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Written by B. David Zarley
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Few have the work ethic or eye for talent that Statik Selektah does. Originating in New England, inspired in New York City, Statik is now respected up and down the eastern seaboard and around the globe. The following are his thoughts on the New Guard--including one of my favorite topics, Kreayshawn--New England and his new album, Population Control.
Parlé: First off, thanks a lot for letting me reschedule (I had read the editor's emails wrong, and missed the day of the interview); that was my fault. What's going on? What are you up to right now man?
Statik: Just screwing around, working on this album.
Parle: Tell us a little bit about the album, Population Control. I know it's coming up soon. What can the fans really expect from this thing?
Statik: I think it's a lot different sound than what people are used to from me. There's a lot of sample-free stuff. I try and display all the new generation, the best cats from the new generation, and put a couple OGs in there. But I think … I don't know, I think it's a different sound from me, especially compared to my last album.
Parle: You mentioned finding the people from the new generation to put out there; I think the press release said something about finding out who is legit. What criteria did you look at when you were deciding who made the cut?
Statik: Just people that are not only nice on the mic, but will help someone get their own buzz up. I think there's so many different kinds of hip-hop right now, and it's very interesting to realize how people are getting up there. If you look at how Mac Miller--who's fans are like kids--the same thing with Chris Webby and people like that, they sell out these shows where people don't necessarily sell out shows … really established people can go through the same venues and not sell out. It's crazy how the young kids are grasping on to these new kids, man. I've never seen anyone like Mac come out and within a year sell out tours, you know?
Parle: Coming on the same sort of line, what do you think about, especially on the West Coast, people like Odd Future and Kreayshawn … that weird … it's totally different from what we've been seeing. What do you think about that kind of movement?
Statik: Like I said, it's the kids. I feel like they're on to something now. I think dudes like Wiz Khalifa were the beginning of that. He started a fan base without radio or TV or any of that, and it's like a movement … There's just so many different vibes out. Like, if you look at Kreayshawn, I don't think she could have came out five years ago. It wouldn't work. But now people are like … there's a whole new generation of teenagers out there, this is what they do. They put people on, you know?
Parle: Definitely. You ended up with lots of good artists on Population Control. Who were some of your favorites to work with?
Statik: I always work with Bun B, he's a good friend of mine. He's just like one of the nicest dudes in the world. I like to work with him. Action Bronson, who I got an album coming out with in November, he's always fun to work with. A lot of people … usually I work in studio with everybody. There's a couple songs on there that I didn't do in the same studio … some of the songs were like things from other projects that I asked if I could use on this. But they still represent what I was going for.
Parle: Was there anyone you wanted to put on Population Control but you couldn't get?
Statik: Yeah. I wanted Kendrick Lamar. It just didn't happen in time, but we spoke, and we're definitely going to work. I definitely wanted J. Cole. That's pretty much it. There wasn't really anyone I had a hard time getting on there, it's just that J. Cole and Kendrick were two people that I definitely wanted that just didn't happen in time.
Parle: How did growing up in New England, as opposed to New York City or Los Angeles--places were people typically think of hip-hop--affect your career?
Statik: New England's huge in hip-hop. We grew up with ED O.G. … and especially Guru, rest in peace. There's a lot of history that came from there, especially in the late 90's. When the whole Independent Rawkus thing blew up, we had a lot of people reppin' Boston from Esoteric to Mr. Lif and Akrobatik. They're were a lot of people coming out of New England. We kind of grew up in the middle of it, and I've been non-stop with this hip-hop for a long time. Since I was like 10 years old. It's so close to New York that a lot of the same energy runs through.
Parle: You think that being so close to what The Mainstream considers the Mecca of hip-hop, cats come out of New England almost with a chip on their shoulder?
Statik: I wouldn't say that. I think we get overlooked. I don't know; it's weird. There's a lot of reasons. I've been asked those questions for a long time. There's a lot of reasons that Boston didn't really blow up like that. I don't know. It's hard to call. There's just so many different reasons. It has a lot to do with the artists, man, how people don't really support each other the right way. I don't know. There's a weird gap between the fans and the artists in Boston; it's hard to explain.
Parle: Alright. Now, obviously people know the story of you hearing Flex and Premiere on Hot 97 and wanting to start to DJ. Can you just tell me what that moment was like? Was it sort of this revelation that that's what you wanted to do? Was it more subtle than that? How did that go down?
Statik: I was a kid. I was like 13 years old .. I was already into hip-hop, like I knew about everybody man … but I never heard that live in my life. I was 13. I hadn't been to a club. In Boston at the time there was no radio or DJ's coming up or all that. So hearing Primo mix live on radio, with his own songs that he produced, he was playing a lot of exclusives … it was crazy. Just the way he was doing it live on the radio. I was like wow … for anyone growing up in hip-hop, hearing something like that, that's like Mecca. It was a whole new experience to hear Primo in '95 playing his own records live. I was like, this is ridiculous. That's what I want to do. I haven't done anything else since.
Parle: I mentioned I was going to interview you to my friend who's a producer, and he wanted me to ask you about how prolific you are. Where does that work ethic come from, man?
Statik: From having no life [laughing]. I always say that joke, but it's like I really don't do anything else but make music and go out and network with people. I don't have, you know, I don't do normal people stuff … I get bored if I'm not making music. I don't really have any other hobbies; I don't play pool or that shit.
Parle: You're known for sort of getting on with a lot of up and comers before they blow up. Where's that eye for talent come from? Is it just a gift, or what?
Statik: For a long time, I watched a lot of people come up around me and then blow the fuck up. So I was like, I'm not going to let people just do that anymore. You know, I worked with Akon before anyone knew who he was. I did his mixtape for Universal. I worked with John Legend real close before he blew up. I've watched so many people just come out, become multi-millionaires, and you know what? No. From now on, I'm going to work with everybody. I could have done 100 songs with Akon back in the day … but at the same time, at that point I wasn't really opened up to production; I was more into DJing stuff. Now it's like I'm not letting anyone come out without working with 'em first. I'm definitely watching who's going to come up.
Parle: You're sort of like the gate-keeper for that next level.
Statik: True [laughs].
Parle: You've got your hands in a lot of things involved with rap music and hip-hop and stuff. What aspect of what you're doing right now do you find the most rewarding?
Statik: I like going overseas. When I tour in America, people only want me to play my records now. That goes back to what I was saying about Premiere playing his own records; that was it for me. And now, I'm actually doing that. I'm just bugged out. The first time I went on a DJ tour of Japan, I played the first night in Tokyo, and the promoter of the show was like "you killed it, but the people were disappointed." I was like what do you mean? He was like "you only played a couple of your songs. They just want to hear you play your songs." I was like what? So the next night, we were in like Yokohama or something, and I played just my songs and people went crazy. That, to me, is bugged out. Because I've been DJing for so long, I never did that till that day. A lot of things I was doing, I would just get out there and play Biggie and Tribe and Guru and just go work with it. But people actually only wanting me to play stuff that I produce … that's the full circle from when I was listening to that Premiere shit. That's the illest feeling as a DJ.
Few have the work ethic or eye for talent that Statik Selektah does. Originating in New England, inspired in New York City, Statik is now respected up and down the Eastern seaboard and around the globe. The following are his thoughts on the New Guard--including one of my favorite topics, Kreayshawn--New England and his new album, Population Control.
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Written by DeVon Hyman
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Hip Hop is a lot of things, but at the very essence is Beats and Rhymes is; Your favorite artist would undoubtedly agree. The right production does wonders for any song. That's where experts such as Red Army Productions come in, a full service contemporary music production firm based in New York City since 2007.
The brainchild of founding members Michael Enriquez, Alberto Burgos, and Daniel Williams- Red Army Productions specializes in the Hip Hop and R and B genre. Its catalog includes work with major and independent artists alike- Cyssero, MIMS, Bang Bang Boogie, Cuban Link, and Charlie Clips to name a few.
Quick success was found as the in house production team for 50 Cent backed Bang Bang Boogie. Shortly after the buzz was created internal disagreements and conflict over visions and decision making with Red Army caused the original structure to dismantle.
Michael Enriquez, one of the original founders felt compelled to resurrect the brand- Red Army Productions. In his own words, "after taking nearly 2 years off I realized how vital music was to me, the relaxation it provided." Enriquez's sentiments, he later found out, was not shared among his brethren. Discouraged momentarily, Enriquez felt as tho there was something to fight for and throwing in the towel was not an option. His faith and work ethic has served to be exactly what the doctor ordered, as Red Army Productions is back in full stride. The first quarter of 2011 has seen Red Army crank out hits for MIMS and Charlie Clips, as well as garner play on many media sites.
There are many styles and approaches to production commonly known as beat-making, but Red Army seeks to create a unique sound, one influenced by legendary styles such as Dr Dre's which incorporates live instruments; In addition Red Army has taken a page out of Bad Boy in-house team "The Hitmen's" page. As a whole, the objective of Red Army is to bring Hip Hop back to its roots, "the grimey drums, funky bass lines, etc" as Enriquez puts it. Those things which have become a rarity in todays rotation. Its a slow and steady process but Enirquez and Red Army have already exemplified that they are up for the challenge; persevearance is the key to the doors of the future. With more hits on the way and a grind that is second to none, you can pencil in Red Army as a staple in the Hip Hop game for a long time to come. The following session will help you understand why:
Give the people a little background on yourself, how long have you been producing?
My name is Michael Enriquez I previously went by the pseudonym of Blaze but I intend to maintain a high degree of professionalism and seriousness in this industry hence the reason for the stage name hitting the chopping block. I am the founder of The Red Army Productions LLC a full-service music production firm based out of New York City. I have been producing for approximately 4 years but my musical experience can be extended to about 7 years of playing the guitar and related instruments.
What was the first machine you used, and the first beat you created?
When I first started producing I was only using software (FL Studio) due to budget constraint and oh man, lets not even get into the first beat I ever made LOL, I remember like it was yesterday, FL was new to me so there was a learning curve, and you could really tell I didn’t know what I was doing I was trying to make rap beats but I knew nothing of swing and what was the right tempo etc…lets just say it was a hot mess! As for my first piece hardware I remember after I sold my first beat to an independent group in Philadelphia I RAN to guitar center and picked up a first generation M-Audio Axiom25, later that year I went on to purchase some studio monitors to get rid of the desktop sony speakers my close uncle gave me, from there on it was just a matter of perfecting my craft, which I will be the first to humbly say is a work in progress. Each day provides a unique learning experience.
What drew you to production? Any background as a DJ?
Surprisingly I have no experience as a DJ, while I was in high school during, my freshman year (2003) I was actually in a rock band as a guitarist. After completely messing up our first live performance we disbanded. At that point, Delio “Jip” Schmidt a para-professional at the school suggested that I try making beats. I agreed, and the next day he brought me a copy of FL Studio 5 (then known as Fruity Loops) and the rest was history.
Besides Dr Dre and the Hitmen what other producers work have you admired and incorporated into your style?
Hmmm, I would have to say first and foremost, Tupac’s producer Johnny J (RIP to both) following that it would be wrong of me to not pay homage and credit Just Blaze and the Heatmakerz as producers I really admire. They were really influential when my production technique was heavily sampled based a couple years ago. I would also like to say that as of recent I really admire the work of veteran producers Havoc, The J.U.S.T.I.C.E League, DJ Khalil, Hi-Tek, Focus and fellow up and coming producers Cardiak, Max Dollas and my former production partners; B.Skillz and Klarity Tracks.
What did you learn from the tribulations that your company went through wit the disassembly in 2009?
I am not going to sit here and say that the disassembly was a negative experience because everything in life happens for a reason during this period I was able to re-invent my sound and slowly update my production equipment and software.
Where are you originally from?
I was born and raised in New York City, I grew up in the Washington Heights neighborhood of Manhattan but I have since moved around the city quite a few times.
When you were away from music, what was the one thing you missed the most that called you back?
I must say it was the self satisfaction of saying to myself “wow, I made this” and the thrill of placing tracks with artist with a well renowned reputation.
Do you and the other founding members of Red Army maintain good relations?
Ofcourse, myself, Klarity and Skillz talk very frequently, we just had a conversation on facebook.
Is it harder doing The Red Army as a solo venture?
I must admit that it is indeed a challenge doing The Red Army from a production standpoint as a solo venture but the payoff is so much more rewarding knowing that I have been able to carry on this legacy in spite of everyone mentioning the fact that its not an “army” if there is only one person. However, I must state that when marketing new releases I will not take the credit for all the work I have a slew of individuals who make it possible such as: Kathy, hiphopdx media director and childhood friend Raymond founder of RayTV.
How did you hook up with Charlie Clips?
Before getting back into the art of production in late 2010 I had actually set up a brief business plan compiled of various artists I wished to work with. Included on that list was Harlem heavyweight Charlie Clips. I had done some research and found myself obtaining a contact e-mail address from his twitter. It’s funny because after reaching out and sending numerous samples of my work, I didn’t get a response for like two weeks within that time frame I figured that maybe my production style wasn’t what he favored being that at one point he was apart of Cam’Ron’s UN maybe there were restrictions as to what kind of material could be put out, however, sooner than later I received a text message stating that he felt my production was album worthy and that we needed to get in the studio to work ASAP, from there we have met up on various occasions and have an Album in the works, there is no current set distributor for the project at the moment as we are focused on putting together a well rounded final product that not only we, but our fans will appreciate and be proud of.
MIMS?
I primarily dealt with Erik Mendelson.
What is the root of Hip Hop that you would like to help reincarnate?
It seems as though today’s music lacks the intuition and meticulous detail that was once popular in the 70’s soul era, I would have to say that the top producers of that era, The Funk Brothers (Motown) and Gamble and Huff (Philadelphia International) did an amazing job on keeping everyone on their toes. Their production techniques have yielded numerous gold and platinum releases and that is something I strive to achieve, we need to realize that the root of great classic music begins with the work ethic and chemistry formulated between the artist and the producer. In hip-hop we have this bad habit of producers just submitting beats to the A&R and getting a completed track sent back to them. In my opinion it’s imperative for the artist and the producer to be on the same page and actually sit and work on completing a full SONG. If it is one thing that I would like to reincarnate in hip-hop it would be the re-establishment of the artist and producer relationship.
In light of the tragedy of Japan there has been a wealth of humanitarian efforts, to my knowledge you as well have sought to pitch in and help, how so?
That is correct, I have recently produced a remix track “Ghetto Like a Motherf***er” by 50 cent, for every listen the track generates on www.youtube.com I have pledged to donate 10 cents ($50 max a week) to the Japanese Red Cross Society in support of the relief efforts after the detrimental earthquake in Japan. What’s great about it is that there is NO financial commitment required from the listener this is coming completely from the funds of the company, all I ask is that those who support the cause just log on to youtube and listen to the track. I will also like to acknowledge that I will be posting pictures on both twitter and facebook proving that the donations have been made on a regular basis.
And where can people go to join in your effort?
Those interested in listening to the track may log on to:
www.youtube.com/redarmymusic it is the featured video on my channel.
And for updates you may also log on to:
www.facebook.com/theredarmymusic
www.twitter.com/redarmymusic
Can you share some of the other outlets to which people can obtain and hear your work
Content produced by The Red Army Productions LLC has been featured on various popular media channels such as:www.hiphopgame.com, www.hiphopdx.com, Hot97, Power105 and much more. If interested in listening to a collection of our production feel free to log on to www.youtube.com/redarmymusic a full user interactive website is currently in development.
Name some of the more notable artists that you have worked with
In addition to those mentioned some notable artists that I have worked with in the past include: Cuban Link, Cyssero, Bang Bang Boogie, St. Laz and Arcangel Y De La Ghetto.
what is your instrumental arsenal comprised of?
Sequencer
-FL Studio 9
-Pro Tools 9
Hardware
-Avid Mbox3
-Akai MPK61
-M-Audio Bx5a Studio Monitors
-AKG K240 Studio Headphones
VST/RTAS Plugins
-Native Instruments Komplete7
-Native Instruments Alicia’s Keys
-Steinberg Hypersonic2
-Steinberg MiniGrand
-Arturia Mini-Moog
-XLN Audio Addictive Drums
-ReFX Vanguard
-Spectrasonics Trillian Bass Module
-Izotope Vinyl
-Waves Musician Bundle
Instruments
-Fender Fretless Jazz Bass
-Ibanaz P/J pick-up configuration Precision Bass
Is there anything that you would like to leave the people with?
I would just like to express my most sincere gratitude and vast appreciation for the hardworking staff of Parle Magazine; it truly has been a pleasure working with you. I would also like to take the time and thank all of you who have helped me reach this point; I assure you the journey has just begun and promise to always remain humble: Anna, Charlie Clips, Raymond, Juan, my parents and 3 beautiful sisters, B.Skillz, Klarity Tracks, Max Dollas and the entire Dramatiks production camp, Jip, Louis, Deshawn “Sos” Rivera, Jovan, DJ Quiz and DJ Enuff (both for showing Charlie Clips tremendous support!)
For Inquiries, features, and more Contact:
Michael Enriquez
The Red Army Productions LLC
422 Fifth Avenue, Suite E265
New York, NY 10001
646.427.6810
Hip Hop is a lot of things, but at the very essence it is Beats and Rhymes, your favorite artist would undoubtedly agree. The right production does wonders for any song. That's where experts such as Red Army Productions come in, a full service contemporary music production firm based in New York City since 2007.
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Written by Alan Verly
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Music has a powerful way of reverting people back to the past. A beat or a melody can have the ability to conjure up feelings and memories of simpler times. Those who grew up in the early to mid 2000's can remember when crunk emerging genre, and Atlanta producer Michael Crooms aka Mr. Collipark was at the helm of some the biggest hits. The mind behind Lil Jon's and the Ying Yang Twins "Get Low" and Bubba Sparxxx' "Ms. New Booty" is back with a new mixtape featuring the artists he helped become famous. Mr. Colipark talks about reviving club music, the politics of the music industry, and blasting critics of the most openly reviled rapper in the game, Soulja Boy.
Your new mixtape is titled Can I Have the Club Back Please? What was the inspiration behind the name in the concept?I decided to come out with this mixtape the atmosphere of the club has change for the worse. No one's having fun and dancing anymore, they're on their Blackberries or Iphones or doing some other shit other than having a good time.This mixtape is a big statement that I'm trying to make with music. it's not really just about me, it's trying to open people back up to being creative and doing music again. Not just doing what's cool. You can just bust out and do some shit and if it's good, it'll make a impact. When you hear it I hope you can appreciate what I'm saying.
Parle: You've seen a lot of artists come and go,what intangibles do you think an artist has to possess in order to succeed in today's music industry?Mr. Collipark: I think it's a combination of things. You find your place in this business, what you are bringing to the table. I think every new artist have to determine that. If they can't answer that question then they need to go back to the drawing board. 'What am I bringing to the game that's going to change music?' I think that's very important. if you can't answer that question your chances of succeeding are slim.Parle: You worked with The Ying Yang Twins for a long time, and when I listen to them I feel like they touched on a lot of subjects that a lot a rappers really didn't with songs like "By Myself" and "Naggin". Do you think songs about real life issues are currently missing from hip-hop?Mr. Collipark: People don't realize it was those records that made their career last. We had the "Whisper", "Whistle While you Twerk", the "Get Lows", and the Salt Shaker, but it was those records that we slid up and down every project that gave them sustaining power. And that is missing now. You can deliver the message any way you want to, it can be club and make you want to dance but as long as you're talking about something that can touch the common man. That's what the Ying Yang Twins brought to the table. I think people get too caught up in the gimmick side too much. I'm a gimmick guy, I'll be the first to admit to a certain extent. There has to be some substance to any artist I work with. Whatever that angle is there has to be something there that's special.Parle:As someone who has been producing for a well over a decade, are they any artists you would like to work with in the future?Mr. Colipark: No.It feels like I'm starting over right now.I always said when you trying to impose something on the game its better to come fresh with your own, introduce your own thing to the game. it's overkill on every record. You got Drake on every record, you got Nicki Minaj on every record. Whoever's hot is on everybody's shit so it's nothing special about me working with them. There's a young cat I'm working with right now named Translee (www.knowtranslee.com), an artist like that that's coming out of this area that hasn't been introduced to the game. That's the only way to keep hip-hop fresh and fun is to keep new shit in the gameParle:What do you think is the current state of hip-hop in 2011?Mr. Collipark: i think's it's rebuilding right now, the current state of music is going back to being more artsy. It's going back to the time of the early to mid nineties. You had the A Tribe Called Quest and the Leaders of the New School, and then you had rappers like Luke. I think right now people want to be shown something. People are tired of their next door neighbors putting out albums. Hip-hop is reflecting the economy. It's like you have to shit out all the bad stuff and rebuild and come with something thats going to work with the people. I feel good about it because at the end of the day when record labels are making cuts you're going to have to be worthy of a record deal to have one and I think that's a cool thing. The financial relationship between record labels and artists have changed dramatically over the years. What are your feelings on the 360 deals that labels are offering artists?In the beginning I thought 360 deals were unfair, but now if you have a record label and you're putting in all this money you have to think for every one artists that succeeds you have one hundred others that fail. The level of success even for the ones who win is not as big as it was 5, 10 years ago. Everyone is still making money but there isn't as much money for the artists or the labels. if you want to be in the game you have to roll with it.Parle: Soulja Boy is your protege and openly critized in the hip-hop community, what is your response to his detractors?Mr. Colipark: Look at his accomplishments. You always have to put numbers against criticism, show me a successful person that has criticized him. Those are the people that I will listen to. If you have never done anything, and you have nothing to your track record, you sit at home at and write and you don't do anything. You might have your own blog but what have you done to impact the world, not just as an artist but a human being like this kid has. That's like the Cleveland Cavaliers talking shit about Boston right now. it's like what are you talking about? I watched the same critics that were on him so hard as a child, when he started talking about how much money he had half of him shut up. It's like 'Soulja Boy paid now, I guess he gets a pass now' It's just goes to show you how much you can put into criticizing someone in this business. Parle: What do you want the lasting impression of Mr. Collipark to be?Mr. Colipark: I made music that made people have a good time. I want records to be played even after I'm dead. 'He was a guy that I can remember in high school when that record was out.' Kind of like when our parents think about Motown, like The Temptation or The Supremes. They think back to the moments in their lives, and I think we've already accomplished that.
Music has a powerful way of reverting people back to the past. A beat or a melody can have the ability to conjure up feelings and memories of simpler times. Those who grew up in the early to mid 2000's can remember when crunk was an emerging genre and Atlanta producer Michael Crooms aka Mr. Collipark was at the helm of some the biggest hits. The mind behind Lil Jon's and the Ying Yang Twins "Get Low" and Bubba Sparxxx' "Ms. New Booty" is back with a new mixtape featuring the artists he helped become famous. Mr. Colipark talks about reviving club music, the politics of the music industry, and blasting critics of the most openly reviled rapper in the game, Soulja Boy.
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Written by Alan Verly
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Nottz Raw is tired of the garbage that passes for hip hop today. The famed Virginia based producer has worked from artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., J Dilla, and The Game, and is making it his personal mission to filter out the wackness of repetitive hooks and dance crazes that occupy radio playlists. He released his debut album You Need This Music last fall on Traffic Entertainment Group with positive critical reception, and has worked on a couple of tracks on the most anticipated album of the last decade, Dr. Dre's Detox. The Grammy award winning producer spoke to Parle about his influences, the power of social networking, and the current state of hip-hop.
Parle Magazine: You released your debut album You Need this Music in October. After years of primarily being a producer, what made you decide to release your first record now?
Nottz:Last year alone kind of pissed me off. A lot of records were made and some strayed away from real hip-hop. There’s a lot of music out there that is trash. Our kids listen to this crap. I had to do it and I thought it was the best time to drop my solo record.
Parle. You recently released the Rawth EP with Asher Roth, how did the idea for the project come about?
Nottz: Me and Asher have been recording anyways. My manager [Darryl Sloan] was the one who said that we should start a project together and that’s how it got started.
On the song “Nothing you can’t do”:
It’s a good record for the kids. I feel like if it was out there it would blow up. We just need to put a visual to it.
Parle: You’ve worked with a lot of influential artists, whats the one collaboration you think had the biggest impact in your at a musical standpoint?
Nottz: Oh man. Roth, my dude Dilla, Dre, Diamond D, Kanye. There's a lot of people that make good music that I respect.
Parle: With Social media websites like Twitter becoming increasingly popular, how important is an online presence to an artist’s career?
Nottz: It’s real important. There’s so many people on the internet, it’s so in your face. It’s so easy to get to people, especially twitter. I’m on twitter and people ask me all the time if it’s the real Nottz. They don’t believe that it’s actually me when I answer them back. I treat everyone the same no matter who they are, you need to have that connection with the fans.
Parle: Your production is knows for utilizing samples of 70s soul, what is it about that era is music that’s integral to hip-hop today?
Nottz:The way they swang their drums, the way the base guitars sound. The way they stroked the keys on the piano. You got a lot of hip-hop elements in it. Look at Ghostface. He’ll take a song like that and just rap over it and it’s amazing. Young folks listen to it and they don’t know it’s an older record.
Parle: I know you’ve probably been asked about this a thousand times but what is the status on Detox and when is it going to come out?
Nottz: Detox is Detox. He says it’s coming out and I believe him. There’s a joint on it I just heard that’s crazy.
Parle: What are some project that you're currently working on and are there any artists you would like to get into the studio with in the near future?
I'm working on a song with Kardinal [Official] called "Seven" right now which is crazy and should be coming out soon. I'm also working on a record with Dwele and I got something with Pete Rock coming out.
Parle: How do you feel about the younger generation of rappers like Soulja Boy and Waka Flocka Flame that are achieving success?
Nottz:I like it, but it's a 360. We used to listen to Kid n Play and MC Shan, but you listen to it now and it was wack. I still listen to MC Shan but you can't take that music seriously. Nowadays people aren't saying anything in their music. I'm not knocking their hustle but their music is trash. 9 out of 10 people who say it's hot are dumb.
Parle: Is there any artist out there that you would like to have a collaboration with in the future?
Nottz: Everybody. We need more people making honest music.It's bigger than rap. I'm not the best rapper but I put myself out there and I'm honest and that's what people look for.
Nottz Raw is tired of the garbage that passes for Hip-Hop today. The famed Virginia based producer has worked with artists such as The Notorious B.I.G., J Dilla, and The Game and he is making it his personal mission to filter out the wackness of repetitive hooks and dance crazes that occupy radio playlists. He released his debut album You Need This Music last fall on Traffic Entertainment Group with positive critical reception, and has worked on a couple of tracks on the most anticipated album of the last decade, Dr. Dre's Detox. The Grammy award winning producer spoke to Parlé about his influences, the power of social networking, and the current state of hip-hop.
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Written by David Leigh
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DJ Scratch has been dubbed one of the greatest DJ’s of all time and a Hip-Hop icon. And because of his talent he has worked with almost everyone in the Hip-Hop world at one point or another. Some highlights of his illustrious career include touring with Run DMC and Jay-Z as well as producing for Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, LL Cool J and The Roots. More recently DJ Scratch is fresh of a win in the reality show “Master of the Mix” where he beat out 6 other famous DJ’s for a 250k cash prize. Scratch's accolades include 3 Grammy nominations and over 40 Gold and Platinum plaques to his credit which makes DJ Scratch responsible for the sale of over 30 million albums to date. DJ Scratch is truly a living legend.
Parlé Magazine recently caught up with the legendary DJ to discuss his recent victory, some Grammy picks, his thoughts on the current state of hip-hop and more…
You just won the reality show Master of the Mix. So first off congratulations for that.. Can you tell me a little about the show, and of course what it meant for you to win?
“The show is 7 successful DJ’s, where they take us back to like our paying dues situation, cause you know we’re all successful DJ’s, we have things set up how we want it when we DJ, but it wasn’t like that when we did the show. So it was the 7 DJ’s, 8 different DJ challenges and the winner gets 250 thousand cash in prizes.”
And this wasn’t your first win… in 88’ you won the New Music Seminar Battle for World Supremacy DJ Championship and from that you joined the RUN DMC world tour…. Compare that win to Master of the Mix.
“It’s two different types of battles, the Master of the Mix was a competition, a contest, and New Music Seminar was just straight head-to head battling 60 seconds each, just straight raw DJ battling. I would say the New Music Seminar was more special because it was raw, it was new, it was just an underground culture. Master of the Mix was just letting all the young boys know I still got it”
Alright so how’d you get into Djing in the first place?
“I started Djing at the age of 7 years old. Hip-hop was like 3 years old at the time, so everybody was a DJ. That was the new thing that teenagers did. All my older brothers were DJ’s, everybody on the block was DJ’s.. there was no video games, no Nintendo, Playstation, none of that. So that was the thing everybody did.”
In 2006, The Source Magazine honored you as a quote on quote “Hip-Hop Icon”… what did that kind of recognition mean for you and your career?
“Man, it was very special for me. The Source Magazine has dictated hip-hop for like at least 18 years. So just to be acknowledged by the biggest magazine for hip hop, the main spokesmen magazine for hip hop, as an icon .. I was honored by my peers. You know you can’t call yourself an icon you cant call yourself a legend, you have to be acknowledged as that. So that was a huge honor for me”
Aright, so you’ve been around for a while, we know you’ve worked with some of the best to ever do it… who’s someone that you enjoyed working with the most?
“As far as production wise, Busta Rhymes. As far as Djing, Jay-Z. I mean, of course EPMD, but Jay-Z because there was never any drama, it was always fun. Of course it was hard work but it was always fun, being on a big tour DJing in big arenas every night, there was no drama, no egos or anything at all.”
So I know the list is small, but if you could work with anyone that you’ve yet to work with, who would it be?
“Man, I’ve worked with everybody. I wanna work with some of the new artists. I wanna work with Joell Ortiz. I never worked with Mos Def, which is crazy! … I worked with Talib Kweli, Pharoahe Monch, but never worked with Mos Def. He’s an artist that I would wanna work with to complete my wish list of artists I wanna work with.”
When you look at the industry today, and all the new artists coming up, what do you think of the current state of hip hop?
“It’s a lot of music just being made for now. It’s not no classic material being made. Even though you can’t say a record is a classic until 10 years later but it’s a lot of music just being made for right now and it dies out within 6 months.. its like fast food. The hottest record last year doesn’t even get any airplay in the clubs or on the radio. If you play a record from last year in the club you don’t got that impact like when you play a Rakim record or a KRS record… it’s a lot of fast food, it’s a lot of hit records, but there’s no classics being made. And its because there’s no guidance from the golden era artists.. I think older artists from the 90s and 80s need to mentor a lot of these artists and direct them. There is no artist development anymore, everybody just wanna make a new record…Its cool its fun music, but it doesn’t last.”
We want high class steak dinners, not some fast food! Along those lines I read a quote from your site directed at the new generation of DJ’s trying to make a name for themselves where you say “crawl before you walk”.. what’s the meaning behind that?
“Learn to crawl before you walk, you know if your in scratch academies or all these different DJ schools and watching all of these how-to scratch DVDs and everything, they don’t teach you how to DJ they just teach you all these different intricate scratch patterns, and that’s cool, but you needa learn the basics of DJing first. If your learning from somebody else all your gonna be able to do is imitate what somebody taught you.”
Alright so being nominated 3 times yourself, you know a little something about the Grammys … This year B.O.B, Drake, The Roots, Jay – Z, and Eminem are the nominees for Rap album of the year… who do you think deserves the award?
“I think Eminem. The Grammys are based on the biggest records, its not based on the best record. If that’s the case Grammys for the past 15 years, those artists wouldn’t have won, and the artists that were never nominated would have one. But I think Eminem. He has the biggest records, the biggest impact, the better quality music, better quality lyrics.”
OK so lemme leave you on this, what’s next for DJ Scratch and what can we be expecting in the future?
“I’m back in the studio right now. Working on Busta Rhymes new album, Sean Prices new album, doing a couple underground projects. And I still have my internet radio station I’ve been doing since 2008, www.Scratchvision.com. Where I bring all of the DJs that the world wants to hear on the radio and wants to see DJ. So I bring the legends, Red Alert, Grand Wizard Theodore, DJ Cash Money, Jazzy Jeff, Kenny Dope, DJ Spinna.. I just bring all of these DJs so people can watch them. The kids that heard about these DJs but never got the chance to see them, I bring the world together so they can just watch and we teach history. You don’t see DJ’s on TV anymore, you don’t see DJs on BET or MTV or VH1, so that was one of the reasons that I signed up to do Master of the Mix because the younger viewers, they need to see what DJing is really about.
DJ Scratch has been dubbed one of the greatest DJ’s of all time and a Hip-Hop icon. And because of his talent he has worked with almost everyone in the Hip-Hop world at one point or another. Some highlights of his illustrious career include touring with Run DMC and Jay-Z as well as producing for Busta Rhymes, 50 Cent, LL Cool J and The Roots. More recently DJ Scratch is fresh of a win in the reality show “Master of the Mix” where he beat out 6 other famous DJ’s for a 250k cash prize. Scratch's accolades include 3 Grammy nominations and over 40 Gold and Platinum plaques to his credit which makes DJ Scratch responsible for the sale of over 30 million albums to date. DJ Scratch is truly a living legend.
Parlé Magazine recently caught up with the legendary DJ to discuss his recent victory, some Grammy picks, his thoughts on the current state of hip-hop and more…
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Spotlight Feature
Sometimes, it must fall upon the journalist to ensure that what they are hearing in an interview is clear enough that they can truthfully and accurately present their subject's words as quotations. This may require asking for an answer repeatedly, admitting you missed something that could have been important, or actively picking and choosing which quotes should be completely captured in a form of verbal triage. Other times, it may simply require asking the subject to slow down because your cell phone's speaker is woefully inadequate. Such was the case with Kirko Bangz, and regrettably, I did not follow the advice laid out above. The following is what I can transcribe from my conversation with the Houston hopeful, whose Drake on promethazine approach has been reverberating within the scene.
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