• Hot!

    Showbiz – The 730 Interview

     

    Being an architect of one of the most revered eras in hip-hop comes with a price. Not only is every move scrutinized and every progressive step analyzed to ensure its hip-hopness, but one is expected to speak for an entire generation, and sometimes, the entire landscape of hip-hop. For Showbiz of the legendary Diggin’ in the Crates crew, that burden is never too much to bear. The producer behind classics like “Sound of da Police” and “Soul Clap” while proclaiming the greatness of “Panda” doesn’t feel any pressure, and that’s because he can stand behind what he’s done and knows where he’s going. Whether it’s helping put together his team’s BPM web series or executive-producing the new D.I.T.C. project Studios or O.C.’s upcoming album Same Moon, Same Sun, one can rest easy knowing Show is doing any and everything except mailing it in. In this exclusive interview, Showbiz talks about his role on the new Studios album, how he’s grown as a producer, his production techniques, and much more.

    It’s been a long time coming, but the new Diggin’ in the Crates album, Studios, is here. What are your thoughts on how Studios came out?

    I executive produced the album, so of course I’m very satisfied with the outcome. It took me a couple of months to put it together and I’m happy with the way it came out it did. I’m very excited about it and we’ve been getting very good reviews on it.

    When you look at executive producing an album like this, do you feel any pressure, especially with how long fans have been asking for a new Diggin’ in the Crates project?

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    Lord Finesse – The 730 Interview (The Complete Interview)

    Lord Finesse - The 730 Interview

    The Funky Technician sits down with us to discuss Diggin’ in the Crates’ new album Studios, returning to the microphone, his outlook on music, and more in this classic interview. Scroll down for the complete interview.

    You’ve got the new Diggin’ in the Crates album Studios album is done and officially dropping this September. How do you feel about the way it came out?

    I’m feeling good about it. I’m definitely feeling good about it from where we started to where it’s at right now.

    Did it come out the way you wanted it to?

    Yeah. It is what it is. It was supposed to be a studio album. Basically after making it at the studio and with some of the new producers that were coming through the studio, you know, with the help of that and some of the members that came as a collective to get on there, yes. It is what it is, you know?

    No doubt. Some of the producers aren’t in the official crew, like Vinny Idol. Do you consider them extended family?

    I think it’s more work to put in. Right now it’s just a project. You develop family and close friends after years. You can’t just do it after a project. Okay, they’re family now. It’s a project. But they’re extraordinary individuals from a production standpoint. And yeah, if we continue to work, yeah, I think they will be extended family members eventually.

    Why didn’t the Diggin’ producers handle the production exclusively?

    What it was was we hold a biweekly session called D.I.T.C. BPM and what we do is we have a networking event where you come in, you send your music to this email and you send in three beats and Drawzilla curates that situation and if he likes it, you’re called in and you get to play your beats among other people that were selected and invited and on top of that, we’ll have a guest of honor. Who knows who it will be. We’ve had Pete Rock and DJ Premier and Kid Capri and Large Professor. Da Beatminerz, Rockwilder, Illmind, Marco Polo, K-Def, Bomb Squad.

    So you never know who’s going be at those sessions where they tell a story and the steps they took climbing up in the industry. And you can ask them questions. It’s a unique experience. Producers were picked from that batch, like the Vinny Idols and Super Ugly and Motif Alumni. You got a producer by the name of J. Clyde. So you got new dudes where you get to hear their music on a nice caliber, a nice level.

    For you, what does a new producer have to do to really catch your ear?

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    OC Interview

    “I make wax, I pay tax, I don’t show cracks,” OC rapped on “Constables,” one of the many standout cuts off his debut album Word…Life. Nearly twenty years after that seminal album dropped, OC’s stayed true to those words, releasing a slew of albums showcasing his lyrical acrobatics with a variety of talented producers, including Soul Supreme, Apollo Brown, and most recently, Ray West.

    O’s latest album, Ray’s Cafe, a pairing with producer/engineer and co-head of the recently created boutique label Red Apples 45 Ray West, provides jazz-infused backdrops that compliment Omar Credle’s smooth baritone. In a rare interview with HipHopGame, the legendary OC talks about the making of Ray’s Cafe, reflects on Word…Life and the moves he’s made, his immortal crew Diggin’ in the Crates, and much more in this can’t-miss interview.

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    Diamond D Interview

    From crafting hits with one of the greatest collection of musical talents ever assembled, the Diggin’ in the Crates crew, to carving out a successful solo career, Diamond D has earned true legend status. Oh yeah, let’s not forget how his dusty, head-nodding collection of beats helped to define what most fans would consider to be the greatest era of hip-hop. And then there’s The Diam Piece, Diamond D’s new compilation, produced entirely by the legend himself and featuring a slew of vets and new school MCs. Diamond D talks to HipHopGame in an exclusive interview to discuss The Diam Piece, his artist BigRec, the 15th anniversary of the passing of Big L, some new D.I.T.C. music, and much more.

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