?
MIDI: Pete Rock and CL Smooth - T.R.O.Y. it would be great to get that remix out before my last breath cause I wouldn't be able to hear any of the negative feedback from touching a
classic..haha
W: Speaking of remixes, which is harder, crafting a remix or starting from scratch for a new beat?
MIDI: I'm the type of producer that can't force out a beat. As long as I'm inspired or at least have a tune in my head I can knock either one out.
W: Your latest project was with L’Daialogue, what can listeners expect from that EP?
MIDI: You can expect dope beats and dope lyrics. You can also expect me to post a download link right now also (Download Here)
W: What else do you have in the chambers that you are working and what else can we expect this year from MIDIMarc?
MIDI: More beats, more singles, and more EP's produced entirely by me.
W: Any last words to the groupies and the followers?
MIDI: To the groupies, please have a copy of your shot records and recent HIV/STD test results. To my followers...keep on following..cause I'm a keep on creating.
2/16/2010
Artist Spotlight Week: Y?Arcka
Growing up, Philadelphia was the home of some of my favorite hip hop. I've made no qualms about calling Schoolly D, 3xDope, Steady B, Cash Money & Marvelous, among other classic Philly acts as some of my favorite in the genre of hip hop. So the city has had soft spot in my heart and will always be a city that I keep close tabs on. The past couple years, the city has started stepping up again and producing some great musicians again. Over the past couple years, we here at WYDU have featured the likes of Has-Lo, Zilla Rocca, Nico the Beast, Small Pro, Fade Money, and Drumz & Llingo have all graced the site. Today's spotlight artist/producer isn't from Philly (Jersey), but reps the city now and carries that Philly torch and sound. Y? Arcka, the spry producer is part of the "new age" producer, that make music that can easily stand on it's on as well as provide some dramatic soundscapes for emcees. Just listening to his instrumental projects, you realize how deep his music is, and just how passionate he is about his music. This is a cat you must hear....
My Personal Favorites From Each Project (teasers)
From The Appreciation SP
Mental Cruise (Donald Byrd)
From Un-Herd Vol 1
Come With Me (Holla)
From Exhibits A-Z
Exhibit O: Grand Wizard
The Appreciation SP/ Exhibits A-Z Link
http://arckatron.bandcamp.com/
Drematic & Y?Arcka - Water
1st Single w B-Side
http://thinkwater.bandcamp.com/
WYDU: What's good man, how about a little introduction and where you reppin?
Y?Arcka: Hey What's up, This is Y?Arcka (as in Why? + Arcka, derived from Young Architect. I'll explain later) reppin Philadelphia now but I was born and raised in New Jersey
W: Let's jump right into it, I know I don't know a lot about, how about a little background. How long have you been into the production game?
Y?: I’ve been producing for about 13 years. It started around the time when I saw the "Triumph" video by Wu. Immediately after seeing them come together again, I started rapping. My brother (Audio Rohn) was already rapping and making music but when he started bringing this beat machine (Boss Dr. Groove 202) over, I started trying my hand at production. At that stage, it was figuring out what went where (kicks, snares, and sounds in general) For 7 years, I was perfecting my craft, working with local heads in NJ. I went to college in Philly and never left. I originally was gonna major in Architecture but switched it to Communications to further my knowledge of the technical side of music. Now, I'm a sound engineer/producer.
W: How would you describe your sound to someone who has never heard of you before?
Y?: My sound I would say is constantly breaking traditional molding. I'm a person that doesn’t try to do what others do. I do what I do. My personality and music are one in the same. Granted, I am inspired by many but I don’t try to duplicate their works but try to add on to the creativity and individuality they presented.
W: Coming out of Philly, the scene seems to be quite busy, how would you say Philly ranks these days as far as hip hop? Who have you worked with out of Philly?
Y?: I feel Philly is in the top 5 and rising. I say rising because of the newer heads coming out of Philly are onto something.
I’m currently working with Drematic, Aquil, Has-Lo, Small Professor, Zilla Rocca, and Curly Castro.
W: You've been quoted as saying that the death of J Dilla changed how you produced and your sound in general. Can you elaborate on that a bit more?
Y?: When he died, it crushed me because he was onto something. It made me realize life is short and maybe I need to let people hear my music instead of just me and my friends. I made a Dilla Beat CD with 401 beats and listened to it for a year in a half straight in my car. In that year and half time period, the music I made was heavily influenced by him. I started trying new styles and techniques that I’ve never done before. Not his styles and techniques but my own based off of my own individuality. I was hearing music differently and paid more attention to everything sonically and tonally.
W: What are the weapons of choice as far as your production techniques go?
Y?: The easiest question yet. Akai MPC2000XL. All works heard so far have been done on that machine.
W: I always have to ask this to any producer I talk to, what is your take on the whole Software Vs. Hardware issue?
Y?: I will admit that I’m old school; I used to make ACTUAL beat tapes. I learned both sides of production, software and hardware throughout the years. I choose both because they both have something to offer. A good analogy is old school vs. new school. The old school still has a wide range of knowledge that the new school can learn from. And the new school has knowledge that the old school can learn from. I try not to be one sided until I hear each side out first. I apply these same principles in my approach to production.
W: Let's talk about some of your past works, I know of two, Un-Herd Vol. 1 and The Appreciation, is there any more than that?
Y?: Nah, Un-Herd Vol. 1 was my first official release. And on Christmas of that same year, I released The Appreciation SP on my own.
Unfortunately, in 2009, I didn’t release anything officially. But I’ve been putting works out pretty much every week. The project is called "Exhibits A-Z".
W: Neither one of the projects is what could be labeled as a beat tape. Instead they are musical compositions that stand on their own merits. Is this something that you aimed for? Is there a difference between making beats for someone to rhyme over and just making music for the sake of listening without having words over it?
Y?: YES!!! That was exactly what I was shooting for. I want all my projects to stand on there own and have their own sound.
I think there is a big difference because you have to leave room or space for a rapper/singer so they can do there thing. Listening to my 1st 2 projects, I left very little space because I wanted people to hear the music as a journey.
W: Starting off with The Appreciation SP, the more I listened to the project, the more...*ahem* appreciation I got for it. Can you jump into how that came about and what exactly it's about?
Y?: The Appreciation SP came about in a beat listening session with John Sport from D.C. Some of the beats I was playing were clearly not for rappers/singers. They had something about them that he said I should put these together and make it a project. As I was putting it together and thinking of what to name it, I wanted to list the artists that I sampled, instead of doing it on the sneak-tip and letting heads figure it out on there own. The name of the project came from the 1st track (Appreciation) done in 2005. It was the 1st track with that kind of theme to it. I continued doing beats like this unconsciously. I have a couple more like it that didn't make the cut.
W: Obviously with all the influences from The Appreciation SP, you are into the classics and then some. Are you into vinyl and the whole diggin' scene? If so, what do you look for when you are out and about and how do you choose a sample to work with in general?
Y?:
I’m into everything, meaning I will sample anything. I have a bunch of vinyl, terabytes of music on my hard drives. Basically, anything that sounds good to my ears, no matter what the source is. I don’t see the need to limit myself to one source of samples because not everything is on vinyl. There was a time I was heavy into vinyl but I realized there is more music/sounds out there that I can't obtain on vinyl so I'll sample the next best thing.
W: The Un-Herd is more "traditional", in a sense, for the lack of a better word. How did it come about? How does it differ from previous works you've done?
Y?: Before Un-Herd, my works were just beat CDs spanning 8 plus years. The CDs consisted of my beats recorded in chronological order from when I made them. Un-Herd stemmed from a beat CD that I gave my friend, who at the time was the A&R at Rope-A-Dope Records. It was different from all my previous beat CDs because it had shorter tracks and no breaks or fade outs just beats for about 40 minutes. Essentially, it was my first Demo. He said I should do something similar and give it to him and he'll present it to Rope-A-Dope. I did and they liked it so I got a digital distribution deal out of it.
W: As you mentioned, you are working on another project, Exhibits A-Z (except it stops at X, it confuses me), which I'm downloading right now. The tracks on it seem a bit longer on it, can you give a run down on that.
Y?: Exhibits A-Z is a project that is on-going because I've been releasing a beat every week since August 2009. Each week corresponds to a letter in the alphabet. Currently, Z is the next and last Exhibit. Exhibit Z will be the end of the project. The music is mostly new, some from a Dilla Show I was in last Feb, and some from the Arckives. I just wanted to showcase all my abilities, various styles that I picked along the way. This is how my music sounds like before I chop it up. I know heads have short attention spans like me so I make them more concise when I’m doing projects like Un-Herd or Appreciation.
W: What does the future hold for Y?Arcka? What else do you have going that we need to check for?
Y?: The future holds a lot of collaborative works in 2010 all different on their own. In example:
1.) Emcee/Producer album: Drematic & Y?Arcka - Water (www.wethinkwater.com)
2.) Compilation album with artists from Philly, VA, NJ, DC, AZ: …Never Been Arcka-ed
3.) Producer Collaboration with Small Professor - ???
4.) Songs with Various Artists including Aquil from Philly
5.) My beat projects have been put to the side for now
W: Any last words for the new fans you will have after reading this?
Y?: Look out for all my releases in 2010 and beyond. Support you local artists. And Open Your Minds to Advance Hip Hop, Advance Hop and/or Vance Hop. I'm trying to coin that as a new genre...lol
Un-Herd Digital Links
http://www.klicktrack.com/ropeadope/releases/y-arcka/un-herd-vol-1
Un-Herd Phyiscal Copies LInk
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=4379260
Other Info ...Twitter/Myspace/email
https://twitter.com/WhyArcka
http://www.myspace.com/youngarchitect
y.arcka@gmail.com
