Everything is good, just grinding, in the lab. Feeling good about the year so far and the future.

Who is Big K.O?

Big K.O. is that dude from NYC that came up in that boom bap era of Hip Hop and for me, it's just about trying to bring back an updated version of that sound. Some shit that you would love in '95 but sounds 2005. New, crisp, clean, dirty, and rugged.

You started off in the battles, can you talk about how your first battle went?

I was a newbie in that area, it was like '93. You couldn't just go cop a DMC tape to see how those dudes get down. You had to stay tuned and really pay attention to the cats that were killing it on the radio. Your routine had to come from within you because there was really nothing to look at. I grew up listening to cats like DJ Riz, Clark Kent and Pete Rock, and basically that carried over into my first battle. I didn't win, but it definitely let me know that I had the talent to do this. And there were a lot of legendary DJ's in that battle, and it just felt good to rub shoulders with those cats and get my respect. That was a good start to my career, that's really how I came into the game, through DJ battles like DMC. Those were good experiences.

How has it changed from back then?

It's changed a lot. Now there's titles for it. Now there's "turntablists," et cetera. But you know back then, it was just DJ'ing. When I first started battling, that was when juggling was being introduced. Now there's battles where you have categories for all of that. You have scratching, juggling, a team category…back then it was nothing like that. You just got a minute and a half to do your thing. I'm blessed to see how it's grown, I mean, now it's worldwide. There's kids all over the world who buy turntables before they buy a guitar. There's superstar DJ's now, like Babu. He can cross over and do production, and get mad respect. It's changed for the better though, it's a good thing.

Would you ever go back?

Truthfully, I'm really out of the loop, as far as the battling scene. I don't think I'd ever go back. But I just judged a contest at the Guitar Center, and there were a lot of talented cats, I was impressed. I got on, did some shit, and I still had it on that tip, and it felt good. But I'd rather do the judging thing and let the kids do what they do. You might hear me cut on a record I produce, but that's it. Battling for me was never about the money, and I'm in a position now where I got the grown man thing popping, so I need some money for it. There wasn't a lot of room to grow within that. I mean, you win DMC and you get a jacket! Hopefully most DJ's use that as a stepping stone to be a jack of all trades in the industry. I respect it, but I don't see myself going back to it.

Where do you see the future of DJ'ing going?

Truthfully, how much further can it go?. When I stopped, in '96. I was in the first annual ITF Battle. It was the X-ecutioners versus the Scratch Pikelz. To me, that was the epitome of how far it could go. Those were the two dopest crews on the planet, and that was straight warfare. What I saw that night is still boggling my mind 10 years later. I'm sure the boundaries can be pushed much further than that, but as far as I'm concerned, I saw an atomic explosion that night. I would just like to see those turntablists bring that cutting and scratching back to the radio and mixtapes.

How do you approach a record that someone wants you to scratch on?

The records that I cut on back in the day, it was mainly me vibing with the producer and artists. It depends on what the producer feels is enough scratching for the records. Some records, you can't' go crazy with double clicks and flares and shit. Some records, that won't fit. Most of the records I cut on, I was going by the producer's input. I did a lot with Buckwild, and he'd tell me what was too much or not enough. It's a lot of vibing with the artists as well. You have to bring your flavor to it, but not dominate the hook. It should just complete the song.

What did you learn working with Buckwild?

When I was making the transition from DJ to producer, I had the best learning experiences any cat could have, because I was on records that were produced by legends like Buckwild and Lord Finesse. That DITC sound, that boom bap sound, that's the NYC sound. That underground stuff for me was like college, just learning a lot. Buck must have done eight or nine singles for the label, and I cut on them all. I got to experience going to his crib, listening to how he puts his shit together, his beat tapes, how he mixes, how he gets his drums to smack. I remember being in Lord Finesse's house, back in '95 when I first got my SP, and seeing Lord Finesse doing some shit with the timing correct. I thought he was Jesus walking on water! It was just a real ill learning experience. And I learned a lot from cats like Domingo as well, watching them in the studio. I was a teenager just absorbing everything. So when I made that transition to full-fledged producer, in like 2001, I was ready, I had studied with the best and it was time to get it on.

How is the production game treating you right now?

The production game is lovely. But the simple fact is, like anything in this business, you have to be built for it. It's hard for certain cats to make beats and then be critiqued on them. But I come from that battling background where I'm used to going on stage and being judged. My advice for anyone coming up is to get an A&R or someone that has that ear where they can honestly critique your tracks on what people are looking for. But the production game has been good, I've been having an ill year. I've just been getting beat CD's out and working on the next one. You have to keep working constantly man.

How was it doing a track with Yayo and 50?

It was cool. My consultant Riggs, from Shady, is a cat who I really respect. He's somebody who basically guided me as far as how the tracks should sound. And listening to him, my shit has become more well-rounded. He's at the biggest label in the world, and it's good to have acess to his opinion. My first batch of the year, I hit him with it, and I got the call a couple months later that I was on 50's soundtrack. You should be hearing more of me working with the G-Unit camp in the future.

How was it working with Black Rob?

Black Rob, I'm a real fan of his music. His first album, "Life Story," is a classic to me. I just hope that Bad Boy gets the project off the ground because it's been a minute since he's been out. The joint I got on him is an undisputed banger. It's definitely going to be an eye-opener. I love Black Rob as an artist, and he's gotten a lot of his personal issues out of the way, and he's making a lot of dope music right now.

What about Proof?

Proof, let me say this right up off the bat. Proof and D-12 are some of the realest people that you're ever going to meet in this business. I started shopping my shits like late '01, and he was one of the first people to cop tracks from me. I met him on the Anger Management tour, and Riggs told Proof I had fire. Proof turns to me, without hearing any beats from me, and says "I got $15,000 left in the budget, can you work with that?" just off the bat! He didn't hear one joint! That's real shit. Motherfuckers are offering me bread on the strength of who's introducing me. And two weeks later he pays me for five joints. We wound up doing the joint "My Life." His album just dropped, "The Search for Jerry Garcia," go cop that.

What song that you've been a part of are you most proud of?

The one that I'm most proud of is a joint I didn't even produce, I cut on it. It was "Metal Thingz" produced by Ogeee and featuring F.T., Pharoahe Monch, and OC. I feel proud about it because at the time we did it, I feel that that record really laid the blueprint for all the under ground records that came out after it. Tru Criminal as a label, we never went for all the props we deserved. We were doing it before Rawkus. We were just putting out dope records out of the trunk. It made people look at us like we were a major. Pharoahe got rhyme of the month in the Source, we got Sureshot Single in the Source, and it sold over 100,000 copies. We're talking '96, that's unheard of. And I haven't heard an underground joint that was hotter. That album is the epitome of DITC with Buckwild, then there's OC and Pharoahe, and a new cat at the time with F.T.

What's Pharoahe Monch up to now?

Monch is chilling. You're going to be hearing new music from him this year. He has a situation with Mr. Porter (d-12). You're going to hear some crazy shit from Monch in the future.

You're also working with Scarchild, why should we check for him?

You should check for Scar, because he is going to break that stereotype that battle rappers can't make songs. Scar has one of the most incredible personalities that I've ever seen in an MC. His songs, his charisma, it's all incredible. He's a hungry dude, he's not concerned with flash and glamour and all that. He's the type of dude that can stand in the project hallway all day, bang on the wall and rhyme. He was the Fight Klub champ for weeks straight. I feel that as far as new artists, there's not a lot that can fuck with him. Scar's going to put that shit in the stranglehold. Scar's got five joints with me, joints with Mr. Porter, and a couple joints with Alchemist. He's going to be fire. Look out for Scar.

How have you improved as a producer?

I'm always learning something new. Every day I click my MPC on is a day that I can learn something new. That's the wonderful thing about music, growing and evolving. I took six months off from making beats to really grind it out. I took bass lessons, I took music theory lessons, and it just made my chops tighter on the bass and guitar. I'm able to play bass more accurately and hear things as far as pitch that I wasn't hearing before because I took that time to just step away and learn my instruments. There was a period when I wasn't doing any beats. And that all added new texture and color to my sound.

What advice do you have for kids?

For kids coming up, say you're on the underground scene and you love underground music. Keep your ear to everything open, don't close it off because it's some "major label shit." You really have to keep your ears open to everything so you can see what the people are feeling. And that might include listening to Z100 sometimes so you know what they're spinning. You need to know what's going on outside your world. If you seclude yourself, it's easy to get trapped in an era or lost in a sound. So for new cats, whether you're a DJ or producer, keep your ear to the street. If you know what they're feeling now, it's easier to guess the future and know what people are going to be feeling down the line.

What's coming up for you?

I'm getting my production team off the ground with my man Big Mo, Fastlife Addiction. I got a joint on Labba's album. I got a song out now with Busta Rhymes. I'm working with Magno from Houston, he's on Clue's label. I'm just hitting all corners of the US. I'm spreading that East Coast sound and hopefully helping to bring it back. I'm working on a Big Pun remix project that's going to be fire. And lookout for that 50 Cent soundtrack too. Plus I got my dude Little Vic. I'm just trying to bring that boom bap back. And repeat business is the best business, so look for more joints with people I've already worked with, and some new artists. I'm just trying to smash them.

What do you want to say to everyone?

Put all that petty beefing shit to the side and concentrate on making the music better and making our culture better. I just want everybody in the Hip Hop game to be able to work together. . We need to unite for the music and just concentrate on making the music better. Hip Hop is one of the greatest art forms there is, and we have to keep it shiny and polished, and not let it get tarnished by the bullshit that's out there.

By Brian Kayser