Doc: We just dropped the album, and to celebrate we threw one of the best hip hop shows in the history of Chicago: KRS One, Kool G. Rap, Pace Won, Earatik Statik, Binkis Recs, Mass Hysteria, and Illanotix. Just for good measure Crazy Legs, Tony Touch, and Scorpio the pimp dropped by.

What made you want to start making beats?

Doc: Being a dj and hearing what I liked and disliked in the music and wanting to give it a try.

What equipment did you start with?

Doc: An Emax keyboard, a turntable, and a 4 track.

What did your first beats sound like?

Doc: Looped drums with hot ass samples.

How has your sound changed?

Doc: It's more advanced and sounds more complete with better drums and changes.

What equipment do you use now?

Doc: MPC 2000 Rude: Most of my shit is done on an MPC 3000. I've also got a Proteus 2000 module, an S950, and my 1200's. My mixer is a Vestax 07.

How long does it take you to make a beat?

Doc: Depends. There's no time formula for it. Rude: Sometimes five minutes. Sometimes years.

How do you know when you're done with a beat?

Doc: When it's done
Rude: I never really feel like my shit is done.

How and what sounds do you look for in a sample?

Doc: It depends who I am making a beat for.
Rude: Yeah, it all depends on what I'm going for. Most of the time I'm trying to make some dark gutter shit so anything that's a catalyst to that usually gets me open.

What's the best sample you've ever found?

Doc: That's top secret.
Rude: Word up! Wait and see, m.f.!!

How important is it for producers to be DJ's first?

Doc: It helps when make songs. We try to leave breaks in the beginning and end of our songs to the real DJ's can mix in and out of the songs. It's really two different things though.

What did being on the Jenny Jones show do for you?

Doc: Exposure
Rude: Proved to my mom that I'm actually doing something musically. She was in Phoenix, Arizona and saw my ass on tv at like 2 in the morning. She called me, buggin! That's what's up! I was like, see?

What was it like? What was the show topic for the day?

Rude: That show was crazy, yo. You've seen it. My first episode was titled "Big Boobs=No Brains? Think Again, Buster!!" Would you ever want to go back on her show or any other shows like that?
Rude: Hell yeah. I got to scratch over my own beats on a nationally syndicated show and get paid for it. They actually talked to me about coming back the following season and producing original tracks for the show, but it ended up getting cancelled and there never was a "following season". What was real dope was I sent emails out to cats I never met before like Insight and Celph Titled, and told 'em how I was cutting over their beats and we ended up hollering back and forth and will hopefully collab one day.

Urb put you on their "Top 100" list in 2003, did that add a lot of pressure to your work?

Doc: Pressure? We don't feel no stinkin' pressure. We want to be the best at what we do and we strive for that so it didn't really add any pressure we that we didn't put on ourselves already.

How did that help you?

Doc: More people started to know our name. Actually URB did a write up on Chicago prior to that and mentioned as one of the top DJ crews in the city so it added to the resume.
Rude: It gave us better quotes to add to our press kits.

How'd you get down with Tony Touch?

Rude: My man Semp (Public Wizard Promotions in Miami) got the record in his hand which got it on one of his mixtapes. Then Sarah Honda from Empire Management calls me up talking 'bout licensing for his comp. I was geeked as hell!

How much of an honor was it when he played you on his "Last of the Pro-Ricans?"

Doc: I grew up on the east coast and have been a Tony Touch fan for years so it was big to be the only non-NYC artists on there. To be on it with all those big name cats was some good shit right there.

You've worked with Kool G Rap, what's that like?

Doc: Great. He is one of the best people in the game. He's a legend who is great to work with.
Rude: Yeah, it was a fuckin' honor! We're keeping that relationship going. Watch for future G. Rap/SMP collaborations. Dude is a monster. Of all the all time greats, who can still spit like him? He ain't fallen off a bit.

How do your beats complement his style?

Doc: Rude snapped on the beat. It's real gangster. Rude: After listening to him all these years I knew exactly what I wanted to do with him if I ever got the chance. Luckily I did.

How do you get people like G Rap to listen to your beats?

Doc: We make sure we send 'em to the right address.

What about Mr. Lif? How'd you get down with him?

Doc: He was passing through town on a Def Jux tour and we hollered at him about doing a song and hit him off with a beat tape. The next time he passed through town, we hit the studio.

You have a wide variety of MC's on the album, did you get everyone you wanted?

Doc: Yes.

Who would you like to work with next?

Doc: That's a surprise and you will be happy when you find out.

What's the last beat you've heard by another producer that amazed you?

Doc: Shopping Bags by Madlib on the new De La Soul.

What's coming up for you?

Doc: The Hylandaz Project w/ Omega and Bathgate.
Rude: I did 3 joints on the upcoming Pace Won album, and I'm hard at work on the next SMP album. You'll see...

How can Heads reach out to you?

www.singlemindedpros.com

Interview by Brian Kayser