Interview

Hip-hop legend Marley Marl recently down with the Drink Champs show for an extensive conversation.

A key figure in the development of hip-hop, Marley is considered to be the first producer to sample and chop drums. His credits include some of the most iconic tracks from the hip-hop’s golden age, including LL Cool J’s “Mama Said Knock You Out,” Big Daddy Kane’s “Ain’t No Half Steppin’,” Eric B. & Rakim’s “Eric B. Is President,” Biz Markie’s “Vapors,” and MC Shan’s “The Bridge.”

Most of the interview focused on Marley’s career, but he also spoke about the current state of hip-hop.

On the new generation of hip-hop:

“I look at it is evolution … The people who don’t like what the young kids is doing, you too old. Because when I fell in love with what I was doing, I was about 18 years old, so whoever is 18 years old [is] probably falling in love with what they doing right now and that’s their sh#t.”

On how he started out as an electronic music producer:

“Before I started making hip-hop, I was making electronic music … That’s why I had the edge over everybody, because I was already tech savvy.”

Watch the full convo above.

Related: Watch: Inside DJ Jazzy Jeff’s 2018 PLAYLIST Retreat

RL Grime is considered one of the pioneers of electronic trap music, influencing countless DJs and producers.

One of those has been Diplo, who recently sat down with RL Grime for a candid and insightful conversation. The discussion focused on his career, touching on topics like why he transitioned from house music to trap, the impact of his anthem with What So Not, “Tell Me,” his influence on Diplo, and more.

RL Grime on why he stopped producing house:

“I was seeing a shift in that big room house stuff and how it was becoming corny to me, and I wasn’t inspired and didn’t wanna make it anymore. I’d been listening to a lot of James Blake and Night Slugs stuff and just walking around New York and decided to start a project in that vein.”

Diplo on “Tell Me”:

“That record for me seems to be the staple of this whole scene. It’s up there with the biggest dance records … that record still goes off.”

Diplo on RL Grime’s influence on him:

“A lot of times, the edits you play are songs I don’t even know. And I’ll play them on the respect that I have of you and knowing what you’re doing. … You’re one of my favorite tastemakers. You always have the best attitude and the best taste of what’s about to happen, what’s gonna happen.”

Watch the convo above.

Related: Diplo Talks Career and Current State of Music at Oxford University

Whether or not you’re a DJ, chances are you’ve heard Fatman Scoop and Crooklyn Clan’s timeless anthem, “Be Faithful.” It’s a sure-fire party starter that gets played everywhere from clubs and stadiums to weddings and movies.

EDM stars drop it in between choreographed hand-hearts. Even Australian Parliament members “throw they hands up” when the song comes on. I’ve been playing it for over 16 years, and it’s never failed. Not once.

What many people don’t know is the story behind it and the on-going feud between Fatman and Crooklyn Clan member Sizzahandz. To shed light on the situation, the R.O.A.D. Podcast sat down with both of them to hear their sides of the story.

Watch below:

Listen to the full episode on SoundCloud

Listen to the full episode on SoundCloud

Related: TJR and Reece Low Enlist Fatman Scoop for Party Anthem, ‘Check This’

After a brief hiatus, DJ/producer Vice has returned with a new episode of his Electric Taco series. On this installment, the Los Angeles native meets up with EDC founder Pasquale Rotella as they drive to the Gracias Madre restaurant in West Hollywood.

The conversation covers topics such as Rotella’s upbringing in LA, his first time hearing dance music, and his inspiration for starting music festivals.

The episode features Vice’s latest single “Don’t Go” featuring Becky G and Mr Eazi.

Watch Electric Taco above.

Related: Vice Teams With Becky G and Mr Eazi for New Single, ‘Don’t Go

Akon sat down with the Drink Champs show earlier this week for an inspiring interview. The Senegalese-American, who has been busy bringing electricity to Africa and developing his own cryptocurrency, discussed a variety of topics.

One of the themes of the interview was his role in developing artists, most notably Lady Gaga and French Montana. Both were signed to his label early in their careers.

Akon discussed why he signed Gaga, whose label at the time, Interscope, didn’t see her as a priority. He also discussed signing Montana, only to let him leave for Bad Boy Records.

“I built my career off making other people’s careers,” Akon said. “If we all did that, we’d be good.”

Watch the inspiring interview above.

Related: GASHI Enlists French Montana and DJ Snake for New Single, ‘Creep on Me’

Borgore at Temple in San Francisco on Aug. 3, 2018. (Source: Facebook)

Borgore is a household name in the dance music scene. Whether he’s producing, DJing, singing, rapping, or shutting down festivals across the world, real name Yosef Asaf Borger stands as one of the most well-respected dubstep artists.

Being the founder of Buygore Records and doing gigs all across the globe, he still manages to find time to test the waters and experiment with new sounds. Adventures in Time is his first jazz album, a pleasant surprise from his usual hard-hitting, head-banging, moshpit-friendly tunes.

On day one of HARD Summer 2018, Borgore’s back-to-back set with Getter proved to be one of the most highly-anticipated acts on the bill. DJcity caught up with Borgore in his trailer after his performance, squeezing in the 10-minute time slot given by his management to accommodate his busy schedule. Before we begin the interview, he pours himself some Jameson, blaming it on the “long weekend” ahead.

How does it feel to be back at HARD Summer without Destructo?

I don’t think it affects me personally. He’s moved on to other things; he has big ventures. I don’t know what people know and don’t know, but HARD is something he built that was incredible. I’ve always really appreciated HARD. It was my first show where I was like “holy sh#t!” It was M.I.A., Die Antwoord, and me, a dubstep producer from a bedroom somewhere in Tel Aviv. I was just blown away. Destructo did amazing things, and the festival is still going.

How was your set?

Usually, I’m nervous, but HARD had me a little bit more nervous. There were so many different factors, including some serious competition on the other stages. The second thing was: I live in Los Angeles, so there’s a lot of friends and people I hang out with that come to see me. It becomes more personal. The third thing was: HARD was the first time Getter and I did a [back-to-back set], and it was on a big festival stage. We didn’t practice on a small festival stage. We went straight into headlining that stage. We wanted to practice and go over things, but we are both extremely busy. I was in Europe for two months before that show, so we couldn’t really hang out and work on it. Although we are really close friends, I wish we had more time to just chill. But all and all it was super fun.

You’ve had features with everyone from Miley Cyrus to G-Eazy and Waka Flocka Flame. What do you look for in a feature?

It’s like dogs. [laughs] I’m not very picky. I just love working with other people. Every singer is like a new instrument. They sound different. They bring something else to the table, so any collab for me is blessed. Whether it’s the biggest artist in the world or someone who just got his name, you can learn or do something with anyone. There’s a very small list of people that I wouldn’t work with, and I’m also not the type of person to throw shade. I’m not going to mention anyone, but in general, most people are more than welcome.

With dubstep going back into the underground, do you feel you have to change your sound?

It really depends where you’re playing. It depends on the venue, the crowd, and the country. You have to know the crowd. Before the set, I do my homework. If it’s a Las Vegas show, obviously I’ll play way more commercial. If it’s a Borgore show, then I’ll probably play the harder stuff.

What are you playing in the club right now?

My sets are kind of funny. I play the popular stuff like Britney Spears mixed with the gnarliest riddim drops. I like to play a lot of hip-hop mixed with like riddim, but then all of a sudden I’ll play a super commercial Steve Aoki song from 2012. I just play party music, but with a strong spice.

Do you prefer playing clubs or festivals?

It really depends on the club and it really depends on the festival. Some festivals can have the biggest crowd, but they can be people who randomly went to a festival. It’s kind of annoying to play for them because they don’t know what they’re listening to. At the same time, you can play a festival, and the crowd is the best f#cking crowd in the world. That sh#t — it’s a crazy experience. Clubs are, for the most part, safer for the DJ to have fun and explore. But then again, you can end up on a built-in crowd night, and you have to play a little safer. I personally prefer to play to an open-minded crowd rather than a crowd where I need to play certain songs.

What’s your optimal setup when you perform?

I like to use four Pioneer CDJ-2000NXS into a Pioneer DJM-900NXS most of the time. I don’t really care about the mixer, as long as it’s a Pioneer. And then two microphones. I’ll usually have an idea of a set on the two middle CDJs — just like a general playlist. I’ll play my set and all of a sudden I’m like, “Okay, they like this type of music.” So I start pulling songs from playlists on the two CDJs on the ends.

What are three things you need in the studio?

A computer, speakers, and a MIDI keyboard. [laughs] Because it’s really difficult for me to write music without being able to play it. I’m not so much of a “draw it with the mouse” guy. I’m more of a “play it” type guy.

How has the music scene changed since you started?

It’s growing in crazy ways. When I started, there was more of a UK dubstep boom in Europe and Israel. Then it came [to the US] with Skrillex, it was like the biggest thing. Then there was the whole big room, Martin Garrix, and all that sh#t. Then it changed into pop: The Chainsmokers, Major Lazer, DJ Snake. Right now, we’re kind of waiting for the next wave. The electronic scene is chill because the music scene is mainly focused on SoundCloud hip-hop. As far as electronic music, it’s back in the underground. We will see what’s next.

Follow Borgore on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitter.

Related: Caked Up Remixes Ginuwine’s ‘Pony’: DJcity Exclusive

Kehlani‘s official DJ NOODLES recently sat down with DJcity’s MISS DJ BLISS for an interview.

The Bay Area native discussed what it’s like being Kehlani’s DJ, how she got into DJing, and gave advice to female DJs.

NOODLES is scheduled to perform at Seattle’s Bumbershoot festival on Saturday, Sept. 1.

Watch the convo above.

Follow NOODLES on Facebook, Instagram, SoundCloud, and Twitter.

Related: Listen to NOODLES’ DJcity Podcast Mix

Ozuna (Source: Instagram)

As he prepares to drop his new album Aura on Friday (Aug. 24), Latin superstar Ozuna sat down with Billboard for an interview.

The Puerto Rican artist discussed many topics, including revealing that the project contains a Spanish-language track with Akon. He also confirmed that his Cardi B-assisted hit single “La Modelo” will appear on Aura.

Other topics covered include why he likes to collaborate often, his relationship with J Balvin, and the pressure of topping his record-breaking debut album, Odisea. Released in August 2017, Odisea is currently in its 45th week at No. 1 on Billboard’s Top Latin Albums chart.

Working with Akon:

“Working with someone who shares your vision, your work ethic, and who likes to create as you do makes it easy. When we got together, we made four songs in one day. There’s one song for his album and two for a future release. Yes, he sang in Spanish, and I even sang in English. He doesn’t speak perfect Spanish, and I don’t speak perfect English, but we understand each other.”

His relationship with J Balvin:

“He’s an extremely important person to me. I value his opinion and his presence in my projects. He has an impressive aura about him, he’s brilliant and intelligent, and he puts his heart into his work. He’s someone who always gives it his all. I can ask him for advice even when it’s not his song, and he’ll tell me what to fix.”

Why he likes to collaborate often:

“I like it because it’s like being in a group. Working with people like Reik, Anuel AA, Wisin & Yandel, and J Balvin, you get to do things like film videos. So we enjoy it because that’s where we can be free to be ourselves, talk, and create. I can’t walk down the streets of Miami without getting mobbed, for example. But I can be on set with Balvin and Arcangel and feel comfortable.”

Topping his debut album:

“It wasn’t about doing something bigger or better. I don’t like to proclaim things like saying it will be better because it might or it might not. It’s just that nowadays, people demand a lot more music. It’s not how it used to be when you didn’t need to put out so much music. But I’ve learned that each week, there are new sounds, new rhythms, new technology, new artists, and you have to evolve. Odisea made an impact, but the people want more music.”

Watch the interview, which was conducted in Spanish, below.

Related: Watch Anuel AA’s ‘Brindemos’ Video Feat. Ozuna

Spryte, a veteran open format DJ and producer, has always been on the forefront of the art form. The Los Angeles-based DJ made a name for himself in the battle circuit, and currently tours the world as one-half of the duo Made Monster.

While technology has played a role in Spryte’s success, he had proven his skills long before the digital revolution. On this episode of A Moment With, Spryte talks about how DJing has changed since he started, his current projects, and plans for the future.

Watch above.

Follow DJs Are Not Jukeboxes on Facebook, Instagram, Twitter, and Youtube.

Follow DJ Spryte on Facebook, Instagram, Soundcloud, and Twitter.

Related: Watch: Grandtheft Talks DJing and Producing

DJ Snake at Echostage in Washington, DC on March 3, 2018. (Source: Facebook)

Since his breakout anthem “Bird Machine” in 2013, DJ Snake has become one of dance music’s biggest and most prolific artists. He’s scored three Billboard Top 10 hits, played the world’s top festivals, and launched his own label, Premiere Classe. The 32-year-old has come a long way since his days as a hip-hop DJ in Paris.

In a rare interview with Billboard, Snake opened up about his youth and rise to fame.

Growing up in a poor suburb of Paris:

“[Ermont is] just like every ghetto in the world … A lot of poverty. Drugs. Criminality. No hope. You just feel like no one cares. All they give you is a few soccer fields in your hood, and everything is closed. So you just play soccer. You don’t have nothing else.”

Transitioning from being a hip-hop DJ to an open-format DJ and producer:

“I remember the first time I dropped a couple of house records, someone threw an Air Force One in my face. So I decided to stop, … I was like, ‘I want to be able to play everything.’ People were like, ‘You’re crazy. You’re going to lose all your credibility and fans.’ But I wanted to try new things and make my own music. So I became a producer.”

Going from producing other people’s tracks to producing his own:

“The good thing about not speaking the language is you just listen … You listen to everyone, every producer, every writer. Then one day I said, ‘Yo, f#ck that sh#t. Now it’s going to be my vision. I’m not going to listen to anybody, no A&R, nobody. I’ve seen this. I get it. This is greatness. But now I’m going to bring my f#cking greatness, my sound.’”

Hustling at Ultra Music Festival:

“We went backstage and I met RL Grime, Flosstradamus, and Baauer … I got all their phone numbers, and I was so excited that the day after, I was sending all my music. I was the worst — like, 10 emails each.”

Embracing styles from around the world:

“Paris influenced me a lot back then, but now the world has a big influence on me … There’s no way I’m going to sleep on the new things that I’m hearing in Brazil and India.”

Being a role model:

“You don’t need money to be creative … The ghetto builds champions every day. I just want to show the kids in every ghetto in the world that we can make some hot sh#t. We can change the world.”

Related: The 5 Best Remixes of DJ Snake’s ‘Magenta Riddim’