Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter Podcast
Welcome to YODM Podcast, your gateway to engaging conversations and thought-provoking debates. With every episode, we bring you a fresh perspective on a wide range of intriguing topics. Join our panel of passionate debaters as we explore the issues that matter most to you. From relationships and societal dilemmas to personal growth and pop culture, our discussions are designed to inspire curiosity, spark dialogue, and encourage you to see the world from different angles. Tune in for entertaining and enlightening conversations that leave you pondering, questioning, and wanting more. Join the YODM community, share your thoughts, and let the debates begin!
Your Opinion Doesn’t Matter Podcast
The Pulse of Hip-Hop: DJ Scratchator Legacy and Reflections
What happens when a young kid from a musically inclined household in Brooklyn gets captivated by DJs in Philadelphia? You get DJ Scratchator, a legendary figure in hip-hop and the longtime DJ for Busta Rhymes. Join us on "Your Opinion Doesn't Matter" as Scratchator recounts his early inspirations, his transformative experiences with local Brooklyn DJs, and the mentorships that have shaped his illustrious career. It's a nostalgic trip through the chaos and passion of early hip-hop events that evolved into the cultural phenomenon we know today.
Our conversation takes a deep dive into the evolution of hip-hop culture, from its gritty early days to its current influence on parties and gatherings. DJ Scratchator shares personal anecdotes about the chaotic nature of early hip-hop events and the ongoing need to blend old and new styles to connect with younger audiences. With insights into how veteran artists like Method Man continue to shape the genre and the crucial role that radio plays in popularizing hip-hop, we offer a nuanced look at how this vibrant culture has evolved over the decades. Additionally, we explore the technical evolution of DJing, contrasting the manual precision of the early days with the convenience of today's digital tools.
In a heartfelt moment, we remember our friend Clinton, whose enthusiasm for hip-hop brought so much joy to our lives. This tribute underscores the importance of celebrating those we've lost while also looking at the future of hip-hop, including the rise of female artists like Cardi B and Megan Thee Stallion. We discuss the role of competition in driving the genre forward and share personal stories that capture the spirit of hip-hop culture. Tune in for an episode filled with nostalgia, insights, and heartfelt memories, celebrating 30 years of hip-hop inspiration.
Welcome. Welcome to the your Opinion Doesn't Matter podcast. Okay, it's a good day. It's a good day for real you know I got a good friend of mine, man a good friend of mine. Shit how many years we knew each other.
Speaker 2:Man over 30, man Over 30 years. Man Over 30 years at least. Yeah.
Speaker 1:I consider him a brother of mine, you know.
Speaker 2:No doubt.
Speaker 1:Yeah, man, I'm proud to say he's a friend and I'm proud of you for what you've done with your career. So, um, you heard me a couple other podcasts when I talk about like well-known djs or mcs that's come from the east flappish neighborhood. This is one a good friend of mine, dj scratchy tour what up, y'all, what up, what up. Right right. He is currently the DJ for Busta Rhymes.
Speaker 2:No doubt. Yeah, man, yeah, going on about 20-something years with that. 20 years, maybe 96 to now, 96 to now, yeah, almost 28 years. I know you longer, but definitely it's like over two and a half decades, man.
Speaker 1:That's what's up, man. That's what's up, man. So let's get into hip hop. Man. What inspired you to start DJing? What got you into it?
Speaker 2:Well, in most households there was always music being played. You know I'm saying like music is so even much more so popular now that everybody listens to their own. You had to listen to what was being played by your parents. You know I'm saying, and, um, you know, I had an uncle who used to, he had a dj setup. I give him his props as to say he had the DJ setup and he would play music and he knew what to play. But to me, the DJ also knew how to do a little bit more than just play the music that the people wanted. It's actually, you know, back then, doing little tricks, being able to scratch, blending music, you know, keeping it rocking, not letting the music stop, you know, and my uncle, you know, like I said, he played music and he still does up to this day.
Speaker 2:And, um, but one time, you know, as a kid growing up, and I was listening to music in the house and my uncle had the dj set up and I wasn't really interested in it until I actually saw a dj, dj and and this I got inspired from this in, uh, philadelphia as a kid, I saw some djs djing in the park. Just happened to be, you know the kids riding the bike and I'm just like, wait a minute, something don't sound right. You know, let me, let me look in to see what's going on with the music. And when I got close and I seen the DJ cutting the records and switching the songs, I was like as a little kid like, oh, we have that at home, we could do the same thing. So when I got back to the crib I touched my uncle's stuff and he tried to kill me. He was like, what are you doing? No, you don't do that to records, you're gonna mess them up and blah, blah. But I later learned, like later on that actual year, that that happened.
Speaker 2:I'm not not gonna say when that was, but you know, um, I met some djs when I came to actually brooklyn, because I learned I used to go down to philadelphia for the summer. I was just about to ask you yeah, yeah, I was in. Learned I used to go down to Philadelphia for the summer. I was just about to ask you yeah, I was in Philly, I used to go down for the summer. You know, my mom used to ship us off, ship me off down to hang out with grandma, so she'd get a break, if you think about it. Oh, for the summer. Yeah, just for the summer.
Speaker 2:Yeah, after school was out, you you know, and I enjoyed it because Philadelphia was popping as far as like kids on the street Back in these days. It wasn't dangerous to the point other than you got the little bullies, but it wasn't gunshots popping off and crazy like that. You know, it wasn't so bad out there in Philly like it is now Not knocking Philly because I still go down there, my grandmother still lives there. But you know, like I said, got to brooklyn, met up with some djs and they started showing me how to do it and after that I just I loved it so much that I just wanted to be the best that I could be and and better than anybody else that I knew. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So that was the motivation how old were you when you got the bug? How old were you? Nine he's nine nine years old because when I, when I'm, when I actually met you, you was, you was already at the beginning, already starting, yeah yeah, yeah, definitely I was it.
Speaker 2:I would have. We were teenagers, for sure. Um, I'm just trying to remember like how old but maybe we probably met, maybe like around I was 14, 15, somewhere around them, ages somewhere, and um, I met you because of a dj yeah you know what I'm saying.
Speaker 2:Yeah, dj dj, dane, vt, uh, dice, you know these guys, they um through dice I met a lot of other djs because dice was very popular too and he was on the scene. He started like around the same time as me, you know, and we met because we were supposed to battle. Then we became good friends and we started djing together and blah, blah, blah. We never really battled, but we're all supposed to battle me and dice are supposed to battle each other. Oh word, yeah.
Speaker 2:But then when we finally got around to it, it was, it was just all love. You know, I'm saying, but not saying we had beef, but it was just like battle for what? Let's just, you know, let's just do it. You know what I'm saying. Right, right, right, yeah. So we, we officially met because of other djs and you happen to live on the same block as um, as dj dt, and that was, and another battle was supposed to happen. That's why we came around there because, if I remember correctly, dj godfrey was supposed to battle dj dt, you know, dane, and we came through and then we just won the crew. After that, it just, you know, oh, wow, yeah, that's from what I remember Now when you finally get DJ Dice up in here. He might have another story, but I believe that's how it went.
Speaker 1:He might say he came around and you chickened out. He probably gonna say something like that. He can say what he wants. Yeah, dj Dice. Current release DJ and fight Red man and Method man. Yeah, so what about any MC battles? Anybody was supposed to? Who used to come down there? That's like you know, like known now.
Speaker 2:Come down where. In Dane's basement, I don't know about in Dane's basement, but I definitely used to work with little Sean. You know, definitely bus used to come on on our block or Troy Avenue. That's how I met him through my best friend, e double, and you know I mean that's it. And then of course we we knew special ed was from around the way and all of that. But as far as any other rap artists, I mean but then you get it.
Speaker 1:Then you wasn't. Um buster wasn't the first one who recruited you?
Speaker 2:who somebody else recruited you. Well, I actually I dj'd for little sean for a little bit, no, before that. Mc light, yes, mc light, but yeah, that was. That was very short-lived, though, but we still cool to this day, because I see her every now and then what happened with that?
Speaker 2:what happened was light and I went to the same high school wingate, right wingate which is not too far from where we live, right and light because I, you know, I was a dj in school, people knew me. She's like I want you to be my dj, right, and I was, I'm down with it, right, but I guess me being too honest about how I felt about her music, what it sounded like. She didn't like my comment, I think, and after that she was like I don't know if I want to rock with you like that and what it was. I could remember, of course, because of course she blew up, right and I was. I wasn't kicking myself because I didn't even think, I didn't even know the magnitude of what it is to be Seeing the rap artists that you know blow up. You know, you see them on the videos back then, here and there, but when you hear records on radio and stuff.
Speaker 2:But anyway she came out with a song. I Crammed to Understand you, sam, radio and stuff, but anyway she came out her song, I crammed to understand you, sam, and when I heard it, compared to some other things that I heard that I liked, I said the way it sounded because it was nice, it was raw, it was. It was real. True for me, hip-hop, not taking nothing away from it, but for my young mind and not having the experience, I said to her I said, yo, it sounded like something that was made in a. It didn't sound. It sounded like something that was made in a. It didn't sound professional, it sounded like it was made in a basement, like because I was already aware of recording stuff in a basement, right, so me knowing how something sounds that sounds like it's recorded in the basement. Compared to what was on record, that's what it sounded like and I think that was the. That was what they was looking for. That's, that was the sound it was going for.
Speaker 2:And when I made that comment, I think she was probably looking at me like, oh, she got tight, she got tight, she. I believe she got tight because after that we lost connection, like that, and it wasn't like she said, yo, I'm not working with you, or it was like some some really ill vibes. It was just like it was like silence. After that I was like I was like, okay, but other things was happening in my life. I was still dj, I was still doing what I wanted to do so it was like okay, no problem in high school your road.
Speaker 1:Your road was um. You know, you are like um.
Speaker 2:You are historian in pop and, and I'd like to think so. I like to think that I played a major role in hip hop, right, but I'm humble and I'm modest with it, right. But what I can say is like when I think about, let's say, I didn't say what I said to her and I did end up going out and rocking with her. Who knows where I would be now, right, and I believe that, you know, there's always a path that's kind of like set for you and certain things are supposed to happen.
Speaker 2:They're supposed to happen, because right now, light is great. Light is doing what she. She's still doing voiceovers for BET and certain things. She's alright. So when I see her, she looks like everything is good and glam and everything is great, and I don't know what her DJ at that time. What is he doing now? What he's doing now? I don't see him, but you know him, though. I think I met him once.
Speaker 1:I't hear, I don't see him. You know so.
Speaker 2:But you know I'm doing, you know, I think I met him once, I mean, but if you see, I know well if what he looked like back then I don't know what he's looking like these days. Right, that's what I'm saying. I haven't seen him right. So I'm not saying that he's not doing anything great or whatever. Or you know, or he's or he is doing bad, but at the end of the day, it's like I just know where I'm at now.
Speaker 2:I'm like I'm grateful for where I'm at right now, having that experience, having the experience of working with my local djs like dice um, dj, lex um, dj exclusive, like the. The guys who taught me how to dj um being around, have an opportunity to first get on the industry scene the hip hop with Lil Sean, you know, who was down with me, and some of the people I just mentioned. We had our little crew, but he kind of was. He got a record deal and he started doing his thing and then, after that, linking up with Busta and also being able to DJ for countless other artists as a result of being working with Busta and also being able to DJ Phil Connelly and other artists as a result of being working with Busta, meeting other people and holding them down when they needed me. You know what I'm saying.
Speaker 1:So yeah, so tell me, let's. I remember. I remember right. I was me and Pratt used to use the Young Bucks rolling with y'all at different parties. Them parties back then was crazy.
Speaker 2:Right? Explain what you mean by crazy. What was with y'all the different parties? Right them parties back then was crazy. Right, explain what you mean by crazy. What was what was crazy about them?
Speaker 1:the fights, okay, the shootings and uh-huh, and this, this was hip-hop, right, and it just well.
Speaker 2:You know what I don't. I don't agree with the fact every time, not every to everywhere. No, no, no, I wasn't gonna say that. I don't agree that every time we went out it was crazy. I don't agree that shooting and fights is hip hop. That's what I meant. I think that hip hop is the music, it's the fun part of black culture, what we bring with our style, our how we finesse words, how we manipulate the music. Right, you know what I'm saying Taking old classics and making it, giving it a different sound, keeping some of the original sound, but making it more hip. Right, right, right, and make you hop, because that's what hip hop was about. It was dance, it was all of that. But I understand what you're saying. Hip hop always and it seems like it still does break violence, but so does rock.
Speaker 1:Right, but you know what I stand corrected. I didn't mean it like okay, that's hip hop Meaning. That was there when we was growing up in hip hop, right, that was the negative side of hip hop. Of course hip hop is beautiful. A lot of things spawned out of hip hop. You know what I'm saying. Everything is and it was new. That was the beauty of hip hop. It was new to us. Everything was new right you know you would like, you would learn certain new scratches right you would learn different things.
Speaker 1:Now there's nothing really considered new to me. There's nothing. There's nothing like like a new, a new feeling. You know, beside these kids is not even rhyming on beat. You know I'm saying it's like they doing their own thing, they doing their own thing well, you know something, you're right, but there is a lot of new.
Speaker 2:That like that not rhyming on beat, it's new, because that was never hip-hop, right. So, just to um, like, we still have people who actually give you real hip-hop. You know that there's still people still pushing it. Some of them are not known. Some of them are known, very well known. You know. Some of them are beefing with each other right now. You know what I'm saying? Yeah, um, and some of them are still doing it, even from back, maybe not as far back as what we're talking about, when we was in the parties, but as far back as 90s, you know.
Speaker 2:You see what meth said about on the summer jam. He said, yo, we like the crowd is too young, they don't know us like that, so I won't be attending anymore. But to me, um, I don't agree with not going, I agree with that. He said the crowd is young and actually showing them is key. You know, um, we're, we're still raising these young, these youngins, right, the people who are we consider young, who are new into hip hop or new being able to get out the house, even though kids are out of the house a lot earlier, in a way. But then again, no, it just depends on where you, where you from and where, how your parents raised you right. But at the end of the day, we still gotta show them, we still gotta talk to them. You know, even if they didn't know who method man was, only because they saw him on power. When they saw him from power, then they see him rapping and they'd be like, oh snap, he does that too, even if they think it's new or he's just trying it. Then when they do their research, like, oh, this guy has been around for a while, so I do believe that we still need to mix it. You know, you don't just play new music in the club. You got to play some some, some, some good classic hip-hop, some old school stuff.
Speaker 2:And then people can connect the dots where, oh snap, that sounds like this new song I heard and that's what they understand, where right they took this from and how they freaked it to make it sound up to date. You know what I'm saying. So I believe that we still gotta mix and mingle a little bit. You know that's how you, that you're only gonna learn the history, if someone teaches it to you, shows it to you, so we can't just exit out and say, nah, we gotta go there and sometimes show them.
Speaker 2:Because I'm gonna tell you the truth, I was at the summer jam that uh meth was at right and when you see how meth and red performed the songs that the kids didn't know how in sync they were, how the songs, what they sounded like, you can understand all the words they said. They're saying, not saying you can't understand the new people, but again, anybody who didn't know about it. Now they're like I think I like that, even if it's 10 out of the 10 000 people that was there, 10 people, that's 10 more fans. That's gonna start playing your music. That's gonna start telling other people about you. So I don't think you should ever say I won't do this or that again unless you like, physically you can't, or you totally against any form of music. Now you know what I'm saying, right?
Speaker 1:So do you think that um, do you think um radio, was the? Um the cause for this?
Speaker 2:doing what they've been doing when they was, when we was growing up, and we was listening to the radio and they was playing what was hot at that moment. That's what they did, right, certain at certain hours, right. But our radio stations I, they still do it to a degree now in a little bit, where we had the quiet storm where it was all slow jams after 10 or 11 or whatever it was, but then you had the hip-hop during the day, then you had old school during midday for the lunch. So that's still happening to a degree. But at the end of the day I don't think radio is the blame.
Speaker 2:I know that they do push the new music because of whatever politics, but they do have some stations that still give you what you want you just got to. If you want to hear it, you got to look. Still give you what you want If you want to hear it. You got to learn. And then, real quick, the kids don't listen to the radio, they go straight to the internet. They see what's trending on the social media platforms. So you can't blame the radio anymore either for what the kids like. They're going to go and find what they like.
Speaker 2:They're going to find it. You know what the?
Speaker 1:radio to me is either for what the kids like they're going to go and find what they like. They're going to find what they like, they're going to find it. You know what, you know what the radio to me. It did a lot of damage Like. So I see the gatekeepers, like how Funkmaster Flex he's a gatekeeper over there.
Speaker 2:Right right.
Speaker 1:You know what I mean? She's staying there. It's like they don't want no new blood. Right now there's this reggae song that comes on on 97 and 105. No-transcript. And then, after like three weeks now, I'm liking this song. So I want to know Do you know what song this is? No, I mean, it's the only reggae song that come on during the day.
Speaker 2:Are you talking about the one? Yeah, that one, that's Bob Marley's grandson, uh-huh. Okay, that's Lauryn Hill's son and that's Rohan hill's son and that's, um, they, um, rohan marley's father, lauren hill. She had all her kids with rohan marley, yeah, and that's her son. So that song why they pushing it is because it it was trending so hard on the social media platforms, everybody's. Yeah, I never heard. You know, the song, with no video, had over 55 million views with just his artwork and social media. I don't know, I don't know if there was some back channel on how it gets pushed like that. I don't know those politics like that, right? Um, I mean, we could always be conspiracy theorists and come up with some or think of some stuff, right. But that's why you heard that song, because when the streets are dictating, what's?
Speaker 2:hot the radio is going to jump on it.
Speaker 1:Right, so I couldn't, I couldn't. I was like yo, this song to me was kind of whack in the beginning, but then you know, after you hearing it, you hear, yeah, but but now that I told you who it is, did you know that his name is YG Marley?
Speaker 2:No, I didn't know anything. All right, now that you know that he's a Marley, can you now hear the Marley? Because if you listen to the beginning sample, it's Bob Marley. I don't know. If you heard the beginning, no, the very beginning, you'll hear a song of Bob Marley playing, and then they take that track, they freak it a little bit and and his grandson is singing and he's going ah, and he has a bob marley sound. What now? If you connect the dots when you hear you okay, okay, so, yeah, so that is a a like. Again, you didn't know why, and then now you see the connection on why it happened it was trending, it's trending. So the gatekeepers sometimes they have to conform to what the people want and what they're saying is hot Right, even if you think it's trash, it might not be trash to a couple other million people.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying? Right, right, right, because I thought they would test that after 6 pm, but I'm hearing that at two in the afternoon, 12 o'clock.
Speaker 2:I'm like, dang, I did a nice little remix of it. Um, I put some buster vocals over it from off of his latest album, from the blockbuster album, and they, they, he loves it. He took on me. That's like one of my best dreams. I make a bunch of different remixes and he, he was like yo. Even a lot of people say yo scratch that one, and of course it's trending. So the way the beat sounds, everybody knows where it is. If you know, you know, right, yeah. And when you hear him on it like oh shit, I didn't know buster did this is on it, but he's not, I put him on it oh, okay, okay, yeah, the re-remix the, the well.
Speaker 2:I mean, I don't, I don't know if there's enough. There's no official remix right of that song. It's just the kid yg marley and I put it together and it hasn't been played much. I mean, I just play it when I play it and I gave it to bus and I think when he'd be going out he might be making djs.
Speaker 1:He'll play this shit oh, you know what I'm saying To force them to hate. Eventually you get on it.
Speaker 2:Well, he makes them. You know, I think when they hear they probably like it too. But I haven't been in the in this on the scene to see the reaction. But all I know is he said the reaction when he does play it or get to play they'd be like yo this shit is hot.
Speaker 1:Years you've been making.
Speaker 2:You know you're on and off with making tracks and stuff like that you know, I mean, I mean I like some of your, your beats, but, like you know, like um, did buster ever throw you a? You know, throw you a bone? Well, I'm not a dog, so I don't eat bones, you know, I mean, did buster ever know what I'm saying? Um, yeah, yeah, definitely I made. I made a track, um that was on, that was supposed to go on on the next flip mode album after the first one, and I got paid for it. Um, actually, buster helped me get um a track that I made to method man, called what's happening, which was was pretty popular at the time. This just came out back in 2003 and um, him and method man is on it.
Speaker 2:I produced a track. They shot a video. Um, they've never performed the song together, though, but method man did perform it once on mtv. Right, you know what I'm saying, and I got that footage. I'm glad I got that, because I never saw him perform it, and every time I saw him I'm like yo, what's up when you don't perform my track?
Speaker 2:He said I don't know, man. I just said I can't do it without bus. He said I tried it once before and it came off, but you know, cause he raps first, so he's on the first verse, then it's the chorus and then bus, so he could do it like that. You know, and cause I we was on tour together two state of the mind, state of new york, um, state of new york mind talk, and you know the beats man like he has helped me out on it here and there. You know what I'm saying and I've just since we're on the topic I've done tracks for fabulous. I did a track for monica through the help of missy, who I'm going to be on tour with this summer. Okay, missy, ciara Busta, timbaland, and yeah, it's going to be epic man.
Speaker 1:Nice, nice, nice, nice. And do you have any like? Did you ever meet somebody that you was like super starstruck?
Speaker 2:I mean, it was a pleasure to be able to stand up next to Janet Jackson. You didn't mean Mike, no, I never meant Mike Um standing up next to Janet Jackson. Um, I saw her once at the video shoot when they were shooting the video for what's it going to be. And then, um seeing her when bus one I think the best video, or something ontv and she came up and and and we were, um, we all went up on stage with him, you know, but starstruck for anybody you're ready to too long now. Yeah, um, I don't know, it would have to be somebody that maybe we thought was was dead and they not. That I would be like, oh shit, like you know, but I've been around countless people, you know, I don't know, there's nobody, there's nobody, I know. I, I know when I do get around certain um, actress and actors and stuff like that, I size them up because you know, on tv everybody looks kind of big. And then when you finally see, like sure, he's sure, all because you know, on tv everybody looks kind of big.
Speaker 2:And then when you finally see, like he's sure all, because you know everything is always zoomed in, you know what I'm saying. So you see them, they look like they big, you know right, right, right, yeah.
Speaker 1:So now, um, let's take back to the parties, back in the days when you was doing it for the love, like majority was for the love, y'all was getting paid, like that yeah, we were getting some money, but it wasn't like like you know, like what I would get now if I dj.
Speaker 2:You know what I'm saying. It was for the love, it was for the fun, it was for the experience. You know what I'm saying. Like you remember, after we did the parties, we would go out to go eat breakfast and the money we made we would spend it on everybody eating, because everybody who's there with us either helped us out when we was carrying equipment or was part of making sure that nobody would mess with us, like our little own security team, our crew. You know what I'm saying. So we definitely. You know we did it for the love and for the fun of it. You know that's how, that's how your passion usually starts.
Speaker 1:You love it, so you don't mind doing it, you know so now, um far as like, um like the first, when you start scratching, like I remember, um some certain records, y'all used to put markers on it, like especially for um eric b, for for president right make you, make you clap for this right. Right you have to put. You have to put marks. Explain to people when you have to mark the records, to catch it so that I think those are. Explain what does it mean when you mark okay.
Speaker 2:So for the people who are djing now, who maybe started within the last, let's say I'm gonna give 10, 10 years, right, because serato and tractor and all of these dj softwares are in effect now the cue points would be out. Our one cue point on the record back in the day, that cue point told us where, whatever sound we wanted to cut or bring it back to is where the actual mark would be. So picture a record spinning. As you can see, in Serato there's a line that's spinning around in a circle, clockwise right, and every time you scratch it it would go back. Go like this so if for eric being for president, if I came, if, if the mark was at the top and it said I came in the door, so at that point you would know the eye is right at the top. So when it went, I came through the door and you wanted to bring it back to that point, you would know the I is right at the top. So when it went, I came through the door and you wanted to bring it back to that point, you would reverse it back. I came to the door, I came to the door. So when you were scratching it, if you, if you scratched it, and when I came to the door I said it before. I never let the mic magnetize me, no more than you want to go back two times back to. I came to the door. So if it went around once, twice and a half, you knew you had to go back around two times and a half to bring it back right. So that's what the markers were.
Speaker 2:Now you don't have to worry about that as much. We have these buttons, the cue points, and you've got multiple. So if you knew I came to the door and said it before, you could hit. The first one usually is red on the dj um systems and the second one be yellow. So I came through the door, set it before. So now you could go, I, I, I came through the door, set, set, set, set, set, set, set, set it before I came to the door. Set it came, set it, I came, I said it, I said it. I said you could do it like that. So it makes it jump. But we couldn't do that.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:We didn't have any buttons, we had to do all that manually with your hands. So you would have two of the same records. If you knew, I came through the door, said it before. When the mark got, let's say it got to the bottom, you would have one turntable with it pointing up and the other one with the line pointed down so you can cut. I came through the door and the other turntable with the mark pointing down. I never said it before, so you can go, I came, I said it, I came, I said it going back and forth. But now the cheat code with the computer you can have up to 10 cue points on one MP3 for different parts and then now you can make beats with them because you can hit it like a pad, like a drum. I, I can't, I can't, I, I can't, I, you know you could do whatever you want with it.
Speaker 1:so that's what the marks were for us back in the days so do you think that um the new djs, who who didn't um come up with the in the 1200s, 1200s, the actual dj?
Speaker 2:like people with With turntables. Yeah, because there's so many different brands of turntables.
Speaker 1:Yeah, do you think that it was? Do you? Do you, do you consider those guys real DJs? If they using, if they using those computer things?
Speaker 2:Well, if they're using. Because one thing I liked about the new age of DJing that came to be with the computer was that they allowed the computer and the turntable to work together. Um, I think that made the life of a dj a lot easier, because now you didn't have to carry all the record crates. You had all your songs if you had it as an mp3 in the laptop or on your hard drive and you could select them without having to turn around and look for a record or do something. You know, now it was instantaneous. I could switch, like I could switch almost a song a second if I want. I could just go bop, bop, bop and if you have it set up right, you could make it seem seamless right. So it's a beautiful thing. It made the life for djs who came from the turntable and vinyl era. It made the job easier for the people who started later, who don't know, who didn't know anything about turntables, cause now they have these things called the controllers that have like a CD type looking, setup CD player looking, set up, with a mixer in the middle and everything is combined. Now the turntableable you don't even have to, you don't need it, everything is all in one. Use your laptop. Sometimes you don't even need a laptop if you have a flash drive with all your music. You can just plug it in and you can select what's on the flash drives to play through. This, this, this, um, oh, wow, this, this module, like, uh, this, this setup. So, in any case, I would.
Speaker 2:I think that if you love djing, you should want to know the history behind it. You might want to go and check it out, try it out. See what it took djs before you to to be able to do what you're doing now so easily. How hard it was be able to do what you're doing now so easily. Yeah, how hard it was, and appreciate you.
Speaker 2:I think djs would appreciate so much more what they're able to do if they knew how it was back in the days. Yeah, you know, and, um, I think that that is something you know, you want to. You want to, you want to look into that djs. You want to go and just, even if it's just try it, go, look at some videos of some DJs who were battling back in the 80s and the 90s, when there was no serato, no tractor, no virtual dj, none of these softwares that are out now and see what they used to do with these records and what they used to make people, how, how they used to amaze people with what they did. They're doing in actual actuality. Everything that serato and all of these dj platforms were based based off of how fast DJs used to do things in the battles. That's what made them say yo, we need to make something to me that can do what these guys are doing, but the average person could do it.
Speaker 1:Right, so they found the cheat sheet.
Speaker 2:Pretty much. They found a way to make some money, but it also made lives easier for the current DJs, the DJs who had it hard right. And how about this? Those DJs who were dope back then are even crazier now with the software. Even the guy who's just learning can't do what these DJs are doing. Like. You got to be so invested into what it is you want to do on these turntables now because djs are still using the turntables but again they're using the aspect of the computer age to do what they did.
Speaker 2:But they could taken it to like a hundred times a level higher than what they were doing back in the days, because it's so quick and a new DJ, even if he thinks he could come in and do that, it's going to take him years to be able to get that. I mean, or maybe not, it just depends on how motivated some people are. It could take them weeks, but it ain't going to be like oh what DJ Craze or DJ Q-Bert or any of these other battle DJs from back in the days what they're doing now that I see they're not going to be able to just go up there and say I can do that. There's a lot of thought, creativeness is still in the mind. Technology, yeah, helps your creativeness, but if you don't have it, you can't get it. You can't do it, no, you have to develop it.
Speaker 2:I'm going to said you can't get it, you got to develop that.
Speaker 1:You know that's a skill set. Yeah, man, there's definitely a skill set. Man, how do you feel about the current state of hip-hop and like what's going on, and how do you, how are you fitting in to this new age of hip-hop?
Speaker 2:well, I don't think I need to fit in, I'm already in, right, you know what I'm saying. No, no, no, that's not, it's, it's cool, cool. That's still a great question how I fit in. I believe that I'm in. I'm not trying to fit anywhere. I just do what I do and I play the new music when I learn of it, because there's some things that come out so quickly that you can't keep up unless you constantly on it, like that, and I'm not. I'm not constantly on it, I'm going to on it, I'm gonna keep it a buck. I got other things happening in life that I can't just be on trying to know what the newest thing is. If it's that popular, I'll hear about it. Right and um, the current state of hip-hop I like where it's going, um, at the moment.
Speaker 2:It seemed well, let's say, a couple weeks ago, or maybe a couple months ago, it seemed like the girls was was running it like there was a bunch of new. Or maybe a couple months ago it seemed like the girls was was running it like there was a bunch of new girls out, a bunch of girl records was out. You know, between um, cardi b and and um and uh, what's her name um brooke, and gorilla megan, the stallion, nikki, and all of these girls. You know it was like oh man, it's like the girls are taking over, right, you know what I'm saying, right? And then, and not to mention me, shameless plug, my daughter raps too. She's about to, she's about to blow up his daughter's good, his daughter's good. She raps on beep, and all of that because you said that they don't be.
Speaker 2:But in any event, then I felt like the men was like yo, wait, wait, wait. What's going on? Like everything is all about the chicks right now. Oh, yeah, sexy red, and you know city girls. And I know there's one person I'm forgetting. Oh, I said Cardi B. Cardi B, you know all of the girls, that's just been Megan. Yeah, I, girls that would, that's just on the scene, right, you know, that's lotto and sweetie. All of them, all of. Anyway. Now, the biggest talks right now was, at least recently, was the kendrick and drake beef, which started with j cole in it and then he respectfully bowed out and it was a way to get everybody, everybody back on the. Oh, the dudes. Is they going in now?
Speaker 2:I'm not saying the girls are quiet, but nobody talking about it as much right you know I'm not saying that this is a conspiracy or whatever, but it's crazy how the universe works. Where it brought it shifts the attention back and forth, whether it was planned or not. It's crazy. All the girls and the girls be beefing too. You know to a degree. You know Nikki and Ice Spice against Cardi B and what's the girl I said her name was Lotto they going back and forth. So you know, and I learned this, I hear about a lot of stuff through my young daughters who are following it, especially because she wants to be in the industry.
Speaker 2:And I'm going to say she's in the industry, but at the end of the day, what it means, like you know, she's keeping me up to speed, and then all of a sudden, boom, somebody thinks someone said something subliminal on the guy's side, kendrick, with, with um and and and j cole and them, and now they're going back and forth and now that hype is going on. You know, it's just, it's just crazy to see and I it's all hip-hop whether how they rap in, what kind of beats they twerking while they battling, or whatever. I'm talking about the girls, right, of course, but at the end of the day, it's just like, right, it's. It's just what it is. It evolves. Think about it, do you think I? But I do believe. Like they used to have battles back in the days our parents had some singers. That was probably sick sending shots subliminally in their music at each other or stealing what somebody's flow, or this and that or hey, wait a minute.
Speaker 2:I said that in one of my songs way back. That wasn't popular, but now it's popular because another person, it's so much man. It's history. It's just what happened. Yeah, that's what it is. It's competition, competition, and history represents itself in different ways, man.
Speaker 1:So you think Drake took that L, that major L.
Speaker 2:I still. You know what. I saw Funkmaster Flex and Ebro talking about how Flex said Drake took it and then Ebro saying Kendrick take it. At the moment I'm still I like both of the songs, but I think there's a Drake song that I didn't hear yet. I think that came out after. They're Not Like Us.
Speaker 1:Right.
Speaker 2:But they're Not Like Us. Everywhere, everywhere you hear it, they be going crazy for it everywhere because it's easy. They not like us. Everybody sings it down to.
Speaker 2:Last weekend I was in baltimore and I played it. You know I wasn't expecting to play music before my show but they said, hey, play a couple songs before um to do the changeover from one set to the next to our set. And I played a couple songs and I played that and the crowd who was jamming to some old school music I'm talking about singing. I want to thank you and before I let go, and I was surprised, excuse me I was surprised that people who was jamming on that was singing J Cole's. I mean, sorry, mean, sorry, not j cole, kendrick's whole song, it was just like and they were older, it was mature people, I want to say were older, but it was mature people who was there to see, you know, buster, big daddy kane perform a little earlier before us. The next day they had um. I forgot, it'll come to me in a second, but it was just good to see that. Yo, that battle record is bananas is bananas and it's worldwide known so far. From what I, from what?
Speaker 2:I nice, I'm happy. It's just I gotta hear this. The latest drake that came after that, I think I heard one, but I think he did maybe two.
Speaker 1:I'm just don't quote me well, I mean, you know it's a healthy competition man.
Speaker 2:Yeah, man, and I, you gotta love that. I just, we, just we would like it all to just stay non-violent.
Speaker 2:That's it, yeah we love it non-violent, but it's usually there's always somebody's mans in them who, yes, it's the mans in them. You can't control the meds like yo. Well, he said what man, I ain't going for, I'm going to go see what the hell. I'm gonna go check them, yeah, I'm going, and the and the and the main man will be like, nah, don't do that. And then they'll do that, okay, I won't. And then they still do it. Entourage, yeah, entourage, you gotta.
Speaker 1:You gotta know who you have around you, and then they run and run up with each on each other and start head butting each other bam bam, bam bam.
Speaker 2:Everybody wants to prove that yo man see, I'm down for you sometimes.
Speaker 2:You know, screw that shit yeah, man screw that yeah man, I mean, uh, man, just you know, for the people I know we didn't, we probably we're gonna reiterate it you know it's your boy. World famous dj scratcher taught how to send america. You know, I just want everybody to know, man, if you love what you do, you can be great at it and you could probably live off of it and take care of your family. And one of the things that I'm grateful for with the fact that I love DJing so much that it it gave me an avenue to be able to survive, I'm still surviving off DJ money and take care of my family. That's a message that I would like people to to get from me. Yeah, and that's a message that I would like people to to get from me.
Speaker 1:Yeah, and that's a closing. That's a good closing statement, because every time we always do a closing statement at the end of the show. No doubt and um my closing statement is is that um keep hip hop alive, man?
Speaker 2:Oh, yeah, definitely.
Speaker 1:Keep hip hop alive and, uh, it's going to these a lot of people's veins who really love it right, hip-hop and and music in general.
Speaker 2:Music helps. What what's the term? Calm the savage beast right, right, right in us all, not just the person who's wilding out in us all. And so music is a definitely a getaway and we need it. You know what I'm saying right the melodies, the voices, the words, all of those things help you.
Speaker 1:You need that because a lot of times not to cut you up a lot of times people listen to music when they're by themselves yeah, it could, music, music, music could sway you different directions, but people got to remember that the beauty of it was to make you feel good, exactly, and like, oh my, my, my homeboy. You know, um, god rest. You know, god rest my boy. You know I didn't have a show since since, since my boy passed my boy Clinton, you know, um, and how long is that now?
Speaker 1:It's probably like a month. Okay, Change. I mean I'm hurt that I lost my boy.
Speaker 2:Right.
Speaker 1:You know what I'm saying and this is what you're thinking about.
Speaker 2:I know him too. Yeah, for y'all who don't know, I know him too yeah.
Speaker 1:To make me think about the hip hop he used to love, ll, when L used to take his hat off and he said no, no, he needs to put his head. My hand is like a shark's fin, right, right. And my boy? He used to jump off his bed and do that same dance. Yo man, I miss him, man.
Speaker 2:I love my boy, and that was a cool dude too, man, he's a cool guy Speaking to him, yeah man.
Speaker 1:So yeah, man Again. Rest in peace my boy.
Speaker 2:Yeah, rest in peace, clint man. The last time I saw him was at my birthday party in 2021. Yeah, man, we was on your block my old block. Yeah, your old block, troy avenue. Still your block, though he's flat bush baby right right, right, right, right.
Speaker 1:So yes and um, it's been a pleasure yo definitely man and um, you know I was trying to get spliff. Spliff is supposed to come through.
Speaker 2:Maybe it's gonna come through once he, once he see this, or yeah, about when I see him. I'm gonna see him this weekend. I'll let him know too. Yeah, he can't come through and talk about. Tell him hip hop needs to be talked about. You know what I'm saying? Right, right, right yeah and yes.
Speaker 1:This is the your opinion doesn't matter podcast, and we are outie we're out of here.
Speaker 2:Peace, peace, peace.