WEBVTT - #2 - Scott Storch 0:00:04.360 --> 0:00:06.880 We on we on, we on we on, a motherfucker 0:00:06.920 --> 0:00:16.079 bootleg care podcast that we are welcome. Got to give 0:00:16.120 --> 0:00:20.239 a big shout out to uh that man, Tony Chuck 0:00:20.320 --> 0:00:23.120 for making this amazing beat that to the background. I'm 0:00:23.160 --> 0:00:25.240 just gonna use this as the intro for the podcast 0:00:25.280 --> 0:00:26.960 for now. I don't know how long it's gonna stay 0:00:27.000 --> 0:00:30.320 that way, uh, but welcome. I just want to give 0:00:30.320 --> 0:00:34.320 a big shout out to everybody, thank you for the love. 0:00:36.240 --> 0:00:41.839 Our first official podcast was a great success. Listen, man, 0:00:41.880 --> 0:00:43.880 I just want to shout out everybody who listened last 0:00:43.880 --> 0:00:46.640 week who tapped in. Shout out to Freddi Gibbs for 0:00:46.760 --> 0:00:55.080 having a very very drunk, I mean listen, belligerent conversation 0:00:55.200 --> 0:00:58.200 with me that people seem to enjoy. So I just 0:00:58.240 --> 0:01:00.400 want to shout out to everybody ended up charge on 0:01:00.440 --> 0:01:04.240 iTunes the Apple podcast, which is a big deal. I 0:01:04.280 --> 0:01:08.480 didn't have any expectations for the first episode, so I 0:01:08.520 --> 0:01:10.120 just want to give a big shout out to everybody 0:01:10.120 --> 0:01:12.920 who showed love. Man, a lot of love, man, I 0:01:12.959 --> 0:01:15.200 feel it. I appreciate it every week and to give 0:01:15.200 --> 0:01:19.280 you guys something dope. And this week I'm actually gonna 0:01:19.319 --> 0:01:23.240 be doing another podcast that's not gonna be an interview. 0:01:23.360 --> 0:01:26.200 Like I said last week, I don't want this podcast 0:01:26.240 --> 0:01:30.960 to be a contingent and hinge on having interviews every 0:01:31.000 --> 0:01:37.280 episode because that's not ideal with what I envision this 0:01:37.319 --> 0:01:39.760 podcast to be. Obviously, there's gonna be a lot of 0:01:39.800 --> 0:01:42.640 dope interviews, and I'm gonna try to do an interview 0:01:42.760 --> 0:01:46.200 every single week, but there's gonna be a lot of 0:01:46.400 --> 0:01:49.320 episodes that are gonna be on off days. We're gonna 0:01:49.320 --> 0:01:53.160 try to do an interview every Monday and then every Wednesday. 0:01:53.240 --> 0:01:56.680 Every Friday, I'm gonna chop it up with the homies, 0:01:57.600 --> 0:02:02.160 my boy dub Pecks and just talk shit, you know, 0:02:02.920 --> 0:02:06.040 talk about topical things, talk about what's going on in 0:02:06.120 --> 0:02:08.680 hip hop, talk about what's going on in the world, 0:02:08.720 --> 0:02:11.440 all kinds of cool stuff. So I'm excited that episode, 0:02:11.320 --> 0:02:13.360 where we haven't recorded it yet, it is probably gonna 0:02:13.360 --> 0:02:17.640 get recorded tomorrow or Tuesday and drop on Wednesday. So 0:02:17.760 --> 0:02:22.160 there'll be two podcast episodes coming out this week and 0:02:22.480 --> 0:02:26.639 much love man salute to everybody out there. Definitely appreciate it. 0:02:27.400 --> 0:02:30.960 Also shout out to our sponsor currently our only sponsor. 0:02:31.040 --> 0:02:34.919 But guess what, we just locked down another sponsor and 0:02:35.360 --> 0:02:40.320 that will be announced probably next week. I got a 0:02:40.360 --> 0:02:42.240 shout out to I'm not going to shout them out 0:02:42.320 --> 0:02:44.520 yet because the paperwork hasn't dried. But we do have 0:02:44.520 --> 0:02:49.239 another sponsor that came through with the bag that I've 0:02:49.240 --> 0:02:51.480 worked with in the past, that I'm excited to have 0:02:51.600 --> 0:02:53.519 partner up with us on the Bootleg Heap podcast. But 0:02:53.560 --> 0:02:57.920 shout out to our currents sole sponsor, my family, Vapin. 0:02:58.520 --> 0:03:01.160 Hit him up on Twitter, hit him up on at 0:03:01.280 --> 0:03:05.040 vap e N. Vapin is a company that provides so 0:03:05.240 --> 0:03:09.919 much awesomeness. 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We're 0:03:43.360 --> 0:03:46.119 gonna get into the Scott storre To interview though, oh 0:03:46.240 --> 0:03:50.320 I didn't touch on me having the COVID nineteen, so 0:03:50.400 --> 0:03:53.520 I definitely still have COVID nineteen. I just got my 0:03:53.640 --> 0:03:59.800 smelling back, but I definitely have felt a little under 0:03:59.800 --> 0:04:03.520 the other the last week or so, and hopefully I'll 0:04:03.560 --> 0:04:05.880 be better by next week and I can go outside 0:04:05.920 --> 0:04:09.320 and deal with humanity again. But as of right now, 0:04:09.400 --> 0:04:12.280 I'm pretty sure I still have COVID nineteen. I'm fine. 0:04:12.400 --> 0:04:16.200 I'll be okay, you know, just hanging out at the house, 0:04:16.560 --> 0:04:20.799 that's about it, and just instacarting my groceries and anything 0:04:20.800 --> 0:04:23.719 I need. So if you are one of those weirdos 0:04:23.720 --> 0:04:28.080 who thinks it's i don't know, inconvenient to wear a 0:04:28.120 --> 0:04:31.080 mask or thinks this shit is fake, fam, I got 0:04:31.080 --> 0:04:34.600 it all right, It's real. I couldn't smell none for 0:04:34.640 --> 0:04:40.240 a motherfucking week. My g I digress Scott Storch, one 0:04:40.279 --> 0:04:43.720 of the greatest producers of all time, somebody who has 0:04:43.839 --> 0:04:46.360 always intrigued me, someone who I've always been a fan of, 0:04:46.880 --> 0:04:48.719 Somebody who I've always wanted to have a sit down 0:04:48.760 --> 0:04:53.360 conversation with. My good friend Steve Lobel manages him. He's 0:04:53.400 --> 0:04:56.080 had a hell of a roller coaster ride of a 0:04:56.120 --> 0:05:01.480 career of a life personally, he's had some public lows 0:05:01.600 --> 0:05:05.160 that we've all seen, and over the last four or 0:05:05.200 --> 0:05:07.599 five years he's really bounced back and has been just 0:05:07.720 --> 0:05:11.359 kill and shit. And I mean there was some stuff that. 0:05:11.640 --> 0:05:14.640 Out of respect for his wife, I'm sure he didn't 0:05:14.800 --> 0:05:20.400 dive into too many details about on this podcast. But man, 0:05:20.720 --> 0:05:23.680 let me tell you something. Scott Storch has had one 0:05:23.720 --> 0:05:27.520 of the craziest lives and whenever his movie comes out, 0:05:28.040 --> 0:05:31.600 it's gonna be fucking epic. So this interview was done 0:05:33.000 --> 0:05:36.240 about a month ago. Yeah, we recorded this about a 0:05:36.279 --> 0:05:39.159 month ago, right after his single dropped. He put a 0:05:39.200 --> 0:05:43.240 song out with Tiger in Ozuna and this we recorded 0:05:43.279 --> 0:05:45.120 it the night that it came out, actually, or the 0:05:45.200 --> 0:05:49.240 night before. So shout out to Scott Storch, legendary guy, 0:05:50.320 --> 0:05:52.920 and was super excited to sit down with him. I 0:05:52.920 --> 0:05:57.799 hope you enjoy the interview. Man, let's get into bulet 0:05:57.920 --> 0:06:02.000 keV here with the legendary Scott Storch. Man, who needs 0:06:02.000 --> 0:06:06.360 no introduction. Your new single just came out, sir, I 0:06:06.360 --> 0:06:11.040 don't want to fuck up the pronunciation fuego, which pretty 0:06:11.120 --> 0:06:13.679 much just means like hot fire, right, yeah, that hot fire. 0:06:13.960 --> 0:06:16.840 Why I'm curious because I think ever since you announced 0:06:16.839 --> 0:06:20.560 you were gonna be doing like a project, super excited 0:06:20.560 --> 0:06:22.040 to hear what you. I know you're sitting on some 0:06:22.160 --> 0:06:25.479 huge records. Yeah. Man, you know we're not that far 0:06:25.560 --> 0:06:29.200 along the product in the project. Uh, but we were. 0:06:29.200 --> 0:06:32.680 We I got like four or five solid songs that 0:06:32.760 --> 0:06:34.920 I really want to use for the project. But we're 0:06:34.960 --> 0:06:37.479 just getting going on it. But you know, we wanted to, 0:06:38.680 --> 0:06:41.680 you know, put out a single and and do something 0:06:41.800 --> 0:06:45.320 like the first time that was like super global and 0:06:45.320 --> 0:06:49.080 and you know, had had potential to hit many markets, 0:06:49.120 --> 0:06:51.120 and just do something that doesn't ask you like why 0:06:51.200 --> 0:06:55.480 like like Scott Storch, don't we don't. We don't necessarily 0:06:55.480 --> 0:06:59.240 associate you with the Spanish ship. Come on, man, you 0:06:59.279 --> 0:07:02.080 know about that the Yankee in fact, though, oh shit, 0:07:02.160 --> 0:07:04.680 that's real. But I just mean, like, I just mean, 0:07:04.760 --> 0:07:06.920 like overall, like you know what I'm saying, like, oh yeah, 0:07:07.080 --> 0:07:10.000 you know what I mean. I just for me, pioneering 0:07:10.040 --> 0:07:13.040 and just trying new stuff, and even new stuff for 0:07:13.160 --> 0:07:15.400 me is fun, you know what I mean. It makes 0:07:15.440 --> 0:07:17.760 it like I don't like getting burnt out on doing 0:07:17.840 --> 0:07:21.360 like what you'd expect from me. So it still has 0:07:21.480 --> 0:07:26.000 that melody and production value and that you know I'm 0:07:26.040 --> 0:07:29.680 known for, and it's doing something that I feel like, 0:07:31.040 --> 0:07:34.480 I don't know. Hey, listen, man, you're one of the 0:07:34.480 --> 0:07:36.400 most prolific producers of all times. I think you can 0:07:36.400 --> 0:07:38.160 do whatever the fuck you want right now. You know 0:07:38.200 --> 0:07:40.520 what I'm saying. I want to go back bro because 0:07:40.560 --> 0:07:44.520 like we were just having this discussion about The Roots, 0:07:45.200 --> 0:07:47.960 and I'm like a first time I ever saw the Roots, 0:07:48.000 --> 0:07:50.680 I was probably thirteen and this was like two thousand 0:07:50.720 --> 0:07:53.640 and two or some shit, Okay, and this was after 0:07:53.680 --> 0:07:56.280 you would probably stopped working with him, like on a 0:07:56.320 --> 0:07:59.800 more regular basis. I went to the production up. But 0:08:00.080 --> 0:08:03.400 remember like buying the bootleg of Organics, which was like 0:08:03.440 --> 0:08:05.200 the first Roots album, but it wasn't like their first 0:08:05.240 --> 0:08:07.640 major album. Yeah, that was Do You Want More? Do 0:08:07.640 --> 0:08:10.440 You Want More was their official debut. We did Organics. 0:08:11.400 --> 0:08:16.080 We recorded the whole album one day. Wow. Yeah, I'm 0:08:16.080 --> 0:08:20.840 saying we recorded the whole album in one day? Was 0:08:20.880 --> 0:08:23.960 that out of necessity because back then studios arm was 0:08:24.000 --> 0:08:27.520 expensive and well yeah, but then at the same time, yeah, 0:08:27.560 --> 0:08:30.840 we wanted to, you know, make it economical. We had 0:08:30.840 --> 0:08:34.440 a limited budget, but we were a live band. We 0:08:34.440 --> 0:08:38.719 were used to playing these songs live, and we were 0:08:38.720 --> 0:08:42.680 able to all set up at the same time record 0:08:42.760 --> 0:08:44.640 to a click or a cow bell or whatever. We 0:08:44.640 --> 0:08:48.400 were recording right, and the band would start the song 0:08:48.920 --> 0:08:51.440 and we would cut them off from beginning to end. 0:08:51.679 --> 0:08:55.640 I'm curious like back then, like being around that early 0:08:55.720 --> 0:08:59.480 nineties Philly hip hop energy, like especially the Roots, Like, 0:08:59.679 --> 0:09:01.679 did you do you feel because at the time there 0:09:01.760 --> 0:09:06.000 was no precedent for that much live instrumentation in hip 0:09:06.040 --> 0:09:08.840 hop or let alone a band in hip hop? What 0:09:09.160 --> 0:09:12.400 was did it feel like as special as like now? 0:09:12.440 --> 0:09:16.160 We obviously the Roots are you know, one of the 0:09:16.160 --> 0:09:18.640 greatest rack groups of all time, But back then as 0:09:18.679 --> 0:09:20.760 a kid, did you realize like what you were a 0:09:20.760 --> 0:09:22.959 part of? Yeah? No, I mean I knew we were 0:09:22.960 --> 0:09:26.079 on some special you know, like there was a couple 0:09:26.080 --> 0:09:28.200 of things that sort of resembled what we were doing 0:09:28.240 --> 0:09:30.559 at that time, but it wasn't what we were doing, 0:09:30.640 --> 0:09:33.040 like I mean, like the Diggable Planet. Yeah, of course, 0:09:33.080 --> 0:09:35.800 different things like but they were they were wrapping over samples. 0:09:35.960 --> 0:09:38.040 There was another group in Philly called the Goats at 0:09:38.040 --> 0:09:40.400 the time, but that was like a college band, but 0:09:40.480 --> 0:09:43.959 it was like hip hop, like you know, right, the 0:09:44.080 --> 0:09:47.000 Roots were special. You know, I knew it was gonna 0:09:47.520 --> 0:09:50.679 have a long lifespan, but I just as much as 0:09:50.720 --> 0:09:53.720 I loved being a part of it, I wanted so 0:09:53.800 --> 0:09:56.640 much more to be a record producer and stay in 0:09:56.640 --> 0:09:58.960 the studio. I'm the kind of person that likes to 0:09:59.000 --> 0:10:01.199 like wake up in my house every day and I'm 0:10:01.240 --> 0:10:03.560 not a big fan of going on the road and 0:10:04.880 --> 0:10:08.679 just chose a different life. Yeah. So obviously you win 0:10:08.720 --> 0:10:12.320 your first Grammy with the Roots, which was I mean, 0:10:13.160 --> 0:10:15.120 I love by the way, shout out to everybody watched 0:10:15.120 --> 0:10:19.440 you versus Battle. That ship was legendary. It was it was, 0:10:19.520 --> 0:10:25.160 it was, It got ugly. It's all the same. But like, 0:10:25.480 --> 0:10:28.240 at what point in time after you pivoted away from 0:10:28.240 --> 0:10:32.800 working with them full time, Like what was that that 0:10:32.880 --> 0:10:36.920 first big look for Scott Storch at Scott Storch to 0:10:37.000 --> 0:10:39.959 brand like as as as a solo guy who decided 0:10:39.960 --> 0:10:42.120 to break away from this Roots crew, Like what was 0:10:42.160 --> 0:10:45.240 that first thing that happened where you're like, oh shit, 0:10:45.360 --> 0:10:47.960 like I think this can actually work, Like I like 0:10:48.000 --> 0:10:50.000 me as a record producer can actually be a thing. 0:10:52.280 --> 0:10:55.040 I went with us this dude, uh, the guy that 0:10:55.160 --> 0:10:59.439 actually got the record deal for the Roots, Derek Jackson. 0:11:00.760 --> 0:11:03.520 You know, he brought it to Wendy Goldstein, et cetera, 0:11:03.559 --> 0:11:09.480 et cetera. But you know, after I left, I ended 0:11:09.559 --> 0:11:12.720 up getting in contact with this guy and he took 0:11:12.720 --> 0:11:15.000 me to New York from Philly and we did a 0:11:15.080 --> 0:11:19.160 run all the way around the city and went from 0:11:19.240 --> 0:11:22.520 label to label. This that the other couple of you know, 0:11:22.840 --> 0:11:24.560 I was hoping to just cut a record while I 0:11:24.600 --> 0:11:26.680 was in New York, like that's all I wanted. And 0:11:27.400 --> 0:11:30.760 one guy came through for me, my first client, who 0:11:30.840 --> 0:11:33.440 was it Buster Rhymes Buster, and we made a song 0:11:33.480 --> 0:11:37.880 called blood Out and it went on the ED Strikes 0:11:38.840 --> 0:11:46.000 was Anarchy, Yeah, Anarchy album, And then I set up 0:11:46.040 --> 0:11:50.800 a gig to come back the following week and work 0:11:50.880 --> 0:11:56.320 with Capona Noriega and Capone. The day that I was 0:11:56.360 --> 0:11:59.080 going to the studio to meet, he literally was getting 0:11:59.080 --> 0:12:02.200 brought from prison to the studio, so this was like 0:12:02.240 --> 0:12:06.320 his first studio stop after getting out. Did you end 0:12:06.400 --> 0:12:08.000 up on did you end up having production on War 0:12:08.080 --> 0:12:10.840 Report or any or what did you did you forget. Yeah, 0:12:10.880 --> 0:12:14.520 I think that's crazy, man, So Copone and Noriega. It's 0:12:14.520 --> 0:12:17.440 crazy because Nori also had a lot to do with 0:12:17.520 --> 0:12:21.600 Pharrell starting with Super Thugs. That's kind of interesting to know. 0:12:21.640 --> 0:12:26.160 But but obviously you're the You're known as the piano man. 0:12:26.960 --> 0:12:32.520 You know what I'm saying, Like you once like you 0:12:33.200 --> 0:12:36.520 because I feel like there's a Skott Storge sound and 0:12:36.559 --> 0:12:37.880 a lot of people say that you know, you like 0:12:37.880 --> 0:12:42.160 like but when it comes to the keys and and 0:12:42.160 --> 0:12:45.200 and the way you played them bro like in the 0:12:45.280 --> 0:12:47.480 early two thousands, I just feel like you had a 0:12:47.520 --> 0:12:50.520 signature sound. I mean, I think you still do. But 0:12:50.520 --> 0:12:53.320 but yeah, but you know what, like a lot of 0:12:53.320 --> 0:12:58.120 that sound, it's it's a part of the evolution of 0:12:58.120 --> 0:13:01.760 what hip hop became. Yeah, and you know we have 0:13:01.840 --> 0:13:05.000 to leave it there and go for new stuff and 0:13:05.080 --> 0:13:09.320 innovate because you know, people, you don't want people to 0:13:09.320 --> 0:13:11.000 be like, oh, that's what he was doing back then, 0:13:11.080 --> 0:13:14.080 Like we want some new ship. Like You've done a 0:13:14.080 --> 0:13:19.000 great job of pivoting recently because I feel like you 0:13:19.120 --> 0:13:22.840 kind of had to like kind of prove to everybody 0:13:22.880 --> 0:13:25.240 like you're back over the last four I had to 0:13:25.280 --> 0:13:29.840 get back because you know, I left music to go 0:13:29.920 --> 0:13:33.000 off and do the debauchery and shit that I did 0:13:33.040 --> 0:13:35.200 when I wasn't making music and doing drugs and all right, 0:13:35.640 --> 0:13:39.240 and come back flash forward a decade later and now 0:13:39.240 --> 0:13:42.200 you're trying to like, you know, you have to reevaluate 0:13:42.240 --> 0:13:45.880 where is music now? And like, you know, we learn it. 0:13:46.280 --> 0:13:50.760 I mean not the musicianship part, but the production, the 0:13:50.840 --> 0:13:55.520 sonics and you know, the way, you know, the simplicity 0:13:55.559 --> 0:13:59.440 of things. You know, like I had to relearn it. Yeah, No, 0:13:59.480 --> 0:14:02.200 I feel like you you you kind of did something 0:14:02.240 --> 0:14:03.800 that's so hard to do because if you think it's 0:14:03.840 --> 0:14:05.480 super hard, if you do, if you think of a 0:14:05.480 --> 0:14:07.720 lot of the producers that were popping back then, like 0:14:07.760 --> 0:14:10.160 a lot of those guys aren't around anymore. There's a few, 0:14:10.200 --> 0:14:13.280 there's like Timbaland, there's Dre, there's yourself. But like the 0:14:13.320 --> 0:14:15.640 fact that you're able to tap in with Trippy Red 0:14:16.400 --> 0:14:18.480 and tap in with well we we used to have 0:14:19.160 --> 0:14:22.080 a specific way of looking at music as a whole, 0:14:22.160 --> 0:14:26.880 as a you know, producer, musician. And once you think 0:14:26.920 --> 0:14:31.840 you know the right way to make done, because there 0:14:31.920 --> 0:14:34.880 is no right will there's the right way to make music. 0:14:35.160 --> 0:14:38.440 It's always evolving. And changing, so you have to like 0:14:38.880 --> 0:14:43.720 constantly reinvent yourself. And it's also your stuck. Subjective music 0:14:43.800 --> 0:14:47.480 is subjective. The people that can just keep going and 0:14:47.480 --> 0:14:50.440 and evolving it that's you know, That's the thing. It's 0:14:50.560 --> 0:14:54.920 rare in I always wanted to ask you this. I 0:14:54.960 --> 0:14:58.240 remember you did clap Back for jar Roll right, which 0:14:58.320 --> 0:15:00.680 was a fire ass record, but at that time, nobody 0:15:00.720 --> 0:15:02.160 was smukling with gen Roll. It was kind of that 0:15:02.240 --> 0:15:04.560 weird part of his career where fifty they had the 0:15:04.560 --> 0:15:06.840 beef and people kind of chose when you ended up 0:15:06.840 --> 0:15:10.000 working with fifty on the Massacre? Did was that like 0:15:10.040 --> 0:15:14.600 a conversation, like like you did lean back obviously, Yeah, 0:15:14.680 --> 0:15:17.720 I was like that kind of guy, and I know 0:15:17.760 --> 0:15:21.000 you made that clear to everybody. I am not on 0:15:21.120 --> 0:15:23.760 some wrap beef ship, but at the time he was, 0:15:23.960 --> 0:15:26.840 and I'm trying to eat like I was a starving 0:15:26.920 --> 0:15:28.880 art you know that you could have mad records out 0:15:29.120 --> 0:15:33.000 still hadn't made no money, so motherfuckers was working and like, 0:15:33.080 --> 0:15:35.280 you know, I leave those beefs to other people. But 0:15:35.400 --> 0:15:42.160 like a lot of times I would find myself doing records, 0:15:42.200 --> 0:15:46.400 you know, for people, and like I would get like 0:15:46.800 --> 0:15:49.440 that clapback is an example, Like it wasn't supposed to 0:15:49.520 --> 0:15:52.400 go to him like that. That beat was so fire. 0:15:52.520 --> 0:15:57.640 That beat I made in my house the day before 0:15:57.680 --> 0:15:59.760 I was going to New York. I was going to 0:15:59.760 --> 0:16:03.200 New or to work with with Janet Jackson at y 0:16:03.280 --> 0:16:05.960 Clutch Studio. I remember just clear as well, and that 0:16:06.080 --> 0:16:10.960 day before P. D. Crack and Beanie Siegel stay to 0:16:11.000 --> 0:16:17.880 my house in Florida. I made that beat and I guess, 0:16:18.440 --> 0:16:21.360 you know, just it never happened, like they just were 0:16:21.680 --> 0:16:24.360 sleep in the studio. It wasn't, you know whatever. So 0:16:24.360 --> 0:16:26.200 so that was meant for. I left the next day 0:16:26.240 --> 0:16:29.880 to New York and I got the call from Rule 0:16:30.160 --> 0:16:32.000 like Yo, I need something. I was like, all right, 0:16:32.200 --> 0:16:34.160 give him this beat and it was like a two 0:16:34.280 --> 0:16:39.320 track and it never got That song never got mixed. Wow. Yeah, 0:16:39.360 --> 0:16:41.640 Like the music of it was just given like a 0:16:41.640 --> 0:16:44.440 two track on like a DAT tape like from the crib. 0:16:45.440 --> 0:16:48.720 So maybe they equt it or whatever. But that's crazy 0:16:48.840 --> 0:16:52.280 weird how like records end up that. It's funny because 0:16:52.320 --> 0:16:54.920 I think that's when it like obviously it wasn't like 0:16:54.960 --> 0:16:56.680 the biggest hit in the world that that beat was 0:16:56.720 --> 0:16:59.520 so hard, man, it could. I used to cringe in 0:16:59.520 --> 0:17:01.480 the club. I would hear it because it was like, 0:17:01.600 --> 0:17:03.920 oh my god, it sounds so thin compared to all 0:17:03.960 --> 0:17:06.119 because you knew it wasn't mastered. Yeah, it wasn't mixed, 0:17:06.119 --> 0:17:10.640 but mastered. I'm like, dude, making me look bad, yo. 0:17:10.840 --> 0:17:16.399 So another you know when we watched the Battle, shouts 0:17:16.400 --> 0:17:18.800 to everybody who watched the Versus Battle with you and 0:17:19.040 --> 0:17:24.800 Manny Fresh. The Doctor Dre records I think are kind 0:17:24.840 --> 0:17:29.920 of like had to be like one of like the 0:17:30.320 --> 0:17:33.359 turning crowning moments of your career. Like talk about like 0:17:33.760 --> 0:17:35.760 obviously being a part of Chronic two thousand and one, 0:17:35.760 --> 0:17:39.000 which was very very interesting time and hip hop because 0:17:39.040 --> 0:17:43.439 I remember that album being teased for so long, and 0:17:43.480 --> 0:17:45.879 I remember death Row cock blocking and putting out an 0:17:45.920 --> 0:17:49.960 album called Chronicle. Had to make a Chronic two thousand 0:17:49.960 --> 0:17:51.679 and one right because it came out, and like I remember, 0:17:51.680 --> 0:17:53.080 I was like, dude, like that didn't make sense. But 0:17:53.119 --> 0:17:55.240 I remember that weird ass death Row album. It had 0:17:55.240 --> 0:17:57.000 like a cigar on the you had the cigar on 0:17:57.040 --> 0:17:58.840 the cover, and then the guy who sounded just like 0:17:58.880 --> 0:18:01.679 Snoop Dogg. There was a guy on that album that 0:18:01.800 --> 0:18:04.560 was like a snoop impersonator. I swear to god, Sugar 0:18:04.560 --> 0:18:08.000 was petty, but nonetheless, like that album was, It's one 0:18:08.000 --> 0:18:10.359 of the top ten greatest hip hop albums of all time. 0:18:12.280 --> 0:18:16.760 Can you talk about, like, how did that initial connection 0:18:16.960 --> 0:18:19.560 happen with Dre? I think you've spoken a lot about 0:18:19.560 --> 0:18:22.159 like the process of making those records, but like you 0:18:22.359 --> 0:18:25.040 getting into the fold with Dre becoming a part of 0:18:25.040 --> 0:18:30.680 that team that worked on that project. Okay, So there 0:18:30.800 --> 0:18:35.119 was obviously the moment where I left the Roots and 0:18:35.240 --> 0:18:38.000 I was trying to make a career for myself. What 0:18:38.119 --> 0:18:43.160 year did you officially like break away in ninety five? Okay, Yeah, 0:18:43.720 --> 0:18:48.119 I left the group. I actually ended up in ninety 0:18:48.160 --> 0:18:50.720 seven getting a visit from them when I was in 0:18:50.760 --> 0:18:52.600 the middle of working on the song. But this whole 0:18:52.640 --> 0:18:55.560 other story, and I gave them more records. But at 0:18:55.560 --> 0:18:58.960 this point, I'm trying to make a life for myself 0:18:59.000 --> 0:19:02.800 as a producer, and you know, I was struggling. So 0:19:03.760 --> 0:19:09.520 The Roots had a like an open mic women in 0:19:09.640 --> 0:19:13.000 music series that they used to do every Sunday at 0:19:13.000 --> 0:19:17.000 the Wetlands, Okay in New York, and every Sunday for 0:19:17.040 --> 0:19:18.320 a year, I would do this. I was part of 0:19:18.320 --> 0:19:21.359 the house band. It was me Questlove, you know, a 0:19:21.400 --> 0:19:23.800 couple other cats and then like crazy, I mean all 0:19:23.880 --> 0:19:26.440 everybody was there. Common was always there. You know, Eric 0:19:26.440 --> 0:19:30.280 Abadou was there. It was a movie. It went on 0:19:30.320 --> 0:19:33.080 every Sunday. So finally, after a year of doing that, 0:19:34.200 --> 0:19:37.879 they did one in California at the Martini Lounge. Okay, 0:19:39.400 --> 0:19:45.800 so I see this girl when I go out to 0:19:45.800 --> 0:19:50.120 the Martini Lounge my first time ever in California, never 0:19:50.160 --> 0:19:53.600 been to Cali, and this girl from Philly comes up 0:19:53.640 --> 0:19:55.240 to me that I knew it was a rapper that 0:19:55.240 --> 0:20:00.800 I'd worked with whatever, and it was Eve. Eve was like, yo, 0:20:02.160 --> 0:20:05.280 I got I got a I got a record deal 0:20:05.320 --> 0:20:08.359 with Doctor Trey. This is prior to her going to 0:20:08.440 --> 0:20:11.359 rough references before we do like really knew Eve. She 0:20:11.480 --> 0:20:14.320 was like way before. She wasn't like upstreams downstreams. She 0:20:14.359 --> 0:20:16.680 was side streamed. I guess you know, Drey was so 0:20:16.720 --> 0:20:20.240 busy with him, and you know, yeah, Dre had that 0:20:20.280 --> 0:20:22.439 weird era where he put out that Aftermath album with 0:20:22.480 --> 0:20:24.360 the bomb on the cover and it was like more 0:20:24.400 --> 0:20:27.680 like a compilation album. Yeah, this was ever after that. Yeah, okay, okay, 0:20:28.160 --> 0:20:31.480 so you know we've been there, done that, yep, that record. Yeah. 0:20:31.560 --> 0:20:37.520 So so I'm like out there, like I'm literally at 0:20:37.520 --> 0:20:39.520 this moment in my life, probably two months behind in 0:20:39.520 --> 0:20:43.440 my rent and like struggling whatever. And she's like, come 0:20:43.480 --> 0:20:48.960 meet Doctor Trey, probably like ninety eight, ninety nine, getting 0:20:49.080 --> 0:20:51.359 ninety nine or yeah, maybe it was ninety eight. I 0:20:51.359 --> 0:20:55.120 think it was ninety eight. At any rate, she says, 0:20:55.160 --> 0:20:58.119 come meet Doctor Trey and you know, playing some music. 0:20:58.160 --> 0:20:59.560 I was like, I don't have any music with me, 0:21:00.040 --> 0:21:02.080 so we'll come play the piano for him because I 0:21:02.119 --> 0:21:06.440 didn't have any dat tapes my CDs, and I played. 0:21:06.800 --> 0:21:08.800 I sat in the lobby and waited for a few hours, 0:21:08.800 --> 0:21:11.360 and you know, he's like, all right here, you hot 0:21:11.400 --> 0:21:13.879 on them keys. So I played some shit. He was 0:21:13.920 --> 0:21:17.800 like that. He was like, don't go anywhere. Got a 0:21:17.880 --> 0:21:20.960 hotel room key and fucking stack of money like everything. 0:21:21.240 --> 0:21:24.040 It's like, fuck with us. We were making this album 0:21:24.440 --> 0:21:28.440 and he's just like the vibe of like this different 0:21:28.560 --> 0:21:32.600 like style. I guess that he was used to hearing 0:21:33.200 --> 0:21:36.280 in you know, California musicians that he would bring in 0:21:36.320 --> 0:21:38.959 different keyboard players. Yeah, and it was something completely different 0:21:39.560 --> 0:21:42.840 East Coast, but still like universal about it and he 0:21:42.960 --> 0:21:45.639 was fucking with it, so he put me on the team. 0:21:45.680 --> 0:21:51.119 Bro was honor. I learned everything there. That's where I 0:21:51.160 --> 0:21:55.679 learned to really understand music production. And how long was 0:21:55.760 --> 0:21:59.199 that era of your career where you were in there learning? 0:21:59.280 --> 0:22:01.960 Like right, yeah, like how long did that last? Like 0:22:02.400 --> 0:22:04.679 four or five years of like and so you're just 0:22:04.760 --> 0:22:08.639 soaking up like everything, like because he's so meticulous. I 0:22:08.680 --> 0:22:11.920 hear him crazy about incredit Sonic, Like you said you 0:22:11.960 --> 0:22:14.440 hated here did jar rollsong in the club because you 0:22:14.480 --> 0:22:16.280 could tell the difference of the that Like that's probably 0:22:16.359 --> 0:22:18.200 probably got that for being around Jerry's a little sure. 0:22:19.680 --> 0:22:22.959 It's insane to think, like I feel like it's like 0:22:23.040 --> 0:22:25.600 still Dre, like low key, like the fact that you're 0:22:25.640 --> 0:22:29.280 a kid from Philly and kind of shaped like West 0:22:29.280 --> 0:22:31.400 Coast Sonics for like the next like eight or nine years. 0:22:31.400 --> 0:22:34.760 Because if you go and like listen to like games documentary, 0:22:34.960 --> 0:22:38.119 like I just feel like those keys are there at 0:22:38.119 --> 0:22:39.919 their West Coast now, Like it's like you know what 0:22:39.920 --> 0:22:41.639 I'm saying, Like there's records that you hear that are 0:22:41.680 --> 0:22:44.439 like we kind of you know, I can't take credit 0:22:44.600 --> 0:22:48.840 for like Dre's production is I'm obviously. Yeah. Yeah, like 0:22:48.920 --> 0:22:51.280 I brought to the table, I slowly, like the Chronic 0:22:51.280 --> 0:22:54.639 two thousand, I brought a certain it was more I mean, 0:22:54.640 --> 0:22:57.439 it was production, but it was like even more might 0:22:57.560 --> 0:22:59.800 want to call it writing, like we were writing these 0:22:59.840 --> 0:23:01.959