Ok, so I'll have to start with a classic one. How did you get into this business. I heard that you were a reggae DJ and…
Well, I started originally DJing while I was at school with some friends of mine who started a mobile disco place while we were at school. Yeah, it was a soul sound system that was…it was the soul of the time, and I was the resident DJ…and as the time went on I bought more records and from that really I just carried on to pirate radio at 1989
Ok, I was just wondering, the UK has a really vibrant hip-hop community. How come we haven’t seen an artist having a major breakthrough yet? I mean we have seen Slick Rick, but he was more of an American artist than British…and today we only have some like…Ms Dynamite. So, why haven’t had a major breakthrough by a British artist?
Well, I think that as for myself, I started my own record label here as well…basically from my point, I think that the main reason I suppose the rest of the world has slowly started to get to the hereabout of English/ UK hip-hop. It hasn’t reached that stage that was supposed to and everybody thought. But I myself had started going independent therefore I suppose the resources as far as marketing is concerned isn’t as much as a major label. Now I want to get my name across and growing, so that people will show more interest. As I understand a lot of people want to hear.
So, how did you decide to go independent? Did you do it for the artistic freedom of the whole thing, or you didn’t think that a major label would have supported you the way you want?
It was a bit of both really. I mean, like, I listened to the radio circuit, they told me…it was like…how it is with the whole industry. It’s what I was told, that basically majors are way into marketing, so in respects of what you might have, it might change your profile, that story of working with a lot of people
And it’s a strange industry
Yeah totally, strange people to say the least
I don’t know, I was wondering, you know, like 15 years ago hip-hop used to have a much more political stance, but today we just see…it just gets repetitive and it goes on and on about the same things. Why do you think this happens? Is it because most people aren’t interested in serious subjects?
I don’t think it’s that, I think, if you ask me, the people that control the industry, as far as the major labels are concerned, who work behind the scenes, think that sex sells and every record has to portray that or materialistic things basically. And because it started like one person sells with a tune for sex, everybody is like, ok he’s the star and this is the way it is now. And I try to do something different, try to open the people’s minds, to get them interested, something more than “put your hands in the air” which is all well and good you know, for the clubs and stuff…
but when you want something real…
Exactly. I mean, personally speaking, I like to hear something more, that’s why I listen to reggae.
Are you still active as a reggae DJ?
I do, I like to play reggae, I like to play good music.
What other types of music do you listen to? Are you into be bop or something like jazz, or it’s mainly an after-70’s thing?
Well, as a kid I listened to other things like soul and this is how I got into R&B, hip-hop and that. I listen to a bit of house as well, soulful house as well, which is kinda like jazz-fusion. I’m just trying to keep my mind open, watch the whole music frame and see what’s going on
An all-around music…
Yeah, yeah exactly
A big part of the SMIRNOFF experience, and the whole thing is to get foreign artists to interact with the Greek public. I think you’ve been to Greece before right?
Yeah, yeah
So what do you think of the Greek audience? Do they respond positively to the music? Are they lively?
I would say that generally yeah they are, they’re very positive on what I’m doing and stuff. At first it seems like R&B is a new thing, something that came only a few years ago. It’s the second time I’m here and I’m trying to build support and it’s going in the right direction.
So we’ll be seeing more of you I guess
Yeah, yeah (γέλια)
So any plans for the future? This is your second LP?
Yeah, yeah, my second release
I think the first one was a different company, Beatoven?
Well, this is the second release on Muzik-Ed, which is my label. The first one was done by Maestro, “Step by Step”. The other was in Beatoven records and it was an EP
So, what are your plans? Are you keeping busy with the radio and the same time working?
I do everything basically. I’m getting in contact with rappers. At the moment I’m having new material done, creating beats, DJing helps. All these things turn back into the company. I started a club thing back in London with Maxi
What’s spinning in your CD player right now?
Well, both mainstream and underground. A nice underground thing I was feeling is the J-Lib album, that was more or less on my top 5.
What about remixes, say 9th Wonder’s albums and stuff?
Oh, yeah 9th Wonder of the Little Brother, I liked it. That’s to me where the real elements of hip-hop are.
Do you think that American hip-hop has a future or is it stuck in some short of quagmire, turning into a pop monster?
Well, I see that as underground hip-hop as the one you described is obviously sort of dead compared with what it was say 20 years. It’s still there, but it seems like the major record companies don’t want people to hear that, real hip-hop. I suppose people who want to make real hip-hop go independent, but the resources are limited, and they can’t afford to have big shots like Jay-Z or something. That’s why everybody loves the mainstream. But if they’re not gonna change their tune soon, they might be in serious trouble in 5 years.
Well perhaps it will be a good thing you know. After all this is how hip-hop originated. After funk stagnated, and you had disco and all...
