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| Baby J Interview :: |
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For those that don’t know, but probably should, introduce yourself and let us in on what you do and how long you’ve been doing it for? Baby j, hip hop producer to the stars the broke and the homeless, I've been producing for about 17yrs, been releasing stuff since 1996.
You’ve grown ever more popular in the UK in the past couple years with one of your best successes obviously being the production on the Skinnyman album. Also, recently you’ve put out your own album with various artists, called FTP, from around the world and soon will be releasing an album with UK Hip-Hop legend Blade. What steps did you take to get to this point in your career? And what reasons have you made you decide to work with these people? Who you work kinda just goes down to who you feelin and who you around as far as how I got here, it just comes from a passion for the scene and hard work, a lot of artists don’t realize that your work ethic probably has more to do with your success than your talent.
Is there any sort of sequence you have when making a beat or does it all come to you at different angles each time? And for upcoming producers that may be curious, what kind of equipment, software/programs, instruments etc. do you use? I use cubase with vsti’s and an emu esi32 sampler mainly but I always say it aint about your equipment, it dosnt really what you work on its what u do with it. Usually ill start out with an idea, it might be a sample or break or it might be an idea for a really soft or hard sound and ill work from there, but its from the initial idea and then I build everything else around that, if you working with samples you have to look at yourself as the last musician in the room, like you jamming with musicians and you’re the last person to lay your part.
Back to the Skinnyman album for a sec. Were you surprised by the great response from people about the album or did you know that this was going to become something quite special? I say this mainly because there are many artists that put out quality albums but in return don’t get much love back. I was surprised HOW far it went but I knew it was going to be big cause I new the tracks were big and skinny was so anticipated so we couldn’t really miss, but I remember the first time I heard it on radio 1 by chance and that was crazy, back then it was extremely rare for UK black music to get mainstream support.
About your recent album FTP. First, what does it stand for? Second, did you have a lot of other work that didn’t make the album? And, for the music that didn’t make the album, what do you do with it? Let it pile up and forget it, release it at a further date, or keep it in close proximity for your own personal enjoyment? Third, will there be a Volume 2 of FTP? And last, would you ever consider producing another album with another producer like Jay Dee and Madlib in the United States? The tracks on there, and the tracks that didn’t make it weren’t (on the whole) recorded for a ‘baby J’ album. They were tacks done for different projects or just generic track I was doing for the groups and I picked my favorites for my album. The unused tracks will either come out on those artists projects or be used by me at some point but most of the stuff that didn’t make the album is US stuff cause later on I decided I wanted it more UK based. I'm definetly going to do another baby J album its just a question of when I get time. As for working with other producers, creatively I prefer to work alone (when I'm actually building beats) but I've no objection to collaborating with other producers… me and Jo Buddah have been talking about doing just that recently. |
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The joint-album Guerrilla Tactics with UK Legend Blade is set to be launched early this year in February. How did you get in touch with Blade and how did you come to the decision to make an album together?
The album seems to be getting more and more attention as the release date closes in, especially when people see the line-up that will be at the Launch Party with the likes of Phi-Life Cypher, Jehst, Yogi, yourself and many others. But. do you see this as being the sort of album when it comes to response as “quiet before the storm”? I mean, people know and don’t know what to expect this time around so I think everyone is sitting patiently waiting to see what happens. I think whenever you work with an established artist like blade its easy to upset people, people are used to the artist being a certain way and any changes that people don’t like will get put on my toes, but in the same breath, without sounding arrogant I think I got the best out of him. I think because I've been able to sit back for so long and watch his career I knew what to come with to bring out the essence of blade. I really feel this album will stand the test of time. However ‘fashionable’ it is or isn’t week of release in years to come I think this album will sum him up as an artist at this point.
What previous projects have you worked on? For those of us who are unaware. Shabazz The Disciple 2x 12”, Baby J LP and 12” (1998), Yogi LP (1999), MSI Asylum 12” and LP, Black Samurai 2x LP, Moorish Delta 7 LP and 12”, Yogi LP and EP, Skinnyman 2x 12” and LP, A-Alikes 2x LP, Birth Of A Nation (DPZ Mix LP), Baby J LP 12”, Blade LP 2x 12”, Antourage LP 12”.
By looking at your work we see that you’ve worked with quite a few artists. But what artists, whether from the UK or worldwide, would you still like to work with? Ghostface, that would be ill. Apart from that I'm more interested in some new kid that no ones even heard yet than an established artist.
Just a couple of your typical questions…where were you born? What was life like growing up? When you were younger, as a kid or a teenager, did you know what you wanted to do? And if so, was your family supportive of what you aspired to become?
In life, we have something we want to do because we are passionate about it and want to make some kind of difference whether big or small and then we have something we will do if we must. If you hadn’t become a producer, what other career would you have pursued? Lets put it like this its hard to make money out of uk hip hop so whilst I've been doing this I've done all sorts of things to pay the rent. Which up and coming producers/emcees do you think we should look out for in the future? And as for producers, who are some of your favourites in the industry at the moment? Look out for Skeme big p, big v, tib2s, Producers I like,
Can you let us in on any upcoming projects besides Guerrilla Tactics being the obvious one? Antourage album, and laurissa (a singer I work with) album
What was it like working with one of the most underrated but brillaint emcees ever (poetic) before he died of cancer? Poetic R.I.P. was a superstar, he had a lot of vision and treat me with respect from the moment I met him.its really sad what happened especially the amount of suffering he went through during his battle with cancer. He’s sorely missed, but I like to think he lives on through myself and all his friends.
What do you think of Alex Blood, would / or have you ever work with him? Alex is nice, hes got a very original style and I respect that. I'm sure we will work together at some point.
Are you still down with Moorish Delta? Yeah that’s family. They got an album coming this year that’s ridiculous.
How old are you? 32
Are you making a living of the music yet? mmm… I do some teaching work that rukus got me into, teaching music to kids that have been kicked out of school, that and producing pay the bills.
Can you please send your entire back catalog to the hip hop basement? No. but if you find anywhere that’s selling it let me know cause I havn't got it and would like to get a copy to show my kids!
Do u ever smile - or do have a mean camera face all the time? Ha! I'm smiling reading that! Nah, its screwface 24/7, part of my hip hop image… rakim never smiled!
Any last shout outs to whomever? Love to all the uk hip hop family All power to the people. |
| baby j's website |
This interview was conducted by members of the blade691 forum. Thanks to everyone who contributed to this especially TOPICAL TYRANT for the 30 questions.
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