Features : Sunny Winters

Producer Sunny Winters: A Man of 2 Coasts

Born on a planet in space called earth comes Sunny Winters. From pause tapes to pc music programs Mr. Winters has been programming music since the beginning. The Bronx New York where his skills were formed is also the birthplace of this monster called Hip-hop. Surrounded as a youth by the likes of JUST-ICE, DONALD -D, AFRIKA ISLAM, RED ALERT, AFRIKA BAMBATAA, RAHEIM and SCORPIO, and many other pioneers made him anxious to get on and rock the planet at an early age. A child of the Bronx's all night till the break of dawn park jams, Mr. Winters always studied the greats. By Age 14 he bought his first sound set - Two TECHNIC QD33'S, a Pyramid mixer, some speakers and a receiver. Later on he would be flying back and forth from Cali to New York, all in the name of Hip-hop, producing beats from groups like THE BODY SNATCHERS, THE SILENT ONES, FOREIGN LANGUAGE, OUTER CIRCLE, THE ORIGINAL BLACK KNIGHTS ETC.... Opening up for artist such as X-CLAN, COMMON, ICE-T, KOOLMOE DEE, and others . Sunny Winters vows to preserve the art by going to the extremes musically - Doing what he wants with sound and having no limit to where and what the sounds express. Even spreading Hip-hop in a foreign land at an early age Mr. Winters Was seen carrying a radio (boom box) all through the streets of Germany Blasting Hip-hop and getting in cyphers with others as a beatboxer and rhyme writer for the less fortunate. Sunny covering all sections of Hip-hop with the exception of B-Boying will balance this art out and put things where they need to be. Look out for more and Keep your ears open and your minds ready for a major clean-up.

Free Hiphop Now, Spoke to Sunny Winters and asked him a few question about 2 things he knows best. Hip-hop and Producing.

First and foremost, tell everyone your name and explain how you came up with it?

The name Sunny Winters is an attribute that came to mind in or around 95 - 96 but didn't come to be until my second trip home from LA like in 98. The meaning came to me later after returning to LA for the third time in 91. The Sunny weathers in LA and the Cold winters in NY. Also the extremes of the tracks from bright to dark vibes – The halo and the pitch fork theory.

Where were you born? And has you environment affected your music? Since you have resided on both coasts?

I was born in Bronx Lebanon and went from there to the concourse, from there to the Sound View area. Grew up a park Jam baby you know. My uncle and his group would bring the equipment down stairs to the park and bust open them lamp post for energy or sometimes run one of them orange cords from someone’s house in Monroe projects. Those jams lasted till 5:00 am in the morning – we would walk to the store a good 15 minute walk and would still hear the music blasting. Before hip hop was on the radio we would hear what was new through either the park Jam or people blasting radios (Boom Boxes) or car systems – I heard Eric B for President that way – I was amazed when I heard that joint. This affected me at an early age – from the beginning I wanted to get on the turntables and bought me some at age 14.

How long have you been doing what you do? And why do you do it?

Man I know its going to sound strange but around age 7 I was making pause tapes. I would take records find the break record it pause it record it a few times then play it back. This was our first sampler. I did this until I got my first drum machine from my uncle at age 9. He would take me up to Bayside Sound Recording Studios where Salt and Peppa, Kid and Play and some other big names at that time would record and while him and his peoples did their thing I would be making beats in the booth in the back. I always did it for fun and it was all I knew at that time.

How do you prepare yourself before you create?

Now honestly I don’t concentrate on making beats any more – when I was in high school I would have titles and concepts for some of my tracks – but now they are like free styled out – meaning spontaneously made – I will get into a more concentrated mode when I have a project to do if needed.

What are you weapons of choice that is what do you use to produce?

I like Reason right now, the whole pc programming stuff got me open. But any thing that makes sound. I always had guitars, drums and bass in my home. From the Casio SK-1 to Reason, whatever I’m in front of I’m a kill it.

Are you currently working with any artist? And if you could work with anyone in particular who would you work with?

Naw not right now. If I could work with any one it would have to be the people I met doing this music thing. The streets got a lot of talent in them, and the talent that’s in them is the talent that’s needed to bring our expression to the front.

In what direction do you see mainstream music going in?

Today’s main stream is really for the 85ers minds – but in the main stream there is also medicine for the 85ers – some of us in the underground can’t and won’t see this. Being on the radio used to be a good thing. I still have tapes of the Red Alert and Marley Marl shows where I taped “la di dah di” like 10 times in a row. Being on video music box was a dream and it’s like now if you get on the radio and get heavy rotation you’re selling out.

What does your dream studio set up consist of?

For real any thing simple – I don’t like a lot of equipment and too many people depend on equipment to make them. I feel best when I’m banging on the wall or an empty bucket truthfully. Some lunch room tables would be nice.

Will you still be doing this when you’re 75?

Probably not - I’m looking forward to looking 16 when I’m 75 and flying a space craft of some kind but my space craft will have a system in it. Yeah I’ll might be making beats.

Real Name, No Gimmicks.

Who Is Jonathan Stephens?

Conscious Query: In the box with HD.

Please Listen to My Demo

The South Dallas Maverick

Khrysis: Major League All-Star

3rd World

Girl In the Corner

So Much More

Spitkickin it with Rene John Sandy II

Stolen Moments

Continuing the Legend