Hip Hop evolved into jungle and drum n’ bass, why didn’t you follow that evolution? “I wouldn’t necessarily say that it evolved into jungle and drum and base but more like jungle and drum n’ bass sample a lot of hip hop definitely...I don’t mind some drum and bass but I’m not into the speed of Jungle, I like some Techno and I like house music. Jungle I don’t like, I do respect it though, it’s just a bit fast for me.”
Hip Hop and Rap have had a fair bit of criticism with it’s lyrics and content, what would you say to people who criticize it? “I think criticism is natural obviously it attacks major topics and it’s going to get a major kind of response, but each to their own...if their not interested fair enough, weather they like it or not that’s some peoples life styles and they love that...good hip hop usually comes from the heart, it’s what the rapper is trying to say...it seems harsh to some people but it’s peoples lives so you just have to look at it another way I suppose. I don’t take the vocals to seriously, I listen to them and take notice but we don’t live that life so it’s hard for us to understand it too deeply, unless you come from a black ghetto in America it’s hard to feel what they’re feeling.”
How far do you think you can go in the hip hop circles of Australia and what’s your aim? “For me DJing is more of just a hobby...I try not to play to much and get burnt out in a way. I try to keep fresh sets and play different music, even though I can’t find enough records to play different music every time but I try to play something new every time... I’m not trying to reach any kind of status Australia’s number one hip hop DJ or anything like that but I just still want to be playing tunes and hopefully still be making people dance.”
In Australia do you think that there is a big enough source of hip hop? “I’m kind of fussy to start with but I think Australia kind of gets a majority of good music, when I owned a shop we stocked everything that we could, I did go to America a year ago I found that there wasn’t that much there in the hip hop field that we didn’t have in Australia, obviously there was certain things but we weren’t that far behind. I think it’s the same with house and techno and everything, we still get the cream of the crop.”
What’s your response to people who say that DJing is just playing someone else music? “Fair enough and in a sense they’re right...but the bottom line is it’s making people dance to me DJing hip hops fun and scratching and all that stuff is fun but the bottom line is your trying to make people dance. And like whether people respect that it’s coming from a record and it’s not live it’s up to them, but when you get to a dance and the atmosphere is really intense it’s regardless of whether the music is live or what ever that’s what the party needs to get going.”
Desires to write your own music? “I make a few beats every now and again...but it’s hard to make time and motivation together as well but when ever I do get the chance I try to make beat hear and there. It’s something I will be doing more of in the future I hope.”
Marty