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April 30, 2008
Music: Feature
Kool DJ Red Alert: Welcomed to Atlanta
Where golden era hip-hop stars spend their golden years
Published 04.30.08
By Ben Westhoff
enlarge
Courtesy DJ Red Alert/KISS FM
STILL SPINNING: Kool DJ Red Alert is one of many NY hip-hop legends who have relocated to the current rap capital of the world.
INFO
Kool DJ Red Alert
w/ Reign of Terror feat. Mr. Boz, Hylandaz feat. Big Juss, and DJs Dainja and Doc West. $10. 9 p.m. Wed., April 30. Cenci Restaurant and Lounge. 1259 Glenwood Ave. 404-627-0533.
Atlanta already has an embarrassment of riches when it comes to current chart-topping rappers. From Young Jeezy to Yung Joc, Ludacris to Bow Wow, it seems that everyone who's anyone has a crib here, although some of them spend more time in their homes than others. (T.I., cough cough.)
But nowadays even hip-hop legends from New York are planting their flags here. From '70s Bronx-born founding fathers to Brooklyn-bred golden-era stars from the late '80s and early '90s, Big Apple ex-pats have formed their own retirement community of sorts – although plenty of them are still quite active in the game.
The list includes artists such as Nas and his wife Kelis, Posdnuos from De La Soul, producers Diamond D and J-Live, and MC Shan, who recently reunited with his legendary Juice Crew posse in Atlanta for the A3C Festival.
Transplanted DJs and rappers famous for helping to kickstart the genre include members of the seminal group Whodini, Grandmaster Flash sidekick and Furious Five member Scorpio, Kurtis Blow's DJ Davy DMX, and old-school power couple Spyder D and Sparky D. Though the latter two are no longer an item, they have a daughter together and Sparky D serves as a Christian minister here.
Lyricist Lounge veteran Punchline used to live on New York's Lower East Side, but now he has a house in Dallas, Ga. The MC, who currently reps the group eMC alongside rap legends Masta Ace and Wordsworth, says he came to Atlanta four years ago partly because everybody else was doing it.
"There was nobody left in New York!" he says. "So, I came down here visiting, getting to know the city, and I ended up meeting a woman through a friend of mine. She said, 'Why don't you move down here?' And I ended up liking it."
He says there are almost too many old school hip-hop luminaries in Atlanta to count, but one he encounters periodically is Wu-Tang Clan's Raekwon. "We get our hair cut at the same barber shop," he says, referring to a Cobb County shop called It's A Man's World.
Rounding out this surely incomplete list of relocated legends is Kool DJ Red Alert, a longtime disc jockey on New York radio and former manager of Native Tongues acts A Tribe Called Quest, Jungle Brothers and Monie Love.
Red's hip-hop bona fides as a performer are unparalleled. One of the first to spin hip-hop, the Bronx native kicked it with DJ Kool Herc and Coke La Rock in the late '70s, and served as Afrika Bambaataa's DJ for a time. Known for his crowd-pleasing mentality and easy humor on songs like Boogie Down Productions' ode to prophylactics, "Jimmy," and Big Daddy Kane's "Welfare," he's about as New York as they come.
So what the hell is he doing here?
"The name of the game is change," Red says by phone, regarding his and his wife's decision to move to Atlanta in August of '06. "You want to come to a new location, a better environment."
Though they lived here part-time for the better part of the decade, Red cites their youngest son's graduation from high school as the impetus for the move, adding that a cleaner environment, lower cost of living and bounty of local talent helped, too.
"I always knew about the music scene down here for a long, long time. I was playing early rap records from down here up in New York before everybody," he says, mentioning MC Shy D, Pastor Troy and early OutKast as examples.
Red has maintained a hectic schedule since his arrival, hosting four separate radio shows. From the studio he had built in his East Point home he tapes an old school hip-hop show for Sirius satellite radio, as well as a program for a station on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Every Friday he flies north for a gig spinning classic soul on New York's Kiss FM, and in Atlanta he can be heard Sunday nights on 102.5 Grown Folks Radio, broadcasting dance, funk and soul live from Flambeau Restaurant in Lithonia.
"They come to mingle, they come to dance, they come to vibe, they come to reminisce [over] the sounds from back in the day," he says of the Flambeau crowd, adding that the Furious Five's Scorpio hosts the event.
Now 51, Red has begun to receive lifetime achievement awards and other plaudits typical of an elder statesman. He was inducted into the Bronx Walk of Fame a few years ago, was named one of the 50 most influential people in music by Rolling Stone magazine, and has his own exhibit at Cleveland's Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. He even serves as an honorary U.N. ambassador for an organization called WAFUNIF (World Association of Former United Nations Internes and Fellows Inc.).
This year marks his 25th anniversary as a DJ, and to commemorate he's planning a series of parties, celebrity basketball games and community service projects. While most are still in the planning stages, the first event is slated for New York in July, and others will be held in Atlanta.
Though still well-known for managing Native Tongues acts such as Love and Tribe via his Red Alert Productions, he has passed day-to-day responsibilities of the company to his partners. But he's nonetheless doing his best to stay relevant in a young man's game. His MySpace page, for example, features a promotional photo of him surrounded by a bevy of scantily clad, ridiculously curvy young ladies, as well as bits of his DJ philosophy: "You have to learn how to break a new artist on record by working it in and out with familiar records," it says. "People are scared to fall. It's OK to fall. You must learn how to fall and be strong so you can come back. A DJ is like the pied piper."
Now a grandfather of two, Red seems content with life in the Peach State, and the close proximity to many of his old partners in rhyme is an added bonus. "We often stay in contact with each other, we speak with each other, we vibe together, we do things together," he says of Diamond D, MC Shan, Spyder D and the rest. "We came up together – that's how we are."
Punchline adds that the decision to move to Atlanta was a no-brainer. "The cost of living is way better in Atlanta, compared to what you're getting for your money in New York," he says. "As far as having a car and buying a house, it's just too much there. I love New York, I love my city, and I try to visit once or twice every month. But even as far as the weather, it's better here. And you don't have to worry about snow too much. If you want to get away from the city life, you come out here to the woods. It's a lot quieter."
If people keep following in these revered rappers' and DJs' footsteps, however, it may not stay that way for long.
music@creativeloafing.com
The Poundcake: iDoc
The Story of Ivan ‘Doc’ Rodriguez
Back to Business
By Sterling Steel “Carmelo”
He’s worked with EPMD, Eric B & Rakim, KRS-1, LL Cool J and Alicia Keys…He could be the Godfather of Sampling and inventor of hip hop’s beloved remix. So how come you haven’t heard about him until now?
When it is all said and done, Ivan Doc Rodriguez will go down in the rock ‘n’ roll or hip hop hall of fame-or both-as one of music’ greatest producer-remixer-sound engineers of all time; he’s the tri-fecta. Ivan Doc Rodriguez is the name behind some of the most honored classic pop-rap albums in music history. You know those albums, the kind of albums that are often listed in large publications as the top 100 or 50 albums of contemporary music: Eric B & Rakim’s Paid in Full, KRS-1 and Boogie Down Productions’ Criminal Minded, By Any Means Necessary, LL Cool J’s Grammy-nominated Mama Said Knock You Out and all five of EPMD’s classic albums. These are albums that are beyond worthy of mention. And Ivan’s list of credits does not stop there. Starting in the late 80’s and into the mid 90’s, Ivan worked with Redman, The Fugees, Biz Markie, MC Lyte, DAS-EFX and ED OG and The Bulldogs.
It’s time to consider Ivan ‘Doc’ Rodriguez in the discussion of hip hop’s greatest producer. It’s that serious. Top five or bust. His roll call speaks for itself:
[Drawn from Discomusic.com]
* All five EPMD LP recordings which includes (5 gold / 1 platinum RIAA awards) Strictly Business, Unfinished Business, Business As Usual, Business Never Personal, and Back In Business.
* KRS-1 and Boogie Down Productions (2 gold RIAA awards) legendary LPs Criminal Minded and By All Means Necessary.
* Biz Markie (3 gold / 2 double platinum RIAA awards) I Need A Haircut, Just A Friend.
* Eric B and Rakim’s (1 gold / 1 platinum RIAA award) classic LP Paid In Full.
* Rodriguez produced several recording artists including rap’s number one lady with MC Lyte’s Poor Georgie single (that included portions of the disco classic “Poor Georgie”), which marked the first time a solo female rap act achieved a gold record.
EPMD
[Rodriguez with EPMD, 1987.]
Ivan also engineered and co-produced the historic single, “Self Destruction”, marking the first time rival rap artists from the East and West coast collaborated for a project with a cause for peace in the violence and drug infested 1980s. These are just a few of his hallmark accomplishments.
For more detailed information on Ivan’s reign in the music industry check out his credits at allmusic.com, where his exact contributions to some of the biggest records in hip hop during the 80s and 90s are documented.
The fact of the matter is Ivan improvised methods in improvising push-button studio technology and helped to innovate a new sound for hip hop.
This is why he’s Doc.
Live from Hell’s Kitchen
Ivan’s story begins on 48th street between 9th & 10th Avenues in Manhattan; New York City. It was an infamous block of real estate during the fast moving 1970’s. Hell’s Kitchen is forever known as that tough Irish-Italian-Puerto Rican-black neighborhood along with the other tough neighborhoods of Manhattan like the Lower East Side, Washington Heights and Harlem. If the kitchen was tough, it also produced some of the biggest names in music; Alongside Ivan, there’s Alicia Key’s-who Ivan remembers seeing while growing up-and Lisa-Lisa from Cult Jam…Yo Spanador holler at us!
Ivan grew up listening to Soul, Funk, R&B and Disco. He’s a sound person by nature, a right brain-dominated technocrat loaded with creativity, but he also developed a solid knowledge of music from being a DJ.
His introduction to the profession might have began when his sister “accidentally” snuck him into a nightclub as a teen, where a fascinated Ivan had the opportunity to soak up the sounds of NYC nightlife. It was the NYC club anthem/classic “Love is The Message” by MFSB that gave him the adrenaline rush which foreshadowed his future career events.
Ivan Doc Rodriguez
[Doc in his early days]
After numerous negotiations with his father regarding equipment, Ivan managed to pull off two turntables, plus the world famous Clubman mixer. After buying his equipment, the coveted DJ work arrived as demand for the man also known as “Dee-Jay Doc” began. He started spinning at Manhattan clubs like Inferno and the Starship. Meanwhile, his equipment inventory expanded, which left him with no other option but to go completely mobile. It was the mobile DJ status that led him to becoming a background DJ for artists like Spyder-D, a very early 80s rap pioneer with the hit “Smurfies Dance”. You know, it was that classic:
Head / shoulders / knees and toes / Smurf that body across the floor.
The smash hit of 1983 heard around the world.
Doc met Spyder through a neighborhood friend and aspiring rapper named Speedy. Speedy would often ask Ivan to come by his house to rap, since Doc had the equipment as well as the juice. At first, Ivan shrugged off Speedy’s idea since the whole rap-shouting thing turned him off with its non-stop talk over the mic that hi-jacked the whole DJ show. Regardless, after establishing mutual acquaintance, Speedy asked Ivan to come with him to Power Play studios in Queens. Upon arrival, Ivan was introduced to Spyder and the inevitable happened.
Ultramagnetic MC Ced Gee, Criminal Minded
[Doc with Ultramagnetic MC Ced Gee, with whom he co-produced Criminal Minded.]
Finally, after all the suspense of being thrown into the fire alive, the two-week gig was over. He was hired at the world famous Power Play Studios permanently.
From those sessions, he developed a quick reputation within the industry as the person to work with. He had a solid grasp of production and mixing, and a big studio presence, prerequisites for engineering throughout rap’s fertiles beginning, where its sound was evolving daily. Ivan would later join KRS-1 and BDP as the official DJ and uncredited producer following the fatal shooting of BDP’s chief beat king, Scott La Rock. Ivan would have a large hat to wear in the upcoming BDP albums.
Studio Alchemy 101: Sampling-Looping and The Remix
This is the part of Ivan’s story that gathers the most attention in his contribution to hip hop, but you have to rewind back to the years of 1983-84 to understand.
Following the Sugar Hill Gang’s “Rappers Delight”, rap exploded in 1983-84 with groups like Grandmaster Flash, Run-DMC, Kurtis Blow, Syder-D, Divine Sounds, Dr Jeky’ll & Mr. Hyde, Treacherous 3, Fearless 4, Fresh 3 MC’s, Fat Boys and Whodini. That time period was great for hip hop. You had several powerful independent acts on independent labels flooding clubs, radio and mix shows with a constant barrage of hits. There was Pumpkin and The All-Stars on Profile Records with the hit of the summer in 1984 “King of The Beat”; Ultimate 3 MC’s- “What are we gonna do about it” on Partytime Records. There was the unforgettable FREEZ with John Rocca -“I want it to be real” and “IOU” on Streetwise Records. The independents had the clout. DJs like Chuck Chill Out, Red Alert, Marley Marl, Mr. Magic and The Latin Rascals filled the air waves with master-mixes playing their rap and club hits. The sound was raw, authentic and real big. Powerful drums, keyboard melodies, and sing-along raps ruled the day with innovating producers: Arthur Baker’s shakedown sound, Kurtis Blow, Spyder-D, Orange Krush, Davey-DMX Rod Hui and others creating the official stamp for the “NY Sound” of rap music.
Roland TR-808
[The Roland TR-808.]
In 1985, rap slowed down to a trickle as the groups were riding on the hits and commercial success from their first albums and into their second. The Roland TR-808 arrived to bring in a new crisp and electronic sound. The group Mantronix literally created the new sound with the smash hit’s “Fresh is the Word”, “Bassline” and “What is it” featuring MC Tee on Sleeping Bag records. Producer Curtis “Mantronic” of Mantronix drastically changed the sound using the 808 and kick drum sound as the industry standard in production. In fact, one can argue that the roots of Dirty South hip hop came from New York’s adoption of the 808 heard in the early records of Luke and The 2 Live crew-Miami bass sound, New Orleans bounce and the slower paced 3-6 Mafia style from Memphis, Tennessee. If you listen to Just Ice’s “Back to the Old School” LP, any Mantronix LP, or T-La Rock, the evidence is there. The 808 played a major significance in the sound shift in NYC and giving birth to the south.
While history was taking place, Ivan was perfecting his skills as a DJ, practicing blends and mixes, listening for quarter notes, eighth notes and sixteenth notes, grooming himself to be the ultimate mixologist.
Destruction Productions
[Doc with Destruction Productions]
Fast forward to 1987, following Ivan’s production work for Criminal Minded and Paid in Full. As the uncredited producer, he experimented until he ultimately innovated new textures and sounds. Technology was limited and apt to get extra freaky. The 808 had already defined the 1985-86 era but Ivan found a way to expand on the range of its capabilities with sheer machine wizardry.
Being a technocrat, he found a way to re-create the kick drum sound by using the mixing console, sampling the sound and tuning the outcome of the sound to bass-lines in songs. This was problem solving by process of deduction and innovating new steps in production. He would also experiment heavily with KRS-1 in what he calls “panning” (as opposed to the normal studio use of the word), where he would bring excitement to a record by making it sound like a storm. Before Ivan’s panning idea, there weren’t that many sources of sound to create effects like his “double bass” sound.
However, the sound barrier was altered when the Criminal Minded LP dropped. Instantly, you could tell the difference in sound from the earlier hip hop records of the 80’s compared to Ivan’s influence in EPMD’s, KRS-1’s and Eric B and Rakim’s material. Clearly, the new era of rap had begun.
Jive Records release party, KRS-1, Boogie Down Productions
[Jive records release party with KRS-1, BDP and the Doc.]
Ivan also developed his own techniques for looping and sampling, a technology that, at the time, was not perfect. Ivan worked around the limitations. He would record a sample of a sound then loop the tape on which the sound was recorded around the tape machine heads, holding the extra slack from the tape of an extended path from the machine with a pencil! He’d also break the “10-second sample rule” which back then, allowed 10 seconds for recordings. Before Ivan figured out how the mixing console automation could improve this set-back, the standard industry “10 second way” required a lengthy process for sampling. Ivan eliminated most of the steps, and the results are what you hear on Paid in Full, EPMD’s five LP’s, and BDP’s first three albums. For instance, Ivan would play a part from a record at a lower speed and then sample the part at a higher speed using a lower sounding key on a keyboard. Then he’d play it back at the correct speed, thereby extending the sample from one second to three seconds.
On the KRS-1 Boogie Down Productions single “Stop The Violence”, Ivan used his engineering skills by reversing the DJ scratch. He flipped the recording tape upside down on the tape machine and rewound it 40 seconds, playing the groove on an open track. This was the first time a reverse scratch was used. It worked brilliantly.
[Doc, the original hitman.]
Another regular scenario: MC Lyte and EPMD would bring pre-recorded grooves and tracks to the studio on cassette tape. Ivan would run the hissy originals over six different channels on the mixing board, removing the hiss and filtering the sound to give his artists something clean to work with.
The Remix
The remix is probably the most overstated, overrated, and overused concept in hip hop. Much has been said of the remix while many have claimed to have exclusive rights over it, invented it, bought it back to life; you name the philosophy of the month. The reality is that the remix has been around longer than everyone who lays claim to it. Try 1982 to start. A man by the name of Shep Pettibone, who has done remix work for 80’s icons like Madonna, would add his touch to original versions of a 12” single by making a special club mix for DJs when they would play at clubs. World famous DJs like the Latin Rascals would edit and chop their mixes every weekend on WRKS-FM NYC. Technically, the Rascals were chopping and screwing their mixes back in 1984 before Houston’s DJ Screw introduced it to Southern rap and hip hop in general.
At the time, the Rascals style was known as “processed and edited mixes” in which they overdubbed instrumentals into their mixes. A Latin Rascal mix on cassette was like gold. Either you had to steal a copy or stay up late and record it live on the radio. You can still hear several ‘Official’ Latin Rascal mixes at deephousepage.com today.
Special K and Teddy Ted
[Doc with early 80s DJs Special K and Teddy Ted]
Ivan should be credited as one of the first people to re-introduce the remix to mainstream hip hop in 1988 on the hit single “Serious” featuring Philadelphia rapper Steady-B and KRS-1. DJ Chuck Chillout played the single live for the first time the day after Christmas on KISS-FM . I was listening in at the time. After playing it, the phone lines lit up with callers requesting the record’s title. In the following weeks, the single became the most requested song on the east coast, including major play on DJ Red Alerts show, and on Yo-MTV rap’s Top Video 10 countdown:
It was hip hop’s first breakout remix on a wider mainstream scale. The single begins with KRS-1 shouting “DJ Doc [Ivan] break it down like this,” followed by a sinister horror movie-like synthesized keyboard before the song breaks in with a massive bass drum heavy beat, a funk filled bass groove and cowbells. Maybe because it was such a novelty, KRS-1 breaks into the track repeatedly shouting “this is a remix,” and “because this is a remix, we will now take the time to remix it.” It was a 360° improvement from the original “Serious” found on Steady B’s Let The Hustlers Play.
The Interview
Sterling Steel: While doing some research, I noticed something very disturbing. I saw that it said you were the first Latino engineer mixer. I have a problem with this because when it’s all said and done you are a hip hop P-I-O-N-E-E-R! We are talking about some Rolling Stone Magazine classic-rock-albums-of-all-time status. I have a problem with all this first stuff and not giving you due respect by these so-called pseudo-journalists and so called hip hop historians. Let’s keep these Jim Crow laws out of hip hop and stop the segregation. Sorry, but I had to bark on that. How do you feel about that?
Ivan Rodriguez: I have no control over the way those that “write” make their decisions. I learned to not let that type of thing roll off my shouler. Those that “know” know who I really am and what I mean to this genre of music.
[Still a legend, 2008]
SS: Do you think the media does a poor job reporting hip hop?
IR: I’m just too low profile for most to notice me. I have never been caught up in the hype, I never wore big chains or smoked big bluts or committed big crimes, I simply make legendary records and go home.
SS: Where about are you from in Hell Kitchen? Did you ever run into Alicia Keys?
IR: The heart of Hell’s Kitchen, 48th Street between 9th and 10th avenues. Yes I did see Alicia, she lived in the Manhattan Plaza Buildings on west 43rd street. She also took part in a session at my private facility Must Rock Digital.
SS:When you were coming up as a DJ, I read about some kid named Speedy from the neighborhood who used to come by your crib who wanted to rap.
IR: He was (and continues to be) a great friend. He was knee deep into the “Throw Ya Hands In The Air” genre of rap. He sounded good at that. Really good.
SS: At that time, you were DJ’ing. What were the rap songs that you were feeling?
IR: Very early stuff on Enjoy Records, Tuff City and Sugarhill Records.
SS: Did you meet Spyder-D before or after his hit “Smurfies Dance”?
IR: After. I’m sure he was impressed with my dedication to education and my very hard work ethic.
SS: You picked up the whole essence of the craft very fast considering you were asked to step in and work on the Eric B & Rakim Paid In Full album when the other engineer was sick. Did The Eric B camp have doubts since you were asked to substitute?
IR: All I can say to you is that Rakim and I got along very, very well. Really, that was all that mattered to me. I learned fast because I wanted to be great. So, I kept my ears open and my mouth shut.
SS: What was a typical day like working on an Eric B. & Rakim classic album?
IR: As far as in the studio goes, it was sampling in a primitive Publison infernal machine, then adding percussion and creating the necessary flow, then letting the two second marching loop as the incredible Rakim would sit there and write a masterpiece. He would then proceed to go into the vocal booth, turn his back to the engineer and recite magic into the mic. That’s what a typical day was like.
SS: You worked on all five EPMD albums and received awards for that among other albums. What did EPMD think of you?
IR: I believe that I was an integral part of the EPMD hit machine. We have great respect for each other and i’m very honored to have been a part of that whole EPMD Legacy.
SS: You also worked with the BIZ on the double platinum “Just a Friend” single… Man how did you pull that off?
IR: Hmmm… that’s trade secrets! I recorded massive hits for Biz Markie as well as for the rest of his camp… like ‘Kid Capri, Grand Daddy I.U., Diamond Shell. I designed and built a full service (early digital) studio in New Jersey for him as well.
SS: Okay. Everybody thinks P. Diddy “invented the remix,” like his Bad-Boy compilation says, but the first time I heard someone on record talking about a remix was that KRS-1 w/ Steady B single “Serious”. I must have jumped out of my seat when I heard those horns and that synthesizer. That cut sounded M-E-A-N! The phone lines were ringing when DJ Chuck Chillout played it on KISS-FM. What made you decide to do that remix? And what do you think about all this remix stuff since you set it off first in 1988!
IR: The remix is something I’ve been doing before folks even knew what the word meant. I was creating remixes with two Gerrard turntables, a Clubman mixer and an Aiwa stereo cassette deck then taking the cassette to Sunshine Sound in New York and having those remixes recorded onto acetates before anyone had a CLUE as to what a remix was… I’m not impressed!
SS: What did you do for the MC Lyte track “Cappuccino” and how did MC Lyte hear of you?
IR:MC Lyte knew of me through the Power Play studios grapevine, those that knew hits knew to hire ‘Doc’ Rodriguez at Power Play. I remixed that and several other songs for Lyte as well as co-writing and producing her biggest commercial success to date “Poor Georgie“.
Lord Shafiq
[Doc and Lord Shafiq, 1986]
SS: Okay DOC we going to make this simple for the readers… LOL. Explain briefly how you got to work with the following below, what you did exactly and how they heard of you:
LL Cool J
IR: Through EPMD then Marley called me to work on the ‘Mama’ LP.
SS: The Fugees
IR: Their management (out of New Jersey) called my office and asked if I could work on their first LP out of The House of Music in West Orange, NJ. I agreed, they sent a car for me and my staff daily until I finished the project. I found Pras to be really good people.
SS: Redman
IR: EPMD Camp
SS: Das Efx
IR: EPMD Camp
SS: Are you known more for your sound engineer reputation or as a record producer? What’s the difference?
IR: It all depends on who you ask. I am very well versed on both stages. Many early projects did not carry the proper credits for me and made quite A few people very famous for being so-called producers. The difference between the two is huge.
SS: I guess you were on The Rush Producers management roster. How did you get involved with Rush? What did Russell Simmons say about your work?
IR: They had me sit in their office, and stated that they were “well aware” of what I actually did for an artist (versus what people said that I “only” did) and how important I was to the genre. then, They signed me.
SS: I read you used a Bozak mixer, correct? Was that the inspiration for one of EPMD songs LOL.
IR: No it was not. When I used a Bozak brand mixer it was to blend the audio from two discrete sources (two analog turntables) whereas they used the word “Bozak” to refer to their crotch!
SS: What was the pay like working on those albums and DJ’ing for Spyder D?
IR: Spyder was ALWAYS honest and fair with me. I thank him forever for were there not him there would not be me.
SS: You are celebrating your 20th year in the industry… any parties for you yet?
La Bruja
[Doc with La Bruja]
IR: Too busy working on the new La Bruja LP, For Witch it Stands and I have not planned any parties.
SS: How did you get to work with the Latin Rap Conference?
IR: I went to Los Angeles to share some of my experience in the music industry with my fellow musicians. I made the contact through MySpace. Big shouts to the folks at the LRC and mi gente from the west coast!
SS: What’s it like working with Latin artists from the west since the east is entirely different?
IR: Very interesting, but at the end of the day it’s about making great music that we’ll be proud of 20 years down the road!
SS: Any projects you’re working on now? What about that Must Rock facility?
IR: Busy working on the new La Bruja LP, For Witch it Stands. Mustrock Digital, NY is in full swing for 2008 with fully digital compliments. I am very proud of it and its capabilities.
SS: I read that you brought a whole new sound to rap. Explain.
IR: Biz Markie referred to it as the “double bass sound.” I make thick and juicy records, that simple. My records have real balls while still filling the audio spectrum with expansive flavor! That’s why I’m still number one!
SS: Are you the godfather of sampling and looping? I read about your techniques. That’s some real Harry Potter type stuff?
IR: I pioneered many styles in sampling, I will let time make those observations.
SS: I got to ask this question because I know it’s coming soon. There’ll be idiots who’ll say: yeah, DJ Doc was behind those classic albums, but did he make beats? Is he like a Marley Marl or DJ Scratch or a whoever? All DJ Doc did was sit in the studio and play with the sound board.
IR: Some of the greatest records in the history of this industry that carry my name as engineer were actually produced BY ME. Being new to the game I did what I did to survive and to feed my family so therefore there is a lack of credits. I can make “beats” with my eyes closed and they will never be flukes because I actually know how to make a record and not just loop someone else’s ideas!
SS: How much of this producing stuff is overrated? You constantly hear the overnight experts saying so and so did the beats but only co-produced it… etc. PLEASE add something to stop these senseless arguments. Anything. LOL.
IR: Making “beats” is not considered producing a composition. Nuff Said!
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8 Responses to “The Poundcake: iDoc
The Story of Ivan ‘Doc’ Rodriguez”
1. Cee-Vee Says:
April 23rd, 2008 at 6:34 pm
Man..what a ill story. The part where he talked about panning is cool. i want to know more about this guy since the OTHER mags dont write about guys like this in Rap-Producer history. I will defenitely let my freinds know of this article. This is real good history. and to think for someone who worked with so many well-known people doesn’t get the credit more often..Shame on Rap! However Sterling Steel good look!!!!
2. G-Bo The Pro Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 8:08 am
Yo. Everything real…a dope read. It brings to mind some of the other latinos (more specifically Puerto Ricans) that don’t get the due credit for their contributions to hip-hop music. Mentioned in the piece were the Latin Rascals who I would LOVE to hear from but even before them was the Godfather of them all…John Jellybean Benitez. A lot of dudes sleep but if you know records like I do you will see that he was alongside Russell Simmons on a LOT of the early hip-hop records that were put out in the early 80’s. It’s funny but if you look at the history most of the early latin cats in the game wound up evolving in a different direction (dance, pop, house, etc.). Hmm…I wonder why.
3. Chris "Grilla Dirt" Irish Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 8:31 am
1989 was the first time I got the pleasure of meeting the true doctor of Hip Hop Engineering/production. I was 19 working as a intern at Power Play Studios in Queens, NY. I remember it like yesterday. The session EPMD, the song,”you had to much to drink”. I remember just sitting and watching him as he worked his magic. I just felt lucky that I wasnt cleaning a toilet or out sweeping the street outside the studio. In those days it was hard to just get to sit in on a big money project like EPMD. Then all of the sudden he turns to me and ask if I want to run the tape machine while he lays the tracks down for the song. Of course i’m scared out of my mind that I would screw the whole session up, hit the wrong button and catch a beat down. From that day on I knew what I wanted to do for the rest of my life. Since then we have become life long friends but It would be better to say family. He gave me the opportunity to work under him for many years and opened doors for me to work with the greatest MC’s in history. I ‘m a better man, father and audio engineer because of him. He is a great Engineer, Producer and friend. Yo’ Doc Break it down like this!!! one
4. David Says:
April 25th, 2008 at 2:41 pm
Really interesting piece. I never knew about DJ Doc even though I obviously saw his name pop up on all kinds of credits.
5. Werner von Wallenrod Says:
April 26th, 2008 at 10:06 am
Great piece - definitely an overlooked, important figure in hip-hop; and your article & interview did him justice.
Thanks!
6. Rene a Campos Says:
April 27th, 2008 at 11:42 am
I grew up in the same neighbor hood as a matter of fat I know DOC, and he is even better than they say he is, as a DJ in his prime and even now. There was no DJ that could do what he was doing live with two or three turn tables @ the mix. Always a remix and live he is just very modest. I think he will do even better things in the music industry
7. Olski Says:
April 28th, 2008 at 2:05 pm
DJ Doc he’s down with us! The Chosen Ones LP was huge amongst hardcore heads over here in Germany!
8. Rick Ski Says:
April 29th, 2008 at 6:05 pm
DJ Doc, a true Hip Hop Pioneer. Like Olski mentioned before, you really got Fans in Germany.
9. Spyder D Says: Your comment is awaiting moderation.
May 2nd, 2008 at 2:16 am
Do you know how many cats would have ben=en crazy wack had I not help get Doc put on at Power Play Studios? Oh my God! Actually, Davy DMX first brought me to Power Play Studios when it was an eight track rock demo studio! Alan Scott Plotkin and Julian Herzfeld were the top dogs then. I kept trying to convince the owner Tony Arfi, that rap was the next wave and he better convert the studio and get some Hip-Hop oriented engineers. He eventually did so, and when I introduced Doc, he became the number one Hip-Hop engineer in the business. No disrespect to anyone else. I also brought in Elai Tubo (Paid In Full engineer). I can’t even begin to tell you how many others,(artists included)that I brought to Power Play Studios. But this is Doc’s story. I can save my story for another day. Congrats to Doc for finally getting some credit for his historic contribution to the game. Yo Chris Irish, what up Yo?
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A special commemorative version of the racing Jacket inspired and endorsed by Chrissy Wallace has been created to commemorate the NASCAR pro debut of Chrissy Wallace this past March 29th at Martinsville, Va.
A gold medallion is also being fashioned for a limited edition run as well.
Chrissy Wallace shines in NASCAR debut at Martinsville
Schwarb
By John Schwarb
Special to ESPN.com
(Archive)
Updated: April 10, 2008, 3:28 PM ET
Chrissy Wallace
AP Photo/Mark Humphrey
Chrissy Wallace (03) wanted a top-20 finish and a race truck in one piece. Mission accomplished.
The minutiae of NASCAR racing filled Mike Wallace's mind as the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway began with his 19-year-old daughter Chrissy behind the wheel.
Chrissy Wallace shined every step of the way up the ladder to this, her NASCAR debut, but the rules of the road were about to change from the likes of late-model stocks.
"There were quite a few things early in the race that we had not even discussed thinking about," Mike Wallace said. "As simple as when the caution comes out, late models can pull up to the pace car and pit, [but] in the truck series you can't do that. When the green flag comes out [in late models] you can pass left and right; in trucks you can only pass on the right.
"She had a great opportunity. I just didn't want anything to go wrong. That's where the father stepped forward, hoping inside that everything would go fine."
As the race began, the nervous dad had his role down pat.
As it turned out, he had nothing to be nervous about.
Chrissy Wallace
Tony Stewart has taken Chrissy Wallace -- and her crew chief Mike Abner -- under his wing.
Chrissy Wallace not only avoided first-timer mistakes, she made hardly any mistakes at all in a lead-lap 18th-place finish for Germain Racing. She ran well in traffic, which on that day was to say she ran well for all 253 laps. She went down one lap early while on pit road when a caution ended, but was able to get the free pass.
Most of all, she didn't act the part of the wide-eyed newcomer.
"Martinsville is known for wrecks," she said. "I said I wanted to finish on the lead lap, in the top 20 and bring the truck home in one piece.
"It got easier, the more laps I was making, the better I felt in the truck. There was no part really intimidating to me at all."
If she wasn't intimidated by a two-time Cup champion giving her advice, it would make sense that race day came easy. Joe Gibbs Racing and fellow Toyota driver Tony Stewart, a longtime friend of Mike Wallace, has taken an interest in Chrissy's career for four years, helping with sponsorship. At Martinsville he was in a more prominent role, offering advice in practice, prerace and sitting atop her pit box during the race.
"He's really enthusiastic. There were times that I'd get down and Tony would be the one saying 'Chrissy, it's your first race, you can't get down on yourself,'" Wallace said. "He was pretty much motivating me, keeping me up the whole time."
Stewart left the track more convinced than anyone of Chrissy's mettle, so much that he thinks Mansfield may not be the best place for her next Craftsman Truck start, as was first announced.
"Tony and I flew home from Texas [last weekend], [and] he said 'Chrissy's proven to everybody that she can drive -- I'd like to be involved in her future, where she's going to race,'" Mike Wallace said. "He asked if he could give his input on where she goes next and how she goes about doing it, and that [if] Mansfield [is] absolutely the best, or is it just another racetrack? It has a pretty strong history of people coming back with tore-up trucks. Does she need to do that?"
Mike said Chrissy will run seven to eight more races this year between the truck and ARCA series for Germain, with the next truck start possibly in June at the Milwaukee Mile. The rest of the time she'll run late models all over, continuing to hone the skills that led to five wins at famed Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway, a track that had never seen a female winner in over a half-century of existence.
The ultimate goal is a full-time truck ride next year, which Mike Wallace said the Germain family is committed to providing if Chrissy's development and the dollars are ready. If she is, her father will be atop the spotter's stand as much as possible, just like two weeks ago.
"C'mon, stay with them Chris, you've gotta stay with them, you're the lucky dog if the caution comes out."
"Dad, I'm trying. He about spun and checked up."
"Just letting you know, honey. Just keep digging."
"That was one thing that I love. If I could have my dad at every race spotting for me, I really would," Chrissy said. "But I had him spot for me in late model, he was never like that. He was more nervous than anybody, way more nervous."
She'll understand how her dad felt someday if it's her young phenom kid behind the wheel.
John Schwarb is a motorsports contributor to ESPN.com. He can be reached at johnschwarb@yahoo.com.
Chrissy Wallace won’t soon forget her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut. At the wheel of the locally owned Germain Racing’s No. 03 Toyota Tundra, the 19-year-old daughter of NASCAR journeyman Mike Wallace did more than just finish the Kroger 250 at Martinsville, Va. She started 35th and hustled her Geico machine to an 18th-place finish, six spots behind Germain team leader Todd Bodine, who drove his No. 30 Lumber Liquidators Tundra well enough to hold onto his second-place spot in the points. Points leader Kyle Busch has a 35-point advantage over Bodine, who is 30 ahead of third-place Ron Hornaday Jr. As for Chrissy Wallace, she debuted at the same track where her father ran his first NASCAR event and she made the most of the opportunity. “I wanted a top-20 finish for the Geico/Mobil Delvac Tundra and I got it,” she said. “I wanted to prove that I didn’t have to tear a truck apart to have a strong finish. I think it proved a lot, to a lot of people, that we finished the race, finished in the top 20 and had the truck in one piece.” Wallace had the luxury of having her father on the spotter’s stand since the NASCAR Nationwide Series was idle last weekend. He drives Germain’s No. 7 Geico Camry in that series and will be at the Texas Motor Speedway for Saturday’s race. Chrissy Wallace is lined up to run a development schedule with Germain Racing. The team is looking for sponsorship for the other races, which could include four more appearances in the Truck Series and five ARCA RE/MAX Series races. Tentatively, the next NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race for Wallace is in May at Mansfield Motorsports Park in Mansfield, Ohio. Meanwhile, Germain’s Justin Marks ended up 20th in his No. 9 Construct Corps/Crocs Tundra at Martinsville. Dennis Setzer survived a green-white-checker finish to claim victory. The truck teams don’t race again until April 26, when they will visit the Kansas Speedway for the O’Reilly Auto Parts 250.
Chrissy Wallace made her NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series debut Saturday in the Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway, following in her father’s footsteps. Mike Wallace, Chrissy’s father who drives the GEICO Camry for Germain Racing, made his NASCAR career debut at Martinsville in 1990. Chrissy Wallace started 35th and finished 18th, on the lead lap, after running as high as 11th during the 250-lap event. “I wanted a top-20 finish for the GEICO/Mobil Delvac Tundra and I got it,” said Wallace. “I wanted to prove that I didn’t have to tear a truck apart to have a strong finish. I think it proved a lot, to a lot of people, that we finished the race, finished in the top-20 and had the truck in one piece. I can’t wait for our next race, and look forward to building a sponsorship package around this 03 Tundra program.” Wallace had her father, Mike, on the spotter stand for her debut. “It was good to have my Dad up there helping me today. There were a couple times I messed up, and my dad helped me out,” said Wallace. Wallace received tips from her father, also from uncle Kenny Wallace via text message to Mike, from crew chief Mike Abner and from family friend Tony Stewart who stood atop the pit box throughout most of the Kroger 250. She learned a lot in her 250-lap debut. “The biggest thing I needed to learn was pit stops,” said Wallace. “I also learned a ton about Martinsville Speedway and I learned a lot about how the other competitors race in the Truck Series. It was a good day for the 03 GEICO/Mobile Delvac Tundra team.” Wallace is slated to run a development schedule with Germain Racing. The team is looking for sponsorship for the other races, which could include four more appearances in the Truck Series and five ARCA RE/MAX Series races. Tentatively, the next NASCAR Craftsman Truck Series race for Wallace is in May at Mansfield Motorsports Park, Mansfield, Ohio. For more information on becoming a Germain Racing sponsor, visit www.germainracing.com.
While most 19-year-olds are acclimating to college life, Chrissy Wallace is mapping out her own course work. Think of it as Racer 101: How to rise through the ranks of motorsports. Although Wallace's greatest test to date will come on Wednesday with Germain Racing at Martinsville Speedway, the extracurricular activities that many scholar athletes use to chart career paths aren't much different than Wallace's. She started playing softball at five and played at the AAU, USSSA and varsity high school level. She added rec hoops in middle school and competed on her high school basketball team. She was offered "three different full-ride scholarships to college," but her true passion — racing — superseded all stick and ball aspirations. With every step up the racer ranks — from Bandoleros then Legends and finally to Late Model Stocks — came added responsibility and a greater depth of knowledge for Wallace. Networking was a key component, but in racing, the internships were a lot tougher to come by. First, a driver needs a strong mentor. Wallace has a slew of choices stemming from her journeyman racer father Mike, her Cup-racing uncles Rusty (a former champion) and Kenny, and grandfather Russ, who won many track championships in the clan's home state of Missouri. But she has always been a daddy's girl. "Growing up, I remember watching my dad race at short tracks and just wanting to cheer for him and walk around with him," Wallace said. "We still have pictures from my mom holding me on top of the race hauler and me sleeping on the trailer during his race. There are so many memories from pictures that we have of me and my dad like sitting in his car, going around the track with him in the truck before the race, praying together before the race and always saying I love you, good luck and giving him a kiss. "No matter where my dad finished, I was always proud of him and always wanted to be like him the more and more I raced. He is a really good driver but he has never gotten the chances like his other brothers have." Secondly, a driver needs funding. Most NASCAR kids' parents can underwrite the early motorsports stages like go-karts, Bandoleros and Legends cars without flinching. But once a budding racer graduates to the more-competitive ranks, the cost of racing rises exponentially. Wallace's talent caught the eye of several scouts, including two-time Cup champ Tony Stewart. And that was before she became the first woman in the 57-year history of Hickory (N.C.) Motor Speedway to win a feature. Overall, she won four times in 17 races and finished third in the Late Model point standings. "Smoke decided to come aboard on the late-model program because of a general conversation about talking about sponsorship for my Legend cars and it just started from there," Wallace said. "He has helped out on the Late Model, Thunder Roadster and Legend car. If it wasn't for Tony, there is no telling what or where I would be racing. He has helped me up a lot and I look up to him for that. "People think Tony is a bad guy with a bad personality, but honestly he is one of the best drivers, best sponsors and a person you want to have on your side. He is always texting me or telling me congrats or I'm texting him wishing him good luck or congrats. But also he has become a big part of our family. He is always hanging out with us and talking to us when he can." There's no other Sprint Cup driver that does more for grassroots racing than Smoke. Whether it's as a team or track owner, Stewart's support is widespread. For the last four years, the two-time Cup champ has sponsored her car and will test Wallace on March 25-26 in a Midget Car at Southern National Speedway in Kinley, N.C. "Mike and I have been good friends for a long time, and as Chrissy's career has grown, we thought it would be a good idea to at least get her in a (USAC) Midget and let her get some time in something else other than a stock car, just to help her become more versatile in the way she drives," Stewart said. "The team is going to be testing in North Carolina, so we thought it would be a great opportunity at the beginning of the season while we're down there to get her some laps in the car." Despite all the early support Wallace has received, a driver needs that big break. For Wallace, in addition to Stewart underwriting a portion of her racing and sponsorship from Smith Transport and Lucas Oil, Germain Racing, who fields a Nationwide Car for Mike Wallace and a Craftsman Truck for former series' champion Tood Bodine, will test the younger Wallace at Martinsville Speedway on Wednesday in anticipation of her first career CTS start on March 29. "My dad was talking to Germain about a Nationwide deal," Wallace said. "They were big about trying to get a development team and saw that it was a good opportunity to have a female and a father/daughter on the same team. "I am running for Toyota and they have agreed to do the five truck races and five ARCA races and possibly a full ride for Toyota and Germain for 2009." The test follows a successful practice Wallace had last year with Germain Caraway (Asheboro, N.C.) Speedway. Her father Mike, knows firsthand the caliber of Germain Racing's equipment. Although his daughter has had other offers, the confidence Wallace has in the cars he drives was one the main reasons he suggested she accept this opportunity. Despite being her father, he's not surprised that Chrissy's career has advanced to the next step. "It went very well and they were impressed with how she did — and if the (Martinsville) test goes well and she has the speed that she needs they are going to go back and enter her in the truck race on March 29," Mike Wallace said. "All of us involved — myself, the Germain family, (GM) Mike Hillman — the one uniqueness my daughter Chrissy has is that she is a young female. "If she can run competitively with all the guys, like she does now and has for the last eight years now, then it's a great deal for the organization in regards to sponsorship opportunities and exposure for the organization. Bob (Germaine) and the team have been good enough to say, 'Let's go make something happen.' " Like any Wallace, Chrissie's competitive nature and ability will help carry her through this next exercise. Wallace feels what differentiates her from other females that have previously attempted this track is the quality of her equipment, her patience in gaining experience and shadowing her father long enough to understand the complexities of the sport and the gravity of this moment and the importance of testing. "We will be doing a lot of testing so I have more seat time and the team is not rushing me into any races that I don't want to run," Wallace said. "I have learned so much from Dad about the ups and downs of racing, I realize that you only got one shot and if you mess that up then you may never get another one. "My goal is to end up in Sprint Cup and become the first successful female driver who wins rookie of the year and the championship. Honestly, if it wasn't for my mom (Carla) and my dad, I would have never had the chance to race or have the faith in myself like I do. My dad has always came to races when he could, but my mom was at every race I have ran. She has been my biggest fan. Luckily, she was there for my every win in my late-model race this year and that means a lot because that's a memory I can cherish." Chrissy is grateful that she's been given something that many local short-track racers only dream about — a chance. Without the help of her extended support system — and the double-A audition at Martinsville on Wednesday — she would have never had the prospect to showcase her talent. "If (it) wasn't for all my family, friends, fans, sponsors and the Germain race team, I would have never got the chance to prove myself to everyone and make a name for myself," Wallace said. "I know no one is expecting me to go out there and win at Martinsville, but I am expecting myself to go out there and make the race, finish in the top 20 and be on the lead lap at the end of the race. That is my goal for my first race." At some point in her career, Wallace would love to be part of a father/daughter race team. If all goes well at the test on Wednesday and Wallace is cleared to make her Craftsman Truck debut, will her father try to track down a ride to spice up the field? Probably not, at least this time. "There will be sometime in 2008, I don't know where it will be or if it'll be in a truck or an ARCA car, we will race against each other," Mike Wallace said. "Hopefully, we'll all wrap up through Germain Racing somehow, I love racing with these guys and this program. I really don't want to get another ride somewhere to compete against her, but I do want to compete against her. "We have raced together on one other occasion. We raced a Legends car and a Thunder Roadster on the same night. She beat me in the heat race. Out of 20 cars, I think she was third and I was fifth. Then in the Thunder Roadsters, I beat her in the feature by one spot. "There's a lot of excitement around this and I think it'll be fun for everybody involved. There's definitely not going to be a rivalry, but when I race against her I want to beat her. I can't let her outrun her dad."
Latest Wallace hoping to break female stereotypes
By Raygan Swan, NASCAR.COM
March 11, 2008
11:12 AM EDT
As a teenager with braces on her teeth and rubber bands tying back her blonde hair, Chrissy Wallace told all the boys she one day would be a NASCAR driver.
One day is now.
The 20-year-old Wallace, a daughter and niece in the popular Wallace family of racers, is set to make her NASCAR debut March 29 in the Craftsman Truck Series Kroger 250 at Martinsville Speedway.
Autostock
Mike Wallace watches out for his daugher from the spotter's stand.
Tapped to drive for a championship-caliber team, Wallace said she will drive five Truck races and five ARCA races for Germain Racing, which also fields trucks for drivers Todd Bodine and Justin Marks.
On top of that, Wallace will continue racing Late Model events around the Carolina tracks where she has found Victory Lane four times and was named most popular driver at Hickory Speedway, making her the first female to win in a Late Model stock car at the track in its 57-year history.
Preparing to leave this week for the upcoming Truck test at Martinsville, Wallace said talks to join the Germain family and Toyota began at the end of last season. However, her young-but-tough heart was guarded.
Wallace knows she is competing in a male-dominated sport where in recent years there has been public opposition to females racing on the track. Not only that, she's grown accustomed to empty promises; opportunities have been served only to be taken away days later.
"But I knew with the Germain family, they stick by their word ... if they say they are going to do something they do it," Wallace said.
More than that, she trusts the same family the employees her father, Nationwide Series driver Mike Wallace, who pilots the No. 7 Camry. The venture will make Mike and Chrissy the first father-daughter duo racing for the same team in NASCAR.
"My dad is my spotter for my races and he will spot for me in Martinsville so I'm extremely excited, he's like my coach and my dad," Wallace said. "We are close because of racing and we can pretty much talk about anything."
The two don't go dress shopping, but nevertheless, the bond is strong.
Wallace has proven she can produce results in smaller series; she's won at least 40 features in Legends cars.
Now it is time for her to produce results in NASCAR and poor equipment won't be an excuse she can point to if the results do not come. Toyota, with Germain Racing, is funding Wallace as part of the manufacturer's diversity initiative.
The diversity initiative is not to be confused with Drive for Diversity, a program in which NASCAR provides financial assistance to minorities for on-track endeavors. Wallace said she was not offered support from the program.
Nevertheless, she is more than pleased to carry the torch for females in NASCAR, a sport that in 60 years has failed to produce a successful female in its premier series. She said it is because traditional, and even archaic, mentalities are hard to reverse.
"I feel more accepted especially here lately, because I proved my point by winning," she said. "But guys have it stuck in their heads that females don't need to be out here. The phrase 'never a successful female' is stuck in owners minds and some have said we don't run well and look like idiots, but if you don't take the chance you'll never know."
Her chance to prove the "guys" wrong is here and Wallace knows the chance is a good one.
From Martinsville, Wallace will look to be approved to run on larger tracks and eventually superspeedways.
Meanwhile, she'll concentrate on merely being a Wallace; spending time at home with her family while at the same time always being ready to go racing.
The End
It's not too often that a certified legend leaves a comment on this site, so today we're going to highlight one that we received from producer Ivan "DJ Doc" Rodriguez. Over the holidays, Doc stopped by to shed some light on the history behind Elf Elf and DokIm's My Christmas Bells, a track we featured last week.
For those of you who aren't familiar with the name, Doc was one of the first Hispanic producers to find success in hip hop (and disco), working on classics like Redman's Whut? Thee Album, Rakim's Paid In Full, BDP's Criminal Minded and Biz Markie's Just a Friend. Last week, Doc was kind enough to respond to my request for more information on the Elf Elf and DokIm track that we posted. He revealed a fact that I was unaware of: Doc was the MC on the song, giving voice to lyrics written by Spyder D.
Here's what Doc had to say:
"Lets Set It Straight For The Record. 20 years Ago, On A Cold October Evening In (1987) Power Play Studios Producer/Profile Records Recording Artist [and current owner of the CBA franchise Atlanta Krunk] Spyder D Wrote A Set Of Humorous Lyrics And Asked That I Produce The Song. Spyder D Was The Main Reason I Was In The Music Business In The First Place So I Obliged.
I Produced, Recorded And Mixed "My Christmas Bells" In The "B" Room At Power Play Studios, He (Being A Signed Artist Could Not Do The Vocals So) He Asked That I [DJ Doc] Do The Vocals For Him, That Is The Lead On The Record. The Intention Was To Use A Harmonizer In Order To make The Artist Sound Like An Elf But In Addition To Those Mixes The Original, Untouched Lead Vocal Was Also Included On The 12".
What Was Actually A Joke Played On ROTATION On 98.7 And Several Other Staions Nationwide, Not Bad For 1 Nights Work While Kidding Around, I Hope That You All Enjoy It. Thats The Way We Made Records Back Then, Grinding Out Ideas Right There, Live And Direct, Now It Takes Weeks For A Single...Riduculous!
This Very Month (Dec 2007) I Celebrate 20 Years In The Music Industry Proud To Have Been Involved In Some Os The Greatest Music Ever Recorded - I Begin My Next 20 Recording The Incredible Female Powerhouse 'LA BRUJA', I Will Continue The Legacy - Holla At Me Fam, Because I'm Still No. 1 !"
Big shout out to DJ Doc Rodriguez, an absolute legend in the hip hop game. To hear some of his more recent work, stop by his MySpace page. He's currently working with female MC La Bruja, whose music you can also hear on Myspace.
Here are two of my favorite tracks that Doc worked on (youtube links):
I should have a better selection of holiday music for tomorrow, but in the meantime here's a rather odd hip hop track that my boy Mike passed along. The song, Hard Call Christmas (or My Christmas Bells), is by a duo named "Elf Elf and Dok-Im." I wasn't able to dig up much information on them, but Mike tells me he first heard the song on 98.7 Kiss FM back around 1987. The song was originally released under B-Boy Records, best known as the label that put out all of Boogie Down Productions' albums.
The track starts out as a parody of L.L.'s classic Rock The Bells, then transitions into Rakim's I Know You Got Soul about halfway through. The song's corny, admittedly, but what holiday song isn't? Have a listen:
Mel Cheren: Death Of A Legend Current mood: sad Category: Music
I am sadder than most this day, because I just learned that one of the people who believed in me most when I started this crazy musical journey, just passed away. I last spoke to Mel Cheren, as recently as a few months ago, and he was asking me where the hell I'd been. Mel wasn't much for the internet, and a friend should not have to keep up with you on the internet.
I am pissed at myself because that is what my life has become...Keep up with me on the internet, because I am doing so many things. I keep telling myself, slow down, take time to vibe with people. Get in contact with people you have been wanting to reach out to. Don't put it off until tomorrow.
I had been meaning to call Mel and see what was going on with him, and tell him about the basketball team. He was so proud of the fact that I had become a franchise owner. That was Mel though. He was happy to be of assistance anyway he could. To everybody, no matter the color, creed, or sexual orientation.
I was really trying hard at one point to get his book optioned into a movie. Reaching out to a few people I knew in the industry of influence like Nelson George, Bill Adler and a few others.It was his life story, centered around The Disco Era, The Paradise Garage, and being Gay.
I told him after I read the book, that I could not fathom how he wrote this, without breaking down into tears, as he had to relive the deaths of so many of his friends, including the incomporable DJ Larry Levan, due to the scourge we now know as AIDS.
Mel faced it all like he has done everything, with pride and with a fiestyness unmatched. Maybe now Mel, they will see the value in the story, and that time period. The late seventies, early eighties.
In my early career, Mel Cheren gave me some budgets to go in the recording studio and create.
DJ Divine's "Get Into The Mix" became an accidental instant classic form those sessions. Mel assigned me to take the West End classic "Sessomato", from the soundtrack "How Funny Can Sex Be", and do a Hip-Hop version of it. My original plan was to create a beat to ride up under it, and then drop in an original beat to create a whole new break beat that DJ's could cut. The new beat was so hot, I ran back to Mel and Ed Kushins at the West End office on W.57th Street, and asked them to increase the budget slightly, and I would make them two records for the price of one!
Me and DJ Divine went back into Power Play Studios and put Divine's scratches and vocals on the record, and got engineer Alan Scott Plotkin to mix it down after I added some eerie synths to it, and voila! Instant classic. They broke the record on the air while it was still just an acetate plate on NY's Kiss FM with Chuck Leonard on at prime time/drive time around 5 pm one afternoon. The phone lines went crazy, the distributors couldn't find the record because it hadn't been pressed yet! Mel and Ed were scrambling trying to get the record pressed, Divine and I were doing interviews and shows, and Divine, who had been known as a legendary DJ from Queens, was becoming a recording star in his own right. We still were able to take the Sessomato track and complete another electro funk classic called B Beat Classic, in which I bugged out on the vocodor, while splicing the beat over and over again with an original drum beat as the bed, as originally planned.
That is how I will remember Mel Cheren, as the man who gave a young upstart like me, a chance, a shot at being creative, even though I was from Queens, 'cause Uptown and the Bronx were ruling things in the Hip-Hop world at the time. Thank You Mel Cheren, from the bottom of my heart. There is no me, without you. May God rest your soul.
sad 
