HUSTLEKNOCKIN WITH DJ REVOLUTION

We recently sat down with the world-famous DJ Revolution to discuss among other things, the industry, Duckdown Records, what it means to be a DJ and his just-released King Of The Decks. He had some amazing insights into the business, the art and the culture. Check it out!

BREAKING NEEDLES w/ the KING Of The DECKS:

There's a shortage of DJs out there. I'm serious.

Now, when I say, "DJ" I'm not talking about the guy who yells all over every one of your downloads, or the guy who cracks jokes on the radio. No, I mean, a DJ. As in 2-turntables-with-a-mic,-a-rapper’s-delight, cut-scratch-transform-with-finesse-cold-rock-a-party DJ.There's a shortage of them.

One of the last ronins of the SPs goes by the name of DJ Revolution. Besides holding it down on the Wake-Up Show—the longest running hiphop show in history, DJ Revolution is arguably your favorite emcee's favorite DJ—that's assuming your favorite emcee isn't Kanye West.

Take a read as DJ Rev explains all...

HK: What's good Rev? Thanks for taking time to talk with HK.

REV: No problem, B. I got all the time you need.

HK: You’ve got one of the nicer websites/online presences (www.DJRev.net). How important has technology been to staying relevant and keep your name out there?

REV: Thanks. Technology is progress. If you don’t stay current and on point with it, you’ll get rolled over by it.

I looked at a lot of DJ sites out there as I was doing mine; and to be honest most of them are boring as s###. They sleep on the basics—broken links don’t update ‘em very often. It’s a bad experience for fans and people trying to see what you’re about.

My site took a lot of money, and time, but I think it was worth it.

HK: Most folks associate you with the west coast via the Wake Up Show, but you’re originally from Long Island. How’s that bi-coastal flavor influenced your sound and sensibilities as a DJ and a producer.

REV: A lot of DJs travel but I’ve actually lived in different places. I spent 5 years in Long Island, and South Massachusetts all the way through my early 20s. It (living in different places) has given me an edge. A lot of DJs really don’t get a flavor of the sounds and influences of the cities they’re in, because they’re not there long enough to really take it all in.

My foundation is on the east coast; but Cali is where I perfected my craft.

HK: Your new joint is called KING OF THE DECKS. Let’s get into it. How does it stack up against those classic WakeUp Show releases of the seminal This or That many know you from?

REV: For starters King Of The Decks is not a compilation joint or a mixtape like the other joints. It’s a full, complete album. I’m a producer so KOTD has full song production. It’s not just me marching guys in and saying “spit”. It’s a full album with full album production. My skills are 7 years better (since my last release). My production’s 7 years bigger. This is my masterpiece.

HK: You’ve got a who’s who of the underground—Boot Camp, DJ QBert, Dilated Peoples, Bishop Lamont, and more on KOTD. Who surprised you the most as an artist with what they brought to the collaboration?

REV: Honestly, nobody surprised me in the sense that I knew everybody was nice with theirs. But Joell (Ortiz) surprised me. I didn’t know a whole lot about him beyond the music of his I’d heard. I was just shocked with how well he operated. He showed up like “Here I am, let’s do it.” He’d hear the beat, write, show me what he had… We go back and forth about how to make things better. He took direction really well. He was just exceptionally professional.

Besides Joell, KRS is KRS so I knew what to expect—that level of lyricism, professionalism, seriousness about the craft, the respect for DJs and emcees working together. Over all, Bishop (Lamont), Crooked I … Guys were really professional and came threw like vets.

HK: How much of King Of the Decks was getting down in the studio with folks and how much was it sending tracks back n forth? Which process do you prefer most?

REV: I’d say 70% of this album was done in studio—guys coming through and doing their thing live and in the place. The other 30% were either digital sessions—folks sending vocals and swapping tracks… I was on the phone for a couple joints. But 70-75% was emcees and DJs building in the studio.

But thinking about the other question. DJ QBert surprised me, too. He’s one of the nicest, most humble DJs to ever touch the turntables. QBert’s is a genius and geniuses have their eccentricities. We’re friends so we hung out a lot while working on “Invaders from the Planet Sqratch” and it was crazy just watching him order all kinds of crazy foods in restaurants, and working out, etc.

But the guy’s a genius. He actually invented a new scratch for this song—a new scratch that he’s never done before or since, just for this album! The song’s crazy.

HK: Hardest part of putting together this joint?

REV: The hardest part is now. I’ve learned the administrative stuff—setting up release parties, getting sample clearances, bookings, etc. Without a doubt the hardest part of this is the business end.

HK: Of all the indies out there, why drop KING OF THE DECKS on DUCKDOWN Records?

REV: I’ve been knowing Dru (Dru-Ha, DuckDown’s CEO) and Buck (Buckshot) for the better part of 10 years. I watched how they came a long way while maintaining their integrity and standards. Especially with all the changes the industry’s gone thru—the politics, and sales dips. A lot of labels just fell off, but DuckDown’s still here.

And when they found out I was working on new albums, they just came at me in a really respectful way. I could’ve gotten more loot upfront on another label, but there’s a right way and a wrong way to get loot; and for me DD does it right.

HK: What’s your favorite joint off KOTD?:

REV: That’s a tough one. I don’t know, probably the KRS joint (“The DJ”) because it represents everything a DJ should be about; and it’s being put down by a legend that everyone knows. Music aside, I’m a KRS fan.

HK: As a DJ, if you could only do one—perform, radio, or just create beats, which would you pick and why?

REV: I’m a DJ. You’re either a DJ or you’re a producer these days. It’s hard to separate those things. They’re all part of what I do as a DJ. So I’d say producing.

HK: While you’ve worked with mainstream stalwarts like Eminem, Xzbit, Common, etc. you seem to be a favorite amongst so-called underground cats—everyone from Crooked I to Mykill Myers to Swollen Members, Ras Kass, etc. Has that been a strategy or a choice for you?

REV: Well those underground cats see DJing as a real part of hiphop. They see the connection between DJs and emcees. They perform with DJs on tour. They use DJs in on their songs. They respect DJs. They build with DJs. The artists I deal with love DJs.

HK: And the mainstream artists?

REV: They don’t give a f--- about DJs. They just don’t care. Example: Kanye West. I like Kanye West. But has ever used a DJ on a track or in the studio? When he tours he brings one of the best DJs in the world—A-Track; A-track is one of the best. But he (Ye) doesn’t let A-track do anything other than the occasional *jigga-jigga* (mimics scratch effect) here and there. That’s not to hate on Kanye, I think Kanye’s a genius; but that’s just how it is. Mainstream, established MCs and artists just don’t really f--- with DJs. They don’t see DJs as a real part of hiphop.

Then you’ve got their (the artists’) record companies and that pay off these fake DJs to hype MCs up and play their joints.

HK: If you weren’t a DJ, you would be?

REV: Making music as a producer.

HK: Ten years from now, you see yourself still DJing or moving on into INSERT HERE.

REV: I will definitely be making music. I wanna be like Marly Marl—having produced the greatest, having worked with the greatest emcees, made classic albums and then be able to rest easy somewhere. After awhile the travel and the grind wears on you.

HK: What (if anything) do you think today’s artists are missing out on—performance skills, business savvy, craftsmanship, what?

REV: I’d say this to an artist: Go get a DJ. Go get a real DJ. You benefit so much from having a real DJ –the song crafting the performing. Go get a real DJ and stick with ‘em. Emcees and DJs need to be connected. That’s first and foremost.

Next learn how the business works—owning your publishing, how deals are structured, the marketing, booking. Learn the business.

HK: As hiphop’s gotten more diverse and fractured—pop, hipster, gangster, etc.—where do u see things headed in hiphop?

REV: Hiphop is always moving forward. It’s all about progress. As much bad -ish as there is out there is just as much good –ish; the good stuff’s just harder to find now.

Also, I think it’s going to get harder and harder to get discovered going forward. The radio and video cats it’s harder for them to sell stuff.

HK: Hiphop is youth-obsessed, like much of the music industry. How do you balance growing older and staying relevant?

REV: Who are the biggest, most successful cats out? Em’s over 30, Kanye is over 30, Nas is well over 30, Jay—he’s like 40. Luda… all them cats is over 30. They’re relevant because they stay connected with their audience. Long as you maintain what got you in, you’ll be relevant.

For me, as a DJ—I’m connected to the youth. I’m in the clubs. I know what’s hot and relevant; and I’m able to give people what they wants and feed them a little of what they need.

But I’ll tell you this: the 15 year olds. They’re just f---ed. They’re idea of what’s hot and hiphop. They’re just f---ed. But to be fair, their tastes and reference points change as they get older. I’m not into the exact same stuff I was into when I was 15. I evolved. These audiences, long as they get information and access to different artists—their tastes will evolve. You can’t just be a jukebox feeding them the same stuff all the time.

We also gotta redefine what it means to be successful. I can make the worst music in the world and still be successful. And I can make the best music in the world and not sell.

HK: Favorite artists? Who are you listening to that folks might not know about?

REV: Quincy Jones. Is one of the most versatile artists ever. Pretty much everybody over the last 50 years loves something he’s done. Whether you’re a Jazz fan a jay-z fan R&B… Quincy did it all. The music he wrote is just timeless.

I still play Michael Jackson in the club; and if you do it right, it’s a smash. His discography is unparalleled.

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