Features - Ja Rawls Part. 1

Interview With J Rawls Part. 1

Hello

What up man?

What's going on?

Got You 8 minutes before 3:30

Aiiiight

Ready to go?

Yup let's do it.

Aight man, how's everything?

Everything is good. Doin some last minute running around So I can get ready to head out tomorrow. But everything is cool.

That's what's up. Where are you going again?

Going to Europe man. going to DJ, in London, Ireland, Nottingham couple other cities man. Going to promote the Rawls & Middle.

Collaboration project.

Yes sir.

That's like what, your fourth, fifth collaboration, dynamic duos?

I don't even know to be honest with you. I think that's kinda what I'mah do a lot more of. Collaborations in the works right now, I have one with John Robinson, one with El Da Sensi, one with Count Bass D and me and Rep Matic are doing an album as well.

Well then you have Dudley Perkins, you got J.Sands, you got Fat Jon.

Yup.

You just doin it up man.

Just trynah stay busy. I figure the busier I stay the better things will be.

Well I wanted to talk to you first and go way back to the Blackstar album.

Let's do it.

I'mah probably sound like a fool for not knowing this but hey if you don't know something you ask.

Yep.

What's the film sample from in Brown Skin Lady?

Yo that's a good question. You know what, that was all Kweli. They did that after the fact. It was a surprise for me. I didn't even hear it to the album. So honestly, I’m not real sure. Kweli came up with that. He’s a big movie buff. He’s really into obscure movie stuff. He told me but I can’t remember.

Yeah because that’s always been a nice conversation piece.

Most definitely is.

So basically he through that on there as an extra bonus.

Exactly, yeah he did and it fit so perfectly.

That must be cool. As a producer you have a certain way of doing things but if someone adds something to complement the piece and bring together better it’s a good look for everybody.

Yes it was. It really was.

How did you get involved with the Blackstar project to begin with?

Kweli and Hi-tek was cool. And he was introduced by the people from Move. And I knew the people from Move; Dante, Mainflow, this kid Omari. And when they got introduced he used to just be around that’s how I met him. And the he mentioned he wanted some beats. I gave him some beats, I didn’t know what for. He ended up choosing that Brown Skin Lady. They really like it, him and Mos. That’s how it went.

For most Hiphop heads that follow Mos, Native Tongues and golden era and general so called real Hiphop based on what some people say. That’s a classic record. I think it’s an instrumental record it’s an important album. What does it feel like to be a contributor to that piece of history?

I think so too. I really feels good to be honest with you. It’s like something I can be really proud of and definitely passed down to my kids and let them understand and be apart. It’s almost unbelievable sometimes. Sometimes I don’t realize the importance. I try not to forget. That was a classic album. I talk to Geology or 88 and we'll sit there and be like wow.

That’s one of them records that you could say honestly, either got some kats through school, depending on how old you are, or got you through work. We used to listen to that record in the shop, everyday. We had the tape. And we’d pop the tape. That’s how serious the album is when you’re poppin tapes.

Yep.

I can go back and tell you man I popped the Organized Konfusion tape a couple of time, Extinction Agenda.

Ohhh

And had it swiped. That’s another tape that people will steal from you. I bought that tape a few times

The other day we were talking about the integrity of our music and what we put out and how we want to represent ourselves. You said something about just creating great pieces of art. Talk a little bit about creating a history for yourself with the music that you put out.

For me it’s really like what we talked about yesterday. I think it’s important you pay attention to what you put out and don’t just put out no garbage. Because it’s gonna be you. That music’s gonna be around even after I’m gone. Even when I’m gone Brown Skin Lady will be out there for millions to here, young generations. So it’s important that music that you make touches people and actually says something. I think that’s one of the most important thing for me. That’s been my goal. I kinda wanna touch every genre. I’m already messing with the Jazz with the Liquid Crystal Project. Me and Middle Child’s album has a little bit of rock on it. I’m looking for a rock band right now if I can find one.. I just wanna do a little bit of everything. So, it’s very important that your music says something. That’s the bottom line for me.

You got The Liquid Crystal Project. Obviously , with most producers of this era, this time period, there’s a lot of influence and a lot of respect for the late J Dilla. And you actually have a tribute track to Dilla. How did that come about? How did you get in a mode to create it?

Really it came about because... I mean he was still alive and everything. So none of the fact that he died played a part in it. It’s just I hd a few favorite producers, Pete rock, Q Tip, Large Pro, Dilla. It’s just a few of’em that I just admire and I always listen to them. How they do stuff. How they chop. When I had the jazz record I had a chance to pay homage. And that’s what I did. It was just me saying that this guy is so great, I’m going to try and emulate him so that maybe you’ll go look for him. Go check for him.

I would say quite honestly a lot of people that don’t realize it, a lot of people know about Nina Simone because they listen to Blackstar.

Exactly.

And Kweli’s, Train Of Thought album.

Exactly. Yep. Very good point.

Creating these massive pieces of art. This body of work. We were talking about Sun Ra the other day and how Sun Ra regardless if you liked him or not, he’s tattooed jazz with his own style. You can’t make Sun Ra music. What was the inspiration for the Greatest album, Battles Campaigns and Topics record?

Ahh the Histories Greatest Battles. I’m a teacher, an educator. I teach highschool. And I always wanted to get to where I could mix my music with education. And with my instrumental album I saw that opportunity. That’s pretty much what did it. I had all these records because I’ve been digging for years, with different historical concepts. That’s really how it all came about. I needed a concept and just meshed my two loves, education and music and put’em together.

That’s crazy because I know you did some stuff with J-Live . He’s another teacher.

Asheru is a teacher. Grap Lover is a teacher. Yep . It’s a lot of us out there. Defari.

We already discussed you got a lottah dynamic duos going on. You’re dealing with a lottah people on the collbaortive duo tip. What’s the situation with Dudley Perkins? What’s that project all about. And how did you start to get to working with Dudley?

Dudley is my boy. We met in 2001 in Europe on the Super Rappin tour. We was just always trippin, havin fun. No one can smoke dank like that dude. That is probably the champ at what he can do. So I just used to called him ol red eyes. Instead of old blue eyes for Frank Sinatra. And he would call me Jammy. Jammy Davis Junior. It just came from there. So one day I hit’em and said we should just do an album, and say some of the things we wanna say. And he was with it. Flew him out. Chilled for about a week. Did the album, had fun tripped out. To me, when I do these collaborations everybody I’m working with is somebody I’m cool with and I can relate to. That’s how it came about. It came from us having the same type of energy and thought as far music. And what we wanted to say and do. And that’s what we did.

Are you gonna be working on anything new with Fat Jon?

Me and Fat John we got something started. We want to have a new direction. We’ve grown from just doing a regular rap album. We wanna get into something different, maybe touch into house, drum and bass, electronica, we’re not really sure right yet. We’re still in the planning stages now. Jon and I when we talk that’s what we talk about. What are feeling. We talk about some of the different music we listening to.

There are a lottah people stuck in 1996. People always say let’s take it back, but no one ever says lets take it back to people gettin yah chain snatched. I think it’s time to elevate and evolve. You can respect the past and learn from the past, but we need to make new music.

Yeah definitely.

How many stamps you got on that passport?

Man I don’t even know.

I was talking to man slim from Ephon. He said to me, What’s wrong with these people when you go to their country and they wanna stamp wherever in the book? I’m trynah keep my stamps nice and orderly.

Ah yeah they stamp it wherever. They don’t care, there’s no order. Especially in Japan they just stamp it anywhere.

Out of all the places you’ve been outside of the US where you say is you favorite place, most enjoyable time.

It’s a toss up between Japan and Germany. Really love those two. Get a lot of love out there. They got open my minds for the music. I can’t even say one or the other I love both. To be honest with you I like going out of the country, they like our music they respect. They want to hear it.

Since you have kids what’s it like to leave your fam?

It’s super hard man. I was looking at’em last night. It’s very difficult. That’s the hardest part. I’m ready for them to get older so they can go with me. Or get to the point where they took over and they’re doing it.

You’re an artist. You’re a creator. You have kids. You wanna encourage your kids to be creative but you don’t necessarily wanna try and make them do what you do. What ways do you find yourself encouraging them to tap into what might be what they’re capable of doing creatively.

Yo that’s dope, that’s a real good question man. I have three sons. Nine, four and two. My sons are all vastly different. My nine year likes music but he’s not necessarily into it. He’s more into the computer or the video games. But my four and two year are really really into music, and the way I can tell that is, when I’m downstairs in the studio. My four and my two year old are down there with me. All the time doesn’t matter what’s going on there’s always with me. My oldest son will come down time to time. But he’s upstairs on the computer or doing his own thing. And that’s cool. And I encourage him to do what he does.

There are parents that didn’t do what they wanted to do and try and force their children to do it. And there are some parents that do it and still want to get their kids to do it. I think it’s a great thing that you allow them to grow and let them find their own way. Don’t try and make them the next Michael Jordan or Lebron James.

Right. They got to or it won’t be right. I hope to god that I’ll be able to pass down all them records and all that equipment to one of them. If that never happens then it never happens but it’s gonna be up to them. They’re gonna have to develop a passion for it like I did. I loved music. I love to sit down there and be in it. That’s my element. And if they don’t develop that same love. It’ll never work. So I have to let them develop it on their own.

What’s your favorite palace to dig for records. And what’s you most prized find from your diggin?

My favorite place is probably in Osaka. Tokyo and Osaka. But mostly Osaka Japan. There’s some great spots out there. All over Japan diggin is like a big deal. Not so much in the states as it used to be. It’s still pretty big in Europe but Japan is where’s it’s at. Let’s see I got a lot of prized finds. Most of prized possessions have come from Japan. There’s one by The Memphis Horns, it’s got a song on it called just For you Love. It’s the break that Leader’s of the new School used for what’s Next. I actually enjoy the album. I love listening to the album so that’s definitely one of my prized possessions. Another one is one I got and I wasn’t even digging. Mix Master Ice from UTFO lives in Columbus, and he gave me the 45 of The Skull Snaps, it’s A new Day.

He gave you a record. That’s dope.

Yeah, so that’s one of my prized, prized ones.

How many albums do you think you have in total? I’m sure you got’em cataloged.

I got the new Hiphop cataloged. But the old records I don’t keep catalog I just keep on the shelves in any order. So it’s like every time I go through them it’s like I’m digging again or if I know I gottah find this Grover Washington, that means I gottah go through all them records because I don’t know where it is, and I usually find something else. So I don’t catalog those. I don’t know how many I have. Somebody came through ans said you probably got about ten thousand. I don’t know it its that many. I know it’s a lot though because I got’em at my house and I still have some at my mom and dads’s house.

I know you’ve chilled with other producers. Is there like one producer who’s collection you’re envious of.

Wow, just one. Geology’s is crazy. My man DJ Center is crazy, got collection. Malib’s collection. Rep Matic’s is craaaaazy. It’s a lot of em. Fat Jon’s is crazy. Hi-Tek’s is Crazy! Ja Sun from Mood. Them dudes got records man. Them Cincinnati kats, they used to dig back in the day. I don’t know what they do now. But people don’t even know, Hi-tek got collection. Ja Sun, collections. Fat Jon got collection. All them Cincinnati dudes. Real nice collections.

Still got some tapes?

Ah yeah. I was listening to my King’s of Swing tape the other day. Cocoa Chanelle.

Stay tuned for Part 2

Mr. Bilingual: An Interview with Nixx

K-Swift: An Emcee For The People

An Intelligent Move

...If Magic Made It

Conversation With Spunkbigga

Hiphop From The South, South Africa That Is…

Under The Hotlamp

Real Name, No Gimmicks.

Who Is Jonathan Stephens?

Conscious Query: In the box with HD.