Interview: Greg “Craola” Simkins
We’ve always wondered why graffiti artists have never been recognized for their art as much as painters in the fine art world. It seems like the times our changing to an extent but still there’s not enough ground to say that the worlds will ever be the same. The cultures behind them will always evolve but always be two different worlds.
Greg Simpkins, aka Craola, has been one of the few that has truly broken free of the void and been recognized for his paintings on walls and canvas. Just for kicks, we were curious to see what he had to say about the contrast and experiences of his work over the years on walls and canvas,and so on.
La Famiglia-When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?
Craola-I always thought I would be a veterinarian, all the way up til I started college.
La Famiglia-What inspired you to start painting?
Craola-I always drew, ever since I was really young. Actually transferring over to using paint happened when I picked up a can of spray paint when I was 18.
La Famiglia-Where do you usually draw inspirations from for your projects?
Craola-Nature, I love animal books and going to the zoo, books (Watership Down, The Phantom Tollbooth, The Bible, The Chronicles of Narnia, Dean Koontz…), movies, the old masters such as Caravaggio and Bosch, still lifes, cloudscapes, song lyrics…
La Famiglia-Do any of your characters ever visit you in your dreams?
Craola-Yup, usually before I paint or draw them though. I have come up with a lot of my imagery from jotting ideas down in my sketchbook after being awakened from a dream.
La Famiglia-Did you paint on walls before you started painting on canvas? If so, how did the transition come about?
Craola-Yes, I painted only walls for many years and then picked up a brush in my early twenties and it changed my life and the entire way I view art. Acrylics are by far my favorite medium, I love pen and ink, pencil, spray paint and computers as well, but the brush is tops for me.
La Famiglia-What have you learned from your experience with graffiti and how has it changed the way you paint?
Craola-It taught me how to paint large and gave me confidence to attack different projects. I learned a lot about composition and color theory as well along the way both in school and on the walls.
La Famiglia-Could you tell us a few of your favorite artists?
Craola-There is a huge list, but here are some: Caravaggio, Bosch, Davinci, Jan Van Huysom, Jacques Louies David, Jan Van Eyck, Salvador Dali, Magritte, Dr. Seuss, Chuck Jones, Preston Blair. Some more contemporary artists that I admire are Todd Schorr, Tim Burton, Alex Pardee, Kris Kuksi, Matthew Bone, Bob Dob, Gunnar, Adam Hathorn, Jason Maloney, Travis Louie, Steven Daily, Axis, Seen, Sub, Scribe, Aaron Dellavedova, and so many more…
La Famiglia-Do you ever personally feel like your paintings are actually complete?
Craola-Most of the time, they are done when they are done and it is time to move on to the next. I usually don’t feel like it isn’t finished when it is done, it does happen on occasion.
La Famiglia-Tell us about the environment which in you work?
Craola-I listen to music, radio, audio books, and movies, TV. Shows and anything I can find to keep my mind busy while I paint.
La Famiglia-What has been your greatest hardship through out your career and what have you learned?
Craola-The hardest thing was when we made the decision to pursue a career as a fine artist and quit my secure well paying job as a texture artist for video games. It was a big step and very scaring not knowing if we were going to be able to pay rent and keep it up. Thank God it has been going steady and we definitely count our blessings.
La Famiglia-Please tell us about a piece or two that you are sending us?
Craola-The piece “It Wanders” was first a sketch sitting in my book for well over a year now. It started off with the couch, then the idea of a boy looking out of a blown up room. It just flowed from there and once I started the finish sketch, the idea of dragons floating in puddles of melting snow men and cloudscapes with pirates in the distance started to materialize and add mini stories to the main scene going on.
La Famiglia-Do you have any inspirational advice for any young artists?
Craola-I would just say polish your craft. Learn everything you can and don’t get comfortable with what you are doing. Also respect others and try your best to keep a good work ethic.
La Famiglia-Any last words?
Craola-The hidden people behind what I do deserve more credit than they get. This is a good chance to say thanks to my amazing wife, Jenn who does all the business stuff and thanks to my Dad who builds all my panels, works on my frames, and helps me in more ways getting my projects going than anyone, and thanks to my Mom for handing out fliers to all my shows to every waitress that serves her.
Links:
www.imscared.com
INTERVIEW: WON (ABC)
German based artist WON, works in many mediums. From spraypaint to sculpture, illustration and design. We searched the web really struggled to find some valuable information about him other than the fact that he seems to be pretty well respected, as he should be. So we contacted to discuss life and learn.
La Famiglia – Please introduce yourself.
WON – My name is WON my crew ABC, Art Bombing Clan. I grew up in Munich, Germany. The earliest influences of art came from the art books of my father, and of course comic books. At the age of 4 years my parents took me to an art show of Picasso. There was a wooden group of very simple sculptures. I still remember a deep feeling of understanding with out exactly knowing what Picasso had in mind by producing this sculptures. most of the audience in the show said that Picasso just wanted to fake people by nailing some wooden garbage together. But I think I felt the mystic aspect in art which the intellect is not able realize.”
La Famiglia – How did you get into graffiti?
WON – Like most of the European pioneers in the beginning of the 80’s when the film Wildstyle came to the cinemas. This impact was so fresh and powerful that this culture is still alive worldwide. To check out borders criticize our western world concept of consuming in which belongings have such a high standard were also reasons to bomb this world with color, this world does not deserve to stay clean, that is why I smear it to the max
La Famiglia – When you were a child, what did you want to do when you grew up?
WON – First I wanted to become a musician. Later a grammar school I found out that specifically girls loved my drawings and wanted to collect my stuff.
La Famiglia – What influences your work?
WON - Life itself, every evening I try to rip down my universe so that the next morning I can rebuilt it again more aesthetically honest and directly so that it shines unfinished through my physical death. Supposedly the essence of painting and creating is not to become stiff in your expression. Shape and form are tools with which to work, it should never be self-explanatory. The form, shape and direction are just a medium for lives elixir, to make the essence of life artistically visual in total harmony with body and soul. Everyday I have to break the mould. Everyday I have to renew myself similar to life itself in the continual river of change. Human chameleon style. Every set form as mighty as it may be conceals the path towards “truth , life knows no boundaries. Chaos rules this place where we dwell.
It is important I you want to change something with your rotten art pieces not to point your accusing finger. saying this world is shit living with atomic, biological and chemical weapons, pollution, the vast disregard of the human being against mother nature especially wildlife, racism violence and so on…. I could write an encyclopaedia about this catastrophe. That all of these disasters that exist is not part of my mission. To begin with it is too easy just to oppose something. More difficult especially honest and useful is to be ready for something. To be opposing means destruction. to stand up for something to work with it sowing it, nurturing it but never harvesting it, that is what life is worth living for. Tearing down pre conceived ideas, walls, barriers so that you can rebuild things more healthily and beautifully that is a reason to live for. Secondly it is probably the beautiful lest way to change this wonderfully shitty world with your art pieces by creating a contra world. Something that reduces the hyper mighty negative energies of this world. I build a new world, a world full of color.
La Famiglia – Who are some of your favorite artists?
WON – Goya, Caravaggio, Robert Williams, Bode`,liberatore, Hironimus Bosch, Giger,mucha, Leonardo da Vinci, Michelangelo, and of course the NY pioneers of graf!!!!!!!!!
La Famiglia – What is the scene like where you live? How is it different from other places through out the world that you have done work?
WON – The Munich scene is still very active. What I really find inspiring all over the world that the graffiti virus can not be stopped and still gets stronger an will reach all clean areas on the world map.
La Famiglia – What has been your most memorable project you’ve worked on? Can you tell us a little bit about it?
WON – Some years ago I did a canvas painting project called “love project” together with about 20 teenagers who stayed for one or two years in a open house project in Hamburg, Germany. All these kids have been hardly drug addicted and were sent to prostitution. Most of them never painted a canvas with cans. I choose the theme love for all canvases because this was the thing this young people never became too much in life. First they had problems to start and paint the white canvas. I told them that you can not make a mistake in painting. There are no wrong lines or whatever. I told them to close their eyes and think about love and bring some lines to the canvas as a starter. It worked. The pictures were exhibited in an art show. The kids were so proud of the their work shown in a public place. This project was so memorable for me because I think I gave this kids a little help and confidence to find back in our society.
La Famiglia – What would you like to do with you work that you have not had a chance to do yet?
WON – I would like to send a painted satellite to the orbit
La Famiglia – What’s the craziest story you have from your travels?
WON – Oh there were so many. Lets bring it together like this: Most of the countries I painted in were nearly graffiti free, for example Thailand, Sri Lanka, Jamaica, Belize and Cuba. A lot of the pictures where not located in cities or on public places. I only painted for people to whom I grew up a special relationship. When you have a funny time at the place together with the locals and see their happy eyes when you leave them this means much more than getting respect by your own scene. I also paid for all the paint. What you give is yours forever what you keep is lost forever. That is my way to show the syndicates and governments of our days that humans exists who do their own thing not only focused on money and authorities and give pictures for free as a present to foreign cultures. What is for free in this cooperated world? ZERO.
La Famiglia – What advice would you give to an aspiring artist?
WON – Stay strong, if you really believe in your dreams they will come true, but you have to work hard on it.
La Famiglia – Any last words?
WON – In every one of my color tantrums you can feel the anger and the rage inside me that I feel for this world in an intense open and truthful way (1994). My pictures and thoughts are answers to my surroundings, hard, nasty, filthy and massive. The world does not deserve to be clean, that is why I am smearing it to the max. The world has been gorged with shit for too long instead of progressing healthily. The world needs to be smeared with colour to be reborn again, destroy and create all at the same time, that is the way of the graf bomb!
Links:
www.wonabc.com
Little Richard on Jimi Hendrix
Short video interview with Little Richard speaking about Jimi Hendrix.
Old LEE Quinones Interview
Check out this old interview with the legendary New York Graffiti artist LEE Quinones.
Andres aka DJ Dez: Interview
Humberto Andres Hernandez, aka Andres aka DJ Dez, was born in to a Cuban family in Detroit, MI. in January of 1975. Music has been a part of his life since day one. Dez got his first set of percussion drums at the age of three. His family moved to Los Angeles in the early 80’s. This is where he first got his hands on a pair of turntables. When Dez was in his mid-teens, family moved back to Detroit, where he currently still resides.
Over the years he has had a vast amount of musical influence and has become an international name and staple with in the Detroit hip-hop community. Besides being Slum Village’s DJ and releasing several solo projects on vinly under the name Andres his production credits include artists as Monica Blaire & Elzhi among others. We sat down with Dez to hear his thoughts about his early influences, music, his family, and city.
What has inspired you to want to make music?
I would have to say watching DJ’s scratch a record. For instance a song called called, “A Touch of Jazz” that was on Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince’s first album. It was my introduction to a lot of blue note records. He scratched in records like Donald Byrd’s “Change,” “Mr. Magic” by Grover Washington, “Places and Spaces” and “Dominoes” by Donald Byrd. A lot of Detroit music and I didn’t even know. Just good…good.. funk jazz records…. fusion records. All I know is I would here scratches and the scratches would bring in more music. And I was just like, Wow!
It was around ’88 that I actually learned how to DJ. I learned how to scratch first by this gentleman by the name of Michael Fox. His DJ name was DJ Transformer. I’m trying hard to find that guy too. It’s a very common name, so it’s been kind of hard for me to search. He had equipment. He had turntables and a drum machine. So, we actually started a rap group. We made our own music. We were trying to find records that the DJ’s we like used to cut up. The of course, I was just engulfed with Marley Marl. You couldn’t tell me nothing about Marley Marl. That was it! Marley Marl!
What is it you love about music?
You can really get wrapped up in a really good song. I don’t know what feels better than a good song. There’s nothing like that. A good song is not sex or nothing, but damn it’s close. I’m a sucker for melody and harmony, beats, and rhythm.
What do you love about being a DJ?
The fact that I’m in control, I can take you where I want to take you. I’m kind of a selfish DJ. I only play certain quality music. Sometimes I’ll bend. I don’t bend too much though, because I’m in the driver’s seat.
Is there anyone particular that has influenced you as a DJ or a producer?
Well, as a DJ, this is a name I always throw out there, a gentleman by the name of Joe Cooley. I used to listen to him on the radio. I couldn’t go outside. This was when I lived in California. This is when I was introduced to hip-hop. Joe Cooley is a very funky guy. He’s very funky with his scratching and very rhythmic with his scratching. Me being a percussionist I took to his patterns. Now mind you Jazzy Jeff is Amazing, but I was introduced to Joe Cooley first. Jo Cooley had already blew my head away. I feel like DJ Aladdin is like the second coming of Joe Cooley. He spawned from Joe Cooley. Bobcat was doing his thing at the same time so I’ll give Bobcat more credit than that. I learned up under the stylings of Joe Cooley, as far as DJ’ing.
What do you love about the City of Detroit?
The one thing I love about Detroit, is that you can kind of be low key. You can be really known around the world and you come to Detroit and be nobody. In some circles you can be somebody, but in other circles you’re nobody. Which is cool. It kind of works out though. Sometimes you don’t want people all in your business. You don’t want everybody knowing what you’re doing and who you are sometimes.
Its not out of line to say that Detroit has moved the way we look at life more than on one occasion. Lots of music, art, and culture has come to life here in Detroit that has influenced the world. Why do you think this is?
I think that Detroit has always been the big city with the small city mentality. We’re kind of in the middle, so we’re always looking at New York and Los Angeles and what they’re doing. We kind of do our own thing. I don’t know what it is about Detroit, but there is clearly something here. I couldn’t put my finger on it. I guess we soak up a lot. Some people say it is a follower city. I think we do have a lot of followers, but everybody aint meant to be that leader, that one leader. So, it might be a city with a lot of followers, but you always have those few that will jump up and say, “I’m going against the grain.” We need to keep it real with each other, because here in Detroit we’re in denial, even about our country roots . Most people’s parents are from down south so you know the traditions sprinkle down. Everybody here has pretty much migrated from down south with the exception of people like my family, people from the Caribbean, or any other place abroad.
A lot of people don’t touch on the L.A. Detroit, Chicago, and New York thing. We kind of share a certain period of time in music. Where we are really all on the same page. And that era I’m talking about is the early eighties. When you got Cybertron, you got Egyptian Lover, you got Nucleus, Mann Parish, Ice T, with the style of music he was doing at the time with Chris “The Glove” Taylor with “Reckless”. The Stuff we did with Techno, What Nucleus did with Electro and Afrika Bambaataa with “Planet Rock.” Nobody was copying anybody else. We were just all influenced by James Brown and Kraftwerk. New York just rapped over it. L.A. like to scratch over it. New York called it electro. L.A. called it techno-hop. Which I find to be right on the nose as far as a marriage of styles. They rapped over that shit. It wasn’t hip-hop at the time,. Those were the party records.
And then in hip-hop, I feel like Detroit runs it. On a major label, there’s no artist that’s bigger than Eminem. On a an underground scale, we run it. Who’s fucking with Black Milk, Royce, Guilty Simpson, and the wave of all of them together. You know, Slum and Fat Kat. Who’s fucking with that? They are listening to Detroit, and they don’t even know it. Dr. Dre was a fan of J-Dilla, period. We touched everybody. People know what’s up. The industry clearly knows what’s happening. It’s just these other fools that don’t know what’s happening
How did your association with Slum Village come about?
J-Dilla was a good friend of mine. Slum Village was his group. I was in California and I could remember he was telling me they were looking for a DJ at the time, but I didn’t know that he was leaving the group. I thought I was going to be on the road with my boy and he wasn’t in the group any more. I ended up going on the road to DJ with them 2001.
What was the one thing you learned from J Dilla that you take to heart now more than anything?
Listen…Listen to your records. Listen to your records. There is a lot there. Listen…listen. He had an excellent ear. I think that the best speakers are the best listeners. You’ve got to listen, to pay attention, to know what the hell you’re talking about. When your listening to somebody’s record and it’s a ridiculous sample and you find out a month later or a week later, that you have that album and you didn’t do anything with it and you like the sample. You didn’t listen, and it flew by you. Everybody just wanna drop the needle and take the first thing they find. It’s time consuming to go through records, and records, and records. That’s why when you’re cleaning the house or doing something requiring some time, you know cut it on and listen from start to finish.
Could you name your top five favorite DJ’s?
I would have to go with Kenny Dixon Jr., Theo Parish…..I’m very spoiled when it comes to DJ’s…Jazzy Jeff, Joe Cooley, and Don Q.
Elzhi – “Audio Cinematic” (Prod. DJ Dez)
Tim Parker a.k.a. Gift of Gab
We recently caught up with Tim Parker a.k.a. Gift of Gab to talk about his music, his work with Blackalicous, and his latest project, Escape 2 Mars, which is due to be released in November of this year. Tim has been involved with a handful of projects over the years outside of his solo projects and work with DJ/Producer Chief Xcel. We wish that we had been able to continue the conversation but time was limited.
L.F. – What would you say is different about this album than any of the other projects you’ve been involved in?
G.G. – I would say it’s a whole different sound tan any thing else I’ve worked on. It’s definitely where I’m at as far as an artist and being a lyricist, and someone who considers myself a songwriter as well. I think it’s more electronic sounding things on this I definitely wanted to venture off into some more unexplored territories. That’s what you saw throughout there its more of an electronic vibe. Its all hip hop but there’s more electronic type vibe as well. I would describe it as funky I would describe it as cosmic thus the title “Escape to Mars.” Those would be the two words I would use to describe this project.
L.F. – How has your approach to making music different in relations to solo project compared your work with Blackalicious?
G.G. – I think that its all about chemistry. Blackalicious is a chemistry me and X have. It’s like an over twenty year chemistry that we’ve grown into and developed over the years. I would equate it to traveling. You might live in a great state but it’s always good to get out there and see that we live in a world. So my solo records I like to be able to work with other people as well as X does and to see what the chemistry is like with other producers and be able to vibe off they’re creative process as well because Dnae is going to do it in his way obviously X is gone do it in his way. We’re obviously all big motivational rocket ships Jake One and Vitamin D had they’re style and how they approached doing music so its always cool to interact with other producers and you learn something different from each one of them and each one of them has their take on how they do music. Their talent, their charms.
L.F. – What other Producer s and artists are involved in this project?
G.G. – Dnae produced the bulk of the record. Headnodic from my other group the Mighty Underdogs did three songs on there. As far as guests I have Lateef and Joyo on a hook, I have Bart Davenport from Honeycut singing on the record as well. Also I have a song on the record called “Dreamin” with Del and Brother Ali which is probably one of my favorite songs. One of my favorite personal stand-outs Just because I admired him so much it was a cool experience to be able to work with him on one song.
L.F. – What were you listening to for your own enjoyment during the process of making this record besides production and beats?
G.G. – Going into a record I always like to listen to classic hip hop records. I’m always listening to a lot of the Roots’ records, I was listening to the Low End Theory, I was listening to you know Braggin’, All-4-One albums. I go back and I always like to study the records that I consider classic hip hop records because to me those records are the bar those records to me even more so than this stuff those records that even though they may have came out a while ago they still stand the test of time I can still put those records in and they’re still dope albums. Those are for me the bar that I measure the records that I’m doing by. The classics a lot of classic hip hop albums.
L.F. – Is there anything that you would like the people to think about as they listen to this record?
G.G. – I want people to feel like they’ve been on a voyage. I want people to feel like they have been taken out of their self somewhat, as well as brought into themselves. I would like for people to feel like they’ve gone on somewhat of a sonic journey. There are many things and many topics that are brought up I don’t want to go in on those topics and seem like I’m preaching or any thing. The main song is about global warming the actual song Escape 2 Mars. Its all just based on things that I’ve encountered in the past, that song as well as Electric Waterfalls touches on a few things from how there’s a lot of natural cures to a lot of different things. It doesn’t necessarily get promoted the same way that western medicine gets promoted. There are a lot of different things I don’t want that to be the whole focus of what the people take away when they listen to the record. It’s completely different topics being touched upon. At the end of the day I want the people to take the music in and take the words in and feel like they got something that moves them musically and something that they can think about.
L.F. – How did Blackalicious come together?
G.G. – Blackalicious came together in about eighty seven or eighty eight. We met in high school. We just had a mutual love for hip hop and a mutual passion for the type of music that we like and the type of music that we envisioned ourselves creating and we kind of just clicked on that level and started doing music.
L.F. – What makes music amazing to you?
G.G – Music to me is the reflection of life everything is music. This conversation is music. A song. This conversation right now may be different for you because my visual where I’m at is different but wherever you’re at wherever you’re sitting or standing we’re having this conversation and that can be transformed into music. Music is like the backdrop for life. Music is like a natural drug because if you’re feeling a certain way it can alter that. Its one of the natural things other than doing drugs that can alter your state of being you could be in a bad mood and put on a song and be in a good mood or you can be mellow and put on some aggressive music and be in an aggressive mood. Music is emotions expressed and I think the emotions expressed by the artist kind of sink into the person that is listening. Music is a very powerful thing a very powerful tool.
L.F. – when you were a kid what did you want to be when you grew up?
G.G. – before I wanted to do music I wanted to be an artist I was into graffiti I was into drawing and if I hadn’t started rapping I would have been doing something artistic. I would have been a painter or I would have been an animator or doing cartoons or something of that nature.
L.F. – Any last words?
G.G. – Escape 2 Mars November 2nd thank everyone for supporting me. Go out and check out Escape 2 Mars and check me out I will definitely be touring following the release of the record relentlessly. So holler at me.
Interview: Nick Speed – City Sounds
Detroit based producer, Nick Speed, was born in Los Angeles. At the age of three his family moved to Washington DC and at the age of six again to Detroit. Music has been a part of his whole life. Over the years Nick’s production credits have appeared on projects ranging from some of Detroit’s rawest underground talent to 50 Cent. We’ve recently caught up with Nick to speak with him about his thoughts about music and the industry and check out some of latest projects..
“I basically came out the womb with a record. My favorite toy was my fisher price record player.”
L.F. - With the current condition of the music industry, and the media, what do you think is the most important thing that needs to be changed in the relationship of music and people?
Nick – Quality of music needs to be improved. I would say that that has a lot to do with the decline of record sales. Most people like four or five songs off an album now a days. When, there was a point where they would probably like your whole album. People want that one song that they can connect to or relate to and really their satisfied with that now days. I always liked listening to a whole album for it to tell me a story. Or for it to have an overall theme or something like that. I look at albums and shows, everything almost like a play. Like you have a beginning, middle, and an end. So you want to be able to have something that everything is almost stitched together like it’s seamless at the same time. Its all documenting a period in time, it’s all a time capsule.
We are also in the era of free music now too. So you have to give away a couple albums of free material to get your buzz up before you probably can really sell anything. You have to let them try it out and see that they really like it. Then your product becomes more valuable to the people. Like I said overall quality is what I believe can improve the industry.
L.F. – As a producer, artist, and a fan, what has been your greatest lesson learned in life relating to your lifestyle and career?
Nick – One, is that however much work you were doing before you got to that point where people knew you, that was just practice. You’re going to have to work harder than that if you want to stay relevant and hot in the game. It’s September now, and whoever came out in January, their material is old now. Just based off of the day to day thing. A lot of people have disposable songs almost. People are satisfied with just hearing it one time and that’s good with them. They’re not willing to buy it necessarily.
Also you got to watch the paper gangsters. By paper gangsters, I mean the people who make the contracts up. You can sign your whole life away and never receive a penny. You want to make sure your paperwork is right. And get yourself a great lawyer. I was fortunate enough to have Louise West who is my lawyer. I’ve seen her name on all types of albums. When I first met her I knew she did like Missy Elliot’s deal, and Kanye’s deal, and Timberland. Those were the kind of artists I saw myself fitting into the vein of. Before anybody heard me, them being producers and artists, I figured she might know how to market me and get me to the right people that could know what to do with my talent. And hopefully believe in me. So getting somebody who believes in your talent genuinely it doesn’t matter if you’re even a big fan of theirs. If they believe in you, they’ll be able to use their connections and walk your material right into the office of whoever and you can get heard.
Don’t be afraid to give your music out. Always have an example of your music or your talent. Always have an example of your work with you. I always try to network a lot. I’m making sure I got a connect with them so when the time comes I can always call them and they’ll remember me and they’ll be willing to hear what I have to offer to them. But have it together don’t just call and say yeah I got something coming. No you just hit them up and say bam! This is exactly what I want you to do its already on paper. I already thought this out. They see how organized it is then they’ll probably be more willing to check you out.
Sometimes you got to go through people who already know this person. Like you need that stamp of approval or you need just that stamp. I’ve been basically stamped by 50 Cent, so that has taken me a long way. 50 Cent invested in me and took a chance on me before anybody knew who I was based off of what he heard on the CD, no personal relationship or anything. So you sometimes need that stamp of approval of someone people trust. Like people trust Russell Simmons, they know he has a good eye for talent. You may not have heard of his new artist, but they must be good if they’re with Russell.
L.F. – What is it that you love about music?
Nick – Aw man… It just takes me to another place. Like, whatever is going on, mentally I can transport to a better place at that time. If I’m feeling some type of emotional way, good or bad or whatever music can probably help with that and enhance it. Or lets say I’m feeling bad and I want to feel good I could put on a Stevie Wonder song and forget everything that I was thinking about and I wont even think about it anymore. Not like it’s a distraction but it’ll just lift the spirits.You can tell so many stories through music, so much history.
I love how the music itself, tells a story. When I listen to Motown songs you know you don’t know who all was playing on those records but you just know you heard some kind of little sound in the background like a tambourine sound. It might just come in one time, but your like wow, what was that about? You have to just listen and hear what was going on. You can use your imagination with music. That’s what I like about music.
You get to use your imagination. I’m very imaginative. I have a big imagination. I can go any where with music I can be who ever I want to be at any time. Any way that I feel at any time I could express with the music. It doesn’t even matter what you’re saying. If it’s true to you its gonna sound good. So my motto in my studio is just hit record I just want to capture the moment. It’s a time capsule. That’s how it tells a story. Were just using the technology that we have available to us right now, to capture that. same as a videographer or a photographer anybody like that, we’re just documenting the moment. Were in a room together right now we’re documenting it right here with this. That’s what I like about it.
L.F. – What has been you’re most memorable moment through out your career?
Nick – Definitely one of the most memorable moments was when I first heard the song with 50 on it. I was literally at work talking on the phone to the people at G-Unit. I’m ringing up customers, ringing up candy and pop and chips and I’m listening on the phone to them playing 50 Cent rappin over my track. And then on top of that he was actually giving props to the track at the beginning. He actually said “I’m fuckin wit this-this that classic shit-that gangsta shit.” I hadn’t even heard 50 give props to a beat on a track before. For that, to be my first song in the industry he called it classic. That was like a crowning moment. He took me to another level right there. I felt myself jump to another level within my body. Man that’s a blessing. Just the whole way that I got my deal and everything was just an incredible thing because before I had even talked to the people over at G-Unit they were already familiar with my work. I was like, “Wow!” How am I on their radar?
And my man Proof, he gave me my first check in the game, maybe ‘04. Or paid me the most that I had ever received for a beat at that time. I might have got a little street money from some beats. A couple hundred or so, but he really used my song on the album put it out world wide. And really paid me for that. That was definitely another great moment in my musical career.
Then there’s like me getting that phone call for the first time. Somebody called me like, “man you on the radio right now” It was one of my solo songs too before I did anything. I turn on WJLB and I hear my own song that I produced, that was incredible man. I wasn’t expecting that. I might have dropped off the CD down there months before that. I don’t know how it happened, but it worked. They started playin it and the next thing you know they had me down at the radio station giving me an interview. My first song on the radio was my own song it was called, “Perfection.” I included that song on Detours, it was the last song.
There’s been a lot of other moments. The door has been opened because of what I’ve done. You know it only takes one song to get to the point where people are willing to listen to whatever else. For me to come out in 2005 and still be relevant in 2009 is a blessing.
L.F. – What advice would you give for any aspiring performers or artists?
Nick – Originality is key. Originality always wins number 1. Everybody who has had their hits has had something original about them. Even if you didn’t like the artists. They still are original in some way. Theres a million ways to make somebody dance. There’s no reason for me to make a song that sounds just like T.I. song on the radio. Just cause it’s working right now. That’s cool in all but in a couple of months they are gonna want something new. So rather T.I. give it to em or I give it to em they still gone be looking for something new. So I’d rather give them something new and show em how we get down. How we party.
L.F. – Any last words?
Nick – Keep working hard. Go off your own inspiration you don’t need no council to tell you what to do or what’s hot. Just try to highlight the thing you do. Know the history of things too. I like to go back and see who my influences were influenced by. Say I like Marvin Gaye or George Clinton I want to hear what they was listening to when they were younger. And some of that music was made before I was born but I wan t to hear what they was listening to in the 50’s and 60’s. I might even go farther than that and see what they influences were listening to. I’m just doing my research. Who knows I might learn to play the harp or something.Definitely learn as much as possible knowledge is something they never can take from you. They could take away all this physical stuff they can take everything in my studio but I can still come up with something new with whatever is here. I still know how to make that happen. Just stay original work hard and network all day. You should make it. If I was to quote Tupac I’d say, “If you can believe then you can achieve just look at me.”
For more info go to:
www.myspace.com/nickspeed313
Blaq Poet ~ talking about Premier
Shortly after Blaq Poet released his latest project, The Blaqprint, we caught up with him to talk to him for a brief moment about working with DJ Premier. We love Premo.
L.F. – What is your earliest memory of Hip-Hop in New York?
Blaq – Off the top right now, earliest memory was like, seeing Grandmaster Flash, and Melly Mel. Him and the furious five standing up there in the Bronx with the… “Don’t push me cause I’m close to the edge.” Just seeing the way they dressed, the way they was just coming across, rapping’, expressing themselves. It was crazy.
L.F. – What is hip-hop culture to you?
Blaq – You know it’s a way of life. The hard-core hip-hop I love the most, but I love all hip-hop. You know what I mean? The culture is me. The culture is me and everybody else that rap and is into music, and is helping to spread the culture all across the world.
L.F. – How has your relationship with DJ Premier affected your work?
Blaq – Well when it comes to Premiere, he just makes me more of a perfectionist. You know he’s a perfectionist, he wants to get everything right. He was more on point, making sure everything I do is bangin’ bangin.’
L.F. – How did you first meet Premiere?
Blaq – I met premiere in the early nineties. You know back in the days. Him and GURU had just come out to New York you know, and me and hot beam was down together at the time. And PhD was on fire at the time, they had come flippin out there. Him and Guru had been talking. They were coming to give us kind of a welcome to New York. I was like you know, I like what you doing, one day we gone work together. Years passed by, he blew up… It looked like we lost touch, but we got back in touch with each other in two thousand, for the school board Y2k album. Premiere laced the school board with two ill beats, and from there it was over. We were back in touch with each other.
L.F. – Have there been one or two specific things that you have learned from Premiere over the years, that have affected your life or your music?
Blaq - You just got to take care of your business. Make sure everything is right as far as the music goes. Everything… down to the little high hats, kicks and snares. Everything got to be sounding right. You just got to stand for hip-hop man. A lot of stuff rubbed off on me. As far as how to organize beats, and how to organize music and be a better artist.
L.F. Last words?
Blaq – yeah man you know. Stay on top of your business, man. Don’t let nobody tell you that you cant get it done. Stay on top of your business, stay on top of your dreams man. And don’t listen to nobody man. Follow your heart man. Your heart will tell you when your listening to the right people. Do what you do. And stay out my way!
