Slum Village Part 2

00:00:00 Speaker 1: Quest Love Supreme is a production of iHeart Radio. Welcome back to QLs. This is Sugar Steve from Team Supreme. Last week we gave you part one of our interview with Slum Village members T three and Young RJ. In that interview, they talked about their early days of Slum Village and somebody that I got to know during the Soul Clarian's era, the late grade J Dilla. It's always great to hear from people who worked with him firsthand and got to know him from a young age. Please make sure you check out that episode if you haven't. Now we have part two as Questlove Supreme celebrates fifty years of hip hop all August. We hope you enjoy it. I remember one of the earliest arguments I had with we were just talking about we were going through song for song, and you know, I was explaining that the frustrating thing about making things fall apart was the fact that Malik and just his very weird Malik's almost like batman like Malik shows up to the studio at like three am, like when the engineer's just cleaning up and ready to go home, and he would always just come in at like odd hours one thirty am, two at thirty am and look on the floor, go to the corner and read. He would read the reels off, like okay, what do they work on today? And the sister, an engineer, don't know, so he's just like, well, here's the merest beats he were making. Here's da da da da, And Malie would just be like, hey, put one of them things up now. The thing is is that you know, I'm also using this album period, like you know, there's other projects I'm working on, but I'm also using this album period to develop my sound or trying to figure out what my sound is as a producer. And so I'm practicing stuff that dyl is teaching me, like he taught me sit on the twelve hundred. I didn't know he taught me stuf on my mp SO. And I'm sure that you know about this r J, Like you go through this period as a beat maker where you need to practice first and emulate, like first I did the Bomb Squad, then all right, I'm gonna practice this Bolli mal track, and then I'm gonna practice premier track or whatever, like you gotta practice before. And the thing was Malik would always he would do complete songs to shit that I never intended for the public to hear, and I told it was hitting me that I was helping. I was like, Yo, there's no way that I'm gonna let my slum influence out on this roots record. And it would only happen when like Malik would just unknowingly take some shit that I had no intention for y'all to hear. A good example is like the table Content song that that intros the album, or that don't see Us We See You, like shit, I never intended for the public to hear. So for you though, Like again, is it is that weird like to know that you're that that influence into like you're a pioneer before you're an artist yourself. Yeah, I mean, I mean, I'm definitely thankful, but man, I don't know. Man, I have to thank Dela of course, and I would have to thank all of my mentors man, like a Fieller RJ. Rice. I mean, we had a lot of people that was that was really just looking out for no reason at all, you know what I'm saying, which was especially for me. I didn't even grow with a father, so you're telling me this random dude name and feeler gonna let you come in his house, make something. You know what I'm saying, you know, rap and do all of this just because he wanted to make sure we ain't industries is doing no foolishness, you know what I'm saying. So it was like we had we had the community, the whole slum village as you will, that I was helping us, you know what I'm saying. J I wanted to ask you, man specifically with your dad being you know who he was in the game, and you know, just having that base for RJ's late's arrival, what was some of the things he taught you You talked about musically, but like business wise, what were there any principles or just kind of things that game he gave you that kind of helped you in your journey. Yeah, he just told me, never take a man's dignity. You don't want to put a man in a position on where he got a bed or and never wait to pay a man, you know what I'm saying. Because he got a family that he's taken care of as well, you know what I'm saying, And he waiting on that money to come, just like you waiting on the money to come. So you know what I'm saying, it's a lot of Jews that he that he taught me with how to do business and you know, cultivating relationships and things like that. You know, some things you may have to do for free, you know what I'm saying, in order to grow the business. So you know, it's a lot. You know, I thank them all the time. You know what I'm saying. I couldn't have had a better father mentor. And I enjoy working with him too. Look is your mom she's still saying. She's still saying. They just put a new song out. They just dropped a new song. Yep, that's what's up. That's beautiful. I feel an audio recording. It's the craziest thing I've ever heard in my life. It's an audio recording. And I'm assuming that you're holding a video camera. You guys are in a car together and this is the only I only know the audio part of it. And Dyl is driving and you ask him a question, You say, hey, man, what's the day? Yeah? Oh you know about this? Okay. It's it's just jars me every time I hear it. You're You're like, hey, what's the day? Man, and Dyla's like, I don't know, Thursday, he said, nah, man, what's the day? And Dyla' is like, oh, okay, it's February tenth. He's like yeah, and what's the day. He's like, yeah, man, February tenth is the first day that we're making our new album, Fantastic Volume two, Baby No, and y'all just talk about it. Yeah, man, I'm just like it. Really, I was like wow, just you know, because for a lot of us, February tenth being the day of his transitioning, it's such a you know, such a thing for those that you know, follow his music so closely. But to hear that clip and the excitement of you guys like talking about your future and all those things like would that often happen? We had to you gotta understand this. First of all, Plumb Village had to wait but Dylan to blow because Dyla is you know what I'm saying, So I was still kind of hungry and broke me in ten and dealer making money already, you know what I'm saying. So we had to wait on that. So we had to be patient. So for the day for us all to come together and say this is the official day for us to work on this. Shout out to Windy ghost Thing who was who was lathen A lot of us at the end, I know was Yeah, that was my saving grace too. Yes, that's what I'm saying. She she laced us all. And you know we got that opportunity to really just go in there and do it. And guess what, we had no guidance, you know, you know what I'm saying. They just let us do what we want to do and which is beautiful, you know what I'm saying. And shout out to r J now solid solidifying that deal. I wish, I wish now I think about it. We had a couple of deals on the table. I wanted to go with def Jam in my heart because we did have a possible situation with def Jam, but we decided to go with who we went with. Yes, so there was a deaf Jam deal on the table and Interscope and any other labels or it was about five I think universal say, Yeah, we had some deals, but we just chose what we chosen. I think we went with and Him first, which was terrible. Did you guys at all work with John McLean? John McClean is the one who got who was like part of getting the deal. Now. John McClean is one of those figures that you know, even I'm working on the slide doc right now and he's a part of Slides eighties. You know, attempted several attempts to come back or whatnot, but he's one of those brothers that's so elusive in terms of like talking to the press or whatever. What What were your interactions like with John McLean? I didn't have many. I was mostly your dad and management talking to him. I was really brief. I had so that was mostly r J and Tim to Manner mostly spoke to him most of the time. I was not in business. I was such a studio nerd. I was. That's what I was at. Yeah, I didn't you care to meet executives and all those things anyway, Like that was like my manager did that. But you know, occasionally I would have to have conversations about like the concept of the group or you know, those sort of things that you don't want to have with labeled exam I could whatnot? How did that deal fall apart? Because I thought I saw a tangible version of what I thought was a fantastic Volume two on Interscope. Later found out it was a bootleg or whatever. But I'm gonna tell you how it fell fell apart. This is hot, no disrespect, but what happened was corrupt. He decides the double album, Oh no, the West versus the East. Yeah, that album shut down the whole rap department because the lack of it. Yes, and guess what was coming right next after that? It was slum Village, then the bootleg. On top of that, it was like, well, the only thing we could do. I guess we're gonna start tourning Europe. So we was able to tour Europe in ninety nine. I was super early for us to go down there to our first European tour, which was an ordeal too, because they'll act like he left lost his passport for a while because he didn't want to go because he had to finish some remixes. It was like was just going on passport ship. So yeah, I was about to say, how so this is also the period in which like he's gonna leave the group or whatever, So explain how just the adjustment readjusting the group without him on stage with you. Well, he he didn't, he saying he would do select shows. He's gonna do the West coast. He was gonna do Detroit, maybe something else. That was all he even when we was going to okay, player, you need you know what I'm saying. So we got him for two shows at least right right, for twos, right, So that's all he was gonna do because he wanted to hitch up with all his work at that time, you know what I'm saying, because he was hot and people wanted those those remixes like asap. So you know, he was doing all that. Then he was producing all different albums, so he just wasn't there. Now the whole thing when he decided to leave, you know what I'm saying, We had a brand new deal on the table, right, you know what I'm saying. With that was the whole Capitol deal. So it was like, where are you going? We got a whole situation, you know what I'm saying. But he decides to go and do it, does the MCA deal, you know what I'm saying, that with Frank and NK and get his own label situation popping over there. So I mean Easton told me, man, you see you have to take over the group. Man, I did not want to because I enjoyed being the middle man by the way, you know, less pressure. I wanted too and be go, you know what I'm saying about. You know, So it was it was hard to restructure. So one of the main pieces I had is is all the people at the studio, and one of the main people was was young Jay. So me and Hill was already bonding over beats and doing stuff and then by ten, you know, was barely showing up. Kind of like dealing with with Malik b. You don't know why he gonna record to the most friend that we weren't even working out, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, Okay, he had this machine in the back and he would just make songs all day in these machines from the randomest beats. I don't know, you know, someone was watching, Someone was this, someone was that you just didn't know, and were trying to piece this album together, and it was it was a difficult process, you know what I'm saying. But we got through it, you know, luckily. That's how we got uh close with Kareem and Kareem contribute Andy and Black Milk, you know, coming up up and all this at one time, and you know, I had to mix it up. I had to make some magic. Yeah, I wanted to ask you and I had to. I had a blessing to before he passed to talk with about ten. I interviewed him this has been this has been years ago, and he talked very openly about like his like mental illness and just kind of things he was struggling with. How do you manage that? I mean, navigate in the group is hard enough as it is. How do you manage that having someone in your group that has those kind of specific problems. How did y'all navigate that as a crew? Well? Number one, when you're young like me and we was, you think, okay, you just neglected you know what I'm saying. You don't think it's something clinical, you know what I'm saying. Once I figured out that it was a real situation. It was at the climax we did the Climax video and his sister had a had a spell or whatever that we had to shut down, you know, the video, and it was is it Tina, Tina Marie? Is that Tina? Yeah? Yeah, So on the record, she had a spell man we had to shut down. It was a bit much I've never seen anything like that. It's scared to daylight side of him. You know what I'm saying. Wait, when you guys were shooting the climax video in La, oh shit, I didn't even know. Okay, you was right there, but you wasn't. You didn't see all of that. But yeah, because y'all just keeping the car listening to the beats, that was the diversion. Here sit here listening for two hours, I'll say, Oh, I'm in heaven. Great, you're ready more beats. Yeah, she had a whole spell and then she and then I knew it was bipolar schizophrenia and uh, and we figured out it ran in the family, you know, even and so I didn't really know, Like I said, I just thought he was collected. Then it just got worse and worse, and to the point where it was it was it was a bit much to we have to have a whole handler kind of like ODB, you had to have a handler with with ten Okay, did you this is your job? Cute? I remember one time this guy we goout to go on stage. I'm talking about ten minutes before we go on stage, he decides to go grocery shopping like work. I'm very familiar with actions like these. Yeah you very yeah, yeah, and this is after this is you talked about, this is after Fantastic Virument, was at this this Trinity time Capital already Yeah, we all Capitol's Yes, it just got worse and worse. Man, But you know, did he did he have a reaction at all to I always wanted to know if because people have didn't ask us, like, you know, what was Malik Be's response to water when he heard it? But ELL's eyes versus and reunion? Did he ever respond to that? Or you know, yes, they talked, They talked to on the side on the building. He h el was not even talked to him before they he put out the verse. So we so and at this time by ten was kind of not doing so well and he kind of showed up at the show on the side or the dog like like what else said? Right? You know what I'm saying? And it was, it was. It was a tough situation. That's that's the reason why I brought Paying back in the group afterwards, because I just wanted him to try to get hisself together. You know what I'm saying, take this medication, because I learned in the music. This is there is a lot of people who are struggling and just deal with it every day. It's real, like a lot of us are caring a lot of what they call epigenetics kind of passed down through generations. Your grant great grandfather had something, and now your grandfather has and your father hasn't, and so on and so forth. I always wanted to know, you know. It's also with with the Trinity record, where you guys really did have like your moment in the sun, especially like with Detroit Delhi and with Trinity, I mean you have something that even roots can't claim, which is like you got fully embraced by like the one or six in the Park audience, and there's a moment where it's almost that slum village, I mean, whether you look at as an eclipse or shadow of of Dila versus Oh Dila's group where you guys on your own are about to you know, find an audience, find a home, find a groove in a movement where did it feel like like with the with the success of of Taint It and and also working with like Kanye on Selfish Selfish, Yeah, can you talk about that period number one. It was the It was a hurt feeling for me, man, But you know, I'm not having Dila a part of it to get a touchdown. But yeah, yeah, yeah, I'm not officially part. I mean, we made sure he produced records on it. We was gonna do that. But like when we did the video shoot for Selfish, you know what I'm saying, and and uh, you know, it was a glorious day. It was three hundred women there. It was you know, you got Kanye, you got a job, legend. And then I was like, man, I heard Dylan was here. I didn't even get a chance to talk to that. It was so many people, so much going on, you know what I'm saying, And I just felt that detached that I never wanted to feel. Well, hell, you know what I'm saying kind of like yeah, you know, but you know, I'm happy, I'm I made it in a good space. But at that time I wanted it to be what it was, but but it couldn't be, you know what I'm saying. So I was always like that, man, every time I have successful slum village, I would always be like caught into some weird or some situation where like I can't even enjoy this, you know what I'm saying. I'm just not getting to a space now with Slim Village man Jay whacking. I enjoy what I do, you know what I'm saying, and kind of do that. But it took a while because it was just so many, so much conflict. It was always something new every day, you know what I'm saying. To see. But the thing was this though, three because when you was shooting, like I call dealer to come to the Selfish video shoot. So when he gets there, we're watching him shoot and he like, yo, man, y'all good, y'all don't need me no more. And I'm like, bro, what is you talking about? Shit, what we're doing? You you the foundation. We always gonna need you. We're like, nah, nah, y'all need me no more man, you know, And I'm like he had just got out the hospital. I'm like, this weird, you know what I'm saying, But you're rolling with it. So it was like things along the way, you know what I'm saying. Now, he was saying to kind of like I don't want to say, like prepare everybody for what I think he felt was coming. So but that was like the last time that I saw him in person where you know, everybody was there and able to kick it and have fun. Man, I wanted to ask y'all, what was the the how did it come about with bringing Elsie in the group? Well, well let me tell you this. That was necessity. Okay, So here's the situation. I manage it, Elsie. That's that was my artist at the time. So I'm managing. Yes, yeah, I manage and that's my artist. And you know I'm about to put him out next I'm about to get get him going too. So at that time, then then like they'll tell me he leaving. So I'm like okay. And then we got a big deal with Capital all at the same time, so they're expecting us to to pull off an album, you know, and they gave us a two album deals. So I was like, well, I can't turn down this money. I can't turn down this situation. I can't. I can't. I can't. So then on top of that, by Ten wasn't showing up for the studio. I'm like, man, I can't make them. I'm telling I'm telling r J. Rice. I'm like, man, I can't make an album by myself. Man, and call it plumb village. I cannot. So I was like, man, I'm gonna have to bring Ellen. Man, I'm gonna have to bring Ellen, and he just gonna have to fill in. I'm gonna how you do so many sauce and you just come in. It's gonna be your you can do it. Go in the group and you can bounce off this and you can come in like all right, man, cool, I'm with it, you know what I'm saying. It was, you know, uh, he still wanted to have his rough and rugged persona. He sold some of the girl records. I had to convince him on a little bit that he didn't want to do. But he ain't want to do it. I don't want to do that because he was trying to still be you know, that lyrical, spiritual guy and nothing wrong with that. But but we had to make some records because we had to get it. You know, we gotta get pudding as long, you know what I'm saying. So I'm sitting there and you know, we're pulling it together. I'm finding these new producers, black milk greens. You know, be y'all gonna coming through the whole squad, you know, I'm producing. We were just pulling it together, man, you know what I'm saying, and delay give us some beats. But then when that happened, he goes and remix all the beats. I choked, you know what I'm saying. So it was just a lot when we did that record. So you know what I'm saying, God bless me even pulled it off. That was a producer that y'all had that was I don't know if he was in the camp, but I would see his credits on stuff, ron E Royan and still what's I know he did the Bahama Dida joint that y'all was on. Yeah, what what's the deal with him? Is he still making records? Like? Who was he? Ron? And still was dwell as you might as well say, like signed to Dweller. You know, Duelle was signed to him, you know what I'm saying. So he was like a guy that produced back in the day and had produced some records and stuff that Silo didn't want to do, you know what I'm saying. He'd be like, you know, I ain't doing it, and then he'd be like, Okay, I'll give it a shot. You know what I'm saying. So would like pass off the work, got you got you and r j vr Gunner that was you and Black. Y'all were a production team at that time. Correct, Yeah, not at Trinity time. Not at Trinity time correct, huh yeah, but yeah, y'all were production tim at that time. How did y'all come to work together on? What was y'all collaboration process? Like? As producers? For me? Me and Black met through that kids group that I had Keeaching Not the guy that was closest to my age was in a group with Black Milk, and he played me some of these songs over the phone. One of the songs that I heard was the beat for what is This? And I was like on Trinity and and I was like he should come up. And then he had another relationship through Boy Teen, you know what I'm saying. So everybody had kind of liked was like, okay, he came up there. We started working through like mixing us the records and stuff like that. By time we was done with Trinity, me and him was like friends, you know what I'm saying. So we was like, Shit, we're doing all the work, we might as well just make a production team, you know what I'm saying and get it cracking because we're doing all the work, and then that's kind of how b are gonna start it. And then it just kept going. Wait, I'm one second years old. I didn't realize that br Gunner was black milking young are Jack? I actually thought br I was gonna say, wait, how come no one's mentioned in br Gunner right now? Like I thought was the actually person. I'm thinking like, oh, maybe they got beef with him or something. But I'm probably the only person I know that actually spends late eighties in my set, Like obviously your parents are on it as well. Is there a longer version of the eight eighties uh sketch that that was on Trinity? No, Uh, that's on Detroit Telly. Oh yeah, I think it is. It's in a uh in one of the machines that he was talking about, because we recorded on like the digital machine. I forgot. There's two versions. The one on Trinity. Yes, that's the one I'm speaking of. Yeah, yeah, it's on a machine in the Yeah. Yeah, right, were cut on that one? And uh and your mother right, yeah, yeah, that's my that's my ship man and also the original version. All right, So the the version of fall in Love. That is the hidden track on Trinity, the one based on the remix. What happened to uh with Samaya? Well, well, yeah, that happened. We was gonna do this group called it as Bad, which was Sluggers is Bad, right, and somebody was a part of it, and uh, and we was working on the records. I was working on the records. Me and her worked on that record, Me her, Vernon and Jay worked on that producing that record. But what happened was I think it just got mixed up because I was kind of dating her and and that kind of got makes Sorry I did that and it just got messy and my bad, you know what I'm saying. Yeah, I see it after the self titled album comes out, the one in two thousand and five, call me's on that, right, the Isley Brother joint. Yeah, that's my ship man a right even post that, Like, and again I know that some people are just like only deal and fishing not whatever. Now like the entire Slim Village Cannon to me is like there's so much magic on all these records, though, Like, how for you though? T three with what's happening, especially with the transitioning of Dela and by ten and with Elsa's dismissal of the group and whatnot, Like, how's this wing on your mental do you feel at some points maybe the universal universe is telling you like, well maybe I should do something else? Da, Like what is it that's keeping you still in fighting shape and wanting to keep this this thing alive until you know, you say it's done. I don't know. You know, I did go through a term where I was kind of going through my thing for a minute, kind of down and out. But luckily I had a nice support group. Man shout out to his dad, big RJ and J helped me out a lot. Man, you know what I'm saying. To the point, you know where where I just went through it, you know, I lost everything for a man and my girlfriend and everything. I just lost my house in the place I lived, and they really just helped me, you know, helped me get myself back together, you know what I'm saying. So it did weigh on me a lot, you know what I'm saying. And it broke me down for a millisecond, but you know what I'm saying, but you know, we kept working, man, and you know, luckily I had some brothers with me to help me out, man, and and and that's and that's how I got through it. Man, you know what I'm saying. But it was it was tough for a second. Jay, You remember them days when we was trying to put that stuff together. If yeah, it's tough, I was gonna ask you, I ask you man. So me and Black Milk we had a conversation. This was a while back, but we were just talking about how with some village we were talking about kind of difference between y'all and and LB and like how y'all because y'all had those two records on Capitol and I had those two big singles, and how that translated I guess across touring? How how did that show up for y'all on y'all side, Like were y'all able to see a difference when it's like you do your set and then all of a sudden you do selfish and people like, oh that's the one we know, or they do taint it and it's like, oh that's the one, or over time was it people where they die hard? It's like, yo, we want volume two, we want you know, volume one? Like how how did that look for y'all. You know what I'm saying. As a group that had that major label experience, it looked just like you said, you had a divided group of folks. You had these die Heart Volume two people. There's also one people too, and then you had these two big singles and they didn't always mix together really, you know what I'm saying. You know, But and that's how it was. So we and then they would put us in different venues in different situations see where we fit. Like one tour we would be with somebody extra hip hop, and then we did it with ndr Re, which was like, oh it was not the best, but by the way, yeah. So it was like I don't see I don't see cloud Max going over good with the dyr audience. That it was like Marcia Ambrosia and dyr Re and slum Village, like where do we come in? And this I don't even know what really, you know what I'm saying. So it was a lot people don't know what the place is because of what Selfish did or what taine It did. Speaking of which I had to talk about Cloud nine, man, yo, just how the anger I had So I had to do this tour once which Marcia is doing about thirty dates with us, and it's one of them things where like she sends it NB three to my phone like this the song I want to do and I'm listening and I'm like, oh shit, I gotta play this every god damn night. It's one of the most nightmares loopings of gospel drumming. I've like way past the end of jay Z showing what you got, like pretty thing that I've ever clowned, just played for about that. This is past any like Rush Stewart Copeland, Like it's the craziest thing. I can you talk about that? That like what made y'all want to do this? This group and their knack for picking the most unorthodox shit ever to rhyme over. It was one of those things where we was in Detroit working and a guy who was around the time Scrap Dirty was like, yo, here goes Marsha's out. Focus had sent it over because he had produced it. Shout out to Focus, man, yes, So we're like, man, this shit is crazy. We need this, and he was like, I mean it already came out dug and we was like, man, we don't care. And we reached out to Focus and he was like, yeah, shit, y'all can go ahead and use it, and he sent it you know what I'm saying, and everybody liked it. Yeah, team came to We had fun time for that and we got a chance of performing a Cup a couple of times with Marshal Lives. But that's a fucking record, that's a fucking It's funky, but it's a drummer's nightmare. So every jam session I'm like, get her backup drumming because I ain't doing those roles ever again in this lifetime. Man. I wanted to ask y'all specifically about scheming. Man y'all able to get you know, daylight and yeah and Fife you know what I'm saying, and just really kind of bring it make it complete. How did y'all put that? The man? Scheming started out as a young r J record. I was making us solo record in the midst of doing slum and then they ended up hearing the record and was like this is crazy. So T was like, man, this is how I think we should do it. I think we should do it where because he wrote the hook and he was like, I think we should do it. Yeah. He was like, man, we should do it where Daylock saying something and then maybe somebody else is saying the hook and somebody else is saying it, and then we just started reaching out because I had done the Forever record for Daylock, so I was able to pick up the phone and call you did Forever. I did Forever in the morning rocks Damn. To this day, we still closed our show with Forever. Man. That is That's that's one of my favorite, like top ten songs ever. Man. I love that shit. Man. Can you talk about like for you as a creator, as a beat creator, especially you know, the last of the Mohicans, you know, I mean I put you up there, milk up there, riggings up there. You know, there's some Cats and Detroit that that are doing the thing as well. But like in twenty twenty three, how how feign is the lay of the land for you, at least in terms of where hip hop is today musically and where people are going, and like how do you adjust to it? Like what's your process of creating records? Now? Like I'm gonna keep it to hunt. It's not a lot of inspiration out there to be like, yeah, this is crazy. Let me go on the studio and work for the most unless you're digging, you know what I'm saying, and you just kind of know, like, Okay, this dope artist just dropped something on an underground scene or something. But like I was talking to Black at our showan Detroit, and I was like, bro, we all we got to inspire each other, Like, you know, if you're not gonna make that ship or everybody ain't gonna you know, going there and we ain't gonna bounce ideas, what else do we have for inspiration? So it's just kind of like when I go in there, I'm just making what I want to hear. I'm past the point of trying to please people musically. I'm like, if if I'm gonna throw it up there, then it's just gonna be something that a piece of art, and that's how I treat it. And they either you get it or you don't. And that's just kind of where me and tat now. Even we're working on these new records, is like we're creating art that we want to do that we feel ain't there and y'all get it or y'all don't. You know what I'm saying. I love it, man, I love it. I wanted to ask y'all as well. Man with the new single that y'all got out and bro like, how did you hook up with the Dramatics? Like where what was that? Like? Oh, we got hooked up with the Dramatics through Uh, that's pop because he was touring in all of that stuff and mixing and mingling, and him and Ran Banks had a super close relationship. On top of that, at the time, he was dating her daughter, I mean his daughter at the time, so you know, we just kind of he would come up to the studio all the time telling stories him impossible, were talking shit, and then you know, it just kind of got to the point where he was like, Yo, you know, y'all should record something. So the first record we we did with the Dramatics was do Our Thing that was on prequel to a classic Kaem Riggins produced it, and then from that we did to be our Gunner record, and then after that we did some other songs and we just set on vocals. So it's like songs that that gap with the Dramatics with lj Ron and all the original members that we just holding on to vocals. Did they tell you if any there experiences or stories and whatnot. Yeah, probably three or four years ago. I didn't realize the movie Detroit was about the dramatics, even at the time when we did a song on that record. So when we got sent over a copy of the movie to see it, I didn't realize like that the dramatics went through hell for sure to become they were. But I'm always hearing the even in Snoops first cover story for The Source, there's a a brief shootout moment that happens, and the dramatics happened. They're like coming back. The Source story starts with them leaving the video shoot for Doggie Dog World and it just goes like they've been in the craziest situations whatsoever? Have have they ever? So shared these stories with you guys? Yeah, yeah, Yeah, he was you know, a lot of drug use, a lot of drincord, you know what I'm saying. So you know, he would he would just come up there and kick in and you know, talk about the riots and you know what he experienced seeing a living through that and you know what it was like going from the big stage to doing smaller shows that was like, uh, less people. But they would do multiple shows at night, you know, what I'm saying. So he was just saying, like the adjustment period of that, and you know, like how to keep a group together and members leaving and you know all of that. Those are all the things that you know what I'm saying, we would talk about and you know, they would give advice on. Man, I wanted to ask you about one of my favorite records of yours that you did. You did a record for Pool. This was back when you and Pool are working together. This is I mean got twenty two thousand and eight nine something, This is years ago, but you did a record for him called what We Are. We ended up putting it on the Left Back record, but it was originally a solo jump in and I love that song, man like body that shit just talk about kind of like the production of that song. And one thing I always admired about you You would always incorporate you would incorporate live instruments, but it would sound like a sample. It would sound like something that was vintage. How was how did you achieve that in the studio? Is that something that you kind of had in mind or how did that come? It's it's it's started off you know with the sample. You know, what I'm saying, that was chopped up, and then I had a drum set set up, you know what I'm saying at this at the house, and then I just got to a point where I was just would get on the kid and play and then I have musicians come over and add bongos and all that stuff and turn it into a jam session. You know what I'm saying, Because at a certain point, music was like getting stiff. Yeah, you know what I'm saying. So I was like, you know, we just we was cranking our stuff, and then I wanted to make sure Pool some joints, you know what I'm saying. So I was like super locked in and focus. You know what I'm saying. I'm I felt like me and Pool was both underdogs, you know what I'm saying in terms of how people viewed us, and it was like, Yo, we're gonna we're gonna go in here and lock in and make the you know, the dopest ship we can make. And you know, bringing Craig Lane, you know what I'm saying. He was playing on keys on some of the records, you know what I'm saying. And that's what it's always been about. Making filling up the speaker. A sample can only give you so much. You know what I'm saying. What are your weapons of choice when you're making this these songs? Like? Are you still on the three thousand? Have you upgraded to? Oh? No, I'm on I'm on the MPC X nah. But I still track everything out like analog. You know, I don't just bounce the file, So I still get hit the patch bay and go through the eqs and uh Mike Preees lining and all that stuff, the our boxes. It's just to me, you can't get the sound that I'm used to without it. I don't know how to achieve it. So I still go old school. Don't change. So you don't have a Mac pro You don't. You don't just like I'll sequence everything in the computer, I mean with the drum machine. You know what I'm saying. But when I go to track out, you know what I'm saying, I'm tracking out through all vintage stuff. So is there a new round of young producers that are in Detroit that is sort of being mentored by you were milking and ricking is the way that you guys were mentored through Dyler. It's it's guys out here, you got you got people who's coming with with doughbody diss. It's attitude that's handing room. Though for some reason they're not able to jail with anybody, you know what I'm saying. So it's like there's not a hip hop shop sort of epicenter that someone in a way that Maurice threw that stuff for you guys, there's not someone carrying that tradition now. Nah. But that's what me and T was talking about. We was talking about trying to open something, you know what I'm saying, where we can have the community come. You got to spot the spots like Paramuter here that do little dope DJ things, you know what I'm saying, like around electronic music fest things like that. But it's not a whole lot is like a hug anymore that people can go to. And that's what we need to get back to, you know what I'm saying, in order to be able to raise up that next crop out the city. Okay, And I guess in terms of terrestrial radio is concerned like does that have the same hole that it once held in Detroit? Like is there any figure in radio that is just as expansive or wild. They're crazy as you know, growing up in their early period was for you guys. You got two three on the radio now, so that's where you know what I'm saying. You're getting at the variety of music. Okay, Yeah, I do a two hour show on Sundays and they basically let me play what I want to play. I ain't going crazy, though, I am not crazy. You gotta no, man, I'm telling you you gotta go Mojo crazy. Yo. Yeah, yeah, okay, okay, I'm serious like that. I remember question go crazy, so blame it on him, no, But I feel like if that to me is that opens up so many creative portals because even the first night, the first night, you know, when when you go there, you're sort of like, Okay, I want to see what these cats really about because it sounds crazy on record, but let me see what they're about. And I'll never forget the first night that the three of you were in the basement together, right before by ten leaves. He's like, yo, he tells a dilly, He's like yo, man, He's like, I want you to make a joint to herb Albert's root one on one, And I was like, wait a minute, that's the song always Here when Like, to me, that's the ultimate yacht rock dinnist song that I mean when you're at the dentist officer you're shopping And I was like, wait, did he actually say he wants to rhyme to root one on one? Like that's the most craziest, Like, doesn't mean rise by Herb Albert, not root one on one. He's like, no, he wants to like the World's happy song. It's like, you're gonna flip that ship. He's like, hell, yea, I'm gonna flip that ship. Like to me, it's I feel like what makes Detroit special is that you guys are not quick to say the word no as fast as other people would. And I think that that's that's kind of notable, you know, and you already see the evidence of that and how the ripple effects and how it affects people. So yet I know two years just like, hey, I do two hour show on Sunday and it might not matter, but you know, even if you reach one person that that spark happens to you, then you know, I feel like that's that's a job. What's done. Nah, Seriously, bro, I mean me and team we've talkt I mean we've all three of us, we've like talked, you know, at different points of time. But seriously, man, I just had to, you know, just say to y'all, bros, we celebrate I tune if you're in LB. And I'd tell people all the time, and we were making our first album, you know, the listening like I had, we listened to Fantastic Volume two religiously. I played the fucking MP three tags off that down album and like I will hold up in the studio and we would. I would tell Ninth Pool all the crew straight up, like yo, if we ain't making nothing, they can fuck with this then we don't need need to waste our time, right Like this is the bar if we ain't bringing it like these niggas nack it up. It's still in my north start of this day. Man, Man, love y'all brothers. Man, just thank you very much, man, appreciate you so on behalf of the team. Fontagelo, Yeah, I'm paid, Bill Sugar, Steve, myself, the Great R J. Rice, and the one and only T three Detroit's own slump Village. Support your gods. Man. There there's there's still here with us and caring on an awesome legacy. This question left Supreme and we will see you on the next go round, y'all. Thank you much Love. 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