On Friday afternoon, Memphis-bred R&B songtress K. Michelle was presented with the “Mayor’s Ambassador Award” by Mayor A C Wharton. The event took place at City Hall a little after 2 p.m.
“This is an honor. I absolutely love my city,” K. Michelle said to a small crowd of press, family, and close friends. “I want to thank everyone. It’s been a struggle and a fight, but I’m just getting started in this business. You have to fight if you want to be a musician. If this is what you want to do, you can never give up on it.”
During the event, Wharton emphasized the importance of showing appreciation to successful artists who hail from Memphis.
“We often hear the question, ‘What can we do to keep our talent in Memphis? What can we do to get our talent to come back here?'” Wharton said. “The first thing we can do is show them that they’re honored in their own home. Sometimes we just take it for granted, and we really don’t honor our own. I made it a point to reverse that failure. It gives me so much pleasure today to honor one of our own. I proudly give her the Ambassador Award…I say ambassador because this is someone who was raised up here, so she found out what this great city was about. She went to Overton High School. She stayed in Whitehaven, right in the middle of our great city. She is our story. She is the Memphis story. Not only is she keeping that story to herself, everywhere she goes she tells the Memphis story; personifies the Memphis story.”
K. Michelle opened up about working with Saving Our Daughters, an organization that empowers young women to overcome past negative experiences so their lives are not shaped by them, during the ceremony. She also touched on her initiative, the Rebel Against Campaign, which also encourages women to rebel against hardships they may have experienced, such as domestic violence and sexual abuse.
“I hope with that campaign and them just watching me be able to defy the odds, [they’re encouraged], because people did not think I was ever going to put out an album,” K. Michelle said. “And to put out an album and it’s doing amazing, I have a record in the Top 20 on urban radio right now, no one expected any of that from me, and I came from this city — the city of Memphis.”
K. Michelle released her debut album, Rebellious Soul, this Tuesday. The album is presently Number 1 on iTunes’ R&B/Soul album chart. The album’s debut single, “V.S.O.P.,” is currently on Billboard’s Top 10 R&B radio chart. K. Michelle obtained national popularity from her appearances on VH1’s reality series, Love and Hip Hop: Atlanta.
More than a century after slavery was abolished, millions of people are still being forced to work against their will. Nearly 21 million people around the world — 5.5 million under the age of 18 — are being trafficked for sexual, occupational, and bodily labor, according to the International Labour Organization’s 2012 Estimate of Forced Labour report.
According to the ILO’s report, 4.5 million of the enslaved workers are victims of forced sexual exploitation — more than 90 percent of them women and girls.
In the U.S., this is an issue that’s becoming highlighted more often in the media, and attacked more aggressively by law enforcement.
In late July, a collaborative effort between 47 Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) divisions, more than 3,900 local, state, and federal law enforcement officers, and the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children helped rescue 105 sexually exploited children and arrest 159 pimps. Known as “Operation Cross Country,” the movement is apart of the FBI’s Innocence Lost National Initiative, which has identified and recovered more than 2,700 sexually exploited children since 2003. The three-day nationwide sweep took place in 76 cities.
One of those working behind the scenes was Nix Conference & Meeting Management, a meeting planning firm based in St. Louis. Since 2012, the organization has been training hotel managers and their employees on ways to identify minor sex trafficking.
“[When] people who are not aware of [child sex trafficking] hear [about] it, you can literally see them take a step backwards,” said Molly Hackett, principal of Nix Conference & Meeting Management. “It’s so hard to wrap your head around it. It just sticks with you and you can’t let it go. You have to keep thinking about it. You try to find more information about it. Some of us having children, that affects who you are when you think about kids who are being picked up over the internet and they think they’re about to have this great life when really they’re about to be trafficked.”
Nix Conference & Meeting Management helped develop a Meeting Planner’s Code of Conduct with End Child Prostitution, Pornography and Trafficking (ECPAT-USA). According to the company’s website, meeting planners who adopt the Meeting Planner’s Code of Conduct agree to establish an internal social responsibility policy, implement an action plan with objectives and time frames, and report annually.
“We thought that there was so much more we could do as meeting planners,” Hackett said. “We travel internationally. We thought we could bring awareness to this topic and really talk about it everywhere we went. Since then, everywhere we travel we talk about it to sales people, general managers, and management teams while we’re on-site at their properties.”
In Spring 2014, Nix Conference & Meeting Management will launch the “Ignite: Sparking Action Against Sex Trafficking” conference to educate meeting planners, hotel management and business travelers on the lawless trade.
“The conference helps them educate their traveling employees [and] business partners to watch for the signs of this, know what to do when they see it, and how to effectively report it,” Hackett said. “The most effective training has been when people in the training sessions raise their hands and say, ‘this is what I’ve seen,’ and we’re like, ‘Okay, that can be a sign of someone being trafficked. These are the general steps. This is the law enforcement you call. These are the chain events that the management team has set up.’ We really give them tools to do something with that information. They don’t need to intervene themselves. They don’t have to go walk up to the door. They just need to notify the correct management, personnel and authorities.”
Hackett said a potential sign of minor sex trafficking at hotels is room service requests that seem too childlike for the adults traveling in and out. Other signs include minors that are sporting inappropriate makeup, provocative clothing unfit for their age, and appear uncomfortable with their surroundings at the establishment.
The illegal practice of sex trafficking generates up to $32 billion in annual profits, according to the National Association of Attorneys General. This makes it the second-largest criminal enterprise in the world, behind illegal drug distribution and also the fastest growing.
The trafficking of minors sexually is at the cusp of the forbidden trade. According to the United Nations Children’s Fund, at least 300,000 American children are sexually trafficked annually.
Informing residential establishments and business travelers of the minor sex trafficking trade isn’t a part of Nix Conference & Meeting Management’s daily stream of business. However, they desire to bring awareness to the issue and help lower its presence.
“It’s something that we feel pretty passionate about, and it’s relatively easy to bring into our regular business model,” Hackett said. “It’s part of who we are now. We’ve been doing it a year and a half. I really think that corporations and individuals could diffuse so much about it without having to take too many dramatic steps to build awareness. The first step at combating anything [is] recognizing it’s a problem.”
Since 1985, Nix Conference & Meeting Management has managed meetings, conferences, and trade shows on four continents and in 17 countries for associations, religious organizations, businesses and nonprofit organizations. The company books 21,000 room nights a year for clients at more than 50 hotels in the U. S. and internationally. To get additional information on the organization click here.
Long before Phalon “Jazze Pha” Alexander was producing hit records and contributing to multi-platinum albums, he was spending time around legendary musicians. His musical roots date back to the 1960s. Jazze Pha’s father is James Alexander, one of the founding members of the legendary funk and soul group, The Bar-Kays. And his mother is respected singer Denise Williams (not to be confused with Grammy Award-winning singer, Deniece “Niecy” Williams).
Born in Memphis, Jazze Pha moved to California during his adolescent years to stay with his mom. He later returned to the Bluff City during his teen years and got a chance to tour the world with his father and The Bar-Kays.
The prosperity that his parents enjoyed would trickle down to him. He signed a record deal with Elektra Records and released his debut album, Rising to the Top, in 1990. Shortly after, he would transition into producing. This would prove to be a wise decision. Among the hit list of artists he’s crafted tracks for include T.I., Lil’ Wayne, Rick Ross, Usher, as well as Young Jeezy, and Ciara — who were both signed to his label, Sho’nuff Records, during their breaking points.
He’s currently creating “Star & B” with his group, Thee Unknowns. Their latest single,”Come and See Me” features Future. They’re also prepping the release of the upcoming single, “Help Me” featuring Akon.
Jazze Pha was one of the people I spoke with for my Memphis Flyer cover story on The Bar-Kays. During the interview, he took time out to talk to me about being the son of a legendary musician, being exposed to various musical genres at a young age, whether or not he thinks he’s underrated, and more.
I think it was a combination of mom and dad, because they were both in music. Just being around it all my life, you know? When I was five years old, I moved to California. I moved back to Memphis when I was in high school. So I was very cultured. My mom sang background for a lot of different people like Barbra Streisand [and] Natalie Cole. When they moved around, she had to move around too. She took me along with her. I ended up going to 13, 14 different schools. I knew so much about so many different types of music from pop to rock, and I just knew that it was in me. And then being on tour with my dad in the summertime, that was always great.
What age did you start trying your hand at music?
I was rapping early. I was always singing in the choir. And then I was a breakdancer. I was into hip-hop. I’d say about a couple years after “Rapper’s Delight,” [came out], I started making my own raps. And then I got my first deal in 1990 with Elektra. I was singing and rapping back then. Then I wasn’t Jazze Pha. I was Phalon.
What made you transition to producing?
My record deal didn’t work out. The CEO passed away, and then they changed everything. Whoever didn’t sell gold records or better was dropped off the label. So I came back to Memphis without a deal. This was when I was 19. So I really got into producing, because all of the people that I thought were helping me produce weren’t coming to the studio anymore.
A friend of mine named Mike, who was an engineer, started helping me move around in the studio, touch on the equipment, and the keyboards and stuff like that. That’s how I started producing. From there it just took off.
How influential was your father on your music career?
He had a great effect on me. Not only was he my dad, but I really was a fan of [the Bar-kays’] music, and a lot of the people that were around them. I loved people like Cameo [and] Luther [Vandross]. I was crazy about The Time and Prince…I got a chance to get familiar with all of them through my father. I met them all. I met the Jacksons when they came to tour. We met everybody. My daddy was one of the kings of the south.
When you think of The Bar-Kays, what comes to mind?
I just think of great lineage. A great foundation that they built for young folks as a reference to go back and see what the real music sounds like and go back and see what a real performance looks like, and what real imaging is. They were their own individuals. They weren’t like anybody else.
[Jazze Pha produced The Bar-Kays’ single, “Grown Folks,” which reached Top 10 on Billboard’s Adult R&B chart. He’s currently working with the group on their upcoming single, “Soap Opera Love”]
Why do you think they’re still able to produce quality music after so many years?
It’s all about keeping your finger on the pulse. If you put your finger on the pulse of a body, and there’s no pulse, there’s no life in that body. They’ve always been able to find youngsters that revitalize them. They tell Larry [Dodson] and daddy what’s cool and what’s not cool. And then you still have a couple of the [older members] around, but you’ve got to put the young thing in there so you can keep the heart beating.
You’re named after one of the Bar-Kays’ founding members, Phalon Jones, who lost his life in a plane crash along with four other of the group’s original members. (The crash also claimed the lives of soul legend Otis Redding, his road manager, and the plane’s pilot.) How do you feel to know your father named you after one of his closest friends and bandmates?
I feel honored to have his name. Just the fact that he was [both] my mom’s and dad’s best friend, it just speaks volumes on what he meant to them.
You’ve produced for and worked with some of the music industry’s most popular artists. You’ve also played an instrumental role in cultivating the careers of artists like Young Jeezy and Ciara. Did you ever see yourself making it to this status with your career?
I had a hunch. I was aiming for it—aiming higher really. I’m still accomplishing new things all the time…working with a lot of new people and a lot of new talent. I worked with a lot of people in the beginnings like The-Dream, who’s worth millions as a writer now and an artist. Ester Dean, who went on to write all kind of big hits with people like Nikki Minaj, Davi Guetta, Katy Perry, you name it. I worked with a lot of different people to help get their careers moving in the right direction. The feeling is always new. It’s always a new excitement.
Do you ever feel underrated?
You kind of do but at the same time, when the gatekeepers know what you do, you always can get a check, because they know what you consist of. They know your potential. Like a publishing company or something like that would give me a deal, just because they know what I bring with me. It’s not even about what you got. It’s about what you bring with you. Somebody like Puff Daddy, you want him to come to your party because he’s going to bring so many other people. It’s about what you’re bringing to the table.
This past Saturday, Christian-based, non-profit organization Agape Child & Family Services held its 15th annual HeartLight fundraising event featuring Heisman Trophy-winning quarterback Tim Tebow.
Clad in a red-and-white plaid shirt, jeans and loafers, Tebow was greeted with a standing ovation as he entered the FedexForum. He opened up to the crowd of a couple thousand about his upbringing, his love for Jesus Christ, and how he got involved in sports.
“I was the baby of five,” Tebow explained. “I grew up on a farm on the west side of Jacksonville, [Florida]. I had four older siblings, so you learn to be competitive at an early age. We always competed in the yard. By the time I started playing sports, I was four, about to turn five. [My parents] signed me up for T-ball. The last thing I’d do on Saturday [was] play a game, but the first thing I would do on Sunday [was] go to church. When I’d go, I’d tell everybody, ‘look, I hit three home runs yesterday. I went four for four.’ At a young age, I was very arrogant, very proud.”
Boasting a haughty personality during his childhood didn’t sit well with his mother. She made Tebow memorize bible verses on humility because of this, such as Proverbs 15:33, James 4:6, and 2 Chronicles 7:14. He had to repeat the verses word for word to her before his weekly games. He said this eventually lead to him becoming a more humble athlete.
“I realized you are no better just because you’re decent at a sport,” Tebow said. “It doesn’t make you special just because you can play baseball, football, basketball—those are just gifts from God. We’re all blessed with different gifts but that doesn’t make us more special or better. God gave us a gift and it’s about how we use it for his honor and his glory.”
Tebow is known universally for his signature prayer after scoring touchdowns and also for wearing references to biblical verses on his eye black during his college football career with the Florida Gators. [In 2010, the NCAA’s Football Rules Committee introduced a new rule that banned all words, logos, numbers or other symbols on a players’ eye black. It was dubbed “The Tebow Rule.”] Tebow revealed that he came up with the idea to put Bible verses in his eye black shortly before playing the Tennessee Volunteers his junior year.
“I’m in the training room getting ready for the game and I see a bunch of my teammates putting on eye-blackener under their eyes,” Tebow said. “I start thinking, ‘if I took a silver Sharpie and I wrote something on there, maybe I could inspire someone.’ I start thinking, ‘God bless? No.’ Then all of a sudden I think of Philippians 4:13: ‘I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.’ I said, ‘perfect. That’s what I’m going to go with.’ So I put it under my eyes, and we went out there and played and beat Tennessee. Every single week, I wore that under my eyes. By the end of the year when we were getting ready to play Alabama in the SEC championship, thousands of Gator fans were wearing Philippians 4:13 under their eyes.”
By the time the Gators played the University of Oklahoma in the BCS National Championship, Tebow had changed the Bible verse to John 3:16: “For God so loved the world that he gave his one and only Son, that whoever believes in him shall not perish but have eternal life.” He said he did this because the verse is the essence of Christianity
After Tebow wore the scripture during the championship game on Jan. 8th, 2009, more than 90 million people Googled John 3:16.
“I said, ‘how the heck did 90 million people not know John 3:16’,” he jokingly reminisced.
Three years later on Jan 8th, 2012, Tebow and the Denver Broncos played the Pittsburgh Steelers in the NFL playoffs. During that game, he threw for 316 yards. His yards per rush were 3.16. His yards per completion were 31.6, his time of possession was 31.6, and the ratings for the night were 31.6 percent of all U.S. households. It became known as the 3:16 Game.
Aside from football and Christianity, Tebow also spoke about the philanthropy he does through his Tim Tebow Foundation, and what sparked his interest in helping others.
“When I was 15 years old, I went on my first missions trip outside the U.S.,” Tebow said. “I was in the Philippines and we were speaking at hospitals, market places, and prisons, all over the place. But it wasn’t until one day I was at an orphanage and I was playing with orphans who had been raped and beaten; we were telling them that God loves them and cares about them, and you could see their lives change. You could see the joy in their life. It was amazing. It changed my life. I realized at that moment, I want to be the best quarterback that I can possibly be, but more than that, what I want to do with my life is impact lives, and that’s why I decided I wanted to start the Tim Tebow Foundation, which was going to bring faith, hope and love to those needing a brighter day in their darkest hour of need.”
The event was ended with a prayer by Memphis Mayor A C Wharton. The event raised more than $600,000.
There are so many things that come to mind when a person thinks of Memphis. It’s a city known for popularizing rock and blues. It’s home of some of the best barbecue in the nation. And it’s plagued with some of the country’s highest levels of poverty, homelessness, and crime.
Although all of the aforementioned things are accurate about Memphis, individual perceptions of the city vary tremendously. How one person views the city may be totally different from another person’s perception.
Artist Walter “Sir Walt” Andrade is providing people with a look into his personal interpretation of the city through “Mudworkz with Memphis,” his month-long art exhibit. He’s created more than 20 original, three-dimensional (3D) graphic art pieces for the exhibit.
“Everything in [the exhibit] started as an idea in my head, and instead of drawing it on a piece of paper or taking a photograph, I decided to push the envelope and do something out of the ordinary,” Andrade said.
The opening reception for the exhibit took place Monday, June 3rd at the Benjamin L. Hooks Central Library. The exhibit will remain open until June 29th.
Andrade created all of the pieces in the exhibit from scratch using salvaged sheetrock, construction mud, wood, and paint — hence the name of his company, Mudworkz. Aside from 3D graphic art, the company specializes in interior design and construction.
“Mudworkz with Memphis” boasts 3D graphic art of people like Mayor A C Wharton, Zach Randolph, B.B. King, Knowledge Knick, as well as Andrade’s personal friends from “The Word,” an event that takes place every Monday at the Rumba Room.
Sir Walt in front of Isaac Hayes portrait
There’s also a “Mudworkz Memorial” section with portraits of deceased Memphians such as slain Memphis Police Officer Martoiya Lang, weatherman Mark Walden, and Isaac Hayes (this piece is designed in a style similar to the cross-shaped layout you see when the cover art from Hayes’ Black Moses is unfolded). All of the memorial pieces will be donated to the families of the individual after the exhibit concludes.
“This idea for Mudworkz Memorial kind of came by accident. When I was planning this exhibit, all of the people were alive besides Isaac Hayes,” said Andrade, who’s been brainstorming the exhibit for more than a year. “I was working as these people were passing away. I was like ‘Let me do a Mudworkz for this one. Let me do a Mudworkz for that one.’ I thought about it and said, ‘Let me do a whole display of people who I was close to in some type of way, or had some connection to.’”
Anyone interested in purchasing artwork from the exhibit can place an order with Andrade, and he’ll provide a duplicate copy. The prices vary from a couple hundred to more than $1,000 depending on the size. He charges $75 per square foot. On average, pieces takes Andrade four or five days to complete.
In addition to the memorial section, there’s also “Mudworkz Nature,” in which Andrade has taken decaying bark and created 3D graphic artwork in different designs from it.
Andrade said he hopes the exhibit encourages people to take a step outside of their comfort zone and do something extraordinary.
“What I want people to get out of Mudworkz is inspiration. That’s what drives me,” Andrade said. “I [want to] inspire somebody from my artwork to pursue something in their life, because all of this started from nothing. It started from a bag of sheetrock and some wood that I had in my basement, and it just arose from there.”
Those interested in having some artwork, construction or interior design done, can contact Andrade via email: sirwalt1@gmail.com or by phone: (901) 570-3917
Rap producers hailing from Memphis are largely known for bass-filled, dark-sounding, buck beats perfect for gangsta walking or jookin’ to, but they’re not recognized for being influenced by famous composers like Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart.
However, Christopher “Drumma Boy” Gholson was influenced by the aforementioned historical composers. The beat craftsman behind billboard-dominating hits like “No Hands” by Waka Flocka featuring Roscoe Dash and Wale, Young Jeezy’s “Put On” featuring Kanye West, and “Lose My Mind” featuring Plies, Drumma Boy has been creating hits for years.
Aside from Jeezy and Waka, the Grammy-nominated, multi-platinum producer has laid tracks for Usher, Chris Brown, Rick Ross, Wiz Khalifa, Yo Gotti, Gucci Mane, and Lil’ Wayne just to name a few.
Currently working on Chris Brown’s latest album, prepping the release of his joint mixtape with DJ Paul of Three 6 Mafia titled Clash of Da Titans, and cultivating new projects on his Drum Squad imprint, it’s evident that his work ethic is unparalleled.
Drumma Boy talked to me about his unique musical upbringing, crafting the theme song for the history-making Grizzlies along with DJ Paul, what it takes for an artist to get a Drumma Boy beat, his strong love for Memphis, and much more.
Your musical upbringing is different from the average producer or artist. Can you briefly touch on it?
I come from a family [with an] orchestral background. My pops was in an orchestra. My mom, she was in the opera. My father is the first chair clarinetist of the Memphis Symphony Orchestra. I always heard him rehearsing and practicing. By the age of three, I had a recorder in my mouth. I started practicing E-flat clarinet by five or six and then went up to the B-flat clarinet. And then I was taking piano lessons and all that.
The first pieces of music was Beethoven and [Johann] Sebastian [Bach], Für Elise, and Mozart, and all of that. I started getting into the hip-hop scene at like nine or 10—getting up on S.M.K., Al Kapone, Project Pat, Gangsta Pat, Playa Fly, 8 ball & MJG, Three 6 Mafia. I was at a point where I was starting to rebel from the orchestra background, because that’s all I knew. Once I started getting familiar with hip-hop, I remember this record came out called “Regulators” by Warren G and Nate Dogg. Something about that record hit me, made me want to rap, make beats. I just started fooling around with the chemistry of meshing what I knew from music appreciation, music history, and the knowledge of music theory with the urban world of hip-hop.
What has Drumma Boy been up to lately?
We’ve got Chris Brown’s X project dropping July 16th. We’re working on DJ Drama’s project. We’ve got something exclusive coming with DJ Drama and Young Jeezy. It’s going to be a nice connection with the city of Memphis, so definitely stay tuned for that record.
We’re working on Welcome To My City 3, which is the unification projects of Memphis. We’re growing. We’re getting stronger. We dropped volume 1. We dropped volume 2. Now we’re coming with three. We’re going to include an exclusive DVD. It’ll pretty much show you how we made the first one and the second one, and how we’re working on this third one. Just a visual of how we get down in Memphis and what Memphis has to offer.
I had the opportunity to speak with DJ Paul last month and he talked about you guys’ mixtape together, Clash of Da Titans. Can you touch on the project and what fans can expect?
We’re working on the project. We just dropped another record called “We Don’t Bluff,” which is the Grizzlies’ theme anthem.
And that’s really a clash of two of the best producers in the city of Memphis that have come together to drop a historical project full of energy, lot of dark, hard-hitting tracks, as well as a lot of bright, synthy anthems. A lot of people are excited about it. It’s dropping on the 11th of July.
You’ve produced for a wide variety of artists. How long does it take you to create the sound that a particular artist is looking for?
A lot of times, it depends on what kind of sound the artist wants. Some sounds can be created within a month. I’ll go in the chemistry lab and just come with all of these different formulas of what may work. You always know it. It’s like a feeling that you get when you hear a particular sound that you know is right for a particular artist. And then vice versa. The artist can hear it and then they’re like, ‘put me in the booth.’ It’s something that motivates you instantly to come up with ideas…that gives you this energy to create a hit or a classic record. It’s all about emotion. It’s all about the right vibe.
How long does it normally take you to produce a song in particular?
Some beats, like “No Hands,” I did for Waka Flocka and “White Girl” I did for [Young] Jeezy, beats like that, I do in about five to 10 minutes. A lot of the things that I do with scores and with the movies, that might take me two weeks to a month. There are a lot of different things that are in-depth and then there are a lot of different things that are just strictly off the vibe.
It’s the same way with songs that I’ve written. I’ve written songs in 30 minutes and then some songs have taken me six months to finally get the right vibe and complete the record.
You mentioned that you scored some movies. What are some of those?
The most recent movies that we scored was Holla II. All of the music you hear, I scored. I also got a producer credit on the film. I did another film score called Blood First. It’s an independent film, more like a Paid in Full or a Belly type of movie.
Who are some of your influences production-wise?
My first inspiration is a composer. I always looked up to Beethoven. I was a big fan of Mozart. Those are, like, two of my biggest composers. But Beethoven specifically, by how he was able to write and do what he did without his hearing, I thought that was amazing like ‘Wow, to lose your hearing but still be able to write within your mind.’ That was just an amazing fact to know about Beethoven to me. That made me like, ‘Wow, if he can do that, I’ve got to be as great as this guy.’
From Beethoven, my second top producer, composer, arranger, I would say is Quincy Jones. His relationship with the musicians and how he put together Thriller, and Q’s Juke Joint, [and] all of his classic albums. He’s an amazing person.
And my third would be Dr. Dre just because of his music quality and his consistency. To be able to always be on that top level and to make a brand out of his beat and not just to make beats, but to make a brand out of it, and to elevate through from Death Row to Aftermath to Beats by Dre. It’s always an evolution.
How long would you say you’ve been producing?
I would say I’ve been making beats since 13, but I’ve been producing since about 16.
What’s the difference between making beats and producing?
The beat-making process is, okay, I make a beat. I take it to an artist. I drop it off. I leave. I have no input whatsoever as to building the complete record.
But a producer is one that calls you to the session. He vibes with you on how the hook should go, ‘Maybe you should do it like this. Maybe we should do it like this. Let’s try this.’ He might be involved in the writing process, and he’s involved in the complete entirety of the record. And then he also understands arranging the music and setting up the music in the form where it’s a song form and not just a beat loop.
Earlier on in your career, you worked with artists like Gangsta Boo, Pastor Troy, Tela, and others. What are some of the songs that you think really began to put your name out there on a major level?
The first song that I did that got me a lot of recognition was when I did the track for Tela titled “Tennessee Titans.” That was me singing on the hook as well. I did three tracks on the Double Dose album. That kinda put me on an incredible level in the city of Memphis.
Also, the “Tennessee Titans” record consisted of Yo Gotti, which we broke on that record. A lot of people got more familiar of who Yo Gotti was and he came out with his Life album right after that, which I had four tracks on. It was just a momentum shift from just the underground beat level.
Also, on that track was Gangsta Boo, Haystack, Criminal Manne. He was broken off that record. We really broke a lot of Tennessee artists off that record and put the shine and the limelight on us and what the state has to offer. It was a pleasure for me to bring that record to the table.
That’s when Pastor Troy was like, ‘Man, I gotta holla at you. I need a record.’ I did a couple records for Troy. And what put me over the top in Atlanta is a record I did for Pastor Troy called “Pop That Pussy.” All of the strippers got familiar with who I was and embraced me as a little brother.
Who are some of your favorite artists to produce for?
I just enjoy producing period and changing people’s lives. It’s not really this artist or this artist, or I’m biased about who I work with. It’s people that just love to do what they do. It’s almost like playing basketball. It doesn’t matter who you’re playing as long as who you’re playing can play. You just want to continue to play and continue to have that competition and those peers in the room with you keeping you up on your tip toes, making the best records possible.
Any new producers you like?
There’s one producer that I’ve been working with out of Memphis named C-Money. I like a lot of his work. I like a group called J.U.S.T.I.C.E. League. They really make some great music. I love their style. There’s another producer that we just brought on-board with Drum Squad named Degree Beats.
You work with independent artists as well as mainstream, what keeps you driven to do that instead of getting the big head and just working with who’s hot?
It’s always a pleasure bringing something new to the table, and that’s what you get out of the new stream of artists. That’s what you get out of the underground artists. Nobody really cares when you do stuff for people that’s already been done. It’s like, ‘Aw okay.’ If I did something with Jay-Z, it would be a good placement, but the world would be more shocked if I brought the next star to the table. They’re like, ‘Wow, who is that? Aw, that’s Drumma Boy’s artist.’ And I’m going across the world touring with the artist. It’s a complete difference. And now I’m credible for bringing something to the table. It’s almost like Dr. Dre and Eminem. That’s the point that we’re at now. I’ve produced so many hits for other people and other labels that now we’re starting to focus on our own label, Drum Squad Records, and our own manufacturing company.
Is it difficult balancing producing for other artists with having your own roster of talent?
It’s really just dedication. If you want to get it done, you can get it done. You’re either gonna sleep or you’re gonna work. Are you gonna lavishly eat—as big as you get, as much money as you get, you can sit up and eat Houston’s every day or you can go to Ruth’s Chris everyday, or you can say, ‘You know what, I ain’t really got time. Let me stop at Zaxby’s and get something quick and keep it pushing.’ And you really wanted that dinner at Houston’s but you’ve got things to do. At the end of the day, it’s all about accomplishing a mission.
You’re highly supportive of Memphis and promote it wherever you go. Where does that strong desire come from to always represent your city?
It’s just wanting to see the city blow, and the only way you’re going to see the city blow is by putting the air into it. I consider myself the air for the city, and I’m giving these kids something to breath for. There are a lot of kids whose dreams are deferred just because there’s nobody there to mentor them or give them that one conversation and give them that one piece of hope. When I come to the city, I’m hope for the kids. I’m hope for the city. There are so many producers that have come into the game now, because they want to be like me. And there is so much talent here that how could you turn your back on it?
It’s just a pleasure to be able to help people succeed. My grandfather was a principal. He helped desegregate Maryland. He wrote the desegregation plan for the state of Maryland—Gen. James Gholson, Sr. He’s got a middle school named after him in Washington, D.C., which is on the same property of the FedEx stadium where the [Washington] Redskins play. That’s just my history of where we come from. It’s in my blood. All my family has done is change lives, and I’m changing lives through music.
You rapped before you made beats. Are you deciding to take that more seriously from this point on? Or are you going to balance producing with rapping?
We’re still balancing. It’s almost kinda like Puffy [Sean “Diddy” Combs] a little bit. How he would give you a verse here and there or sprinkle his flavor on different things as a producer. It’s all about being visual and getting my face out there. Once the demand got to the point, where they were demanding for a Puffy album, he put it out. And once [my] demand gets to that point, I’m gonna put it out.
Anybody you would like to work with in the future?
I would say Beyoncé. She’s an incredible performer and artist. That’s one person I’ve always wanted to work with. I’m rooting for that. I would say Kendrick Lamar, one of the dopest artists I’ve heard come out of this generation. And last but not least, one of the only artists that I haven’t worked with out of the area of Memphis is my boy Justin Timberlake. I have to get with him on some kind of work.
For all the artists that’s going to read this, how difficult is it to get a Drumma Boy beat?
It’s simple as having the budget and having something that I feel like is worthy of my production. Not trying to sound cocky, but it’s really something that I can vibe to and have the energy. If you believe in yourself as much as I believe in what I do, I think it will be a matching chemistry. It’s really all about the vibe, and the timing is another important key. Some people aren’t patient and willing to wait, and they miss their slot. It’s about being patient and waiting for that right opportunity. At the same time, even if you’re patient and waiting for that right opportunity, if you’re not prepared for that opportunity, you’re not going to have success.
Imagine nearing the finish line of a marathon after running 26.2 miles. Your heart is pumping. Your adrenaline is rushing. You’re flooded with euphoria and determined to make it to the end no matter what.
Just as you’re about to complete your journey, the impact from a sporadic explosion knocks you off your feet. Another one follows seconds after, knocking limbs from your body and leaving you covered in massive amounts of blood. The pain that you’re experiencing is indescribable.
By placing your feet in these shoes, you’re becoming one of many who participated in the world-renowned Boston Marathon on April 15th.
I was at the Memphis Flyer headquarters working on some assignments when a co-worker asked me if I had heard about the explosion. I was dumbfounded. I didn’t know what he was talking about. However, I didn’t anticipate it to be as horrid as it was once I looked it up online.
An avid “jogger,” I run more than 20 miles a week (not day). It’s a hobby that I picked up in 2007, and I’ve stuck with it ever since.
Over the last year, I’ve began to participate in 5k runs for recreation but nothing remotely close to a marathon—not even a half-marathon. But I do know that I enjoy running. It’s an outlet for me to clear my mind and release any frustrations. Plus it’s good cardiovascular exercise.
Out of all things, it’s not something that I associate with life-threatening injury or death. But since the bombings on April 15th, it’s safe to presume that those will be things that come up when running competitions are mentioned moving forward.
The two men responsible for the bombings, bloodshed, and heartache during the 117th annual Boston Marathon are 19-year-old Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, and his brother, 26-year-old Tamerlan Tsarnaev (who was identified as the brains behind the attacks and also a supporter of radical Islam). The two brothers are Muslim and ethnic Chechens from Russia. They had been living in the U.S. for a decade at the time of the bombings.
Surveillance cameras revealed that each brother wore a dark backpack, which held bombs composed of kitchen pressure cookers packed with shrapnel, on the day of the bombings. The backacks were placed on the ground near the marathon’s finish line. They used a remote control device to detonate the two bombs inside of them.
But the bloodshed didn’t stop there.
The brothers shot 26-year-old Sean Collier, a Massachusetts Institute of Technology campus officer, multiple times to possibly rob him for his gun in hope of expanding their arsenal. Shortly after that, they car-jacked a man for his Mercedes Benz SUV.
While steering the stolen SUV through Watertown, Massachusetts, about 20 minutes away from Boston, the two began to notice that they were being followed by city police and engaged in a gunfight with the officers.
Tamerlan was killed during the shootout, which took place early Friday, April 19th, while Dzhokhar managed to escape with multiple gunshot wounds. He was later found bleeding inside of a boat in the backyard of Watertown resident, David Henneberry.
When police apprehended Dzhokhar, he was in critical condition with gunshot wounds to the head, neck, legs, and hand, and he had suffered massive blood loss, according to an F.B.I. affidavit.
Despite the injuries documented in the affidavit, reports show he’s also suffering from a gunshot wound to the throat, which may be self-inflicted. As of today, he’s said to be in fair condition at Boston’s Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
Dzhokhar’s been charged with using and conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction resulting in death and one count of malicious destruction of property by means of an explosive device resulting in death. He could receive the death penalty if convicted for his role in the bombings.
Witnessing the coverage on the event over the last week—the memorials, the articles, the blogs, the news coverage, and even from doing my own research to write this post—it’s really sunk in how unfortunate the entire occurrence is. Those people in attendance at the Boston Marathon that day weren’t expecting to lose limbs, hearing, or even their life. They were there to run for a good cause.
On the contrary, because of the occurrence, a husband and father (Tamerlan) is now dead, leaving behind his widow to raise their daughter alone. And a University of Massachusetts Dartmouth college student (Dzhokar) will possibly never live life again as a free man. In no means am I justifying what they did or sympathetic for them. I just feel that this situation is unfortunate for EVERYONE involved.
The Boston Marathon bombings are yet another occurrence that conveys how extremely significant it is for us to cherish every day we’re alive and be appreciative for everything within our lives. Any one of us could take our last breaths in a matter of seconds.
Only God knows if a life-changing tragedy will occur, and more so, when it’s our time to leave earth. My prayers and condolences go out to all those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. I understand there’s no restart button for us to push, to go back in time, and do things differently. I just hope that all of the survivors can push forward as strong and positively as possible. I could never place myself in your shoes. However, I do want you to know that you’re not the only ones hurting from this catastrophic event. People across the globe—family, friends and concerned citizens—are feeling the effects of this devastating mishap as well.
Stating that, I hope everyone takes something from this unfortunate occurrence, which will inevitably become another piece of history. If nothing else, it reminds us that we can’t take life for granted. It may sound cliché, but it’s true. Just ask those who were in attendance during the Boston Marathon.
Massachusetts Governor Deval Patrick and Boston Mayor Menino, launched One Fund Boston, a way to support those affected by the Boston Marathon bombings. The fund has currently raised more than $23 million.
If there was a table designed exclusively for the forefathers of Memphis rap, Alphonzo “Al Kapone” Bailey would be among the artists seated at the head. With the release of several albums and compilations, he’s managed to sell thousands of units independently, and is viewed as one of the most respected artists within the underground rap movement.
Penning rhymes since the sixth grade, Al Kapone began to obtain musical notoriety as a teenager with his song, “Lyrical Drive-by.” This led to his debut album, Street Knowledge: Chapters 1-12, which secured a spot on Jet Magazine‘s Top 20 Albums chart and solidified his presence within the Memphis rap movement. Underground albums such as Pure Ghetto Anger, Sinista Funk, the compilation Memphis to tha Bombed Out Bay, and Goin’ All Out, followed soon after his debut, and expanded his fanbase from the South to the West Coast.
Aside from creating underground classics, Al Kapone is a talented songwriter and producer. He co-wrote E-40’s “U and Dat,” Lil Jon’s “Snap Yo Fingers,” (which both charted on Billboard’s R&B/Hip-Hop section), and “Hustle & Flow (It Ain’t Over)”, the theme song to the 2005 Memphis-based film, Hustle & Flow, and more.
I got a chance to speak with Al Kapone about his music career, what attendees can expect from his performance at this year’s Beale Street Music Festival, songwriting for E-40 and Lil’ Jon, what led him to create a song that supported past Congressional candidate Republican George Flinn, rock music, and more.
I was into storytelling. It went from that to writing stories to actually writing songs from the stories. When the hip-hop craft stage kinda took off, I fell in love with it. Even though I love all forms of music, I just fell in love with hip-hop to the point that that’s what I wanted to do.
I got into just the whole hip-hop scene and the whole culture. It was more than just the rap part of it, it was the DJ-ing, the breakdancing, the graffiti, the fashion. It was really the whole culture of hip-hop, but I ended up sticking with the rap side more than anything.
What made you choose the name Ska-Face Al Kapone as your rap moniker? And why did you eventually drop the “Ska-face” part?
I was living in the Lamar Terrace projects at the time, and I was looking at this old black-and-white movie called Scarface Al (Scarface, 1932), it was basically the old version of the Al Pacino Scarface.
I remember seeing that and Scarface Al just grabbed me. It was at the time when NWA was poppin’, so the gangsta rap scene was real hot. And I knew I wanted a name that was gonna be edgy, so when I saw Scarface Al go across that screen, I was like, ‘That’s it. That’s the name.’
And actually, this was before Scarface from the Geto Boys had kinda ran with his name, because I think at the time, he was going by the name Akshun. So it was before him, but that leads to the reason I ended up dropping Ska-Face because when “Lyrical Driveby” popped off for me on a solo tip, I was still going by the name of Ska-face Al Kapone. I added the Kapone part because I began noticing that the Houston rapper Scarface was starting to get popular, and when I did out of town shows, people were starting to get me confused. They were asking me where Bushwick [Bill] was. So I thought, ‘Okay, I’m gonna go ahead and drop the Ska-face part because it’s starting to create confusion.’
At what point did you know music was something that you could fully rely on as a way to provide for you and your family?
When “Lyrical Drive-by” popped off. I was working at Red Lobster at the time. When I was going back and forth to work, I started to notice cars going by blasting that song. It was like several cars, and that’s when I realized, ‘Oh shit, people recognize me now.’ That’s when I started getting calls to do more shows. At that point, I was able to leave Red Lobster and actually start doing shows full-time, and that’s when I was able to start providing for me and my family.
In 2003, you released the album Goin’ All Out on E-40’s label, Sic Wid It Records. How did you link up with E-40?
My main connection to the Bay Area was initially with this magazine called Murder Dog. They featured me in a lot of their publications, and from that, as an independent artists, I started networking with a lot of the independent artists out there. And from that, E-40 took notice, and then, he reached out to me. From the independent artists to E-40, I really established a strong Bay Area connection.
My connection with 40 came in the late ’90s. Like I said, he’s originally from Murder Dog. He just started noticing my name a lot through Murder Dog and the independent scene. He reached out to me to be apart of a compilation that he was working on at the time called Southwest Riders. It was a lot of independent artists from the West and independent artists from the South.
How did you end up signing with Sic Wid It?
After I ended up doing that compilation with [E-40], just through my connections with independent Bay Area artists, I did my own compilation called Memphis to tha Bombed Out Bay. What I did was, I took a Greyhound to the Bay. I had a cousin who was staying in Sacramento, and I still had my Murder Dog connection. So I took a Greyhound out there with all my product. I just went out there promoting blindly, didn’t know, all I had was straight ambition. I rented a car and was getting directions from people and literally driving from Vallejo to Oakland to Frisco to Sac Town [Sacramento] to even smaller towns in between, from Richmond…it was crazy. It was before GPS. I was strictly going off people’s directions from the highway, and I was actually getting there.
I ended up running into E-40 in Vallejo. It was a picnic that he was having, and again, I was out there promoting Memphis to tha Bombed Out Bay, and he just noticed, ‘Damn, dude just came all the way from Memphis and he actually has a line of people he’s signing autographs for at my picnic.’ He sent his brother over to let me know that they were going to pick me up and bring me to his house. I was staying at the Murder Dog house at the time.
His brother came and picked me up. I went to 40’s house. He was working on some music, and he said, ‘You feel like you can jump on this song?’ I was like, ‘Holy shit, he wants me to jump on a song!’ I immediately wrote a verse like in 10 minutes and jumped on the song and at that point, he was like ‘I’m gonna be reaching out to you. How you feel about signing to Sic Wid It?’ And after I came back to Memphis, he reached out to me and we made it official. He sent me a contract and we sealed the deal.
You did some writing on E-40’s album, My Ghetto Report Card. How did that come about?
That was one of those amazing times. Not burning bridges allowed me to. I wasn’t signed to him at the time. This was like some years after the contract had ended, but we kept a good enough relationship that he reached out to me when he was working with Lil’ Jon and wanted me to come to Atlanta and [work] with them on some music. It was kind of a blessing to be in that particular space and time to offer some of my writing skills, which out of that spawned the “Snap Yo Fingers” song that Lil’ Jon had.
When you’re songwriting, are you actually writing verses for artists, or are you contributing ideas?
It’s more of contributing ideas. Coming up with ideas and concepts and writing hooks to give the song the direction that it needs to go into.
What are some other albums you’ve had a hand in that people may not know about?
Off the top of my head, I know I did something on the Stomp the Yard soundtrack. I did something on the Cadillac Records soundtrack. That’s a couple I can think of off the top of my head.
You also wrote a couple songs on the Hustle & Flow soundtrack.
Most definitely. That was another one of those space and time blessings that you don’t see coming. It was all again, not burning bridges, because I knew Craig [Brewer] way before. He was doing independent films and having them distributed through Select-o-Hits whereas we were doing the independent CDs, so we knew each other from that time. And I always kept in touch with him.
I just so happened to randomly call like I normally do, and it doesn’t have to be about no business, just to reach out to people on a personal level. So I was just reaching out to him one day and seeing how he was doing, and that’s when he informed me about what was going on, that John Singleton was going to get behind the project and John was going to be in town the next day. They were looking for a particular song. John really had his mind set that he was going to let Three 6 [Mafia] do everything, but they were going to give me a chance to present something. It was almost like, ‘He’ll just check it out’ but his mind was pretty set.
I went straight to the house and wrote the Hustle & Flow theme song. When John came in town, he came to the Cotton Row studios. Me and Niko [Lyras] had just finished producing the music and I dropped all the lyrics and everything. When he came, he heard it, he said it was on point…the whole subject was on point with what they were looking for, and I was in.
From that, he wanted to hear some other songs that I had been working on personally. That’s how he ended up hearing “Whoop that Trick” and “Get Crunk, Get Buck.” He was like, ‘damn, we need to work with those songs too.”
Over the last few years, you’ve incorporated more of a guitar-infused style into your music, especially with your album Guitar Bump. You’ve also branched out and collaborated with different bands and musicians. What influenced you to take a different lane with your music after creating that more gangsta, buck sound for so many years?
My initial reason [for] going into the live zone of music rather than staying in the crunk zone was because the rest of the country made up in their mind that Atlanta was known for crunk. Even though we had the proof, nobody was going to dig into the truth enough to give us credit for it. The rest of the country saw it as we would be the followers, even though we weren’t. We were the originators. So instead of fighting against it, I wanted to do something that was uniquely a Memphis thing. I started thinking about the live sound of Memphis as far as Al Green, the rock side and everything. I started thinking, let me go more into that direction and see if I can incorporate live music with the Memphis sound and see how that would be received.
My main thing was to show the hip-hop culture of Memphis. Even though y’all don’t want to give us our credit for the sound, give us credit for at least our musical roots, and that’s really why I started going in that direction. But in the process of recording that type of music, I ended up having to perform it live, and I actually fell in love with having that band on stage. It was an amazing feeling to have all that live music. It was like another level of performing, so I kinda ran with it. There’s nothing like performing with that live instrumentation on stage.
Have you always been interested in guitars and the rock genre?
Even though I was into hip-hop earlier on, I was always into soul and rock. From Ozzy Osborne to the Black Sabbath, I was always into it. When Nirvana hit at the time, I was heavy into that. I was heavy into Metallica. If anybody really followed my music career and they listened to some of those old songs, you would actually hear songs that had the rock element or the soul element to them. It was always there but when I went with the band, it kinda stood out more.
You’re performing at this year’s Beale Street Music Festival. What can attendees expect from your performance? I read you’re working with some live guitarists for the show.
If you’ve never seen a live performance from a Memphis rap act, my goal is to always give you a concert. Not just go up there and rap the songs, I want to truly entertain you with the whole spectrum of the music—from my performance to the musicians adding the instrumentation. My goal is to give you an experience where you can walk away and say, ‘You know, I don’t really listen to rap but I enjoyed that show. That was a good show.’
An eye opener for a lot of people was when you created the song “George Flinn” that encouraged Memphians to vote for Republican George Flinn as Congressman for the state’s 9th district last year. What persuaded you to endorse Flinn?
I did it because I felt like he supported not just me, but through his station [George Flinn owns several radio stations that cater to such genres as hip-hop, classic rock, Christian, and country], he supported the Memphis rap scene.
When I go to different places, I notice that a lot of radio stations do not support their local music scene. For us to have a station here that really supports and plays local music at times when the rest of the country had kind of stopped supporting Memphis hip-hop, I just felt the need to show support to someone who was supporting the music scene that I came from.
Did you worry about receiving any backlash from endorsing Flinn?
I did think about [receiving backlash] before I did it. I didn’t feel like the black community would embrace that I was supporting a Republican. The way I saw it was, if I don’t do it, it’s not because I don’t wanna do it, it would be because of what other people think. And at that point, I realized that I didn’t want to look back years later and say, ‘I shoulda did that and the only reason I didn’t was because I didn’t want to be worried about what somebody else thought.’ When it’s all said and done, I can’t live by what other people think. And at that point, I felt like I was supporting him regardless.
You’ve released all of your albums independently. What has caused you to avoid going mainstream for so many years?
The thing about being independent, you’re pretty much in control of what you want to do [and] release. That’s the biggest thing. You have total control. As long as you know how to budget and try to keep some consistent releases out there. You can kinda maintain some pretty decent cash flow to come in. But your main thing is your freedom to record what you want and release when you want to. You’re able to design your own artwork. But it does require work. Being independent is not just the freedom. It’s a serious work ethic that goes along with it. And I always had that drive to grind. I actually love the hustle of promoting and working on that level. I also love to write and produce, so it works out for me because I enjoy that whole hustle.
I had situations where I could’ve signed some major deals here and there but it was never in my favor. The thing is, you can lose a lot signing the wrong type of contract. You can sign away your rights. Right now, I own pretty much all of my catalog, so I can release it whenever I want to. I have a whole catalog of music that I haven’t even released digitally yet that I’m in the process of releasing. If I would have signed to a particular major [label], I wouldn’t have had any rights to release none of my previous music.
What’s next for Al Kapone?
I’m finishing up this album. It’s back to the roots of that straight underground Memphis rap. I did a song called “Memphis Pride” that pretty much represented the whole Memphis rap scene. So basically re-representing the original Memphis rap sound. That early Memphis sound. I got a project representing that sound but it’s today, but it’s still that sound at the same time. That’s the next project I’m [about] to drop. I’m thinking I’m going to drop that some time in May, so look out for that.
You can’t mention pioneers within the Memphis and Southern rap scene without name-dropping Three 6 Mafia. One of the most legendary Southern rap groups in history, the collective has sold millions of records throughout the years by delivering hit after hit. The group even made history as the first rap group to win an Oscar for penning the song “It’s Hard Out Here for a Pimp” for the Memphis-based film Hustle & Flow.
Originally a six-member collective consisting of DJ Paul, Juicy J, Gangsta Boo, Koopsta Knicca, Lord Infamous and Crunchy Black, the group went through some lineup changes throughout the years due to members withdrawing to pursue their own careers. The group is currently composed of original members DJ Paul and Juicy J, who also co-own the record label Hypnotize Minds and have been successfully making music for more than two decades.
DJ Paul, one half of the Oscar-winning and Platinum-selling group, took time out to speak with me about his latest album/DVD A Person of Interest, working on a new mixtape with fellow Memphis artist and producer Drumma Boy, stepping back into the DJ-ing realm, creating his own barbecue rub and sauce, the potential for a new Three 6 Mafia album, and much more.
There’s been a lot of coverage on fellow Three 6 Mafia member Juicy J and his new endeavors with Wiz Khalifa’s Taylor Gang imprint, but can you give readers out there an update on what you’ve been up to lately?
Just DJ-ing man. Still doing my live performances obviously, but I’ve been doing a lot of DJ performances as well. I’ve got the new album out. It came out the end of last year. I’m still promoting that. I’m shooting videos from that. And we’re finalizing a new mixtape called Clash of Da Titans. It’s me and Drumma Boy. We’re making a mixtape together.
You released your solo album, A Person of Interest late last year. What are your thoughts on the album?
It’s my favorite solo album that I’ve done. I loved the Scale-a-Ton album. A lot of people loved that. I actually like this album more than I did the Scale-a-Ton album, because I think it was a lot more raw than the Scale-a-Ton album. I like the piano solos that we put in the album, because I’m a fan of piano solos. Like at the end of “Witha Shit” and all of the orchestrated intros. I love the hell outta this album.
You’re back DJ-ing now as apart of the group S.I.M. (Sex is Mandatory) DJs. Isn’t DJ-ing how you got your start with music?
Yeah, I used to DJ in [Club] 380 Beale, and I had a couple clubs myself. That was how it all started. That was originally how I learned how to use my studio equipment. I just wanted to be a producer. I didn’t want to be a rapper. So I would make beats for Lord Infamous, and [he] would rap. But as a way to get extra money, I would take the equipment I bought, which was a keyboard, a turntable, and a four-track recorder, and I would make mixtapes and sell them in high school. But then I got slick with it. I would start mixing my artists’ songs in between it. You know like sneak it in and kinda introduce the song. So I might be playing like some LL Cool J, then I throw in some Skinny Pimp in the middle of it, and then come out of it into some N.W.A., Geto Boyz, or whatever the case was. And I eventually started making mixtapes with more of our songs on them until the mixtapes turned into just our songs, like mixtapes are now today.
Memphis can take the credit of being the creator of the format of the mixtapes that are out these days, because that’s what we did. Mixtapes, back in the day, was just a mix of people’s favorite songs. Like if your uncle or whatever would take his favorite O’Jays songs, his favorite Staples Singers songs, and put them all on one tape, so when they have a party, they could play all of their favorite songs instead of sitting up there, putting a needle on a record and going back and forth to [a particular] song.
That’s what traditional mixtapes were. DJs back in the day would just mix different songs off different albums, but then Memphis took it a step further. Like with DJ Spanish Fly. I would say he’s the first person I heard put his own songs on his mixtapes. So that’s what me, DJ Squeeky, and Juicy J would do. We would put our own songs on our mixtapes. That’s what people do today, but we were doing that back in ’88.
What made you return to DJ-ing?
The reason why I’m back in it today is because, well, I look at it two ways. One way is, obviously, I’m getting older around here. I’m trying to think, I can’t predict the future, but I can’t imagine that somebody is gonna want to see me bounce around a stage at 65 years old talking about ‘Tear Da Club Up,’ ‘Sippin’ on Sizzurp,’ and I got a glock in my drawers and shit like that. So I’m just prepared for the future. It’s easy to sell and play somebody else’s hits than to be sitting up here, 55 years old, trying to write your own, because ain’t nobody gonna believe that you’re still sippin’ on sizzurp and you still sittin’ on the block selling rocks.
And it’s fun to get up there and DJ. You got all your boys in the DJ booth with you and your girls. You travel state-to-state and country-to-country, just playing records, rocking the crowd, and still get on the mic and do your own songs.
And then it’s something that I always liked. When I’m at the house and I throw parties, I have a DJ booth set up in my living room with the speakers that go out all over the house — to the theater room upstairs, to the swimming pool outside. In my living room, I got disco balls lights and all that. You’ll think you’re in the club when you’re in my house. I be up in there just DJ-ing. It’s something that I do at the house anyway, so I was like shit, I might as well start back doing it in the club and get paid for it.
It’s been several years since Three 6 Mafia released their last album, Last 2 Walk. Is there anything in the works to be dropped for the future?
Naw, there ain’t nothing in the works right now. You know, both of us are doing our solo thing. He’s doing his thing with [Taylor Gang] right now, and I’m doing my thing with Drumma Boy and the DJ-ing and all that, so we really haven’t had time to do anything together. We still talk about the next project and this and that, but we haven’t physically recorded anything. But in the future, we’re definitely going to do something.
You’re in the process of creating the Clash of Da Titans mixtape with Drumma Boy. What can listeners expect from that?
Us being two of the hardest producers to come out of the South, we thought that it would be cool if we come together and make one. Both of us are producing and rapping on it. We’ve got features on it. We’re gonna drop it on 7-11 (July 11th).
Who are some artists that DJ Paul is listening to right now?
I like Waka Flocka. I like A$AP Rocky. I like Kendrick Lamar. I don’t listen to a lot of rap to be honest. I listen to more shit like David Guetta and Diplo. I like a lot of the EDM [Electronic Dance Music] cats like Skrillex. I listen to a lot of 80s and 70s music.
I’m getting into listening to a lot of music from the ’70s and early ’80s era, which is referred to as ‘Pimpin’ in Memphis. Who are some good artists from that era that you recommend for me to check out?
Aw yeah, the pimpin’ man. You gotta go with some Al Green, some David Ruffin, Willie Hutch. He’s my number one favorite. I actually worked with him in Memphis before he passed away. And you gotta go with some [Bobby] Womack. The Isley Brothers are good. Rick James. Man, I could go on for days, but your core dudes is going to be your David Ruffin and your Willie Hutch. That’s the underground cats. They’ve got songs that weren’t on the radio all the time.
Over the years, you’ve had the opportunity to work with a large catalog of people. But who are a couple people you would like to collaborate with in the future?
I want to do a song with A$AP Rocky. I like him. And I worked with Waka [Flocka], but I want to do another one with him. There are a lot of other guys out there I would like to work with. I would just have to think, but I could go for days. Dr. Dre. We’re trying to keep it realistic around here.
Outside of music, you’re heavy into the barbecuing culture and recently developed your own barbecue rub and sauce. How’d that come about?
What happened was, in 2006, [Three 6 Mafia] moved to Cali. We still kept our places in Memphis but we got the houses in [Los Angeles]. Living in L.A., obviously I was missing my Memphis barbecue. So what I would do every time I went to Memphis, I would take two suitcases — one for clothes I was going to be traveling with and one bag to bring back the seasonings, [from places like] Rendevous, Corky’s and all of that. I got sick of doing that, plus it got expensive, so I was like, ‘Man, I can just create my own rub because I know how to do this.’ I knew I liked the taste. So I sat down and created my own rub and let my neighbors taste it. And my neighbors loved it. They were like, ‘You oughta sell this stuff. You oughta bottle it up and sell it.’ I was like, ‘You’re right. I oughta bottle it up and sell it to your ass. Instead of giving it to you for free.’ And then I bottled it up and started selling it, and it started doing good for us. I made the rub first. About nine months later, I made the sauce. It took a long time to get the sauce together because it was liquid, so it’s harder to match what I made in my house. And now I’ve got two more seasonings coming out. I’ve got a buffalo wing seasoning, a garlic butter seasoning, and I’ve got a hot sauce coming out.
And you’re creating a cookbook as well?
We’re working on a cookbook now. It’s going to be more than just a regular cookbook. It’s gonna have stories in it. It’s gonna tell how I got into all of this and how I came up with each recipe and why and a little info about me. It’s going to be a fun little cookbook.
Is the cookbook going to be strictly for barbecuing?
Naw, it’s everything. You’re gonna have Italian in there. Asian, which is my favorite. Some of everything is gonna be up in there.
What are some of your favorite barbecue spots in Memphis?
I have a bunch, man. Rendevous. Corky’s. A&R. Tops. Those are my favorite ones.
I read that you’re also involved with the relaunch of the liquor, Sizzurp. Can you briefly explain your role in that endeavor?
It came out in 2000. Even though it was ours, Sizzurp, the company, from what they said, well I don’t know how it originally went down, but Jim Jones and Cam’ron [bought the brand]. They were my boys, so I wasn’t trippin’ if they had it. It was cool. Jim Jones actually brought us in and broke some bread with us to help promote it and we shot the “Sippin’ Sizzurp” video with them.
That deal went away that they had and new people came in to run Sizzurp. Once the new owners came in, they called me and they were like, ‘We remember that you were the original guy to create the Sizzurp and this and that and we want you to be a part-owner of [its] relaunch’ and I was like, ‘okay, cool.’ So we relaunched it. It’s out in stores right now. I think it launches in Memphis next month and in Las Vegas. It’s already in Florida. It’s already in Massachusetts, New York, Texas, a lot of places. We’re slowly getting the distribution through. We’ve got a big event in Orlando, Florida on the 28th-30th [The Wine & Spirits Wholesalers of America 70th Annual Convention & Exposition]. It’s a liquor convention down there. All the brands go down there and set up down there in the [Grande Lakes] hotel. You go from suite to suite tasting new brands. We’re gonna have a suite down there.
I noticed on your website that you emphasized Sizzurp is a lot safer than trying the actual purple drank concoction that consists of promethazine/codeine mixed with soda.
Aw yeah, of course. This is overseen by the government. This is real liquor. That’s drugs that they be drinking. This is real liquor. It’s safe as hell. As long as you don’t drink and drive … you drink responsibly and make sure you don’t get so drunk that you don’t use a condom. Other than that, it’s pretty safe.
What’s next for you? Are you working with any new artists?
The only artist I’m pushing right now is my nephew Locodunit, who’s from Memphis. And I’ve got a Mexican artist from L.A. named Kokoe, and that’s all I’m messing with right now. You can’t do too much at the same time, because you want to be able to focus on the ones you got. You don’t wanna have your hands full with a bunch of artists and you can’t do nothing for all of them at the same time. The only things you can do at the same time is women.
It’s not every day that you see a rap group coming out of South Memphis that’s influenced by rock artists such as The Killers, The Rolling Stones, The Beatles and Jimi Hendrix. But when you do, you see The Sidewayz.
Composed of Havier “Havi” Green and Salazar “Sal” Diego, the childhood friends have been crafting tunes together since 2009. Thrived with the struggles that the average kid residing within a single parent, low-income household experiences, they’re life stories play a nice balance to the eclectic style they possess on the beat.
“Music has always been the best escape from our upbringing, which wasn’t that fuckin’ good,” says Havi. “It’s pretty bleak growing up in South Memphis. I’ve probably lived in every project in South and North Memphis; I’ve been homeless for a time. You kind of get used to it.…you’ve got to adjust to being where you’re at, but in the inside you know it’s something bigger out there.”
The Sidewayz has released two musical installments independently thus far: 2011’s Endless Summer, a 22-track mixtape in which the group spits clever verses over other artists’ instrumentals, and 2012’s Social Pop Art, a 12-track release that displays the duo’s growth over all original production.
Both mixtapes were well received in Memphis and enabled the duo to perform in front of crowds at such venues as the Hi-Tone, Brinson’s, Daily Planet, and the Buccaneer Lounge.
“The response, since we’ve followed our own artistic vision, it’s been pretty well. When people hear it, they automatically recognize it’s something different than what they’re used to,” says Havi. “We’re trying to bring change into something that’s been the same for a long time. We’re trying to grow and do something that’s actually going to break down a lot of barriers and let people know that you can still grow.”
Growth is what the group promises to continue to display with their upcoming mixtape, Art Appreciation. The Sidewayz assures it will be their best offering to date. Shortly after the mixtape release, the group plans to drop their debut album, Goodbye Gods, June 30th exclusively at the Memphis Rehearsal Complex on 296 Monroe Ave.
“Art Appreciation is a continuation of our growth,” says Havi. “Social Pop Art really was our step to try and escape from the rawness of Endless Summer, and this one, we’re trying to blend both of them together.”
Dedicated to their craft, both members dropped out of college to pursue music full-time but their tales are a little different. While Sal attended Southwest Tennessee Community College in the city for a little while, Havi actually received a full scholarship to attend the prestigious and world-renown Vanderbilt University.
Taking a different lane than the average rap artists coming from South Memphis, or the city as a whole for that matter, isn’t something The Sidewayz is worried about. The group embraces their uniqueness with open arms and encourages others to try things outside of the norm.
“We never thought about doing what we do and people take it in a negative way,” says Sal. “Like, ‘damn, it sounds different. It’s not cool.’ It’s cool to be different. But you’re taking a chance with anything. The creativity of being an artist is taking chances, because you’re expressing yourself through your art. We know, yeah, we’re from South Memphis and when you listen to most of the music from the area that we come from, you know what to expect. With us, it’s totally different and we take a lot of pride in being an outcast.”
Check out a new track from The Sidewayz here Follow The Sidewayz on Twitter: @VivaLaSidewayz Like their page on Facebook: The Sidewayz Check out more of their music on Soundcloud
