kia ora
this is an interview that Rap Ireland magazine did with me.
Give us a bit of a background on you, from before you came to Ireland.
I grew up in Wellington/Aotearoa(New Zealand) in a place called Island Bay.I caught the hiphop bug in 83/84 after seeing Style Wars and the Buffalo Gals and Rocksteady Crew videos on tv and then checking out Beat Street at the cinema.I tried my hand at B-boying but wasn't much good and i collected rap music on cassette up until 1990 when i bought my first vinyl(Digital Underground - Doowatchyalike).
My high school at the time was Rongotai college and the NZ DMC champ Dj Raw used to play our school discos.You would get to hear Public Enemy,Boo Ya Tribe,N.W.A,De La Soul,a lot of new jack swing and 80's R&B all chopped by the best dj in the country.People had dance crews and there were a lot of budding djs and mcs such as King Kapisi so it was a good place to be.
In 1993 i formed my first rap crew called 'Kaos & Mayhem'.We were heavily influenced by artists on Rap-A-Lot records and also the Gravediggaz and horrocore stuff that was out at the time.We had two dj's Goosh and O.T.I.C. and they used to do Q&A choruses and change the beats a lot.It was fun times,doin house parties and after parties for touring groups like the Beastie Boys.I'd just bought turntables so i was collecting vinyl,building my skills and playing clubs and bars.
In 1995 i started my first radio show on Radioactive 89 fm with OTIC & Sister Mary called Friday Night Flava,which is still goin til this day.
In 1996 i enetered my first Dj battle,switched stations to do a show called 'The Beatbox' with Dj Raw and Raw and i started putting out mixtapes.The first was a Wu Tang mix and we also put out Hiphop & R&B mixes under the name of Buttas,the cassette cover looked like Kerry Gold packaging.
Bewteen 96-99 i entered a lot of dj battles,winning a few local things and coming runner up in the NZ ITF 99.I also held down a residency at a Wellington club called La Luna and spent a lot of time with a rap group called The Footsouljahs,honing my rap skills,doing live shows and having fun.
In 2000 i was selected to attend the Redbull Music Academy in Dublin and i've been based here since.
Tell us a bit about your time in Ireland, the artists you've worked with and friends you have made as a result.
Everyone in Ireland was really welcoming to me.Within a week of being here i'd met Dj Wool and the Third eye Surfers,Splyce & OB , George from Deep Burial,Stevie G and Arveene.It didn't take long to meet Tu-ki,Flip,Gaz and Darren from Drogheda,Belfast City Breakers,Jay-P,Dj Mek,Frank Jez,Exile Eye,DJ Mayhem and OC.
Mr Browne from Scary Eire really took me under his wing and it was through him that i met a lot of people here and also UK heads like Rodney P.
I've maintained great personal friendships with most of these heads and have worked a lot with All City records,Dj Tu-ki,Stevie G & Colm Keneflick and Scope & Rizm at Choicecuts.
You are possibly the most successful mixtape DJ in Ireland. How do you approach putting together a mixtape and who do you look up to on the mixtape circuit.
I like to be able to envisage what the whole mix should feel like before i even put one thing down.When i have the vision i start buying music and contacting labels and artists for songs,freestyles,exclusives and drops.I search the whole world for music and my latest mix features artists from Ireland,New Zealand,Canada,The United States,Senegal,UK,Samoa and Jamaica.I don't care what is hot right now so the mixes can have a classic feel,though are still reflective of a moment in time.I champion artists that don't get radio or MTV play and put them alongside bigger names to show that what they do can stand up to the best.I chop it up,add that Mikki flava and Booyakaa ! It's on.
My mixtape influences are Kid Capri,Ron G,Doo Wop,Tony Touch,The Return of the Dj series,Q-bert,Dj Juice,S&S,Babu,J-Rocc,Dj Sirvere,Dj CXL and the Xecutioners.
The best mixtape dj in the game right now is J-Period.I'm not with the djs that shout a lot and have no skills.
You also MC. How do you balance the two arts?
It's just something that's always gone hand in hand for me.The old school guys back home tried to get me to specialise in one but i enjoyed doing both.It's in the tradition of dj's that could rock the mic or vice versa and i gotta give props to Grandmaster Caz,Lord Finesse,Doo Wop and Tony Touch.I came up with the term 'Raptablist', a turntablist that raps and Dj Swamp,Buck 65 and Edan would be the best exponents of that style.
What observations have you made of Hip-Hop in Ireland in your time here? How does it look as a whole now in comparison to when you arrived?
Hiphop here is there the same as anywhere else and the irish are very passionate about what they do.
There's certainly a lot more people participating now,especially in terms of b-boys and rappers and there's a hell of a lot more international artists visiting.
Would you agree that it appears Ireland can compete on the international scene in terms of Djing, but when it comes to mc'ing or rapping we fall far behind? What do you think the reasons are for that?
I would agree.When djs head to a world final they apply a work ethic to their trade that will allow them to compete and win against the world's best.
If mc's and producers applied that same ethos to their music rather than saying "that's good for irish rap" then they could compete on a world stage too.Hot music is hot music,you don't get a concession card because of where you live.
You have worked with a lot of emerging Irish artists over the last few years. Who has stood out for you and how do you think they can make their mark in the wider market?
The two releases that dj Flip has put out with All City are class and i think dj Tu-ki can hang with anyone.Deep Burial and MJex are great at what they do too.I'd love to see local artists produce the type of music that could be appreciated beyond 'the scene' so instead of hearing Nelly and 50 cent on commercial radio you'd hear The Elements and Butcher Boy.
What is your ultimate goal in music? Have you any long term plans?
Hiphop is like golf for me.I just wanna play forever,have fun and get better.Who knows i might get a card for the senior PGA !
You have worked with some of our own young DJ's, Mo-K and Tando for example. What differences are there for upcoming DJs now compared to when you were honing your craft years ago?
Nowadays you can download mp3s,use serato or cdjs,get a dvd to show you how to scratch and use myspace to network.None of this was available when i started so now there's no excuse not to be dope.What i'm starting to see is watered down versions of what djs in the states do and that's wack.Create your own style,be original and stick to your guns.If you don't make money at least you'll have honour and respect.
What's in the pipeline at the moment?
My new mixtape 'The Champ' is out now and to support it i'm touring Miami,L.A.,New Zealand,New York,Ireland,London and Germany.I really loved how Braintax dealt with socio/political issues on his Panorama album,it reminds me of when Public Enemy were at their peak and it's inspired me to do mixes and music along similar lines.I could rap about other rappers,my clothes,how much money i make, how many women i sleep with and just generally how great i am but that's not very original is it?