Long-time friends and collaborators Molecules and Showbiz connected last year for the impressive EP, A Bronx Tale. We recently spoke to Molecules about working with the D.I.T.C. legend, the role Dres played in his early career, and what’s next for The Legion. We are also proud to be premiering the latest video from A Bronx Tale, Good Life.
A Bronx Tale has been out for a minute. What has the reaction been like since it dropped last May?
The reaction to the release has been good. The fans and my friends, people that heard the project and seen the videos are saying, “Yo ‘Cules that joint is hot.” Everyone has been liking what we put out so far.
How does your relationship with Showbiz work? I know some of the beats on A Bronx Tale are taken from Show’s Rare Stacks mixes, but what about the new songs? Did he make them specifically for you, or provide a bunch to choose from?
Show and I got a great relationship. We’ve been friends even outside of the music. Our sons grew up together, that’s my dude. So when it came to working on music it was an easy mesh. The beats he did on Rare Stacks, some of them stood out to me to where I was like “yo I need to spit on these.” When we started working on our project he wanted to do all new beats, but some of those beats from Rare Stacks I had already had certain ideas in my head of how they could turn out. So I was like we have to use these. For the new tracks, I would come into the studio and he would play me beats. He played me crazy stuff like Methadone Rap. I was like yeah that’s nuts I gotta get on that. He’d just play beats and I’d be like I got an idea for that one.
You’ve been down with D.I.T.C. for a long time, but I’ve also heard you talk about how influential Dres from Black Sheep was in your early career. Can you give some background?
Dres is like my right-hand man. That’s a whole other interview as far as that question goes. Dres brought me into the game. He brought The Legion into the game. We were signed to Dres’ imprint One Love Records on Mercury/Polygram. He’s my dude to this day. We hang out, run around, work in the studio…if it wasn’t for Dres, there’d be no The Legion or Molecules. The rest is history.
Dres features on Hardcore. It’s essentially a song about commercial rappers making street-level Hip-Hop that doesn’t suit them. What’s your take on the never-ending debate around new rap versus old, and the generation gap?
On Hardcore, I’m saying stay in your lane. You have guys that want to go and make pop records which there’s nothing wrong with because we need that diversity. But then they try to cross back and make a street record and I’m like five minutes ago you wanted to make pop records. Stay in your lane. Stay over there. This Hip-Hop boom bap lane is my lane. This is where I like to be all day, every day.
As far as the other genres of rap that’s going on right now, I don’t knock it. I have kids that listen to all the new guys. I joke with them about the mumble rap cause I don’t know what they saying. But it’s their generation and their sound. It’s what they do. I respect it. Same way our parents probably didn’t get the whole idea of rap. My father’s era of music was jazz, disco, Marvin Gaye and Barry White. Our era was A Tribe Called Quest, Biggie, and Jay-Z. And now this era has Migos and Kodak Black. Music has different layers and it changes. That’s what it is. I don’t have a problem with it. But when I’m in my car I’m listening to boom bap music. That’s it.
One of the standout cuts on A Bronx Tale is Heist. There’s some great storytelling on there, and it makes a nice follow up to Revenge from a few years back. Right at the end though you stop the story short and tell us the rest is coming on Part 2. Will we ever get to hear that?
Heist is my joint. There’s definitely going to be a part two. I’m going to put the pen to the paper on that. Actually, I want to shoot a video for that. You’ll probably be getting a video to Heist pretty soon, too.
What’s next for you? Any new music on the way from The Legion?
Next up is a Molecules & Showbiz full-length album. I’ve been dragging my feet on it doing other things, but Show’s been waiting on me to get it done. We just have to finish a few joints. The Legion’s got a new single, 1980 Something b/w Heard We Quit that’s about to drop. You can pre-order that at Fat Beats right now.
We also have two videos to follow-up the single so you’ll get the visuals as well. Then after that will be the release of Three The Bronx Way LP, which should drop late summer. And also Cee-Low from The Legion has a solo album on deck. This summer you’ll be hearing Molecules, Showbiz, The Legion and Cee-Low The Dice Man. Definitely music from my camp.
I also want to thank Grown Up Rap and all the supporters. Everyone that’s following, tuning in and listening. If it wasn’t for ya’ll there’d be no Molecules. I definitely appreciate the support. Good lookin. Stay tuned for more.
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A Bronx Tale is out now. Listen below, then go here to buy it. Interview by Grown Up Rap Editor Ben Pedroche.
Evidence is celebrating the release of his latest album, Weather or Not, which marks another success in an already strong succession of projects – including both his solo work and his work with celebrated rap group, Dilated Peoples. Gingerslim spoke with him recently about the new album, his discovery of rap and his love for photography, among other things.
The new album is out now. What can we expect from it?
So I’ve done two albums before this and an EP, so this will be my third full length. I did The Weatherman LP, The Layover EP, Cats & Dogs and now Weather or Not. To me it’s like the final chapter, like I’m closing the book on the Weatherman thing, so I really wanted to make a dramatic album, kinda throw everything at the wall. I wanted to make it hit real hard, make every track really big, so I’ve pushed it into the red as far as the mix goes. So yeah, basically go big or go home on this last one.
That actually leads into my next question because I read that you were planning to make this one the last in The Weatherman series and so I was wondering if you have a vision for where the next chapter is going to take you, or is it a more organic process than that?
It’s a gigantic question mark and that’s what I need right now, you know? That uncertainty is what made me make my first Weatherman album, so I kinda want to start over and move into innovation. Make my best – or possibly my worst record – instead of already knowing I’m good at a certain thing.
That’s refreshing to hear because I know a lot of artists who want to tackle these things with a definite plan.
Well I’ve been working a lot these past couple of years, I’ve been producing a lot and working with different rappers – Defari, Krondon, Domo Genesis, Mac Miller – so I’ve been able to just sit back and scope things again, as like an outsider almost. Its got me excited; sometimes you’ve gotta not be afraid to just go away for a second.
You’ve got some great guest features on the album. I was particularly happy to see Rapsody’s name on the credits. How do you go about choosing who you want to be involved, is it based on who would work best with each track, or do you have an idea of who you’re going to ask, before that?
Oh man you would probably laugh your ass off, if you knew individually how it had happened vs. how I intended; it just never works out that way. With this album what happened was the people who came over are the people who are on the record. I got blessed cos 9th [Wonder] and Rapsody were coming to town, and Khrysis was in LA, so I hooked them up with an Airbnb kinda close to my house. I knew that area, so I could show them around, move through LA the way I thought was good, which meant they were coming over a lot so that means that Rapsody was here. Styles P I saw at Alchemist’s crib, so I invited him to come by the next day and he did. So the majority of the vocals were done at my crib, all done on the same microphone, which gives it a nice cohesive sound to it.
I know Stephen Vanasco has played a big part in the overall aesthetic for the album, including directing the 10,000 Hours video. How did you guys end up working together?
It was fucking Instagram. I didn’t know him from shit before that [laughs]. I met him one day with 13thWitness, I might’ve bumped into him earlier some places here and there, but yeah we went on a photo mission one day and hung out. The I started noticing his work a lot more, he was shooting a lot of stuff with girls, but I noticed that he was better than the clichéd work you get on Instagram, with filters and whatever. Then I think he changed his name on Instagram from like Van Styles to his real name, lost a bunch of followers and started doing all these black & white shots, so then I was like ‘this is the sort of person I wanna fuck with’, you know what I’m saying? So then I just convinced him to do a video, like ‘can we make these stills move?’ and he said yeah, so we did and that’s basically how the collaboration happened. I love the way he shoots and why he shoots, so yeah it’s the beauty of this new era.
Now obviously photography is a big part of your life too. Do you see yourself ever moving into that field full time, maybe after the hip hop’s died down?
I don’t think so, I mean maybe. I think my whole photography thing got fucked up because my mom’s a photographer and you know your mom wants you to do what she does, but I wanted to be a fucking rapper. But then mom passes away and along comes the iPhone, then Instagram, before anyone was on it, so I was like you know what I’ll just start taking photos on this Instagram shit and not tell anybody I’m a rapper, just try to have like an alternate ego; you know somewhere where I can just be somebody else and take photos. Then what do you know, that app becomes super big and I went from posting music on Twitter and photos on Instagram, to all that shit colliding. People ask me all the time what am I doing with my photos, but to me it was always just a hobby. I mean I’ve made some money off of it, a couple things came my way and I did them cos they were alright, but no I’m not trying to like shoot Wiz Khalifa for Spin Magazine or some shit [laughs].
No I know, man, but you’ve got a real talent for it.
Well maybe if I could do it on my own terms over time, or something like that, when I get older. But I shoot my kid for now, that’s my shit.
You were known as Mr Slow Flow for a while back in the day, but your style has changed quite a bit since then. Was that a conscious effort you made to switch things up, or was it just how you naturally evolved as an MC? I know you touched on it on Jim Dean recently.
When I started rapping, I really focused on how people saw me as an artist, I lowered my voice really deep and tried to act hard. Thinking back I realise I wasn’t letting them in, even when they were knocking at my door and telling me to win, I felt like losing. Like how could I be worthy? I was just young and hanging out with big, older people and I’ve always just been part of that, so yeah I was trying to be something I wasn’t. Not lyrically, or what I was writing, no one ever wrote for me or anything like that, it’s just that I was trying to be taken more seriously. I’d slow records down, before chopped & screwed, or before I knew what that was, so I would sound deeper. I’d just do dumb shit to try to sound older, but then as I’ve actually got older I’ve just become more comfortable with who I am, but I’ve also evolved publicly. Some people just figure that shit out one way, but I didn’t do that, it took time. I don’t know if that’s a good thing or a bad thing?
I think it’s good, man. Rather than just setting a plan for what you want to do, how you want to sound, you just let it happen naturally.
Yeah I think that’s good. I mean hanging out with Defari a lot, or hanging out with whoever a lot, I get influenced by people I’m around a lot so that will be a part of it also.
Yeah but that’s a sign you’re comfortable with the people you’re hanging around with, so I would take that as a positive, man.
Yeah, definitely.
When you established yourself as a solo artist, was it an easy transition having been a part of Dilated for all those years?
Yeah because I had my mom’s passing and I had things to talk about that I knew wouldn’t work confined to a group. I knew that was going to be easy because I just knew that I had to do it. First The Weatherman LP was the easiest record I ever made. I recorded 16 songs and 16 songs went on the album – I didn’t question anything, so what it was, was what you heard. Where as the other records I’ve done since then, I’ve done the other way. I’ll record 25 songs, whittle it down, combine lyrics from one thing and put it to another, actually build the record. That first one was just the easiest one. But that doesn’t mean it was the best, it was just easy to do.
You guys released the Directors of Photography album back in 2014, after a pretty long hiatus. What was it like for you all being back in the studio together?
It was awkward at first, then we hit some strides and it got good. Not awkward in the sense of ‘who are you?’ cos we’d toured every year together and we’re a tight crew, we’re in each others lives a lot, but awkward in the sense of all three of us going to a studio together every day, having to be in one place. Yeah it was different cos all three of our lives had driven us in different directions, so it took a minute to hone in on it. Rakaa and I had started in one direction, then Babu came and was like yeah this is cool, but you need to go produce like this and that kinda created something else. But that’s what the beauty of a group is, it’s not about any one person, so the final product that came out of it, I stand by for sure.
I’ve asked a few artists these next questions because I think its nice to get an insight into how music came into different people’s lives, so I was wondering what are you earliest musical memories? Was there a lot of music in your family home when you were growing up?
They’re not musicians, but they may have possibly been on drugs and wilin’ out in the late-70’s and early-80’s [laughs], it was a crazy time. So yeah I just remember a lot of people at our house and me dancing, people cheering me on and I remember one of my dad’s friends, or maybe his girl, or his wife, and she was standing on the fireplace. We were playing music and she was just jumping up and down, like straight up and down. I was like five or six and I said why are you doing that? That’s not dancing. And she said, yeah this is what rock’n’roll people do and I was like ooohhh [laughs], so I had some good early tips, you know? I remember my mom playing really funky shit and I remember my dad driving really fast, playing Michael Jackson, playing Foreigner, just good shit. I just remember good music, I don’t think they ever had bad taste.
And do you remember the first hip hop record you ever heard?
Yeah the Newcleus Jam On It record was the one that made me really go ‘what the fuck?’ cos I was hanging out on Santa Monica Pier, seeing dudes dance to that and 19 by Paul Hardcastle, even though that wasn’t really a hip hop song. So those records, when I saw how people were moving to them, I was like yo this is that shit. But the best part about it was shortly after that, Wild Style, Breakin‘ and Beat Street all came out and to me it wasn’t that foreign, where as some people were seeing it for the first time if they lived in a suburb or something. But I was watching them thinking yeah this is what it’s like round by my house, you know what I mean? Cos Venice and Santa Monica at that time were definitely funky, but then all that stuff came out and I’m really young, so I’d go to the beach and feel like I was living in a movie a little bit.
And then how long was it before you knew that was what you wanted to do, to be involved with hip hop?
I didn’t know for a while. I skated, I played baseball, I did all kinds of shit; I didn’t want to be a rapper that’s for sure. Then I moved next door to QD3 (Quincy Jones’s son), from like the southside of Santa Monica, to the northside of Venice pretty much. Moved next door to this guy who was playing music all night, he had dreadlocks, he was driving in and out of the garage all the time, the music would start stop, start stop and I didn’t know what was happening over there. So I introduced myself eventually and he was like yeah I’m QD3, I’m a music producer, I do rap. So I was like no shit, cos I was into the music but hadn’t thought about actually doing it and then he invited me to go hang out in his little studio in his garage, like I have now and I just watched him produce for rappers. I got to see how that all worked, so my introduction to it was through a producer. I got to see him make the beat, then I got to see the rapper come over and do what they do, then I saw what he would do after they would leave. I didn’t want to be a producer, but that made me want to rap cos I got to see it through Quincy’s eyes. Like I watched him score the Fresh Prince of Bel Air and crazy shit like that. I saw him work with Ice Cube and Too Short, then I introduced Alchemist to him and obviously The Whooliganz and that led to their first demo. QD3 is basically responsible for all that. will.i.am used to come to my house, so we could then go next door to his place. Yeah it was really crazy, man. He is responsible for a lot of shit; QD3 is who made me want to rap.
You’ve been responsible for some incredible production over the years for a ton of different artists. Do you think you have a production album in you? Is it something you’d ever consider doing?
Okay so that is actually happening, but unintentionally. I did a Squirrel Tape instrumentals album and then slowly when people come over and they’re not doing shit or whatever, I pull up that album and I’m like yo spit over this beat, so basically I’ve been filling up the Squirrel Tape instrumentals for the last year with vocals. So in a sense it will be cos it’s a production album without me rapping on it, just a bunch of other people rapping. So yeah I did it without even thinking about it, but it will come out instrumentally first and then a vocal version of that instrumental album after.
And what’s next for you after the album is released?
After the release, the tour starts. Touring with Atmosphere in Canada and then another tour announced, so yeah hopefully just keeping busy. I’ll be promoting the album this year, just trying to keep things flowing. I can’t say when the next thing will be in terms of an album, but yeah another Step Brothers album possibly and another Evidence one, that’s for sure. And lots of production – Krondon album coming, Domo Genesis album, an EP dropped today in fact, right before this interview. Fuck it I should be tweeting it [laughs]. Yeah we just dropped a surprise EP called Aren’t You Glad You’re U – Phonte’s on it, I’m on it. And then that instrumental album with vocals coming after that. Hopefully, knock on wood, a few placements with some beats here and there.
Well that’s it from me, but thanks for speaking with me.
My man, I appreciate you. That beard is fucking impressive and it matched my beanie, that’s what’s so fucking cool [laughs]. [Editor’s note: Gingerslim has a dope beard].
[Laughs] Yeah it was all planned, man. Take care.
You too, man.
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Weather Or Not is out now on Rhymesayers Entertainment. Get it here.
Gingerslim has been a hip-hop fan since 1994 and has written for various blogs and websites since around 2006. During that time he has contributed to style43, Think Zebra, Headsknow and Front Magazine. His main interests in rap are UK hip-hop and the underground movement in America, with a focus on Rhymesayers Entertainment and the once mighty Def Jux label. He lives in Bristol and has a beard. All other details are sketchy at best. Follow him here.
Today we premiere the new EP from Realio Sparkzwell. Listen below, then keep scrolling for an interview with the man himself.
The new EP is a tribute to, and uses samples from, the group The Main Ingredient. What is it about their music that made you want to dedicate a whole project to them?
I love soul music and love digging in the crates and The Main Ingredient’s music always has a lot of feeling and strings that I feel in tune with. Soul music touches me, soothes me, and also inspires me. I had the sample for Purple Grimace for a while and always wanted to use it. I also had the Questions sample. Originally I was working on looking for samples for my Bloody Luciano album which has a mob theme. I came across more ill samples I had from The Main Ingredient and I was thinking I can’t and shouldn’t use more than one Main Ingredient sample for my album, but maybe I can bang out an EP dedicated to them, using their music as source material.
I was instantly sparked on the idea and executive-produced and wrote the project in just a few days. I’m also proud of this body of work because I recorded it in one session, within a few hours, and I feel it came out flawless…with all due respect. I didn’t want any features on it either. Feel me for me, ya dig. The Main Ingredient is very much in the same vein as the minimalist, modern gangster rap style mastered by Roc Marciano and Ka, and everyone they’ve inspired since: Meyhem Lauren, Westside Gunn, Conway, and to a lesser extent, Action Bronson. Who inspires you?
I think all those emcees are official and I would say I’m inspired by them. I respect what they do for sure and would like to work with them as well. In these modern times I feel they are definitely some of the ones holding the torch for the culture. I would guess to say that I’m probably inspired by some of the same artists that these artists were inspired by.
I’m heavily inspired by legends like Wu-Tang, Eric B & Rakim, Nas, Kool G Rap, Big L, Boot Camp Clik, Gang Starr, EPMD, Redman, D.I.T.C., etc. I used to go by iRealz and this is not the first time that I’ve released music with a more stripped down aesthetic. I think if we go back to the ’90s we can see the RZA, Q-Tip, Alchemist, and others helping to father that style, as far as minimalist beats are concerned. You’re now recording as Realio Sparkzwell, but you’ve also in the passed gone by the names REALZ and iRealz. Is there significance in the name changes? Do they allow you to explore different parts of your personality, or create different characters on wax?
Yes sir, that is definitely a part of it. I am growing and developing as a person and as an artist. I have been through a lot in life and I want to express my colorful experiences and drop jewels. I’m also better lyrically. It’s something that I’ve wanted to do for years, it’s always been an a/k/a. IRealz derives from Ireality. On the eastside of Syracuse, NY, in the projects we shorten everything down. My righteous attribute Ireality became iRealz as a nickname. Everyone called me that for years so it just became my default emcee name.
My homie Bourne Grimey used to call me Realio Sparkz all the time though. He’s doing ten in the Feds right now. He was one of my business and rhyme partners. We created a movement in Syracuse, NY, called LAMA. Our close friend and group member Allen Ross was murdered, our homie Pesc was also shot in a robbery (he survived and is alive), and Goon and Alley Grown have been constantly in and out of prison forever. So I been doing this dolo and feel a lot of pressure. For the past three years I’ve made a lot of changes to my life and I’m striving to be successful for all my peoples who can’t do it.
This was all our dream. So I took on Realio Sparkzwell officially in 2015 and put out a song called Quartz Crystal Rap with a YouTube video single to introduce the idea to people. Now that I am out of “the life” I can rhyme more vividly about it, telling stories, and drawing from experiences and drop jewels at the same time with messages. I never felt comfortable about rhyming about certain things before ‘cause I didn’t’ want to bring that attention to myself to incriminate myself or my people.
You recently became part of the Gold Chain Military/Poison Ring Regime extended family of artists. What does that represent to you, and where do you see it will take you?
That came from a simple conversation with Killa Kali. He had heard my leak Ravenous off this project. He asked me if I wanted to be down with the movement, GCM/PRR. I told him that I respect them and would be honored. Real simple. It’s just honor among swordsmen. Sharp swordsmen recognize other sharp swordsmen. We honor the blade if it’s sharp, ya dig? Same way I became affiliated with my brothers Cannibal Ox (Vast Aire & Vordul Mega). I’m also a part of the Iron Galaxy Clik (IGC) and Crimson Godz crew, and have been recording and touring with my bros for years. I’m also on their critically acclaimed sophomore album, The Blade of the Ronin. To me, it just increases affiliation from coast to coast, which I feel is important. So yeah, just honor among swordsmen, we are all kings in our own right. There are two full-length projects on the way, The Top Emblem and Bloody Luciano. Tell us what we can expect. I’ll put it like this. The Main Ingredient is the fresh, crisp, healthy salad before the main courses that are underway. The Main Ingredient also makes for a good winter release. It fits that holiday vibe perfect. So, The Top Emblem is like the spicy chicken parm with baked ziti and fresh garlic knots. The Top Emblem represents top shelf premium quality. I will be spitting pure heroin for the fiends. There’s also an EP that follows The Top Emblem, Loosies Out the Bundy, which will be the dessert – basically a collection of looses that didn’t quite make their way onto The Top Emblem. Bloody Luciano will follow up with the same kind of vibe. It’s mob themed, street music with jewels and messages from someone whose been there and seen it all. I’ve also got a lot more in store! Many more albums, I been working hard, but just digest this info for now. Peace.
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The Main Ingredient is out now. Follow Realio Sparkzwell here. Interview by Grown Up Rap Editor Ben Pedroche.
We already interviewed billy woodsonce this year, but since then he has been responsible for another incredible album, in the form of Armand Hammer’sRome. So we thought we should return for more insights into his creative process, what it’s like working with Elucid, and how he’s feeling as 2017 comes to an end. Interview by Gingerslim. 2017 has been a good year for you, with two of the best albums of the past 12 months under your belt. How are you feeling now it’s all drawing to a close?
I feel really good about it, on a personal level, it’s always a good thing to feel productive. It’s satisfying to achieve a goal, however small, I try not to take stuff for granted. That said, it hasn’t felt like any kind of sea change or anything, my phone isn’t ringing off the hook. I also felt like I was part of two really great albums the label put out last year; Elucid’s Save Yourself and Willie Green’s Doc Savage, that didn’t get the attention they deserved, so I’m not going to complain either.
All you can do is do the work, and be happy with the work itself. On that level, I feel pretty happy with it. Romeis so tightly wound, so efficient, it’s one of the best things I have ever been part of, as an artist. And Known Unknowns is a completely different album, different sound, different ideas, but I think it’s really successful. And both of these projects are collaborations with people I genuinely am friends with, and who push me in directions I might not go on my own.
From reading various interviews, it seems you and Elucid have found a connection with each other that extends beyond your collaborations. How did you guys first meet?
Nasa (Uncommon Nasa) booked him for this Yule Prog event we did every December in New York for the last ten years. I had never heard of him before then, but I checked out his music before the show and was captivated by the Automatic Writing track. He had a really dope video for the song on Youtube, done by his man Ali, who also did the Obama Incense and Willie Bosket videos. Then I saw his live set and, well, I’m neither blind nor deaf, so I thought I should reach out. How different is the dynamic when you’re making a record with him, as opposed to working on a solo project?
Completely different. From the ground up, it’s a different process. From the production choices – which includes the fact that Elucid is a producer himself – to the subject matter, to the process of writing and recording, it’s very different. One thing that I will say sets apart Armand Hammer stuff from a lot of other collaborative projects I have done is the amount of trust. I have total faith that if I go in a certain direction conceptually or stylistically, whatever Elucid does will compliment it, and likewise, if he gives me some beat or concept to try, I just go for it.
It’s a rare thing. And that ties into the next question, which is that I am fortunate to have that relationship with both Elucid and Willie Green. It’s not an accident what I have been able to do personally, what the label has been able to do, since I started working with them. I found it interesting hearing you talk about Willie Green setting up a booth for guys to record at the same time – I think this was back when you did Today I Wrote Nothing – you said it made the recording much more exciting. I was wondering if that is how you guys have continued to record since then, for example with the new Armand Hammer record?
That was a one-time thing, but it was very cool, and ties back into the trust I have in Green to get the best sounds out of us. That said, recording for Rome was pretty random; some at The Greenhouse, a lot at Elucid’s spot in East NY. Speaking for myself, I cut some demos with some cats I know like Jeff Markey, Lt. Headtrip, definitely recorded a couple things with Steel Tipped Dove. I did a lot of recording over the last year, and as someone without a home studio or the slightest hint of engineering experience, I relied a lot on other artists to help me out. Given your background and the current state of affairs, I wanted to see how you’re feeling about what has been happening in Zimbabwe recently. Are you hopeful for their future?
I am very much a child of the Independence Struggle, so to speak, so to see that whole paradigm finally fall apart was interesting and conflicting and cathartic. Not to say that what comes next will be better or worse, but with Mugabe gone, that era is finished. I read an interview with you a few years ago, where you spoke about hanging out with Aesop Rock at his place, listening to beats and chatting about rap, which was something you said you never really got to do any more. Is that because you just don’t have the time?
It’s because I am old and all my friends don’t just drop by randomly to smoke weed and listen to beats every day. Your latest solo album, Known Unknowns, is your second full-length collaboration with Blockhead. If you’re working with only one producer, does your creative process vary much from if you were making an album with beats from various producers?
It is definitely different when I am working with a single producer. For me, it’s more of a compromise on sound and direction just from the fact that you can’t just go looking for the beat you want that day. You gotta dig into the beats they got or work with them to make something new. Working with Blockhead, I think there is an element of that for both of us; I pick some beats he is surprised I picked, or randomly send him a sample I stumbled on, meanwhile I will end up rapping over beats that I wouldn’t have chosen left to my own devices. I go over to Blockhead’s later in the process, when we are getting started we mostly work through email and over the phone. I’ll call and be like I like this part at :15 seconds and this other part at 32 seconds should be the chorus and hold the phone to my speakers like “this part”. It’s kinda ridiculous but it works. One of my favorite songs on Known Unknowns is Police Came to My Show. Can you tell me a little bit about the story behind it?
I once read something where a writer mused about what the song was about. I thought that was funny because it’s a pretty straightforward song. I was on the road with PremRock and Mo Niklz and Henry Canyons a couple years ago and this all happened when we did a show in Missoula, Montana. Actually, Henry may not have been on this leg of the tour but anyway, as soon as we showed up at this venue – and it was a really, really nice venue, really nice promoter, good town overall – I saw these two guys at the bar and I immediately knew they were cops.
Anyway, I wait till we are backstage and ask everyone including the promoter about it and they think I am imagining things. I’m pretty certain I am not but I say okay and then we settle in backstage and Mo is DJ-ing and this place is dead. Like, embarrassing, humiliating dead. Not to say I haven’t seen deader rooms but this was like five people in a pretty big venue. So the promoter is kinda feeling bad and keeps saying maybe push back the start time and Mo keeps spinning, ever denser and more aggressive shit too, and these undercover cops are just sitting there, getting more and more annoyed which is understandable because wow, I mean, what a waste of time and overtime pay. Nobody is at this show. No one. So they go and start demanding that I perform at the box office, which gives away the fact that they are cops, now everyone is all surprised and I’m just like “even when I win, I lose”.
So boom, I’m like fuck it, I’mma give em a good show, and I think I really did. I felt like I caught something and carried it through the rest of the tour, and maybe since, where I get on stage like “I’m gonna do my thing right now, however it comes out, and then when it’s over, whatever, but the next however long is my time”. I wrote the first verse of that song, that night. You can ask PremRock the rest of the story.
I’m a big fan of your desire to never show your face in press shots and videos. Is that purely down to you wanting to be able to walk the streets without being recognized, or is there more to it?
There was more to it, now it’s mostly just what it is. I don’t think people are going to be out recognizing me anyway, but christ, that would be awful. How hard it is to maintain that level of anonymity, given how many people at your shows are likely to have a camera phone?
Not hard at all. Not that many people come to my shows. Your label has been enjoying some much deserved success the past few years, having survived the earlier industry crash. Has your vision changed much as the years have progressed?
At it’s core, it has remained the same. I wanted to help push artists that I liked, that I thought were making or were capable of making dope music, important music, interesting music. How I thought that would look has certainly changed, but the motivation is the same. Do you think things are moving in a better direction now, in terms of the industry and the options available to artists?
I have no idea. Honestly. As a working artist living in NYC, I am just trying to stay above water right now. What’s next for woods?
There is a little project being mixed right now, but it’s not a solo thing. As far as that goes, I am really not entirely sure.
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Rome by Armand Hammer, and Known Unknowns by billy woods are both out now. Get them from Backwoodz Studioz. Gingerslim has been a hip-hop fan since 1994 and has written for various blogs and websites since around 2006. During that time he has contributed to style43, Think Zebra, Headsknow and Front Magazine. His main interests in rap are UK hip-hop and the underground movement in America, with a focus on Rhymesayers Entertainment and the once mighty Def Jux label. He lives in Bristol and has a beard. All other details are sketchy at best. Follow him here.
Long-time collaborators Damu The Fudgemunk and Raw Poetic talk to us about their new album, The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy, which includes the Master Plan single we premiered last week. They also discuss Redefinition Records, Panacea and more. Read on, stream the new album in full below, and watch the video for the single Think Back. Tell me about the concept of The Reflecting Sea. It feels like an expansive album that aims to transcend hip-hop. [Raw Poetic]: It’s a multi-layered facet. It’s sort of a life-based paradox hidden in one of the lines of the Freedom funk chant “The Sea Reflected, the Reflected Sea”, that is meant to question whether life (or tears) are falling up or down. Down toward the death of something (your past), or up toward the excitement of a new beginning. Its kind of like, life is a figure 8 that always meets in the middle, never beginning nor ending… I think I’m still working my way through this one. [Damu The Fudgemunk]: We’re very proud of the album and what we were able to accomplish. We both started out with the intentions of making new music and providing an additional outlet for creativity. As long as we’ve worked together off and on there’s always been an existing chemistry that we’ve been curious to explore given the things we’ve done on our own and with others. I don’t think it was a conscious effort to transcend the genre. Though the final product may sound like we were looking beyond hip-hop, we identify as hip-hop artists. Honestly, we wanted to transcend ourselves which was very easy for us. It was a matter of embracing the “anything goes” philosophy and embracing all of our skillsets. The album we made was rooted in hip-hop influences, but we equally incorporated influences from other styles of music and the verdict gave us an album that has no dominant sound.
Can you elaborate on what you mean by describing the album as being a ‘New Philosophy’? [Raw Poetic]: Yeah! Continuing from the last point, we’re in the process of welcoming you into a new philosophy. I think the new approach toward our self-expression is where we begin to look at our philosophies. I think when Damu and I talk, a lot of those conversations leave mental notes (or footprints) somewhere in the untapped abyss of the psyche. So when we get to work, the songs are crafted to describe whatever it is we talk about and may be going through at the time or until the next. I think it allows us to truly create a conversation in the song. One of the main things I wanted to make sure we touched on in The Reflecting Sea were our three ways of oral communication – Talking, Poetry, and Singing. I think the songs navigate between all three in order to illustrate the full scope of what we have in mind. [Damu The Fudgemunk]: Philosophy is a product of thought and observation. For us, we looked at ourselves and asked, “How can we connect and do what we haven’t done before as a unit?” The monotony of life and our general patterns will sometimes dictate how we operate and impose unnecessary rules. There was no reason to neglect our full capabilities just for the sake of maintaining expectations. We both are capable of playing instruments. Jason sings, raps, spoken word and regularly experiments on his own. I’m similar in the regard that I’m constantly exploring my creativity. Once we put everything on the table it all made an appearance on the records. That was a new approach for us and it gave us a blueprint to move forward with our new sound which stemmed from fresh ideas. The whole process was fun and fulfilling.
Damu The Fudgemunk;When you know a beat is going to have an emcee on top, do you approach making it differently to a track you know is for an instrumental project?
It depends. If I’m in the act of working on an instrumental album then I’m not thinking of vocalists, but most of the time I have someone in mind. I don’t make a lot of beats like I used to so when I do, it’s when I’m inspired. As the music comes together then I visualize vocalists. Most of the time, it doesn’t matter if there are vocals or not to determine the direction. I make the music (it’s incomplete at that stage) then present it to the rapper for their contributions. You tend to only work with a select group of rappers. How do you chose and filter who to collaborate with? Is there a vibe you get that just feels right? A personal connection you need to build first?
Well, you’re right about being selective. There’s tons of great rappers out there, but it doesn’t mean I need to chase them down to work with them and truth be told none of them are approaching me for production either. But, I’m fortunate to have access to the mc’s that I do work with. They’re all great in their own right and personally some of my favorites. Musically, I don’t need anyone else when I collaborate with guys like Insight and Raw Poetic. Both of whom are friends and the rapport calls for better collaborations.
With Raw P, he’s in my opinion one of the greatest of his time. There’s nothing he can’t do and he’s always challenging himself. When I’m in the zone and I’m making something I like, first thing that comes to mind is “Raw P is gonna kill this!”. I don’t ever have to explain what I’m thinking or musical direction and if I do it’s super minimal. He and I can just make music without talking to each other. We can just be in a room or apart and still make cohesive innovative music we like. Having that kind of faith in someone you work with is irreplaceable so I rarely look elsewhere. We know each other well enough in real life that when we create, either one of us can present an idea for the other to complete. We have a ton of fun too. I’m not the type of producer that works with a bunch of artists and sells beats. I tried to be that years ago and found my results were more satisfying and productive when I focus on myself and friends. Your production features a lot of live instrumentation and musicality, including the ability to recreate classic breaks. Are you a trained musician, or self-taught?
I wouldn’t say a lot of live instruments are in my production. In comparison to some of the other producers in my era, I’m one who still relies heavily on sampling. When I do use instruments, it’s a garnish or enhancement. In The Reflecting Sea, we included more of our instrumental abilities. Several times a year we lock ourselves in a room with our real musician friends and jam for hours. Raw P will sing and play guitar while I’m on drums. That’s some of the best entertainment for me personally. We tapped into the energy of those sessions in the album.
Neither one of us is classically trained, but we train in whatever we have in our hands whether it’s a guitar or bass or vinyl or mic so that we’re comfortable enough to use it on record. Though you may hear or think you hear live instruments, we want it to be an afterthought. Does it sound good? If so, we’d prefer that people simply enjoy the music instead of picking apart the creative process beforehand. I’d like to talk about Redefinition Records for a minute. To me, its always felt like a producer’s label first and foremost – a platform for your own music but also beatmakers like Klaus Layer, and K-Def, who I honestly believe is one of the greatest hip-hop producers of all time. Is the producer-heavy focus a big part of the label’s ethos?
To date, that’s what the label has become, but it wasn’t intentional. Redef is in its 10th year. It started with my partner John together with Ski and Camp lo and in year one I came aboard months after releasing the Y Society debut.
Ski’s camp eventually moved on and my career became the focus of the label. We weren’t really a label at the time until being forced to release records on our own after years of soliciting other labels for deals that were unsuccessful. Once things picked up for me, we slowly gained the experience and relationships to run the label as it grew. John had an existing relationship with K-Def and I was friends with Kev Brown, we were able to experiment with expanding our roster which proved to be a good call at that time. It just so happens we know more producers than rappers and the rappers we do know have all contributed to the label with Raw Poetic being the most prominent.
Our audience has grown to look to us for producer-centric releases, but a lot of it comes from the early days of pushing my aesthetic. That has become synonymous with the people who check for what we do. We’ve tried to work with more rappers in the past, but producers have been easier to manage. At least 80% of the demo submissions are producers. Speaking of which we’re never seeking new acts to sign. It boils down to, “will this artist do well with our audience”. When John discovered Klaus Layer, it was a matter of general appreciation, but a vision of whether Redef’s core would buy into his brand.
We’ve mixed it up over the years and fans show us what they like and what they pass on. Because we’re aware of that, satisfying that demand means not shifting focus too far from producers. In our personal lives, we check for all types of music. John loves Drake, The Lumineers and Nine Inch Nails. I zone out to Amadou & Miriam, Warpaint and Joanna Newsom. We check for a lot of new music, we’re just not in the business of branching out releasing it (though we’d like to). The MC K.A.A.N. is our attempt to introduce something modern that appeals to both of our sensibilities. Check him out if you haven’t. The label is incredibly prolific with a dedication to vinyl. It’s also become an outlet for the vinyl release of music by independent icons like J-Zone and People Under The Stairs, taking on the expense that comes with pressing records. The current vinyl resurgence probably won’t last too long, but do you think they’ll always be a market for small/limited edition vinyl runs by smaller indy labels?
Thanks for the high regards, but I tell people all the time, “we’re just 2 guys with computers and cell phones”. We learned what it takes to make our records and sell them. We’re good at that process, but our quest for improvement is ongoing. Thanks to our loyal fanbase, we can take on projects like J-Zone and PUTS with the confidence that people will support. It goes without saying that certain acts have strong cores, and those two have very loyal bases of their own which makes a difference.
The vinyl resurgence will definitely peak and fall off at a certain point, but I don’t think it affects us or our peers too much. We had a demand for vinyl prior to the inflation. I’m sure our audience will continue to seek vinyl because it’s a part of life for many of our fans to buy things they like on vinyl regardless if it’s cool or not. However, if those values change within our core for whatever reason, then yes we’ll be affected, but it won’t be dictated by the masses. We’re not sold in Urban Outfitters or Barnes & Noble to casual and introductory listeners (we’d love to be in those places) so we’re not dependent on revenue from that market who is fueling the resurgence of the format. Raw Poetic; One thing I’ve always liked about your music is the ability to change up your style. Sometimes you use a fast-paced, throwback emcee style, but at times a slower and more introspective flow. Are these different parts of your personality shining through, and how do you decide which to use?
They are different parts of the personality. I don’t think I really control any of them at this point in my life. I do know the beat does to a certain degree. Rapping, rapping, rapping… rapping is the skill you practice from about 5 to 27. Okay. Your mother helps you write your first one. It ends in “Jason, stop wasting your time with me- yell Kiya, Kiya, and bend your knee.” Then I counted to 5 and said, “I’m alive.” Then at 14, your older cousin shows you the ropes of freestyling and battling and tells you to stop listening to other MC’s if you really want to find your own voice. Next thing you know, you barely listen to it (rap) anymore and you get absorbed into what you and your friends are making.
Finally, you make a piece of a career out of your dream, realize you’ll probably die broke, discover that all the people who ask “can you do this for the love?” really have no love for you, and finally find out… you have no control over what’s coming out of your mouth anyway. You’re the vessel. Your life is speaking through poetry, and somehow it works. And sometimes, if you’re lucky, you have a friend like Damu who is the same way with beats. Anyway, that’s my lyrics in a nutshell. A lot of heads probably first heard about you as one half of Panacea. How does working with K-Murdoch, a producer you came up with, compare to working with beatmakers like Damu, K-Def or Kev Brown, who were already established by the time you recorded with them? Does it take you out your comfort zone?
The funny thing is, I’ve been friends with Damu for just as long as K-Murdock. Damu did shows with me and my band Restoring Poetry in Music before Murdock and I ever made an album. So there wasn’t a big switch there. One friend makes more fantasy based worlds drifting type of beats, the other makes a more deep soul brooding boom bap type of sound. Here’s the biggest difference. With K-Def and Kev Brown, I got the chance to rap over beats I learned my craft in. True Boom Bap, hip-hop beats. For some reason, I could never find that in my career. With Damu, I get that, intertwined with live instrumentation, along with my own elements of guitar thrown into the mix. It’s like a smorgasbord of sound. That’s my bro.
Oh, sorry. Does it take me out of my comfort zone… Hmm… I don’t have one. What’s the current status of Panacea? Are you still recording together?
Umm… whenever it makes sense. I just talked to Doc yesterday. We have about six songs recorded. Four I would actually put out. Doc has a family these days, so I just wait for him to be ready and move when I feel compelled. What I did explain to him is that at this age for me, music is a solo journey more than anything. I don’t have kids, so these songs/ pieces are like my children. Right now, my main concern after The Reflecting Sea is more Raw Poetic. The next Raw Poetic album is Paging Mother Earth, which is a party album based on the afterlife and legacy of my ancestors. I’ll gladly play it for you. But I can’t say much about Panacea until the album or EP is done. I always find it amazing that Panacea is still talked about. It’s awesome. I greatly appreciate it. The group went through a run of different label situations, including a stint on Rawkus. The industry has, of course, changed beyond all recognition since then, but there’s still a lot of decent indy labels out there. Beyond the obvious financial side, what other benefits are there for an artist to work with a label like Redefinition Records? At the very least I guess it helps you stand out in a world saturated with so many Soundcloud links?
As far as Rawkus Records, Sony, etc… I never saw a dime. Talking about those days is almost like talking about your first girlfriend in high school. At the time, you thought you were in love and it would be forever. After 10 years removed, you realize you didn’t even know the meaning of the word… and you didn’t even have sex! Not that that matters.
Redef is more like dealing with family. I’ve been an independent artist most of my career. I’ve never been on a label as a solo artist, so that’s probably the biggest difference. I think the communication is better, and I never get the feeling that they’re trying to get over on me. After many years in the industry, this is the first time I didn’t have to watch my back with a label. It’s been fun. It’s also been a great experience in learning how to brand myself instead of getting your name lost in a group. I’ve been Raw Poetic for 24 years, but people only knew Panacea and RPM. So, yeah! Check out the Raw Poetic albums if you really want to know where I’m going – starting with Cool Convos in Quantum Speech (Raw Poetic & K-Def), and Concentrated Maneuvers (Raw Poetic & Kev Brown).
DC and the wider DMV area has generated so many dope hip-hop artists, but its still criminally underrated outside of those who know to check for you, Oddisee, the rest of the Low Budget Crew and a few others. Is that something you’ve ever been conscious of?
Yeah, but I don’t have an answer for it. I’m happy to see that Oddisee and Kev Brown are doing well. They’re dope and deserve all of their success. It’s all hustle at the end of the day. There’s no one formula. If you want it, you go get it. Even if it means separating from others. If you want some more DMV stuff, check the solo projects. It’s all live instrumentation, and I play everything: Charlie Brown Parents, Belong Anywhere, There’s a Moon in the Sea, Nature Girls Walk on the Wild Side (The B Sides), and Paging Mother Earth will be out next year, as well as the Raw Poetic & Mars V project. And most importantly, get that The Reflecting Sea… Welcome to a New Philosophy by Damu the Fudgemunk and Raw Poetic.
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The Reflecting Sea: Welcome to a New Philosophy is out now. Go to the Redefinition Records Bandcamp page to purchase, and to check out the rest of their extensive catalog. Follow them on Twitter. Interview by Grown Up Rap Editor Ben Pedroche.
We are very proud to premiere the latest track from the upcoming album by Damu The Fudgemunk and Raw Poetic, The Reflecting Sea (Welcome to a New Philosophy), coming soon on the mighty Redefinition Records. Check it below, and look out for an interview with the long-time collaborators coming next week.
New York native Matt Diamond is a busy man, running an influential music marketing company and a label, Coalmine Records. We talked to him about Coalmine’s latest project, Beats, Mines and Life: An Instrumental Journey, the history and ethos behind the label, and more. Tell us about the concept behind Beats, Mines and Life: An Instrumental Journey.
Shouts for the Q&A. And lemme take a moment to give credit where it’s due, but I appreciate the day-in, day-out work you’ve been puttin’ in for the site. You’ve carved out a nice niche for where the dope shit could live in cyberspace. As for Beats, Mines and Life, I wanted to get a new project off the ground quickly to christen Coalmine’s new deal with EMPIRE Distribution, before we start getting into some of our full-length projects. Conceptually, I just thought it would be fresh to put the spotlight on the producers we’ve worked with over the years in the form of a beat tape, and highlight some of the more standout instrumentals off our catalog.
It feels like something of a pet project. Is it an idea you’ve had for a while?
I first toyed with the idea during the summer and thought a beat tape would not only be a quick and easy way to drop some content, but would also be fitting to drop on cassette in time for Cassette Store Day. So from there came the fun part of digging through our catalog and curating the tracklist. The scope of producers included is pretty epic. How did you decide on the list of tracks to include?
I first cut my teeth as a deejay, so it comes pretty natural for me to group tracks together. I didn’t dig too far back into our catalog, so mostly everything’s from the 2nd half of our label’s history…or the past five years. But I wanted to make sure that I represented a good balance of the producers we’ve worked with, while sonically making sure all of the tracks fit. It was a bit of a jigsaw puzzle, but if you give it a listen, you could get a good sense of how most of the instrumentals just work really well together in sequence. I know I’ve done my part when after just a few listens you could sense the next track come in before it drops. Did you have to make any tough choices, leaving some strong contenders out of the mix to make sure the tracklist was kept succinct?
Yah there were a couple tough choices. I was most torn between going with the original, M-Phazes produced version of Perfect Timing, or the Max I Million remix. I love ‘em both, but decided on the latter; M-Phazes is already well represented on the project with four other instrumentals, and the remix I thought worked really well in sequence.
Other than that, I was a bit indecisive on which Thelonious Martin-produced track off Molotov (Saga & Thelonious Martin) to use, but the vibe of They Don’t Know was the perfect closer. It wasn’t until after I was decided on the tracklist that I made the connection between the last track and the album title. Thelo used the same Minnie Riperton sample for Inside My Love that ATCQ used for, Lyrics to Go, so that pretty much sealed the deal, considering that the album title is a play on ATCQ’s fourth album. I recently read an interview with Blockhead, where he was asked if there’s still a place for instrumental Hip-Hop. In my opinion there definitely is, but I’m intrigued to hear your thoughts.
Haha, I know that interview you’re talking about. Overall, I think you could reach a broader audience with instrumentals – not everyone is a fan of rap, but a great beat will resonate with almost any music lover. There’s also a lot of incredible production that just isn’t rap friendly. Ya know, the type of beats that sound incredible by themselves, but either just don’t work, or are too busy to be accompanied by vocals.
But I think a lot of music platforms realize the impact and significance of instrumental Hip-Hop. Spotify’s dedicated more space for instrumentals, with a rollout of new playlists; Lofi Hip Hop, Chill Instrumental Beats, and Trap & 808 Instrumental Beats. Longstanding vinyl retailer/distributor Fat Beats has been showcasing their homage for instrumental Hip-Hop as of late with their producer’centric vinyl series, Baker’s Dozen (listen to these installments from Ras G and Marco Polo). And then, of course, there’s the Beat Society showcase, which is dedicated to the fine art of beatmaking, and has been doin’ its thing since the early/mid-aughts. What’s interesting about Beats, Mines and Life: An Instrumental Journey is that, for someone like me who was already familiar with the vocal version of many of the tracks, you get a different perspective now, focusing your ear on the beat rather than the lyrics. Was that part of the intention?
I think inevitably that was part of the intention. When music can exist as an unscripted open vacuum, it could take on an entirely new meaning. I’m usually always amazed when I hear the full instrumental version of a track for the first time, after first being only familiar with the vocal version. Sometimes the difference is really subtle, like being able to single out the bassline with a bit more clarity. Other times the difference is night and day, like when the vocals drown out the sample, and the instrumental track takes on a new form.
I also think that by lumping these beats together on one project, sans vocals, you get a greater understanding of our sound and our brand as a label. And akin to the artists we work with, there’s a certain pulse that remains somewhat constant, a common denominator of sorts that binds our releases together. Beats, Mines and Life helps bring that pulse to the forefront. For those not familiar with Coalmine Records as a label, can you give us a potted history?
As a quick rundown, I launched Coalmine in ’05, solely with the intention of dropping a couple vinyl singles here and there. I couldn’t have picked a worse time – vinyl sales were in a sharp decline, and everything was starting to become digital. But I stayed the course, soaked up game, and would eventually release a bunch of full-length projects. After doing this for over a decade now, we’ve released full projects to date with the likes of Blu & Nottz, Guilty Simpson & Small Professor, Planet Asia & DJ Concept, Sean Price (RIP) & M-Phazes, Saga & Thelonious Martin, El Da Sensei, Bekay, Aaron Rose (Pro Era), and more, and have worked with everyone from the likes of Pharoahe Monch, C.L. Smooth, Kool G Rap, Large Professor, Masta Ace, Skyzoo, Rah Digga, The Artifacts, Talib Kweli, Heltah Skeltah, Big Noyd, Supernatural, Roc Marci, AG, Apathy & Celph Titled, The Beat Junkies (DJ Babu, DJ Rhettmatic), DJ Revolution, and a bunch others. Since 2013, all of our releases have been emcee/producer collaborations, and I don’t intend on that to change anytime soon.
To get a good idea of what we’re about, press play on our decennary compilation LP, Unearthed, which is mixed by the incredible DJ Revolution. I’d like to think of this as our label’s Soundbombing II.
What’s next up for the label?
We have our first 10-Inch vinyl release planned for Record Store Day/Black Friday (11/24). I’m gonna keep the details on this one a secret for the time being. To kick off the new year, we’re gonna drop our final installment from Blu & Nottz, which will conclude the series. And earlier this year, we announced a collab LP from Diabolic & Vanderslice which should see the light of day sometime next year. But we always have something new in the works, and if it’s not a full-length project, we’re usually releasing something on 45 for either of the two Record Store Day holidays, so just follow us online and you’ll be kept in the loop.
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Beats, Mines and Life: An Instrumental Journey is out now. Cassette copies were sold our for a while, but they are currently back in stock at Fat Beats here. Follow Coalmine Records on Twitter. Interview by Grown Up Rap Editor Ben Pedroche.
Blueprint has become hugely respected on the independent hip-hop scene, thanks to a string of solid solo releases and collaborations, going back to 1999 and his debut EP as part of Greenhouse Effect. More recently he has garnered praise for his Super Duty Tough Work podcast, alongside his long-time friend and collaborator, Illogic. He is also releasing his first feature-length film this year, King No Crown. We caught up with him to discuss the project, his disciplined work ethic and the benefits of being able to speak openly and honestly. Interview by Gingerslim.
Your new film, King No Crown, is due for release soon. Can you give us a little bit of background on the project?
I started wanting to try my hand at making a movie around 2012 or so and, even though my first few attempts didn’t work out, I kept my eyes open for any projects that I might be able to execute. My initial idea for the King No Crown movie came to me around the beginning of 2015, about five months before the album was released. The first thing I did was have a friend do an interview with me about topics from the album and from being an independent artist in general. When I saw how well that came out it gave me the inspiration to try a little more, so I had my guy Mario follow me around with a camera to track some of the action as I prepared to release the King No Crown album. At first, it was just supposed to be around 20-30 minutes, but as I started getting into it I saw that it had the potential to be much more, so I decided to dive deeper into it and really bring it to life as a full-length movie.
You’ve been involved in the creative world for years, was filmmaking just the natural progression for you from your interest in photography? Had you ever had a desire to make a film before this?
I think film was definitely a natural progression for me. Several years back, it really hit me how being a writer is my primary occupation and the only thing that really changes is the medium I use to tell my stories on. From music to podcasting, to books, and now to film; it just feels like natural progression to me. Naturally, there are a lot of technical things you have to learn to even be able to make an average film, but it feels no different than any of the other disciplines I’ve dedicated myself towards learning at a high level.
I didn’t own my own camera until 2011 and never had much of a desire to make movies prior to that. But getting a good camera taught me how powerful images and video are in storytelling. Once I saw that, I had to dive deeper into it. Now you’ve made the film, do you think it is something you will pursue further?
As far as I’m concerned, this film is just the beginning. It’s been such an inspiring experience to see my idea actually come alive on screen that I definitely plan on doing more films in the future. My second film has been started already, but I don’t want to divulge too much about it yet until it’s a bit further along. It’s definitely coming though and should hopefully be out within a year or less. And do you think there will ever be a point in the future where you step away from making hip-hop to focus purely on another medium?
I’m a hip-hop head to the core, so I don’t think there will ever be a time that I stop writing rhymes and making beats. There may be a time when I do a little more film work than music, but music will always be a huge part of my life. I know part of the film’s main theme is the feeling of losing time and I was wondering if that was always a feeling you’ve had, or something that was borne from your accident back in 2015?
For sure. The accident we had in 2015 was a huge wake-up call to all of us. Sometimes you can be so busy pushing forward that you can forget to celebrate where you’ve come from. But then when you have a near-death experience like that, you realize just how sacred life is and how we should be celebrating it more by doing what we love every day. I’ve always felt like life is really short and should be enjoyed, but having it almost taken away from you in the blink of an eye really reminded me of that more than ever. Something that’s inspired me is your work ethic. You describe your days as being scheduled by social media time, studio time, reading time etc. I’ve heard artists like Oddisee say the same, and it’s this organization that has allowed you to do music full-time. Is it something you think a lot of artists overlook?
Totally. Most artists live by a belief that they should only work when they’re inspired, not when it’s time to work, so they reject structure. To me, having structure is what allows me to get so much more work done. I still goof off sometimes even with the schedule, but the schedule and structure are always there to remind me of what I should be doing, or more importantly that I should be doing something. There’s no way I could get the amount of work done that I do without some real structure. Weightless has been the putting out quality music since its inception. What was your original vision for the label when you started it?
Thank you. My original vision was that Weightless would be the platform that none of us ever had access to living in Ohio. Most artists from big cities know what it’s like to have major labels and media near them, but we never had that. As a result, I just wanted Weightless to be that – a platform for us to put out our creative work. Do you feel you’ve exceeded your expectations as far as that’s concerned and has its success given you a different vision for the future of the label?
The goals I set for myself at anything are always really high, so I never actually feel like I’ve exceeded any expectations. There’s always so much farther things could go, especially as media and what a label is keeps on evolving and changing every year. Once upon a time, we were doing CDs and tapes, then books and vinyl, next will be movies and who knows what else. I’m just happy to still be around, but I’m never satisfied. I just wanted to touch briefly on the Orphanage as I think of you guys as one of my favorite crews that never really existed as a crew, if that makes sense. I was wondering if there was a desire among any of you at the time to actually sit down and make more music, or was it more of a spontaneous thing when you happened to all be together?
At the time we did the Orphanage project we were all super in love with the idea of being our own version of one of rap’s super-groups. So once we formed the group we all met up in Minneapolis and spent a few days there writing and recording. It was a great time and we were all excited about it. I don’t think we really understood the pressure that came along with being a super-group at the time we recorded the Orphanage project together, we were just having fun. Later on, we saw that having fun is cool, but we would be judged really seriously on whatever we dropped. And, with five different people involved, it would take a whole lot of work to make a cohesive album that fit all of our standards. The year after we recorded, things really started to take off for all of us, so that also became something that we would have had to balance if we would have ever picked back up the project. It was amazing to spend three or four days straight, sleeping on couches, and working on music with my friends, but I think we all understood that some of the magic and fun would be lost if we ever released the project.
You’ve always been very open and honest about your career, both its ups and downs. I was wondering if there was anything you might do differently if you were given the chance to go through it again?
Nah not really. Anything that went bad for me gave me an opportunity to learn something that I applied later. I’ve never really had any regrets about my career because I truly believe every decision I made was the best decision given the information I had at the time. So I would probably do everything all over again the exact same way if given the opportunity. Sticking with that honesty theme for a second, we’re big fans of your Super Duty Tough Work podcast. What’s refreshing about it for us is that you don’t shy away from saying what a lot of people within the hip-hop media world are afraid to. Yet you aren’t doing it in a controversial way or trying to cause scandal. You are just saying what needs to be said. Is that quite a liberating experience?
Oh yeah. Being able to talk candidly about those topics is the most liberating thing for me and Illogic. So many artists can never truly say what they really believe because they fear backlash for it, but we’ve set things up to where our listeners have allowed us to just be ourselves and honest. When people first hear our podcast, a lot of them are blown away because they’re just not used to that level of openness. Then after they listen for a while they love it. What’s next for you after the film has been released and the promo run is over?
Next up for me will be getting my next solo album, Two-headed Monster, ready for 2018 release. I’m putting the final touches on it now and I’m excited to get it out to the people. After that should be the Soul Position reunion album.
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The King No Crown film is released on November 7, and you can pre-order a copy here. Gingerslim has been a hip-hop fan since 1994 and has written for various blogs and websites since around 2006. During that time he has contributed to style43, Think Zebra, Headsknow and Front Magazine. His main interests in rap are UK hip hop and the underground movement in America, with a focus on Rhymesayers Entertainment and the once mighty Def Jux label. He lives in Bristol and has a beard. All other details are sketchy at best. Follow him here.
Stones Throw Records followers and liner note junkies will probably recognize the name Dave Cooley from albums like Donuts, Madvillainy, Champion Sound, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas, and Ruff Draft. Cooley is a world-renowned and well sought after mixing and mastering engineer, audio restoration specialist, and producer at Los Angeles-based mastering studio, Elysian Masters. He’s currently working on a number of “top-secret” projects and audio restorations/re-issues with the assistance of Elysian Masters’ recently attained and newly-restored Neumann VMS66 lathe-cutting machine, of which there are only a few left in existence. Matt ‘The Witzard’ Horowitz recently interviewed Cooley about everything from Paramore to Silversun Pickups, J Dilla to DOOM, and everything in-between.
How much does the overall sound (to the common ear) of an album generally change and progress from when you first get it from the artist to when you’re completely done mixing and mastering?
Well it can change quite a bit in terms of where the focus is being drawn to within the tune. Ultimately my goal is to honor what the intention was, the feel that the artist was originally shooting for… but just more of that same feel and more energized. By the time things are mastered, the listener’s ear should be drawn to the interplay of all the different sonic registers and events, so that the music sounds more dimensional, huge, and sort of animated in presentation. That might be done through pressurizing the sound (compression), highlighting or separating things (EQ), smoothing the high frequencies, or spatializing the mix. Spatializing means handling the depth from the upfront leading edge of the sound all the way to the “back wall” or deeper image of the sound.
Now some people will say mastering is just getting things “loud” which is somewhat true, but it’s not that easy. You’ve got a limited amount of canvas, and to maximize every square inch of it with the least amount of degradation to the signal…. it’s knowledge that takes a long time to develop. A lot of easy processes that people have access to at home are either the wrong choice… or overcomplicated and tricky to simplify. Knowing which parameters on a piece of hardware or plugin to not touch on an album, or to take out all together… again, not easy… takes years of experimenting. I compare it to surfing. Looks easy but it’s a lot of muscle memory built up over time. No way are you not wiping out first 10-50 attempts.
How much hands-on or face-to-face interaction do you typically have with artists like Madlib & Freddie Gibbs, DOOM, Silversun Pickups, Paramore, Electro-Acoustic Beat Sessions, Washed Out, etc?
I’ve been lucky enough to work with some amazing artists and really enjoyed being there with them during the creation of the music, mapping out songs and performances. That was in my producing days with bands like SSPU and others. There’s so much face to face when producing that it’s like you’re in a mountaineering base camp together; making a record with a band really does feel like climbing a mountain. On the other hand, when it comes to mastering we have a no attendance policy while doing EQ (Equalization). It’s a one day process usually and I find that almost nobody expects to attend anyway. It’s both a technical and a meditative process; it doesn’t help the music if we’re trading war stories or jokes while I’m working. I take that very seriously and I need to zone in and listen deeply to the tunes. Sometimes the artist will come in at the end of the record and work on spacing/sequencing with me in the studio and I really enjoy that, but even that’s rare these days… most people just fire off notes or tweaks, if any after listening.
Do artists ever disagree with decisions you often have to make during the mastering stage, especially those who are producers themselves? You really must have gone to-to-toe with some sizeable egos, over the years, plus plenty of perfectionists like J Dilla!
Very occasionally, but less and less… and if there’s a redirection after the first listening it’s always for the best because it’s almost universally a project preference thing and not a technical thing at that point. They want it brighter or less bright, that’s pretty common. But often times I’m taken aback by how quick we get through a record, one pass in many instances. Ironically Dilla… the perfectionist… signed off on everything almost immediately with very little second guessing. Madlib too. I would say experience = less indecision. Both on the engineer’s part and on the artist’s end.
The names of engineers often only get noticed by crate-diggin’ liner note junkies, but when you read histories of classic Hip-Hop studios like Callipe, Power Play, D&D, and SugarHill Recording Studios, the engineers always get their proper shine; would you say that Hip-Hop is a genre that really appreciates and respects the skills an engineer brings to the table?
There are times that we engineers are acknowledged and it’s appreciated: a shout out in a rhyme to Mario Caldato or Bob Powers, etc. I was very grateful to be included in much of what’s been written about J-Dilla’s story and legacy as another example. And then conversely, there are times when we’re plainly written out of the historic narrative. Not every single record necessarily; It’s more like when you see a body of work or a true contribution to a sound or label that engineers should be given their fair share of acknowledgement I think.
What album(s) have you contributed to that you’re most proud of and which album (if any) would you go back and approach differently knowing what you know now, in retrospect?
My favorite mix was for These New Puritans’ Hidden album, if only for how wild it was sonically, and just surviving the sheer track count with orchestra, programmed drums, and live band. I think I have Stockholm Syndrome on that one. My favorite mastering jobs I’ve done, probably the two M83 records and our recent Bob Marley: Exodus 40th Anniversary reissue. And Madvillainy because it’s pretty reckless and punk in spirit.
As far as what I would approach differently today… probably all of them done pre 2017! Not that they should have been done different, but I prefer to keep evolving. If my skills and techniques remain the same then I’m not honoring new ways of looking at things, or I’m not trying to do my best sonics yet. The early Stones Throw records, some of the techniques on those… I wouldn’t default to now. But they became part of the sound of those records. It fit the music, and people liked what it was contributing as far as the aggressive and disorienting sound. Sometimes I get requests to run things like that (which is retro at this point) and I do it if it’s right for the record. No absolute methodology, just whatever supports the vibe of the record.
How exactly did you go from playing in Rock bands to producing for Silversun Pickups to mixing for J Dilla and Madlib to mastering records for Paramore and Jimmy Eat World to doing audio restoration and working with the Neumann VMS66 lathe? Your musical career path really sounds like it’s been one hell of an exciting journey!
It was borne out of necessity. When I got in, it was the tail end of the music industry as it was previously known. We went from a Pangea major label land mass to a broken up world of independents. To survive, you needed to be able to translate between the differing cultures and sub-genres, and navigate between all the newly minted indie labels. You needed to be a jack of all trades too because budgets were scant. Lastly, I spoke “record collector”, which was the equivalent of a rosetta stone… and hard to find in an audio engineer in the early 00s. That really helped me lock up with Light In The Attic, NowAgain, Stones Throw, Dangerbird etc. I guess things have only gone further in that direction since. For my clientele I still need to know the difference between zamrock, beach goth, and next gen new age… what those sound like. I don’t think most mastering engineers do.
What was it like being right there in the studio while Madlib & DOOM crafted and recorded Madvillainy? Do you happen to have any particularly crazy stories you’re able to mention from those fateful sessions at The Bomb Shelter?
Well the beat making all happened at Madlib’s Bomb Shelter before I was brought in; he had hundreds of 2 track beat snippets on CDs. In one month of reclusive producing he had a CD made up called “100 beats”. Two weeks later, he had another CD made up called “Another 100 beats”. He had Jeff Jank (in house designer at Stones Throw) make custom album artwork for these CDs which were only used internally at the label and to shop beats to MCs. DOOM would go through those to pick out his faves. Most (if not all) of the material for Madvillainy, Jaylib’s Champion Sound, and I think Dudley Perkin’s first album was sourced from that one month’s worth of Madlib beats!.
The music was then imported to Protools at my place, and then DOOM tracked all the vocals. We had a great mic sound and workflow, everything got pretty well cinched up. DOOM took the semi-final material home and upon review decided that he had put everything down with “too much energy” in the vocal takes. So all those takes were scrapped! He ended up re-recording the vocals with a super laid back delivery, on a rough mic, and those became the finals… I think to the betterment of the record. It just had a better dichotomy to it. Madlib’s beats were so day-glo intense; DOOM’s casual delivery worked well against that. I also remember loaning DOOM a book: Tao of Physics. Every time I saw him he wanted to talk about that; he was really into the the idea that quantum physics was a manifestation of the ancient Tao teachings. So some of that super-consciousness you get from his rhymes, it’s informed from places other than psychotropic substances. He was more of a hip-hop Tim Leary: well-read in addition to being a cosmic explorer. Also, we probably went through about 8-10 differing album sequences for Madvillainy… over a period of 2-3 months. Peanut Butter Wolf and Jeff Jank were grinding out how it was strung together, there were probably 50-60 snippets of audio scene changes that needed to be put in a particular order, to create that audio-meets-comic-book feel.
While recently perusing your Discogs profile, I noticed you’ve had a hand in nearly every Adrian Younge (Linear Labs) release since 2013, including Adrian Younge Presents The Delfonics, Ghostface Killah’s 12 Reasons to Die I & II, Something About April II, and The Electronique Void (Black Noise). What’s it been like steadily working alongside Younge as his career rapidly progresses and evolves? How did it feel being part of what most would quite arguably call Ghostface’s recent “Rap career resurgence”?
Adrian is a really heavy artist in that he’s a multi-instrumentalist composer/arranger. And he cranks out consistently great records. He and I have worked closely together over the years to get a finished sound for his records that people recognize immediately, and he’s great at getting me input on what he needs the mastering to sound like. Working for his projects is right in my wheelhouse (historic record presentation mixed with hip-hop/breaks). He’s also probably one of the most gentlemanly dudes I’ve ever worked with, a savvy businessman, and a great friend. As far as 12 Reasons to Die, I was a fan of Wu-Tang Clan of course from way back. While I was mastering, I was trying to get it where I felt like I was listening to a classic Wu record for the first time all over again. Am I getting that record buzz I remember from being a teenage rap fan skipping class? If so, move to the next song. Sweat, repeat.
How did you go about attaining your fully-restored Neumann VMS66 lathe-cutting machine now housed at Elysian Masters? I remember you’ve said you and your crew used it to cut Ariel Pink, Betty Davis, and Paramore’s recent records… but what exactly does it do, for those who may not be familiar with such a machine?
Well this particular vinyl lathe was rescued from the backyard of a DJ in Boston who didn’t have the time or resources to restore it properly and get it running again. We spent about a year with four people working on it, and 10s of thousands of dollars, to get it cracking again. It is now cutting amazing records, just amazing. We went nuts making sure that the lathe was restored to the condition it would have left the German factory in 1966, which was truly a painful process. Then we took it miles further by improving the electronic components and wiring, shortening signal paths, and optimizing the computer that handles the groove placement.
We got it to the point where we were benefiting from the fantastic original discrete designs by optimizing them with new component choices, but also benefiting from certain modern upgrades that could only happen within the last couple years. The result is a lathe that cuts a lacquer master for vinyl that is really efficiently cut. And super musical and high fidelity. The running times can be longer, the depth of cut can be deeper for more volume and better signal to noise, and lead outs at the ends of sides are long. This puts most of the music on the outermost diameters where it sounds the best. We feel it’s the best cut for the money out there and possibly at any price point. So once our clients have a 14” lacquer master from our shop, then that is sent out for electroplating to create the metal parts and then the stampers that will handle the production run for a vinyl release.
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Matt Horowitz has been a hip-hop fan ever since he first heard Wu-Tang Clan’s Enter The Wu-Tang (36 Chambers) back in the mid-90’s, which positively or negatively changed his life ever since, depending on who you ask. He single-handedly runs online music publication The Witzard, and has been fortunate enough to interview Eothen ‘Egon’ Alapatt, Guilty Simpson, Dan Ubick, Career Crooks’ Zilla Rocca & Small Professor, Kool A.D., Cut Chemist, and J-Zone, amongst countless others. He enjoys writing about and listening to hip-hop, Punk/Hardcore, and Indie Rock on vinyl with his lovely fiance, while drinking craft beer, red wine, or iced coffee. To paraphrase both Darko The Super and the Beastie Boys: “Already Dead fans, they want more of this… I’m a Witzard like my man Matt Horowitz!”. Follow Matt here.
Emcee and producer Uncommon Nasa has been making hip-hop independently for years, with a huge body of work to his name. We caught up to talk about his excellent recent album, Written At Night, the production process, and his love of New York City. We’re also proud to premiere the incredible More than Two Suns; which Uncommon Nasa describes as a mix of rarities, hits, and new tracks. It was mixed by UK DMC Championship Finalist and Last Sons member Furious P.
Your brand of rap is sometimes hard to define. Not that pigeonholing an artist is necessary at all, but if you had to, how would you personally describe your sound? You’ve used the term Progressive Hip-Hop in the past.
I like to consider myself a conversational writer and performer. I have a number of rhyme styles that I use, depending on the theme of the track or the style of the beat. But usually it comes down to me doing something with space for the thoughts I’m putting out there to be fully absorbed and somewhat pondered in the mind of the listener. That’s why I’d call it conversational. When I’m performing, I like to involve the crowd in addressing them in between songs and delivering my lines in a clear and effective manner. I don’t want my music or my performance to ever come off like I’m showing off or that it’s all some cheap party trick or a talent show.
Tell us about Written At Night.
The album was put together purposefully as something I would produce in full and that would have a good number of collaborations. It was also important to me that the record still hit a central theme of some sort and that it was wholly mine overall. I think I was able to do that. All the people I collaborated with are immensely talented, so it was a fun, but challenging effort to try and concept tracks that played to their strengths while still having to deliver my end of the bargain each and every time.
You have features on there from people you’ve worked with before, Billy Woods and Open Mike Eagle for instance, but more guests overall than some of your other works. Do you see this one as more of a collaborative project?
It is, but it isn’t. This is my album, I concepted all the tracks, made all the beats, etc. I wrote each song first for myself, then took all I had and sent it to the artist. I’d hate for it to be caught in some weird “duets” or “posse cut” zone, because that’s not what this is at all. In most cases when I was writing, not only did I know where I was going conceptually, but I also knew who I’d want on the track with me. I tried to put everyone I worked with in a position where they had a beat they’d be comfortable with, subject matter that I felt they’d be familiar with and with a prepared product of what I was doing on it in my space. All said though, yes, aside from two of the 11 tracks there is a guest and I know that working with all of those people made this album something it could have never been if it was just a standard solo record.
The music you make has a passionate love for New York City, similar to El-P, in a way that cuts deeper than a rapper meaninglessly shouting out their borough. You write very vividly about the city as a living entity. What exactly does NYC mean to you?
I always felt privileged to live and grow in NYC. Coming from Staten Island as a younger guy I was part of the city, but I wasn’t experiencing it at full measure. So I’d see movies like The Warriors or Hangin with the Homeboys and want to be a part of that. Those nights out on the town are kind of key to this record in fact. But my point is, unlike people that saw those movies far from NYC, I was actually here, so I just started traveling to it with my friends and by the time I was 17 I had a gig in Manhattan and haven’t looked back since. I’ve been in Manhattan probably 75% of my time since turning 17. If not more. So it’s like I said on Written At Night, “I’m a would be, could be city kid/instantly paying dues and bids”. That really is my perspective on my city, so I value it enough to write about it as often and as vividly, if you will, as I do.
You’ve talked before about being an early adopter of releasing music online. Did you foresee what’s happened in the last ten years?
I hate to say yes. But um, yes? There were a few things I was right about early on, for better or worse. The first thing I realized when I started my label in 2004 is that on the physical market I could no longer keep up with the costs endured by labels for the volume of releases that were needed to be relevant. The digital distribution business model started around that time and by 2006 I had signed a deal for Uncommon Records. I knew that this was a way for us to keep up with the larger indies in terms of volume of product without enduring the volume of cost. And that sort of became the model, right? For a number of years, this was the case up to the point of today where it’s perhaps just too easy for too many people to work this way.
The other thing I called back then was when the streaming model began to emerge, I immediately said “this is a trap!”. I felt like once major labels became involved in this sort of thing it would become a walled garden, where they didn’t just own the bats and the balls for the game, they owned the field the game was played on. Once a major owns the field like that, it can dictate who’s allowed to play and who’s allowed to play at what level. And you see that there’s a huge battle behind the scenes in promoting records or trying to get on playlists. There are hoops you have to jump through in order to get placed on these things that usually translate to “don’t bother unless you are on a major”. It’s a manipulated part of the business. The consumer owns nothing, has the appearance of choice, with no actual choice. I wrote blog posts and talked about it online a lot back in 2010 or so, but nobody really cares about what I’m saying right? Haha.
Your back catalog is sizable. Does the ease and speed at which you can get music online mean there’s a compulsion for you to pretty much make everything you record available for public consumption?
To be honest, I’ve always been an artist where you are hearing almost everything I make. I don’t have a stash of unreleased material, because when I sit down to make something I’m already envisioning how this will be released and received. It’s not to say that informs my art and forces my hand to do one thing or another, but when I create, I’m creating for an audience from the first drop of ink from my pen. I think this comes from my background in recording studios and seeing the process of genesis to birth repeatedly take place in music.
As far as getting music online, I think it’s easier to start this process quicker and bring it to fruition, but I think I’m releasing as much as I’ve always been capable of talent wise. And when I release something, I try to make sure I do all I can to make sure people hear it. When I release an album or a project of any kind, there is an attempt to promote it fully. There is cover art and/or merch that is as professional and thoughtful as we can create. I think the bigger issue is sort of just folks that toss shit on Soundcloud and Bandcamp un-mixed, un-mastered, demo style recordings with no original artwork. If you embrace that and are aware that that’s a short coming and you just want to get feedback or have fun, that’s fine too. But cats that approach releases that way shouldn’t be under any false impression that it goes beyond their fun and growth.
It must also be quite liberating to have complete freedom to release projects with perhaps less mass appeal, like your instrumental albums, or EPs like Orange Military?
The freedom to do what I want was always going to be there, because that’s just who I am. To be honest, I always want more attention for everything I do and I’m never that satisfied. I feel happy, but satisfaction is never really there. It never will be. Even an instrumental project like Cold War Era, I don’t do those as side projects or dumps. I did that to make it as big as it could be. I understand it’s an experimental beat tape and that there are confines to that, but I want to reach the top of those confines. And to some extent we did, we got coverage at this awesome site called Gimme Tinitus and I got to build with the guys that run that site online. That felt good, but that’s an example of where even with a perceived “smaller project”, I still have an idea to grow from it and take it seriously.
You often record live instruments and then chop them up. Can you describe the process in more detail?
Sure – with Written At Night in particular there was a goal set out for me to not sample, or to certainly use less samples. And I hit that goal with this record. It’s something I was considering before I was even approached to do the record, so the timing was perfect for me to jump into creating this in that way. I pretty much create my own samples now. I play something out the way I would have heard on a record and then flip it as if I got it off vinyl. I also play things on top of that on keys free hand, which I’ve actually always done. I’ve slowly and surely built up a small arsenal of tools to help make this happen, but in truth I could have stopped with my MPC and an Ipad with apps and still pulled this sound off. In fact, most of what you hear on Written At Night was made with those two tools at its core.
Tell us about your relationship with Man Bites Dog Records.
It’s been great so far, and I have had absolute creative freedom. I made the exact record I would have released on Uncommon Records and we put together the artwork independently as if it was being self-released. There were even songs that went far left like Gingerbread Hag that I didn’t know whether or not I’d be questioned, but that wasn’t the case at all. And I think to some extent I was able to pull off sounds as varied as Compass and Gingerbread Hag on the same record due to placement and over all theme.
It’s good to have another ear, another person that’s depending on you getting something done. I’ve always been self-sufficient in that way, but having someone texting you at 9am with a video concept or asking for a response to an email that’s invested in your record is a welcome change. It’s been a long time coming in reality, I’ve always been open to the idea of working with other labels, it just was never the right situation.
You also have your own Uncommon Records imprint. What are the advantages of releasing music on your own company versus via a label like Man Bites Dog Records?
Obviously when you have someone else investing time and money into you it can only make you stronger. I’ve been carrying my own weight for quite some time so it’s nice to do less lifting, even though I am still doing plenty. Uncommon Records does continue on, I am finishing a record with Last Sons (Duke01 and Furious P) which I fully produced. I’m starting my next solo record that will be produced by Messiah Musik and I am starting the follow up to Autonomy Music with Short Fuze. That, among some other projects I can’t mention yet, will all be on Uncommon unless they end up placed with other labels as well.
What’s next after Written At Night?
We have some more videos to release and I’d tentatively say I’m looking to tour in November and early 2018 as well. That along with working on the releases I mentioned earlier are my immediate plans.
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Written At Night is out now on Man Bits Dog Records. Follow Uncommon Nasa here. Photo by Mike Petrow. Interview by Grown Up Rap Editor Ben Pedroche.
Long-time collaborators Damu The Fudgemunk and Raw Poetic talk to us about their new album, 
We are very proud to premiere the latest track from the upcoming album by Damu The Fudgemunk and Raw Poetic, 
Blueprint has become hugely respected on the independent hip-hop scene, thanks to a string of solid solo releases and collaborations, going back to 1999 and his debut EP as part of Greenhouse Effect. More recently he has garnered praise for his Super Duty Tough Work podcast, alongside his long-time friend and collaborator, Illogic. He is also releasing his first feature-length film this year, King No Crown. We caught up with him to discuss the project, his disciplined work ethic and the benefits of being able to speak openly and honestly. Interview by 
Stones Throw Records followers and liner note junkies will probably recognize the name Dave Cooley from albums like Donuts, Madvillainy, Champion Sound, The Further Adventures of Lord Quas, and Ruff Draft. Cooley is a world-renowned and well sought after mixing and mastering engineer, audio restoration specialist, and producer at Los Angeles-based mastering studio, 
We got it to the point where we were benefiting from the fantastic original discrete designs by optimizing them with new component choices, but also benefiting from certain modern upgrades that could only happen within the last couple years. The result is a lathe that cuts a lacquer master for vinyl that is really efficiently cut. And super musical and high fidelity. The running times can be longer, the depth of cut can be deeper for more volume and better signal to noise, and lead outs at the ends of sides are long. This puts most of the music on the outermost diameters where it sounds the best. We feel it’s the best cut for the money out there and possibly at any price point. So once our clients have a 14” lacquer master from our shop, then that is sent out for electroplating to create the metal parts and then the stampers that will handle the production run for a vinyl release.
