[Interview] RH First Look: Alex Wiley

Alex Wiley

Alex Wiley has been working hard lately. The Southside MC has been busy for the better part of 2012 garnering followers through a steady flow of videos and songs online and collaborations with Kembe X and a host of other Chicago artists. Wiley is now looking to drop his own solo project, one that has gone through several changes throughout the last few months.  What originally started as an EP under the name Village Up, has transformed several times during endless recording at SoundScape Studios, where I recent met and spoke with the budding emcee. To be sure, Wiley was due for a nap. Luckily, I was able to catch him just before he curled up on the couch, exhausted from a long day.

That Wiley sleeps at all may be the most surprising thing. The high-energy emcee can be found around town rapping in a Santa suit like he did onstage at Chance The Rapper's AcidRap Live show at The Metro November 23, or chopping up philosophies on the intricacies of the perfect taco bar, which he has plans to unveil somewhere in the near future. A glance at Wiley's robust Twitter feed could make anyone wonder if the kid sleeps at all. Since releasing #MoPurp with Chance and Kembe earlier this year, a video for which has garnered over 75,000 YouTube views in just under six months, Wiley has set about making his mark on the Chicago scene and beyond and is nearing the release of his debut project, Club Wiley, which has spanned almost a full year of his progression and is set to drop early 2013 via the indie label, Closed Sessions.

Also, if you're in Chicago, catch an early sampling of Wiley's forthcoming debut, ClubWiley, on January 5th at Jugrnaut at 427 S. Dearborn from 6-8 PM.

words and interview by Jake Krzeczowski.


THEMpeople

[Interview] Record Producers: THEMpeople

THEMpeople

I'm going to note this off the bat: THEMpeople are not a  production crew who simply make beats. After learning about THEMpeople (L Boog, Dough, Zigg, & Mic) through releases with the likes of Chance The RapperKami De Chukwu, Caleb James & other Savemoney members, it could seem easy to reach such a conclusion. When clicking around their tumblr page, one quote immediately stood out."Using music production to capture the essence of where our generation will fit into the history books of our children, and understanding the significance of eras before that have left a great impression and influence on this nostalgic shift toward reinventing the power of the individual through the arts."

Immediately you can see the bigger picture focus the team has, which ultimately sees an "Urban Renaissance" (of various arts) bringing mass social change.

After listening to a bevy of releases and patrolling through their various online social networks, it's clear that the emphasis on bringing real change is a major inspiration for their craft. Without rushing anything they do, their musical reputation reeks of quality.   After meeting at Columbia College in 2007, the crew has continually grown and evolved as a pact, each member playing  a specific role within the group. "The meaning of the word production is often solely associated with beat making, but in our case production means producers of innovation," they say.

Many artists say "the music speaks for itself," in this case their words hold up pretty well. Read on to get the full story on THEMpeople, which I'm happy to say is their first official interview ever. There will be countless more.


[Interview] Aemmp Record Producer: Dee Lilly

When I first heard of Chicago based producer Dee Lilly, after listening to his latest compilation ObeyI wasn't aware of his status as a true musician, beyond being a beat maker. After learning he attended the Duke Ellington School of Music in Washington DC for high school, Lilly found his way to Chicago and Columbia College to study Music Business. "I loved the networking opportunities here in Chicago. I feel like if you grind hard enough you will eventually be heard, there is just that pure competitiveness here."

Now working on his next compilation project, the Columbia College pianist turned producer has worked with the 2008ighties crew, Murph Watkins, and other rising Chicago musicians, since arriving here from DC in 2008. "So this one day Legit was like, 'man I need producers.' So a couple months later I showed him some more stuff... he was like, 'yo, give me that beat I promise I will make that the intro for COTL.'He rapped the verse he had for it and that was it."

Lilly, struggled at first as a budding producer, jumping right into an industry he definitely thought was simpler than it truly was. After crafting his sound, Lilly is looking to make an impact on our scene, from here on out. Read on for our AEMMP Hip-Hop Record Producer Interview.


[Interview] Big Boi: Player By Choice

Big Boi - Player By Choice

With great risk comes great reward.  It's a cliche saying, but it's definitely true.  With great risk can also come great failure, but that side of things didn't make it into the popular saying, and after all, that's where the fun lies.  One person having fun right now is Big Boi, 1/2 of the Mighty Outkast and 100% himself. On December 11th, Big Boi will release his new solo album (number 3 with an asterisk as he says), Vicious Lies and Dangerous Rumors.

Last week, Big Boi hit Chicago to play the album for select fans and tastemakers.  Before hitting play on the new LP, Big Boi talked with us about keeping it player over playing it safe, having fun with music and where he's at right now, and the artwork behind the new LP.  In a day when risks are being overly calculate, Big Boi continues to throw creative caution to the wind.  And with great results.  Peep the video piece below. Shot and edited by Andrew Zeiter.


[Interview] Record Producer: Hippie Sabatoge

Before hearing their latest EP, Vacants, I had never heard of producers Hippie Sabatoge. Ever. In my life. I like the named, loved the cover - but when I first pressed play on Soundcloud, my thoughts changed. Now after hearing work with Calez, C Plus, and many other budding rappers, The Sacramento born and bred producers (and brothers) have created a sound that defines a specific time & sub-genre of Hip Hop in 2012. "We never want to put out the same project twice and that brings a lot pressure to progress our sound. If the progression is not immediately apparent in a project we will scrap it," states So Crates 1/2 of the HS, with brother Sour Beats. The Duo's latest beat tape Vacants emits an immediate vibe of post electronic-based bass beats, with everything from airy vocal samples to "Wire" quotes.

After releasing work with fellow Sacramento artist C Plus, and Sahtyre, the two were initially turned on to the Chicago scene after Monster Mike, Kembe X, and Alex Wiley rapped on some of their Vol. 1 beats. "The attention to detail and talent of the new Chicago artists we have had the opportunity to work with is incredible...Chicago artists really try to outdo the last song and or project/video that they release. As a producer is very gratifying to participate in and witness the sonic innovation." Now with material done with Calez, (#BSOAT) and upcoming work with Alex Wiley, Kami De Chukwu and likely many more local emcees, Hippie Sabatoge is definitely ready to move in the near future.


DJ Muggs

[Interview] DJ Muggs: Like Water

DJ Muggs
photo by Eric Thompson

When DJ Muggs released his EP, Sound Clash Business, in mid October, I sent him a text saying how much I enjoyed it.  I never really expect a response from any artist that I text, and definitely not someone of Muggs' legendary status.  It also happened to be 10 AM Chicago time when I sent this text, making it 8 AM for DJ Muggs.  Those aren't exactly office hours, and definitely not in the entertainment business, when some are punching out in the wee hours of the morning.  "Thank you, brother," read Muggs' response, sent just a few minutes later.

After thinking about it, I shouldn't have been surprised at all.  For one, Muggs is one of the most genuine and good dudes I've been able to meet over the years. Second, while I think of Muggs as Hip Hop royalty, and may have my own expectations for how he should act, those are my expectations only and not shared by the man immortalized in House of Pain's "Jump Around" as the person to "let the funk flow."

"When I look at myself, I'm still a beginner, I'm still learning, and I got a long ways to go," Muggs would tell me about a week later in our candid interview, done at a similar early hour.  "I don't sit back and smile with a fucking pompous attitude and my feet up. I sold 40 million records, I've made millions of dollars, I traveled the world.  So what? That was cool.  That's what you did. What are you going to do?"

Muggs is going to release a new album soon, one that expands on his Sound Clash Business EP.  It is will be released on January 15th via Ultra Records under the title Bass For Face and presents new dub-step with a Hip Hop aesthetic.  After that, he'll be dropping a number of Hip Hop albums and other projects that he says are absolutely on some other shit.  "The last two years I've really made 200 songs and created all these projects. Now everything's almost done, so you're going to see a lot coming out from me next year, you're going to be like, 'what the fuck?'

Truth is, Muggs, a man that's sold over 40 million records, is still putting in work like he hasn't done shit.  Read this interview to see how that's fueled his success, exactly what he has planned for 2013, and why he's a huge fan of Chief Keef.


thekidDirty

[Interview] AEMMP Hip Hop Artist of The Week: thekidDirty

thekidDirty

Another week, another new artist to be profiled in our continuing collaboration with Columbia College's AEMMP Records.   The student run record label has been scouring campus, looking for students putting in a double-shift as aspiring artists.  Today we get to know thekidDirty, an advertising major who found Hip Hop as a teenager after playing in rock bands since he got a drum set at the age of 6.  Check out his story, as well as some music in the latest feature.


DJ Muggs

[Interview Snippet] DJ Muggs: "My Style Is Like Water"

DJ Muggs

"Muggs lets the funk flow."

Since the late 80's, DJ Muggs has been shaping and then re-shaping sounds, first and foremost his own, and secondly, Hip Hop as a whole.  The veteran producer who rose to fame by producing Cypress Hill's classic self-titled debut and their follow-up Black Sunday, shows no signs of slowing down.  He's still putting in 12-plus hours days, and is ready to release multiple projects in 2013.  A couple weeks ago Muggs dropped SoundClash Business, a free EP merging drum and bass with trap heavy production.  While Muggs may be best known for gritty and grimy Hip Hop, the more electronic sound has been a part of his arsenal since the the late 90's and early 2000's when he lived in London and worked with artists such as Tricky and producer Nellee Hooper.

"I do things like this just to challenge myself and try to learn new production techniques.  When I go back to Hip Hop, it's fun again," Muggs told me during a phone interview that lasted nearly 40 minutes.

"When you do this for 25 years, shit gets boring. You got to invent ways to stimulate yourself, and stimulate the creativity. When I go over to the side, leave Hip Hop alone for a couple months and do another project, when I'm done, I can't wait to get back to Hip Hop. I got like 3 rap albums I'm working on right now. They're all half done," he continued, before describing his upcoming work and some of his inspiration.

"A couple of them are more drum machine based, trap style. Some of them are gritty, SP-12, samples from 1993 still. I can tap into all those styles, man. My style's like water. I'm a scientist of sound. I like to reach out and just do different shit. That's the fun of this shit for me. I'm not going to do the same shit over every fucking day. It's like going to the same job, eating the same shit, fucking the same bitch every night. I can't do that, dog. But you know sometimes people can't see it cause they can't see it in themselves. They just want the same thing. It's just conditioned. It's the mental conditioned way people are and the way the nervous system works.  I look at a famous artist that I study like Salvador Daali or Picasso, Picasso changed his style every so-many years and went to a whole other style because he's inspired by different things. I got some of the dirtiest, grimest Hip Hop I've ever made coming out. I got a new project called the Cypress Experience. I found all these unmarked discs in my storage, about 300 discs, all samples that I thought I lost from '89-'92.  When I found those, 'I'm like, I'm doing a project.'  It's going to be the Cypress Experience. It's going to be basically the energy that we all love from the first three records, with a twist."

Check back next week for the full interview with DJ Muggs in which he speaks on his new projects, staying relevant for 25 plus years, and the hungry days of Cypress Hill.