The Eight Mile Chronicle

"How To Jerk An Artist" by Wendy Day @RapCoalition

Wed, 09 Jan 2013 19:48:23 -0500

Note from Wendy Day: I wrote this tongue-in-cheek article in December of 2008. It was meant to be sarcastic. I am now in my 21st year in the music industry….and it still holds true….sadly.

I’ve seen so many people get jerked in the 17 years that I have been pulling artists out of bad deals. And I have been vocal (for free) about how artists can protect themselves from getting jerked by less than savory managers and production companies, greedy labels, and unscrupulous scammers. Yet, every week it seems I get a new request for help. I’m not quite sure how the “protect yourself” information can be out there, and artists are STILL signing bad deals that steal their dreams from them. It’s most frustrating.

So I thought I’d write a tongue-in-cheek article on how to JERK an artist, and then maybe folks will read it and their bullshit tactics will be exposed. I realize that I run the risk of helping the scumbags jerk more people, but that’s a risk I am willing to take. So here goes….based on the numerous ways I have seen artists get jerked…

First of all, you have to be certain you are working with an artist over 18 who knows very little about the music business. How else will you be able to teach him your version of how it’s supposed to work? He definitely needs to be over 18 so a Judge doesn’t get involved and nullify the contract on the basis of a minor not being able to legally enter into a binding contract.

Definitely sign a male rapper. Yes, you run the risk of him becoming violent when he finds out you’ve scammed him, but by then you should have enough money to either be untouchable or hire security. Also, male rappers statistically sell better on average than female rappers, and if you’re going to stick somebody for their loot, it may as well be as much loot as possible. Besides, an angry female will go to further extremes if you piss her off, remember that last shorty you did wrong? She came after your ass, didn’t she.

A solo artist is less risky than a group, as it’s only one angry person to watch out for, rather than many who may team up for revenge. A younger person is often more naïve, and you can sell him some bullshit about the industry only wanting young artists. If you get him to lie that he’s two years younger than he really is, he’ll feel like he shares a secret with you. The more secrets you have on him, the easier it will be to control him. And if he pisses you off, you can tell the world his secrets and he’ll always be the one who looks stupid. He’ll also be too busy dodging the press, to come after you. If you can secretly record conversations that make him look bad, you can especially damage his career so he has nothing left–just in case he manages to get away from you.

It’s good to remind the artist often that you’re family and you’d never do him wrong. If he thinks you’re all sacrificing now to build something for a down-the-road payoff, you can probably get a good 4 years of loyalty out of the dupe. If you are all persons of color, you could utilize the race card to your benefit reminding him that “Black folks have to stick together because the white man has been keeping us down for long enough.” Some people even mention slavery and other assorted history to further the bond. Some phrases you could use to convince him are:
• We are family.
• I got your back.
• We are (a) soldiers, (b) warriors, (c) a team, (d) fill in the blank.
• We are building an empire
• You’re going to be a star
• You’re going to be rich
• You are doper than (a) Jay Z, (b) Tupac was, (c) Biggie was, (d) Eminem.
• You can buy your Mamma a big house
• I’m gonna make your dreams come true.
• There will be plenty for everybody
• Don’t be (a) a hater, (b) crabs in the barrel, (c) selfish, (d) fill in the blank

Make sure your artist has a “manager.” It will make him feel bigger than he is. If the person he chooses is too savvy, make sure you poo-poo his choice and allude that you can’t do a deal if he has this person in his camp. Encourage family member choices, or childhood friend choices, especially if you feel you can control them later through (a) money, (b) manipulation, (c) drug habits, (d) blackmail. An artist manager who secretly works for you is a priceless gift worth his weight in Gold. The major labels were built on this. What manager doesn’t eventually want his own label? You could dangle that carrot in front of him forever.

When the artist is in a position where he’s feeling secure and he believes in you 100%, it’s time to put that contract in front of him with a pen. Have it open to the last page and show him exactly where he should sign it. Act like you’re in a hurry. A time where you’re about to give him money, or right before a show in the parking lot of the club, or when he’s really high in the studio and hearing his boys giving him tons of “you the man” praise, are all good times to offer the contracts. Don’t worry, he’ll sign. They all do.

If he tries to look at the writing in the contract, or even tries to turn a page, snatch it back from him and act hurt. Remind him that you’re all family and if there’s no trust then maybe you should find someone else to sign. Tell him you could get him a lawyer if he really wants, but it’ll have to be in exchange for that (a) gear, (b) watch, (c) car, or (d) cash you were about to give him. If he really pushes the having his own attorney bit, and you can’t manipulate him out of the idea, make certain he has an attorney with no power. It’s important to let him use someone with some music business experience so they don’t run up the bill with your lawyer fighting for stupid stuff.

There are many new, wanna-be, and fringe (outside of the inner circle that exists in the music industry) lawyers who troll the industry for clients and will give love to whomever is paying their bill (you). They come in all colors and all prices. Just remember, a lawyer makes more money working for a label than for an artist, so most can very easily be swayed to do what you want in the deal, even for a reduced fee, with a promise of future work, even if it’s bullshit.

Lawyers get paid to do deals, not to break them, so they will usually finish the deal no matter how bad it is, rather than walk away from making their fee. They console themselves with the fact they got their client the best deal they could. It is important to find someone with reduced, or no, integrity.

Sign as many artists as you want, promising them whatever you have to, to get them to sign. Don’t worry about putting them out or doing anything at all with them. Once they are signed, you own them. Most artists really just want to be signed to a record label and that will pacify them longer than you think. Be hard to find so you won’t have to listen to their bitching. If they can’t find you, it’s not your fault you’re busy– after all, you are running a business. If they do catch you, sympathize with them and tell them you’ll look into it, or that they are up next. Both of these excuses only work about 3 times, but if you are good at eluding the artists, that’s at least a year.

Make certain your lawyer worded the contract to sign your artists for no less than 7 albums (not years, as 7 albums is about 14 years really), give him little to no advance, take 100% of the publishing and merchandising, get 50% of everything else as his production company, and make the stat rate at 10X, 75%. Have a separate contract that assigns you as his official manager for life, for 25%. Tell him how big you are in the industry and how you can make shit happen at the drop of a hat, in fact, you left Akon or Diddy on hold just now to speak with your favorite artist (him) because he’s so important to you.

Placate him with the lie that you’re going to put him on tour with (a) Jay Z, (b) Lil Wayne, (c) R Kelly (if he also likes his females young) or (d) Plies, and that nobody else would do that for him. Remind him that with his cut of tour income like that, he won’t even notice your manager’s fee of 25%, besides you’re doing all the work: all he has to do is rap on stage for 20 minutes and get head in the limo on the way back to the hotel by the prettiest female. Tough life.

Speaking of shows, if you are lucky enough to stumble on an opportunity, make sure the artist thinks he’s only getting $1,000 to do the show, while the promoter is really paying you $5,000. Then, when the promoter sends you the first half of $2,500, tell the artist the $500 front end came in, and you keep the other $2,000. Or be a sport and tell him since you’re such a great manager you got the whole $1,000 upfront and keep the remaining $1,500 and then keep the whole backend of $2,500. You’ll be his hero. By the time the IRS sends the artist a tax notice (takes about 3 years) for the taxes he didn’t pay on all the $5,000 shows, you’ll be long gone.

A real easy way to make a lot of money is to book multiple shows for the same night and don’t show up to any except one. You can keep all the front end deposits and do nothing because it’ll be the artists’ reputation in the crapper, not yours. By the time the lawsuits come in, again, you’ll be long gone. Your lawyer can stall the suits for 3 years or better. And it’s free money. You could even book all the shows for the same night at $5,000 each and call back all the promoters the day before to tell them you’ll come to whoever is the highest bidder. You might get double the price, and if you were smart enough to ask everyone for open airplane tickets, you can cash in the ones you don’t use and make some extra cash. Again, it’s the artist reputation that suffers, not yours.
The new 360 deals are a great way for you to make even more money than you should (although it doesn’t much matter what you call the deal, you’re never going to pay him anyway). With a 360 deal you can explain to him that you are building his career so he can make a lot of show money, and then you can tap into a portion of that income. Your argument should be that you are taking all the risk financially, so you should be able to tap into all of the income sources from what your promotional dollars create. If he stalls, remember to dangle an advance in his face so he won’t be able to stall you out for long. Keep other unsigned artists around so he feels that if he doesn’t take the deal, someone else will.

It’s a good idea to keep the artist in the studio as much as possible at first, because once he realizes you’re making all the money, it’ll be hard to get him back in there. The studio is really where he wants to be anyway; he’s most comfortable there. Keep him as high and as drunk as possible. Aside from the fact that it will be easy to control him then, the addiction will also keep him coming back to you. He will want to be in the studio all the time anyway, as he will be gung-ho to make his album. Truth be told, rappers really only want fame and pussy, and when everyone thinks he has an album coming out, the women will surround him, and he will feel like a star (even if his record never comes out).

Try to get him to make as many albums as possible, but don’t tell him that’s what you’re doing. Tell him the songs he’s making don’t fit his image, or the production is inferior, or that he is so much better than what you’re hearing. If you tell him it isn’t commercial enough and needs to be more radio friendly, which is the oldest label trick in the book, you may get some static as artists may see this as “selling out,” which will hurt his core beliefs (core beliefs are hard to sway). You may need to lock him out of the studio or cut off the supply of money and drugs, to get him to come around. Once he does though, you can get a good 10 or 20 more songs with this one excuse.

If he has a lot of knuckleheads around him whispering in his ear, or savvy industry folks around him all of a sudden, send him to a studio more than a ten hour drive away. This will instantly put a stop to that crap, and being in a strange place will force him to go to the studio because he’ll have nothing else to do. You can easily control him with money (keeping him waiting a few days for money when he’s broke and hungry will take the fight out of anyone). Never give him too much at once. The stress of bills and starving are excellent incentive for him to act right, especially if he has a baby’s mama and a kid or two. Great incentive. By the time the paternity suits and child support cases roll in, you’ll be long gone.

If you do put out a record for the rapper, keep him on the road as much as possible. Aside from the show scam being a great source of income for you, it keeps him from begging you for money constantly at home. Be certain he has his boy as his “manager” (preferably with no business or music industry knowledge or connections), and has a tour manager that you assign, control, and pay, that will report back to you immediately if there are any suspicions that you aren’t doing what’s right. When you hear rumblings, fly to whatever city he’s in and spend time with him. Buy him little gifts and get high with him. Remind him he’s part of something bigger. Strip bars in any city are perfect locations for meetings. Hookers afterwards are appropriate gifts. You should be seen at all times to be taking care of his needs, especially publicly. This will attract hoards of other artists to scam.

Things won’t get rough for you until about 9 months after his record comes out and he realizes he’s still living with his Mom. If you have multiple albums done, it won’t matter as his “fame” will keep him promoting the subsequent albums. He won’t want to lose that. Without fame he’ll lose all the free stuff, all the gratuitous pussy, all the attention, all the free drinks and free blunts… Fear of losing all this will keep him in line for awhile. Rarely be kind to him. The harder you are on him, and the harder you are to please, the harder he’ll try to please you. Kindness will only be taken as weakness and he’ll control you.

Artists are not loyal. They jump to wherever the money is. If he’s more pimp than whore, he will eventually find other ways to make money: (a) appearing on other artists’ albums for $10,000 (b) shows behind your back for $5,000 which is more than you’re booking him for, (c) bootlegging his own album, or (d) selling T-shirts or drugs at his own shows. If you don’t have subsequent albums to release, it’s important that you keep him broke so you can get him back in the studio as soon as possible with the promise of money–his next advance. If he’s a man destined to be pimped, he will most likely jump ship to another camp with the same game, willing to give up a bit more upfront cash incentive to him. Have a super sharp litigator on board to sue the other company immediately, and either they’ll toss him out like a used condom or write you a fat check to let him go. It’s up to you, since you legally own him.

In general, only give your artist what you have to, in order to get him working. If you give him too much he’ll disappear til it runs out. For the second album, if you promise half now and half when he finishes the album, it’s all gravy. And if you’re slick enough to use the studio excuses again to get even more songs out of him, you’re a star! By now he knows the necessity of radio hits, so that “music needs to be more radio friendly” will go a long way. You can even entice him by getting tracks from his favorite producers, and getting artists he admires to work with him. Both of these options require an outlay of money, but you can trick multiple artists on your label with the same track or the same guest appearance opportunity. Also, you’ll sell more records in the long run, and make more money that way, so it’s worth it. If you have signed more than one artist, you can pit them against each other for maximum effect. They’ll even sabotage each other with little effort on your part. You can sit back and enjoy the show.

If you’re an artist and you’re reading this, don’t get pissed off because you got beat. For 17 years, I have offered numerous free resources that teach you how to NOT get jerked, but that would require time, investigation, and reading skills on your part, and that just always seemed like too much work didn’t it. With the plethora of info out there, and the availability of trustworthy professionals to choose for your team, if any of you do get jerked, shame on you. You have no one to blame but yourselves. You’ve been warned. Enjoy that blunt…

Please follow the link below to leave a commment. Thanks!

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post note from Jaycee: sooooooooooooooooo glad i don’t rap. i’ve seen ALL the scenarios outlined in this article play out exactly as written. Wendy is fuckin’ awesome. you wannabe rap niggas please please please…learn to READ. or this’ll be YOU.

simply put, THIS is the life. as a DJ there is absolutely...

Tue, 08 Jan 2013 20:46:20 -0500

simply put, THIS is the life. as a DJ there is absolutely nothing better than being able to travel the world and rock in front of huge crowds. this debut installment of DJ Jazzy Jeff’s “Vinyl Destination” captures Jeff and his crew (Skillz, Darnell, Stevee Blast) as they run through Hong Kong at the beginning of a month long tour of Asia. enjoy!!

attn: this is a blog i wrote on myspace 6 years ago on 10.30,...

Tue, 30 Oct 2012 07:29:21 -0400

attn: this is a blog i wrote on myspace 6 years ago on 10.30, right before doing a concert in San Jose, CA originally titled: “a sad day for not just me, but ALL dj’s. October 30th, 2002 ”

i can tell you exactly where i was when i got the word that Jam Master Jay had been shot and killed…

i was in Phoenix, backstage preparing to go onstage at a Power 92.3 radio concert at the Celebrity Theatre that featured Ice Cube and Westside Connection, Joe Budden, Disturbing Tha Peace (me, Fate, 20, and Tity Boi, no Luda or Shawnna), Baby Bash, and a couple other folks…

i was so distraught that during our 20 minute set i was thinking about his murder the whole time and i even shed a tear. had to conceal it and keep the show movin’ like a professional though but the next night i couldn’t hold it in while MTV dedicated an hour to his memory by showing EVERY classic Run-DMC video.

what dj DIDN’T wanna be just like Jam Master Jay?

what dj hasn’t imitated and MEMORIZED every scratch on a Run-DMC record?

while there were a few dj’s before him with a little more notoriety (Grandmaster Flash) and even during his era that may have been more technically skilled than him (Mix Master Ice, Jazzy Jeff, Cash Money, Joe Cooley, etc…) Jay was THAT DUDE to everyone who had dreams of owning a pair of Technics. if anyone says anything different, they’re LYING!!!

i’m glad to say that i had the pleasure of not only meeting him but during the course of the spring and summer of 2001, actually befriending and sharing some of the same stages with him across the country during shows that Run-DMC and Ludacris had been billed on together. and other than Jazzy Jeff, you couldn’t have met anyone cooler than this dude (at least to me, anyway).

his willingness to share knowledge and his overall friendly demeanor with everyone was contagious. he invited me to come and do a set at the Scratch Academy in NYC (never got around to it due to Ludacris business) and he even signed my very first copy of “It’s Like That/Sucker M.C.’s”.

in his memory at Ludacris shows i used to cut up “Beats To The Rhyme” for damn near a year straight, just like he used to do at shows i witnessed as a young whippasnappa (“cause you can’t touch Jam Master Jay, Jam Master Jay, Jam Master Jay, Jam Master Jay, Jay Jay Jay Jay Jay Jay cause he’s number 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 1 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 2 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 4 hit it” and i think i’m gonna bring it back tonight onstage in San Jose. either that or the infamous “Peter Piper” routine…

it’s only right…

R.I.P. Jason Mizell aka Jam Master Jay

djwallysparks: prettygirlslovedjs: iono what y’all...

Wed, 24 Oct 2012 16:18:47 -0400

djwallysparks:

prettygirlslovedjs:

iono what y’all talmbout but gotdamn the Serato, and everythang else on the stage. look at that ASS!!

Erykah Badu on stage performing with a laptop running Serato behind her. What’s not to like?

yet another dope ass video from Phonte’s dope ass solo...

Mon, 24 Sep 2012 15:38:01 -0400

yet another dope ass video from Phonte’s dope ass solo album “Charity Starts At Home”.

“Gonna Be A Beautiful Night” featuring Carlitta Durand w/the additional vocals.

this is one of my favorite joints, i’m sure you’ll like it too.

this is a blend of Whitney’s “Love Will Save The...

Thu, 09 Aug 2012 09:28:42 -0400

this is a blend of Whitney’s “Love Will Save The Day” that i initially constructed as something exclusive for me to rock on-air during the tribute set i did when she passed back in February. the positive feedback i got from it inspired me to put it up here today for her birthday. being the inspirational tune that it is, feel free to rock it during your Whitney tribute sets…

Happy Birthday Nippy!!!

*click the pic to get the download link*

Entouch "II Hype" (Jaycee's 8 Mile Remix)

Wed, 01 Aug 2012 02:05:36 -0400

Entouch "II Hype" (Jaycee's 8 Mile Remix):

back in my creative bag of tricks again.

haven’t done a video of me rocking LIVE at the station in...

Thu, 26 Jul 2012 19:39:34 -0400

haven’t done a video of me rocking LIVE at the station in a long while so here’s another sample of me in action. it was fun, and i’m gonna start doing it more often. today’s filming was simply a test run and yes next time i shall position the camera at a better angle, lol…but anyway, this was today’s (Thursday) set which featured CLASSICS by Aretha, EPMD, The JB’s, Public Enemy, James Brown, Pete Rock, House Of Pain, and the Double XX Posse…hiphop heads REJOICE!!!

ps. also gonna figure out how to eliminate the slight delay…remember, this was a t.e.s.t…

“My Formative Years, Part 1” click the pic to...

Wed, 18 Jul 2012 13:55:00 -0400

“My Formative Years, Part 1” click the pic to download & enjoy!!

1. “Wild Style Intro”

2. “Cross The Tracks” Maceo & The Macks

3. “DBC Let The Music Play” Stetsasonic

4. “It’s My Turn” Stezo

5. “Because I Got It Like That” Jungle Brothers

6. “PSK What Does It Mean?” Schooly D

7. “Peter Piper” Run-D.M.C.

8. “Sucker DJ’s” Dimples D.

9. “Action” Orange Krush

10. “Once In A Lifetime Groove” New Edition

11. “The Show” Doug E. Fresh & The Get Fresh Crew

12. “I Know You Got Soul” Eric B. & Rakim

13. “We Drink Old Gold” Mr. X & Mr. Z

14. “AJ Scratch” Kurtis Blow

15. “Jail House Rap” Fat Boys

16. “Cosmic Blast” Captain Rock

17. “What Are We Gonna Do?” Ultimate 3 MC’s

18. “It’s Yours” T La Rock & Jazzy Jay

19. “Fresh Is The Word” Mantronix

20. “Girls” The B-Boys

21. “Marley Marl Scratch” Marley Marl feat. MC Shan

22. “Jam Master Jay” Run-D.M.C.

23. “King Kut” Word Of Mouth feat. DJ Cheese

24. “Beat Box” Art Of Noise

25. “Musique Non Stop” Kraftwerk

26. “2 Live” 2 Live Crew

27. “Smerphies Dance” Spyder D

28. “That’s The Joint” Funky Four + 1

29. “Love Rap” Spoonie Gee

30. “World Famous” Malcolm McLaren

31. “Funky Drummer” (MURO Mix) James Brown

32. “It’s A Demo” Kool G. Rap & DJ Polo

33. “Have A Nice Day” Roxanne Shante

34. “Shout” Tears For Fears

35. “Black Grass” Bad Bascomb

36. “Let’s Dance” David Bowie

37. “Hear The Drummer Get Wicked” Chad Jackson

38. “Chocolate Buttermilk” Kool & The Gang

39. “The Champ” The Mohawks

40. “Apache” The Incredible Bongo Band

41. “Soul Makossa” Manu DiBango

42. “Got To Give It Up” Marvin Gaye

43. “Sunny” Boney M.

44. “Love Til’ The End Of Time” Paulinho DaCosta

45. “Ebony Jam” Tower Of Power

46. “A Roller Skating Jam Named Saturdays” De La Soul feat. Black Sheep & Tribe Called Quest

Eargasms 10 is here. click the cover to download & enjoy the...

Thu, 12 Jul 2012 09:40:00 -0400

Eargasms 10 is here. click the cover to download & enjoy the mix!!

where else will you hear artists like Sade, Beyonce, Krit, AC/DC, Babyface, Justin Beiber, UGK, Bob James skillfully blended alongside Kanye, Adina Howard, Billy Joel, Big Sean, Sam & Dave, Steady B, MJ, Maroon 5, Keith Sweat, The Junkyard Band, Big Boi, The Blackbyrds, The Dream, Jill Scott, A-Ha! & many more with it all making complete musical sense?

nowhere but HERE.

sleepers wake up!!

if you scroll back to the “Friends, Romans & Countrymen Lend Me Your Eardrums” post, there’s a link inside to guide you to the previous 9 Eargasms installments.

peace.

what’s crackin’ my good people? i know it’s...

Mon, 02 Apr 2012 14:23:36 -0400

what’s crackin’ my good people? i know it’s been a good while since the last post but i’m back bearing a musical gift…you see the pic up above, so you already know what time it is. you know how i do so in addition to the obvious classics, i also threw in a couple goodies that may not be so familiar to your ear. it’s Marvin, so relax…click the pic to download and enjoy!!!

here’s my Nippy tribute set from today at noon, 48 minutes...

Mon, 13 Feb 2012 14:30:05 -0500

here’s my Nippy tribute set from today at noon, 48 minutes doesn’t really do her catalog justice but i cover as much as one can in that amount of time. plus amongst the absolute HITS i threw in a few of my favorite album cuts plus a few other goodies that one doesn’t normally hear all the time. y’all know the drill, click the picture to download the mix and enjoy!!!

R.I.P. Whitney Elizabeth Houston (August 9, 1963-February 11, 2012)

right about now…call me the funk and soul brotha!!! it...

Thu, 09 Feb 2012 15:36:00 -0500

right about now…call me the funk and soul brotha!!! it isn’t everyday that you get to hear awesome tunes by The Mighty Ryders, The Blackbyrds and Tom Browne alongside Stevie, Luther, The SOS Band, and others on a station such as Atlanta’s V-103, so make sure to click the picture to download the mix and enjoy!!!

it also isn’t everyday that you get to hear a DJ who REALLY gets to play damn near whatever the f-ck he feels like on the radio, so even though we may musically clash every now and then, i must say “thank you” to my PD for continuing to allow me to do what i do. for the last 4 years i’ve played a significant part in changing the way you LISTEN to the radio here in Atlanta so making these daily mixes available for download is my way of saying “thanks” to all of you who continue to listen daily.

james yancey R.I.P. (originally posted Feb 11th, 2006) Current...

Mon, 06 Feb 2012 23:51:40 -0500

james yancey R.I.P. (originally posted Feb 11th, 2006)
Current mood: crushed

i’m heading to Tower Records to purchase “Donuts” at around 3pm Friday (Feb.10th) and I get the message on IM from one of my greatest inspirations in life (DJ Jazzy Jeff) that my absolute favorite producer PERIOD and fellow Motor City representer JayDee has passed away…

knowing that Jeff would never joke about something of this magnitude, i sit motionless for about 20 minutes thinking of all the beautiful beats this guy has ever done and realize that we’re NEVER gonna hear another producer willing to just throw caution to the wind and make shit from the heart. a guy who never gave a shit about making “hits”, someone who knew how to freak the shit outta samples that other producers have used and worn out completely but yet and still managed to make it sound COMPLETELY DIFFERENT, and most importantly, CLASSIC. i’m about to reflect on the first time I ever heard Dilla, pay attention…

as most of you know, i’ve been living in Atlanta for a while now so I can’t claim to know about every beat Dilla ever did in his life or that I grew up with him in Conant Gardens or what have you…

what I do know is that i used to get a lotta vinyl in the mail in my college radio days (92’-97’ (wras 88.5) and some of the joints would have “slum village remixes” on them. not knowing who or what the hell slum village was at the time, my curiousity was piqued because the beats were some of the craziest shit i’d ever heard. then once the Pharcyde “runnin” joint came out I began seeing the name James Yancey and the Ummah a lot more on remixes and what have you. then, i heard De La Soul’s “Stakes Is High” on a Tommy Boy cassette sampler on the way back to Atlanta from the Impact convention in Nashville in April of 96’ while riding with DJ Nabs. I SWEAR we rewound that shit about 15 times, like it was just the illest shit in the world. then, I heard A Tribe Called Quest’s “Get A Hold” (oh my GOD!!!) and “Wordplay” on the “Beats, Rhymes, and Life” album from 96’ and THEN “Find A Way” and “The Love” from “The Love Movement” album in 98’ (@$%!%^!*!!!!)

i know i’m probably skipping over a whole assload of his key joints he’d produced for everyone else up until this point (98’) but these are the ones that specifically spoke to ME and made me rewind the records over and over like what in the hell did he use for this? how the hell did he chop that, or filter that, what have you…(producer lingo)

and THEN…

Jen Boogie (one of my all time favorite record reps) sends me this black cassette in late 98’ that looked like it had been through HELL AND BACK with tape covering up the holes on top with a note attached saying “PLEASE LISTEN TO THIS SHIT, it’s Jaydee’s group Slum Village. You’re from Detroit and it would be UNFAIR for me NOT to share this with you.”

even though it was a 20th generation copy lol, it was IMPOSSIBLE to deny the dopeness. Players??? the “original” version of Climax with the Al B. Sure “nite & day” sample in it??? Forth and Back??? I Don’t Know??? Can you say WHAT THE FUCK any louder than in these caps??? I was on a MISSION to find this shit on wax so I could expose my listeners on v103 to it. God bless DJ Rage for finding the bootleg white label vinyl single that had Players and I Don’t Know and 2U4U on it, he gave it to me and I swear I ran that shit in the GROUND every weekend for damn near 2 years straight on the air. Other than 88.5, NOBODY in Atlanta repped SV on the radio like me and I think all of Atlanta can vouch for me on that one, LOL.

i remember helping create a super ass buzz on this group that had folks in line waiting to buy the entire album on BOOTLEG Interscope vinyl (the one with the fake ass skyline cover, haha) at Fat Beats Atlanta and the J-88 “look of love” remix where he used 2 different versions of “inside my love” on the SAME TRACK and MURDERED IT??? i DARE anyone else to try to use that shit and make the same impact. (oops!!! you can’t because Dilla freaked it yet AGAIN on Busta Rhymes latest album…)

The Common album??? Dynamite (the roots)??? Fantastic Vol.1 and 2??? D’Angelo??? Janet??? Erykah Badu??? Welcome To Detroit???? Q-Tip??? The Magnificent EP??? Spacek??? Frank N Dank??? Toshi Kubota??? the Blackstar “little brother” joint??? Jaylib??? Y’all know I could go on and on and on but I shouldn’t have to…

y’all know his work behind the boards as well as the mic was THOROUGH and this is why I feel that ANY DJ who knows what the fuck dope hiphop really is should do a MANDATORY Dilla set from now on in his memory, whether it be on the radio, in the club, mixtape, whatever!!! Just DO IT (like NIKE), no questions asked…

And if my nigga isn’t on the COVER of Scratch within the next 2 issues i’m cancelling my subscription!!!! (he made the cover, sort of. i appreciate the effort from ?uestlove and crew rocking the r.i.p. Dilla shirts and all but c’mon. it woulda been a classic cover with his face on it and y’all know i’m right)

do like I did and buy 5 copies of Donuts, cause if y’all can buy all that “trap and snap” SHIT, you can also support a true genius laid to rest NOW…

I’m proud to say I actually met dude 1 time in Atlanta at Justin’s but that wasn’t the time or setting to really let him know how dope I thought he was. He was on a dinner date but was gracious enough to greet me with the customary “what up doe?” because I was rockin the ill Lions jersey and fitted with the patent leather air force ones on. Detroit recognizes Detroit when we see it, LOL…

Damn, wish I got the chance to really build with him.
here’s knowing you’re gonna STILL be freakin the MPC as you rest in peace, my nigga…

update: YES, that was his contact info as of March 2004 when we met. NO, i do not have the sidekick anymore hahaha…

rest in peace Don Cornelius!!! i paid tribute to him on the set...

Wed, 01 Feb 2012 19:08:09 -0500

rest in peace Don Cornelius!!!

i paid tribute to him on the set earlier this afternoon by playing a LOTTA joints from artists like Earth Wind & Fire, Roy Ayers, Prince, New Edition, UTFO, Marvin Gaye, Full Force, MJ, A Taste Of Honey, DeBarge, and many more…if you didn’t hear it, i suggest you click on the pic to download and enjoy!!

here’s my way of paying respect to one of the greatest...

Sat, 28 Jan 2012 05:18:31 -0500

here’s my way of paying respect to one of the greatest LYRICISTS in hiphop history on his born day…45+ minutes of nothing but the CLASSICS from all of his albums. no need for a track listing here, as most of you should have these songs permanently seared into your memory banks. click the picture for the instant download link…

there’s a certain caliber of DJ that inspires me to keep...

Wed, 25 Jan 2012 10:50:00 -0500

there’s a certain caliber of DJ that inspires me to keep doing what i do, and these guys are damn near at the top of my list plus i can actually call them the homies. the Beat Junkies (Mr. Choc, JRocc, Melo D, Rhettmatic, Shortkut, and Babu who is absent from this clip) are absolute BEASTS on the set. LEGENDARY LA (and pretty much the entire West Coast) party/radio/mixtape/battle smashers who can go into ANY type of musical situation and turn it out. did i already say ANY type of musical situation? ok dennnn.

peep them flipping the absolute HELL outta 2 Trouble Funk joints at this past weekend’s NAMM Convention out in Cali.

wow!!!

props to my man @BYZEONE for capturing this moment.

i gotta get back in the habit of posting my daily radio...

Mon, 23 Jan 2012 15:40:12 -0500

i gotta get back in the habit of posting my daily radio thingies, haven’t done it in a good while so today i’m starting anew. this is what i served up on the tables today on V103, very weather appropriate…click the pic and enjoy!!

SWV “Rain”

Lisa Lisa & Cult Jam “All Cried Out”

Klymaxx “I Miss You”

Klymaxx feat. Howard Hewett “I’d Still Say Yes”

DeBarge “A Dream”

Tony Toni Tone “Whatever You Want”

Toni Braxton feat. Puff Daddy & Notorious B.I.G ”How Many Ways”

Mary J. Blige “Love No Limit”

Davina feat. Raekwon “So Good”

Erykah Badu “On & On”

Main Source “What You Need” (instrumental)

Friends, Romans, Countrymen...lend me your eardrums!!!

Tue, 10 Jan 2012 14:01:00 -0500

one click of the following link gives you INSTANT access to ALL installments (yep, 9 is in there too) of my “Eargasms” mixtape series that made its debut in February 2008. this series is important to me because it encompasses everything under the spectrum that i want to be known and remembered for as a DJ.

dope knowledge of music, check. dope blends, check. dope cuts, check. seamless mixing with no yapping all over everything, discount double check.

enjoy!!

http://www.mediafire.com/?be7xncqhnyve1p3,19yffm6dahs3gdg,o8vdaqosobw7aj7,p2bp6xzawuz8dp4,2a3jjjmviov8wwp,z6q416f1haf0ztq,svy23u4g1i06hq5,x6d7qxsr2bh7alx,g9quvnamlfarulv