The Questlove Show - Black Music Month QLS Classic: Q-Tip

Episode Date: June 9, 2024

In a variety of eras, forms, and styles, Q-Tip has honored Black Music's past and piloted its future. In early 2017, the legendary MC, producer, and DJ spoke about the historical firsts and classic Hi...p-Hop history he took part in and witnessed as part of A Tribe Called Quest, and so much more.    See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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Starting point is 00:01:53 This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. What's up, everybody? It's Sugar Steve from Team Supreme. June marks Black Music Month. We often speak about it on Questlove Supreme, and we've had some of the legends responsible for the recognition on the show. Every day this June, we are running a different episode from the QLS archives to honor the tradition and intent of Black Music Month. This week, we are focusing on some of the great hip-hop conversations in the QLS catalog. Our leader, Questlove, has a new book out called Hip Hop is History.
Starting point is 00:02:27 Check it out at Questlove.com. Today, we are re-releasing an interview with Q-tip of a tribe called Quest, whose contributions shaped, the direction of hip hop over the last 35 years. Suprema roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, subprima roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, subprima roll call. Suprema, sub, sub, subprima, rogall.
Starting point is 00:03:01 Quest love gonna ramble. Yeah. Quetip not leaving here. Yeah. He tells me that crooklyn sample. Roll call. Supriva, sub, sub, suprema role call. Supraima.
Starting point is 00:03:14 Subima, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub. My name is Fonte. Yeah. This is the squad. Yeah. Phone is ringing. Yeah. Oh my dog.
Starting point is 00:03:24 Oh, my God. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, supremo roll call. Suprema, so, sub, sub, sub, supremo roll call. My name is Sugar. Yeah. Sugar Steve. Yeah. I am so backwards.
Starting point is 00:03:38 Yeah. I stop and breathe. Roll call. Suprema. Suprima. Sub. Supreme a roll call. Suprema, roll call.
Starting point is 00:03:48 I'm gonna pay bill. Yeah. Live in the dream. Yeah. Fucking Q-Tip, man. Quest love Supreme. Ro call. Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, suprem a roll call.
Starting point is 00:04:01 Suprema, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, sub, Supremma, roll call. Good afternoon, yeah. QLS fans. Yeah. This is Boss Bill. Yeah. Trap call Questan.
Starting point is 00:04:12 Rocall. Suprema, Submma, S, S, S, Supremma. Supremal Roca. Slyia. Yeah. I'm very excited. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:04:25 You Tip is here. Yeah. No other ladies invited? Roll call. Supremia. Subramal roll call. Supremma. Subramal.
Starting point is 00:04:35 Submina. Superima. Role call. My name is Tip. Yeah. What's your appraisal? Yeah. I have a cold.
Starting point is 00:04:42 Yeah. My voice extra nasal. Roll call. Supremma. Submina. Subm. Supremma. Subramo.
Starting point is 00:04:48 Surma. Subramo. Suprema Roe Call Supremma Subima Role Ladies and gentlemen Welcome to another edition of Questlove Supreme
Starting point is 00:05:10 I am your host Questlove We have Fantigolo Yes sir What's up, brother? Man This is a beautiful day In New York City
Starting point is 00:05:20 It's a little cold out Yeah, it's then dropped The Hawk then came out January, what do you expect? I'm glad, I'm glad Because I was worried for a minute But now I think winter is here in four four Really?
Starting point is 00:05:31 Full force. It's January, what you expect? Well, no, no, no, for a while. I mean, because, I mean, at least in North Carolina, I mean, up in like November, late November, we had a couple 70-degree days. So, I'm good. Yeah, you're right. I mean, December was cold as shit.
Starting point is 00:05:47 I remember one particular December. It was like really, really cold. But yeah, in January, it's even colder. It's where it comes. Yeah. I'm glad winter's here. You know, get to get my body right. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:05:58 I'm about 40 pounds in a lot. stomach virus away from my idea way. I'm working on it. Good luck with that. That stomach virus is going to get you through that. Yeah, it's going to get me to my, I'm in my Juryl Avert stage right now. That stomach virus is going to get me to my Anthony Anderson. There's always like smooth move tea or something.
Starting point is 00:06:23 Nah, man, that shit is for scammers. Really, a stomach virus? Oh, yeah, stomach virus will take you. It'll get you through that. You know that yogurt? How will you get the stomach rolls? I don't know how I'll get it. Hang around with kids. There it is.
Starting point is 00:06:35 I'm about to say, I got kids. I'm about to get bronchitis. Just hold on a minute. It's word of God. Just like, it could be awake within the next five minutes. You guys are basically saying that you will hope that your kids get you sick so that you lose some weight. Well, no, that's him. I don't necessarily hope it happens.
Starting point is 00:06:50 But if it did happen, I can't say that I would be mad about it. It would help me get over this, like the holiday, the extra holiday weighed and all of that. and just, you know, the stress weight. But smooth move tea, at least takes out like seven to ten pounds of... I got some of that at home, two boxes. Nah, I don't... Nah, I don't do the detox teas.
Starting point is 00:07:11 I don't do the... Diet plan. Yeah, I just, you know, cut back, lift, and get a stomach virus. Come on, man. You know what I mean? It's effective. A little neural virus is just, hey, man. Get those abs right for the spring.
Starting point is 00:07:23 I got a stomach virus a couple years ago, dropped like 15 pounds and then didn't come back. Oh, my God. It's 15 pounds. I'm glad you alive. I think didn't. Wasn't this a thing, like, in the 20s or something? What?
Starting point is 00:07:33 Where they would give, no, like, tape worms, like, where people would get bled. Do tape worms for... People go to Brazil right now for that, like, and just... What are you? Seriously? Yeah, dead ass. Those was, like, people would eat tapeworms or do stuff to... Not the cool sculpt, not the hot burning, not the LIFO.
Starting point is 00:07:50 It's like five different... It's a lot of ways to... Yeah, no, it's a lot of ways to lose weight. Not the Beyonce lemonade. Yeah, other than eat right and work out because no one wants to do that. Why, fuck that. Don't forget about the raps. Yeah, the waist trainers
Starting point is 00:08:03 just gonna have all these people fucked up. Nah, we don't do none of that. Why don't we want to do that? We could just, you know, we don't want to work out of eat right. So, yeah, if I get a stomach virus and, you know, stay in the gym, hopefully by springtime,
Starting point is 00:08:14 I'll be on my blackish Anthony Anderson. I'm life Anthony Anderson right now. But hopefully I'll be blackish Anthony Anderson by springtime. I hope to meet you there, bro. Yeah, because you, okay, so you... I've been abstaining. This has been the, this has been the,
Starting point is 00:08:29 period of abstinence. Okay. How's going? It's, I've made it through, I made it through the, at least what I call the, the underground tunnel, which was the first 15 days of avoiding sugar, avoiding flour,
Starting point is 00:08:45 bread, gluten, fried foods. Are you angry? I don't, I don't know. Just one day, I woke up. It was not your usual way. You know what? You know what?
Starting point is 00:08:57 You know what? The, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, the, back to all that is I've been snapping at more people than normal. Withdraw. Like, I don't know if it's a clear mind or just what it is. But yeah, I've been, like I feel like my boxing gloves might be in my future. Like, I could. Are you past the cravings phase or are you still craving?
Starting point is 00:09:22 I was dreaming heavily of food. Like, you know that's bad when you're just. you know, dreaming of a pound cake. No, that's real, though. Were you dreaming of it or were you dreaming of eating it? I was just dreaming of it. Like, you know, that Intimans cake that dad used to, my dad was the kind of dude that would measure,
Starting point is 00:09:44 like, what the family would intake. Like, he'd have the Sharpie mark on the lemonade bottle and the tea bottle and the fruit punch bottle and everything and how much Intimans cake was consumed before he got to it. So, yeah, that's, that is some real black daddy shit. That's real, though. Yeah, I'm but you on that. You don't measure your shit?
Starting point is 00:10:05 Nah, I don't. I mean, most of the time, because for me with sweets, I particularly buy them in very small quantities. And our whole thing with sweets is like, if I buy it, we got to kill it today. So I let my kids go in. Like, if I buy, like, cupcakes or whatever, it's like, all right, we're going to go in today. And then that's it. Because if you keep it around and you eat it day after day after day, then that's how you, you know, Set the bad precedent.
Starting point is 00:10:28 Exactly. How often? If we're just going one day? Maybe. Maybe twice a month, maybe. You know what I mean? A little. So even when you were on tour, now forget your kids, your bandmates.
Starting point is 00:10:38 Some of the worst roots, band fights ever. Oh, a food? Oh, in the name of food, bro. Yeah. Like, we would, I remember, I guess the period where we discovered almond milk instead of soy milk. Vanilla almond milk was just as good on your cereal than soy milk was. And I remember the shit was about to be set off because it was like, I put my name on the milk.
Starting point is 00:11:02 I guess I didn't realize that it was either Hub or Kamal, like they had put their name on the milk, thus they were claiming it. So not realizing this, we kind of killed the milk and, you know, and shit almost got set off on the tour bus. Just caught those hands. Yeah, it was fade, it was almost fade time. So, you know. Yeah, the tours would be, because,
Starting point is 00:11:27 particularly if you're on a bus and you've been driving like through the middle of nowhere and you've been thinking about food. Yeah, you've been in your bunk and you get up in the middle of the night and go to the bunk, go to the refrigerator and that shit ain't there. You're basically describing Chicago to Denver. For most touring acts, I mean, if you're a pop at or you're a country act, there's some stops in between
Starting point is 00:11:51 Chicago and Denver that you can do. But for most urban acts, especially if you're under the toulage of Kara Lewis like the first question she proposes to you is where do you want to
Starting point is 00:12:04 start now logic she always suggests that your hometown should be the last stop on the tour because of all the things that you've acquired on that tour you know your home can be your last
Starting point is 00:12:18 stop so all the serial that's on your rider all of the records that you went shopping with all the clothes All the sneakers and all the sneakers. Right. You don't have to ship them home from, like, Mexico. You can, you know, you're already in your hometown.
Starting point is 00:12:33 So you normally start off on the opposite. So normally we would start tours like in Vancouver and then go counterclockwise. Seattle, Portland, San Fran. Make you wear down. Down. And then ease your way back to the East Coast. But, yeah, with the touring dynamic, there's the whole. being considerate of
Starting point is 00:12:57 food factor that not many people get I suspect that that's probably one of the prime reasons why they're more solo acts than group acts oh man I can believe it I mean I tell people all the time if you ever want to get to really know a person
Starting point is 00:13:14 live with them or tour with them because you can't hide like whatever your vices are whatever fuck shit you got with you if you it's going to come out It's going to come out on tour. Oh, my God. You can't hide, bro.
Starting point is 00:13:28 You can't hide. So, yeah, touring was not enjoyable at all. Well, Questlove, I think it's important. You know that it's inspirational. You're doing so much. I can't tell you how many times I've seen your, like, social posts. And I've been like, I'm going to eat some. Well, now he's holding out.
Starting point is 00:13:43 I don't need this cookie. So keep going. It's hard. I just look at it. It's like more for me. But you're naturally like a thin guy, boss, Bill. Yeah, I don't think you, either you're a starving artist or you just don't overeat. But then you talk about, like, checkers.
Starting point is 00:14:05 I have the worst diet in the world. I have the Steve's diet. Circular 96. No one has Steve's diet. You really want to lose weight. I'll tell you how. I lost 30 pounds. We eat cigarettes and coffee.
Starting point is 00:14:16 Diabetes is, that will do it. That's when I lost 30 pounds. But for real, you write for those checkers? Huh? I mean, if it's late at night and nothing else is open, I mean, what am I going to do? There's a checkers in the city? Yeah, there's lots of them in the city. What is checkers?
Starting point is 00:14:31 Checkers is fast food. It's fast food. It's not the burgers, fries, and cola. It's like, cola. Isn't that there? That's what it says on here. In most college town, there's a checkers. The only one I know of is in D.C.
Starting point is 00:14:44 There's one next to that day's in on New York Avenue. On New York Ave, yep. Do you know about that day's in? Wow. No. No. No, I know. I know what you're talking about, but I don't know what's the specific significance of that.
Starting point is 00:14:57 Oh, no. Somebody got shot there or something? No, yeah. But it's just that. Is that the Mary and Barry Hotel? I feel like when you're default question. No, no, no, no. When you're touring, for some reason,
Starting point is 00:15:11 promoters will put their artist in that particular days in on New York Avenue next to the 24-hour checkers. Like when we were first touring, I think the first time we met Old Dirty Bastard He had just mastered Returned to the 36 And they gave us someone from Electric Gave us a copy of that CD
Starting point is 00:15:37 Like at that hotel But now I've seen a lot of crazy shit go down there Like with a lot of 1994-95 era hip-hop acts Who's the girl that sing a I think 5A on the corner Not salon? Nissela
Starting point is 00:15:52 Five o'clock on the corner. Right. Someone in her crew, I don't know how they ram their car inside of the room, but they did. So thus, it was like, yeah, a lot of crazy fuck shit don't want down. Damn. But, you know, speaking of the group dynamic, today's a special episode of Quest Love Supreme. and the reason being is that our guest today is one of the most beloved members
Starting point is 00:16:27 of one of the favorite groups of not even hip-hop history. I guess we had to take him out of the hip-hop context. Yeah, he's transcended hip-hop. Yeah, I think they've just become the group dynamic. But ladies and gentlemen, give it up for a Q-tip. Yes. Johnny! All right, so, brother Kamal.
Starting point is 00:16:57 You're there? Before we get started, yeah, you're going to tell me what is that damn sample in Crooklyn? No, no, no, no, no. Don't get, for 20 years, 20 years. But I don't remember. I really don't. Sampling don't matter no more. You can reveal a secret.
Starting point is 00:17:16 I know it doesn't. I'm not being like that. I totally would reveal it. Like, I really don't remember. but I know it's like an ECM joint. I know that for sure. So check Steve Swallow. Are one of those random library record things?
Starting point is 00:17:30 No, no, no, ECM. ECM, you know, ECM, jazz label. Yeah, so. So it might be Keith, Jared. It could be Keith. No, well, it's definitely not that. Let me see. I'm feeling like it's Steve Swallow.
Starting point is 00:17:43 So. He's a guitar player, yeah? I hate that pause. Can we talk about that? You paused itself. I know, but I just, it's just. It's just. Hove's fault. I think Paws is
Starting point is 00:17:52 Hoves' biggest contribution to hip-hop. Well, it sucks. Okay. I agree. I agree. No more pause. Yeah. But I can't stop. But I don't know, I can't remember, man. Can't just, like, Shazam a sample? It doesn't play long enough. If it weren't, if it were, you know,
Starting point is 00:18:10 isolated. If it were isolated. The minute it hears, like, a vocal, then it tunes into the whole song. I've heard everything. I heard it was red halt, I heard it was It's definitely not that. It's definitely putting you
Starting point is 00:18:27 in the right or the right terrain there. It's definitely some ECM shirt. Damn. When I find it, I promise you. If you saw the album cover, would you know what it was? No, I wouldn't. I'd have to listen to it. Man. Do you remember the day you made it
Starting point is 00:18:43 or was it just like, oh, what do you think of this? What do you think of this? I made it there in the studio. This is one of those like mindless five minutes. Yeah, yeah. I just can't I just came from record shopping and I went to Ed Studio which was called Dollar Cab Lab in Flatbush.
Starting point is 00:19:01 Wait, special Ed had a studio? Called Dollar Cab. Dollar Cabs? Yeah. Yeah. So. What? What?
Starting point is 00:19:08 Yeah. What was that? Wait, seriously? Yeah. He talked about it in a source, like, I mean, back then, but I remember that. Yeah.
Starting point is 00:19:17 Dollar Cab Lab. That's where we did it at. What did you? You on the SP? SP. That was there. And I had to break out. So I just, like, do the shit on them.
Starting point is 00:19:29 Quickie, five minute? Literally, like five, ten minutes. P. Rock explained to us that he procrastinated on the shut-em-down remix. So last minute that even when he was like, yeah, yeah, I'm 20 minutes away, he just, like, grabbed anything and just, here it is. Yeah. Now I'm realizing that some of the best beats and hip-hop. We're just mindless. We've got time to overthink it.
Starting point is 00:19:55 Just time to overthink it. Well, okay. Sorry. Of course. I need more help. I'm going to find it. I mean, you know, it's so much because he put it in the damn, the damn thing, the intro song. So I feel really bad.
Starting point is 00:20:09 The world, yes. Like, there's certain samples that. I can find that shit. I got every UCM worker. Okay, great. You do. You got work to do. All right.
Starting point is 00:20:18 We will find it. Some coffee to this. Well, wait, why weren't worn it? Do you know the SkyPager sample? Of course, that's Eric Duffy. Off the same record that the jazz is, the prison? No, well, that is, not Grand Green. Yeah, that was, Grand Green was the Jazz.
Starting point is 00:20:44 Okay, I'm thinking of it. So, yeah, SkyPager is Eric Dolfi out to lunch. Thank you, Jesus. All right. All right, finally, something. That's how to go. Even the baseline, too? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:21:02 All right, all right. Forgive me, ladies and gentlemen. Normally, I go through the chronological order of a person's life, but... No, no. This is a bird-in-a-hand, two-and-the-bush moment. All right, so, tip. Sir. I know you're tired of answering these questions, and we've known it before, but...
Starting point is 00:21:22 Good. All right. So the name of the high school that you guys... Murray Bertram. Yeah. I hear so much about this school. Was it a business school? Was it a trade school? It was a business school. So you aspired it. Like, when you were in first grade, you're like, yo, I want to go to Mary Bertram to learn? No, no. Actually, where it happened was. My sister was older than me. I just met her. You did.
Starting point is 00:21:50 I met her for the first time at 30. Oh yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah. So she's like super duper brain girl, right? And she took the SAT, which is the standard test back in the day. I'm pretty sure. Did they still do that? They still do that? They still do the ACT now when she's the new SAT?
Starting point is 00:22:10 So she got like one of the top scores in the city, and she got accepted to Stuyvesant, which is like the top high school, like specialized high school, whatever. So my dad wouldn't let her go. My dad was working for trans. He was a token booth clerk. Transit. And during the time, you know, there was a rash of incidents where girls were getting pushed off the platform.
Starting point is 00:22:37 So my dad was like old school. He was like, you're not going to no Manhattan. We were living in Queens. So I was like wanting to be like my sister. I'm going to take the test too. I want to go to Stuyvesant too. So of course I didn't make it to Stuyvesant. So I got accepted though to Brooklyn Tech.
Starting point is 00:22:51 I went to their orientation, and it was just like all these Decepticon dudes, which was just a New York gang back then. I was just like, okay, I'm not going there. I'm definitely not going to my own school. So my average was good enough, and I had some recommendations that I got accepted to Bertram, which was a business school. It was like a specialized school. And there, I met Queens was safe?
Starting point is 00:23:16 No, it was not safe. That's why I was getting the hell out of there. Okay. You know what I'm saying? Because my zone schools out there was like, it was just crazy. I probably would not be sitting here. Right. Yeah, it was that bad.
Starting point is 00:23:30 But so I would hour and a half, two hours every morning to school to Murray Brogstrom High School, which was ironically enough in that time. It was right across the street from police headquarters. So, but it was, they would still, trouble would still manage to find. himself in here regardless of the proximity of that but
Starting point is 00:23:56 yeah it was a great time man it was a great time I remember you know before we started freshman freshman
Starting point is 00:24:06 year we had the opportunity to go to do an early orientation so I went a little bit earlier in August and shit and the first person I met
Starting point is 00:24:18 was Brother Jay because he went to our school too from X Klan. Brother Jay. Oh, wait. That was Professor Egg. Brother Jay was the Abercatabra. Brother Jay is the rapper.
Starting point is 00:24:27 Did he always talk like this? Oh, no. They were like 40 years old in my head. They were just like the old guy. Like, I don't know why I've thought them as old guys and not like. But Jay is nice, though. Jay, Jay, never lost it. Jay still got it.
Starting point is 00:24:42 He's nice. His voice just cracks. You know what I'm saying? So he was the first dude I met. And then I met Ali. and then as the school year went on I eventually met Africa and all of them and blah blah
Starting point is 00:24:59 Kieran always jokes that Ali Yeah, Kieran Amo. Yeah, Kieran A mayo. Had the fur? Yes, but she always jokes that Ali always had the Gucci clutch. Yeah, like... With the forefinger rings.
Starting point is 00:25:12 But she called it, she called it the Pulp Fixier Briefcase because what was in that bag? Like, he just wanted... Now it was a clutch. He had a burner and he had. Yeah, like a, you know. Really? Yeah.
Starting point is 00:25:25 Alicia Muhammad. Yeah, from bedst, I do or die. Okay, I'm sorry. I mean, that's how I was back then. In my head, Alicia, Muhammad is like the 14th disciple that wasn't mentioned in the building. Like, you hear angel noises. I'll be like that ass up. Oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:25:42 I don't know. You know, he used to carry all sorts of stuff in here. Oh, okay. I hope I didn't out. Ouch, Ali. But, yeah. School was fun, though, man. It was just like, I don't know how it was for you guys, but back then, like, that was, for us,
Starting point is 00:26:02 that was like our kind of coming of age thing. It was a true place, especially for me, just geographically being that far away from home, it was a place that I could really etch out, you know, what I want to do. to do or who I wanted to be. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Because I went to school for computer science because I wanted to just like be a program designer.
Starting point is 00:26:29 Did you miss them like lifelong friends too? That's where you start. Yeah, man. It's like there's everything. You're probably one of the figures one of the few figures from the Renaissance hip-hop period that doesn't have a
Starting point is 00:26:47 I dropped out of school narrative. It's like, pretty much 80 to 90% of all of our hip-hop favorites have a story that leads to, and now I just dropped out at high school and went straight to the pros. Well, Mercing them were in school, Pais and those guys. Well, yeah, I'm just saying that. Oh, well, Mace, I think, dropped out. Okay, I see. Mace may have dropped out.
Starting point is 00:27:10 But it's just weird, it's rare that you hear of, you know, liking high school. and, you know, I actually enjoyed this experience because for most people, I'm in high schools, none but a precursor to prison for some. Yeah, yeah. For some, you know. So how, I mean, obviously, you and Fife were childhood friends and you and Ali were high school friends.
Starting point is 00:27:36 Like, how did, well, how did Gerobi enter the picture and how did the Twain meet? Like, how did you guys? Jerobi was, he lived on, uh, Fife, his mom's crib was like on my side of the tracks you know so track thing so and um his grandparents's house was on the other side of the tracks and um when he would go to the other side of the tracks that's with jerobie that's where he met jerobie so that was like around 12 13 so i knew jerobie when he was probably like
Starting point is 00:28:17 12, 11. That's when I first met him. Okay. So at this point, even though you're going for, like in high school, was it just like, okay, we're just fans of music, but
Starting point is 00:28:33 you know, there were no grand designs to start a band or become... Yeah, they was. I mean, we were pretty, um, we were pretty resolute in what we wanted to do. By what point?
Starting point is 00:28:49 Like 9th, 10th, 11th? Well, I mean, I've said before in other interviews, you know, Fife put the bug in me. We was like 9. Wow. You know what I'm saying? We were 11, 12, like, just rap. I mean, we were goofing.
Starting point is 00:29:05 But we was definitely rapping and definitely, like, you know, I don't know if other kids would do this, but, you know, you have your pad and you write out what the name of the group was and who was in it. Oh, yeah. You always. You remember that? Yeah, Taree used to draw album covers.
Starting point is 00:29:20 Yeah, yeah, yeah. We did the same thing. Little brother, we did the exact same thing. Right, right, right, right. We would be on death gym one day, watch. Yeah, yeah, that whole shit. Like, we did a little, I remember one time we did the day. We did this demo.
Starting point is 00:29:36 Okay, this was freshman year. No, it was 10th grade. It was 10th grade, so we were like 15. So Jerobie was going to Tech. Fife was going to Springfield in Queens. And me and Ali was in brunch, whatever. So on the weekends, you know, I would hustle a little bit. And for my money, I would like scrape up.
Starting point is 00:29:57 And I would, I looked literally in the yellow pages for like a rehearsal studio. So I found this one in the city on 14th Street called Giant Rehearsal Studios. And saved up the money. And every weekend, we'd go there and Ali would bring his four track that belonged to Uncle Mike. And Uncle Mike used to work at Columbia and stuff. So we go there and we would record like our little routines. So my sister was dating Scaf Anselm.
Starting point is 00:30:35 He gets props too. And Scaf and Jazzy used to come by the house. Like see my sister, whatever. Jazzy Jay? Jazzy Jay. Okay. So I was like, damn, I want to be at Zool-Lay. Oh my God.
Starting point is 00:30:49 And I, you know, it was just like, we'd be in there working, working, working, working. And we had like this horrible, these little fucking wretched little fucking songs that we worked on. Everybody has those songs. Oh, my God. All right. What was the loop? What did you rhyme over? Payback.
Starting point is 00:31:10 And we had a drummer. His name is Anton. Shout out to A. Boogie. That's the OG A Boogie. from the Bronx. Right. He was,
Starting point is 00:31:20 because he was drummer in school or whatever, so I was like, yo, so you're going to play the beat over this? And it was called a routine.
Starting point is 00:31:28 Routine! Brutte, and here's your ruby with that beep pop. So you all just rhyme over the peepet? Yes. It was pretty bad
Starting point is 00:31:44 and jazzy and skeff through my assistants. and Bucking my sister, they came one Saturday. They looked like they were hungover. Like they had, I don't know, maybe Harlem World or something was the night before. Right. And they came by and listened to it. And Jazzy was like, yo, that shit was kind of wack.
Starting point is 00:32:05 Y'all got to keep working on that shit. Wow. Really? He said keep working. Like, he saw something. He heard something. I hope so. Oh, maybe he was just being nice because, you know.
Starting point is 00:32:17 We wanted to bang one of my sister's friends. Ah. But that was kind of like, but we weren't discouraged by it. We just said, okay, like, we were some really industrious little bastards, man. So we kind of, like, had an idea to answer your question. So was this 86, 87? This is 85. Okay.
Starting point is 00:32:39 85, yeah. Wait. 85, 86. Yeah, it was probably like 86, 86. It had to been 86. Because I was like, even the idea of rhyming over a record, was that even an idea back in 85? Like, well, and by 86 samples were like, yeah, that was all you had. I think you had to, if you didn't have a drum machine.
Starting point is 00:32:58 I mean, I remember, I mean, look, so what year was the biz dance? 86, 87? Yeah, 86. Okay. Okay. Yeah, it was like 86. Yeah, 86. Yeah, right.
Starting point is 00:33:13 Okay. So what was the first step to seriousness as in, I'm going to save up and get this drum machine? Or, because what I didn't know, I only found that recently, that you guys actually were thinking about signing to Geffen. Yeah. Back in 89. Yeah, I forgot where I read that. But. Because Jeff Fenster gave us.
Starting point is 00:33:44 Well, Glenn Friedman is really the orange pin to the whole thing. So, you know, I have worked with Jungle. You know, we were in high school and they were finishing up the album. So they were the Jungle Brothers in high school. I mean, Jim Brownski era like... Was in high school. Yeah. So while they were in the high school, Jim Brownski's album?
Starting point is 00:34:08 Yes. What was like for them to... Crazy. Because even for us, like in Philly, like... It must have been crazy. Yeah, so I can imagine in high school. In high school, having a record out. The Jungle Brothers is going to, yeah.
Starting point is 00:34:21 Yeah, that was kind of ill. It was, wow, because we were finishing up the album while, I believe, we were in 12th grade. Finishing up the debut album, Future of the People, so wow. No, no, no, finishing up. Straight out of the Jungle, gotcha, okay. So, you know, I did some shit on it. I did promo.
Starting point is 00:34:41 Well, I did promo. Well, I did promo that was 11th grade. And then time And then time, yeah And then Promo 2 Yeah, promo 2 And time
Starting point is 00:34:51 That was for the album And Black is Black Did that And The first record I ever mixed Was straight out the jungle So it was me And Red Alert
Starting point is 00:35:00 And Tony D And Mike We actually mixed that record I was the first time And I remember Tony D was there Yeah And Red was like
Starting point is 00:35:10 So this what you do Tim So these are the faders, so I already EQ'd it, we got to sound the right. So, we're going to do a couple of takes,
Starting point is 00:35:22 and I want you to ride this up, and then when we hit this, I need you to ride the next fader up. But don't bring it to, don't bring it past this point. They had the tape on it. Don't bring it past this point. And then after that, I'm going to let you do one way. If you want to do a different
Starting point is 00:35:39 one, then you just do a different book for the first couple. Like, Red was just like red alert was just like you were the automated system well it was you were the automated well i had never did it before right you know what I'm saying Mike had did him and af were doing by himself that was like my first time actually mixing a joint right I'm saying I was crazy like intimidated but excited about it because I felt like wow this is fucking red alert and you're in high school at this point high school so he was of legend status already by this point oh man he was I was just telling um
Starting point is 00:36:13 my assistant, as we was talking about, you know, the history of this studio, like, right across the street was Latin Quarter. There's a parking lot on 48th Street. I was like, wow, that's what Latin Quarter was. FI, everybody was listening. We're in Quad City, right? Yeah, old Quad Studios. I call this Tupac Central.
Starting point is 00:36:30 Yeah, no, really. So right across the street was Latin Quarter, and that was where Red was like, he bought the whole Harlem and Bronx shit to Midtown, and he was ruling shit. Like that was, I mean, even though Magic and Marley and them was like on the radio, they was the did it to d'antan. The thing that kind of took to me in my just opinion that had Red Elevator is because he had a place to play. Literally after he went, after he was on the radio, everybody would flock to the quarters or go to the square. So that was up the block. So Red was, yes, he was supreme status like, ah.
Starting point is 00:37:07 So you would go to the Latin Quarter? Yeah, hell yeah. I got a lot of Latin quarter stories Yeah I was going to say everyone that's when I've been Trying to get the definitive Latin quarter story out of people Right And but the thing that amazes me the most about the legend of the Latin quarter Right
Starting point is 00:37:27 Is the fact that you go there Knowing that someone's going to No Well I mean that was his old joint Latin quarter I didn't know that. So it transformed into something different. Okay, so you really know shit about it that we don't know.
Starting point is 00:37:45 No, but I'm sorry. But no, no, I'm just saying that, like, our Latin quarter in Philly was a place called After Midnight. Okay. Of which my parents were like, hell no. People get shot there. No, you ain't going. But everyone that has done this show has a Latin quarter story. Whose house was it, though?
Starting point is 00:38:05 Was that, like, a schoolie D? Yeah, I mean, it was it? It was the reason why... The reason why after midnight was so special was because at the point where MSG stopped hosting hip hop after the death jam tour... The stuff. The closest you could get.
Starting point is 00:38:23 You couldn't even get to the spectrum. Sometimes you could, but like the East Coast mecca, Lisa and Chuck These Eyes, was like always after midnight. Lady B hosted that spot. Right, right, Lady B, okay. Yeah, exactly. That's awesome. But it's just that.
Starting point is 00:38:38 People don't talk about her enough. But sorry. That's folks in Philly. But every person that talks on the show about Latin Quarter, I guess the rewards of hearing hip hop far outweighed the risk that you can lose your life. The risk of getting shot or getting your chain taken or. It was exciting, no. You know what I'm saying?
Starting point is 00:39:06 Like. Well, you went with red, obviously, correct? Yeah. So were you like carrying his records? Red and the violators, we'd be carrying his records. The first time I met Chris Lighty was carrying his records. So later I became, you know, after I was became a dude who would always carry Red's records. After Red.
Starting point is 00:39:23 Yeah. Well, it was Chris, and he would do that for a while. Then as Jungle started popping, I was still around, so then I eventually became Reds. But it wasn't like you had to wait outside for an hour to get in. Nah, nah, I would meet. up with AF and the first time
Starting point is 00:39:42 I went to the last quarter's right there was a Sabaro across the street Sabarro's pizza still there
Starting point is 00:39:47 was probably the scene out of the All you can eat yeah Yeah right right Right
Starting point is 00:39:52 exactly I'm just singing about that when I'm on the way It's still there you can eat I go
Starting point is 00:39:58 so boo-hoo boo-hoo please exactly so we're on a quarter So it's hot
Starting point is 00:40:09 It must have been 100 degrees that day So we're out there It's like 1230 So Afinan standing the corner He was like Yeah I'm waiting for my man on Greg He was about Greg Nice He's like
Starting point is 00:40:22 Now at the time Greg Nice was the beatbox For MC Search And they were on select And the first I see they've come around the corner Search has this crazy high top And he's eating watermelon from, you know, those, you know, when you go to the delis
Starting point is 00:40:38 and you go to the fruit bars, he got a watermelon. He's like, and AF was like, yo, this nigga crazy. Yo, this is Couta, Couto, this is search. This is Greg. Greg was like, what on? What up? He's like, what up? He's like, there's a search.
Starting point is 00:40:51 And we're all kids. You know what I'm saying? And searches, they're like, yo, what up? Homeboy? And the waterbellet juices fall out. It's my mouth and shit. I'm like, yo, this dude is, wow. I didn't ever see no shit.
Starting point is 00:41:05 Then D. Nice comes up. He had his BDP shit on it, whatever. His little leather BDP dapper Dan joint. He's like, ah, ha, ha, ha, Derek. He's like, yo, what up? What up, y'all? He's like, yeah, he's just a Q-Tip. He's like, what up?
Starting point is 00:41:19 Slight pause. Yes. If D. Nice, who... Okay, I'm sorry. No, my fault. D. Nights is Team Red Alert. Yeah. I'm getting my...
Starting point is 00:41:29 Yeah, well, he's BDP. Right, right. It's just in me. I'm thinking, wait, D. Nice is not supposed to be there. That's the wrong territory. No. He's family.
Starting point is 00:41:37 He's family. He's family. He's family. Because all of the juice crews, I mean, it wasn't really like, that was more of an instigation of magics. Okay. They always kind of like fucked around.
Starting point is 00:41:46 He kind of said that when he's, we talked to him. Yeah. Yeah. So go ahead. So, D.K. And Aft was like, okay, we're going to go in. And Derek was like, no, I'm about to meet Kane. And I was just like, I just straightened up and shit.
Starting point is 00:42:02 Because you know Kane is. Kane. at the moment. He's tearing shit up. And it was just off of just rhyming with biz and then you would always hear about this dude cane like in the streets, whatever, in the circles. So
Starting point is 00:42:18 we go across the street on the side of the block where Latin Quarter was. We leave us to borrow all you can eat station and we go to that side. And then about 15 minutes later we smoke or whatever, 15 minutes later a limo pulls up in his cane and he's in the limo
Starting point is 00:42:37 and he's like, what up, Derek? What up, y'all? Everybody's like, oh, what up, what up? And we're just like standing back and he was like, yeah, yeah, so play me that joint. And so then he was like, his man, I guess, was sitting on, it was a super stretch. So I guess the tape player was
Starting point is 00:42:53 towards the partition. Right. Towards the front. So his man presses play and it's raw. Wow. And it's rushing out of the fucking window. And everything just got, just that moment, like how we just had just a second,
Starting point is 00:43:13 how everything kind of got still, was like that for like four minutes. It just got still. So you heard pre-Raw like. Yes. And Derek was like, as soon as it came on, shout out to D, that's my brother. He was like, oh yeah,
Starting point is 00:43:28 that's to beat the Sandy and the muse. Talking about I'll take your man. from salt and pepper. Okay, okay, okay. He had said that, and Kay was like, yeah, but it ain't this shit, though. And it was like, that shit rock. Yo, I couldn't think of nothing else.
Starting point is 00:43:45 And then he just drove a eye, I got to go to the show, whatever. And he just drove off in the night. He met him near to play him raw. And that was just, that was one of my Latin quarter moment. Sorry. No, that's exactly. That was a Q-Tip exclusive.
Starting point is 00:44:07 Wow. So, wow, okay, that was a happy, a great, you know, where search each watermelon. He makes it out. Nobody got to change. Because I was waiting. Searching water. It was a happy moment, right?
Starting point is 00:44:21 Yeah. Oh, sweet. Y'all too was waiting for. Yeah, I was like, oh, man, see, please don't let me say he said, nigger, please. Don't do it. Don't do it, search. Not search.
Starting point is 00:44:31 A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show.
Starting point is 00:44:54 This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be.
Starting point is 00:45:24 Listen to the Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or where wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft.
Starting point is 00:45:39 And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for
Starting point is 00:45:51 to the biggest mistakes franchises make, to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts,
Starting point is 00:46:06 or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends.
Starting point is 00:46:33 I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care, so they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.
Starting point is 00:46:57 He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. All right, if you're just joining us, we're chatting with the rapper, actor, producer, DJ. Member of a legendary hip-hop group, a Tribe Hall quest, Q-Tip. The group released their critically acclaimed sixth studio album. We got it from here.
Starting point is 00:47:29 Thank you for your service in November of 2016. Have you guys ever performed at the Latin Quarter? No, we didn't, no. Okay. I saw a lot of performances there, though. What did you see? I know you saw like a lot of first. Yeah, well, I saw emcee light to,
Starting point is 00:47:49 a cram to understand you. And then when she got off stage, I tried to kick it to her. She was kind of happening, and we went on a date and shit. Damn. I'm sorry, but who? You said MCLite. MCLite. Oh, okay.
Starting point is 00:48:01 Damn. Yeah, just, okay. That's what's up. You got that. Hey, hey, hey. No, but that, no, but that was, it was, it was, it was early. I mean, you know, it was like Kranos and she was, that was the first, one of the first. Then I saw audio two do.
Starting point is 00:48:19 Top Billing. Before they did, they did, I like cherries because cherries taste better. That was first? Milk and salt. Was it grape sauce sour? Oh, boss and more. Yeah, yeah. Wait a minute.
Starting point is 00:48:31 Wow. Did that fly over with y'all, though? Not really. Was there a little bit of powerful? Have you seen a legendary act perform at the Latin quarter that didn't have their shit together at that moment? I mean, I've heard conflicting reports of public enemies first time. Yeah, I didn't see that night. I didn't see that night.
Starting point is 00:48:55 But I heard that that was shaky. Chuck, about Chuck's own admission, he said that was, it didn't go well. And he said it was actually melly Mel in the back was like hollering them. Yeah, he's like, male has. Like, the big people are, yo, these niggas is wax, son. Yo, Mel, Mel? It was ill because you. Was you like, Hornoff and Sadler?
Starting point is 00:49:16 Yo, Mel is, I mean, we all know Mel and Mel is like, Mount Rushmore, architect. Absolutely. But at that time, it was like a generation. Right. The old guy in the back. But it wasn't, but we never viewed him. We always looked at him as, yo, that's Melie Mel.
Starting point is 00:49:34 Like, your mayor, Busy B, got suicide He's ringing off, like, we were still kind of fucking with him. I feel like Mel kind of... Felt slighted. No, when he would always instigate the fact that he was older and we were young niggas. Y'all young, y'all young niggas,
Starting point is 00:49:51 and your young boys, I'll be seeing him in the quarter be like... Like, with the muscles, I'm flexing out for everybody. Wait, wasn't this... Yo, yo, yo, yo, yo, y' y'all young, y' young... Your young niggas don't know what the... you know, all this shit. And I saw the battle.
Starting point is 00:50:08 Yeah, the $1,000 battle. Yeah, with KRS. And he got up on stage. This is Mellie Mell versus KRLS. Yeah. Okay. I saw that shit. And Mel was on stage doing push-ups and shit.
Starting point is 00:50:23 Like Jack Palantz? Like the ostrich. Yo, it was an Easter, it was an Easter Sunday. And, you know, he was like, I'm the real nigga from the Bronx and shit. You know what I'm saying? You know, yeah. I'm not trying to play.
Starting point is 00:50:42 I'm just telling me how to the blood off. No, no, we get it. I'm just saying it because I don't know what Melo be like. It sounds just like him. That's why I'm laughing. It's my voice. Yo, tip. Because that nigga's 60 and he's still like.
Starting point is 00:50:52 He's still like that old man's truck. Like a jill. Right, right, right. He is. He ripped the fucking can open and shit. One, one time. One time I. One time I.
Starting point is 00:51:04 I did a documentary. I did a documentary in which... One time? Really? Really? Only once. I was in a documentary once in my life. Wait, wait, we need a sound effect for that.
Starting point is 00:51:17 I was in a documentary once. No, Mel had admitted that when he was doing white lines... He was on coke. That he was cooked up. So I have to mention that... Wait, do you remember this light of you? I did not know this, no. Oh, oh.
Starting point is 00:51:33 No. So at Tasty Treats. Oh, he came to Tasty Trey? Dog. Okay. Like, I mentioned in the documentary, well, yeah, you know, the ironic thing about white lines was that it's an anti-drug message. But yeah, no, male shoulder.
Starting point is 00:51:49 Dog. No, I got a better one. So it was that moment where I was DJing. And then, you know, Yeah, I mean was like, hey, yo, Melly Mel. Mellie Mel want to talk to you one second because he said that you said that you said him because you said he was on crack.
Starting point is 00:52:17 And I was like, what? I looked to the right. It was this Mel with like, Missile and Man status. Tank top, it was winter though. Yeah. Right, right, right, right. So this is how Mel, like, wound up being around for like two or three years at every event?
Starting point is 00:52:31 Yes, yes. Yes. We squashed it. Okay. But then he just came to every event at every okay player event. I noticed that. Wait, he was there at the Christmas party with the... He used to be seeing Meli Bell in here like...
Starting point is 00:52:46 Yeah. In back, like, wearing lime green suits. I love Melo. Shout out to Mel. Mel. This is a legend. Oh, my goodness. Yeah, so, all right.
Starting point is 00:52:56 See, I want to stay at the Lack. No, we got more. Lank, we got it off. We got a lot quarter. We got enough. I think we got enough. But anyway, I'll finish this up. All I'll say is that, KRS, you know, Mel has said some rap, whatever,
Starting point is 00:53:12 and he was like, yeah, oh, Supreme. And he hit the floor, was doing, like, push-ups, and they threw the beat on it. I forget what the beat was. And all I can remember is KRS was hitting that rhyme from poetry. Right. How did this start? Let us begin.
Starting point is 00:53:28 No, no, no, no, no. That's my philosophy. Poetry. Poetry. Do, do. I'm not gonna teach it at the lesson. Classes, you can stop guessing. Yeah, he hit that.
Starting point is 00:53:41 Say something now. He put the mic down to him. He didn't say shit. Thought so. Really? I was like one of them. It was over. For real.
Starting point is 00:53:52 Niggas start fighting. Noges got, they shut the shit down. Wow. The normal Latin quarter story. It was just wild. It was wild. Were you there for the last, the quote, Last night.
Starting point is 00:54:04 That was the last night. Oh, everybody's got a last night. One day, one day we were describing a cabal of the last night. It was that Easter Sunday when that shit happened and niggas, the violators got into it and I'm telling you that was the last night. Everyone has a last night at the Latin Quarter. Like fake Newman had her is last night.
Starting point is 00:54:22 Yeah, like her last night. Yeah, it's like. What was her last night? What she said? PE, right? No. I think it wasn't. I can't remember.
Starting point is 00:54:29 No, she said she was there for the last night of the Latin Quarter. She said a fight, broke out. I remember she said it was like all this stuff happened. All we need is Heather Hunter to finish the story. Oh, was she there too? Damn. She was a coach at girl. That's why I want to get her on the show.
Starting point is 00:54:42 She knows Mads stories. Oh, progress. That's amazing. Yeah. Wait a minute. That was not a stab. I love Heather Hunter. So do we.
Starting point is 00:54:49 Janet Jack, me too. Anyway. All right. So, all right. Wait, I feel like there's more. What other historical first and classic hip-hop history have you been able to witness? Let me see.
Starting point is 00:55:09 Oh, well, I remember when Biz was working on just a friend. I heard you're the reason that it even came to be. You told him, like... Well, it wasn't that. Like, I knocked the reason. He said, Q-Tip told me to do it, or some shit like...
Starting point is 00:55:27 Well, he played it for me. We were in Kalapie Studios. and the original was you you must be on speed If you say he's just your friend You must be on speed I was like biz you cannot say that Word
Starting point is 00:55:50 He said I know I was thinking about doing this other one You You got what I need I was like That's the one You must be on speed Yeah, that was... That's another...
Starting point is 00:56:04 Yeah, a juice crew interpolation. Didn't Big Daddy Kane do a perfect combination or... You're on your menstruation. He had a whole routine with biz where they used to do
Starting point is 00:56:17 Johnny Gil and Stacey's last all. That was like live, it never made it for a record, okay. I could believe that. I mean, it was so routinely done, like, I feel like somewhere in history there... It exists somewhere.
Starting point is 00:56:28 It has to be somewhere on some demo tape. I could believe that. Somewhere. I forgot to ask Marley that question. All right, so your record collection. See. Before your career, and I guess during, at least up to the Jungle Brothers, like at what point are you going through your father's records?
Starting point is 00:56:50 Like, how are you? Well, I'm going through my father's record. Before all of it, like, as a kid, it was my father's records. Let me Okay, what I really wanted Okay, like the Bronx had their beginnings of hip-hop And going to party jams or whatnot Was there a story of that in Queens?
Starting point is 00:57:11 Of course. Were you seeing the disco twins? Actually, of course, Brooklyn and Queens Actually there was a lot of this It's a lot of even recent recollection about the beginnings of literal hip-hop. You know what I'm saying? Like jams and shit.
Starting point is 00:57:30 You know, Grand Master Flowers was doing it. Queens Dave? Brooklyn. But he would, but the Brooklyn and Queens guys, they would always be, you know, the parties would kind of be overflowing there. That was the territory, much like Bronx and Harlem. You know what I mean? That connection.
Starting point is 00:57:50 Because we only hear about the Bronx. And I know, like, all these other girls. There's a lot of, if you look, it's funny because one night, Somebody sent me a link, and one night I just got into this whole YouTube. Rabbit hole. Yeah, exactly. It's a labyrinth. And you see all of these OGs from, like, Brooklyn and Queens.
Starting point is 00:58:11 You know, they had infinity sound out of Queens. You had the albino twins, disco twins. And an infinity machine was a pretty big sound system. At the same time as, you know, the Hercules, which was Ku Hergs and Sasquash, which was Gene and them. shit. So Queens has some big sound systems and Brooklyn has some sound systems
Starting point is 00:58:34 as well too. So the first time I went to a jam I must have been about six seven and I believe that Grandmaster Flowers was DJ and it was actually one block off where Fife's mother lived on that side
Starting point is 00:58:49 for the tracks. And that was the first time I've seen a DJ bring a... It was not any scratching, but it would just be like, you know, bringing it back, kind of. And it was a hot shot. Yeah, I think it was hot shot.
Starting point is 00:59:06 Hot shot, hot shot, hot. Two, three, thing. Yeah, that joint. Exactly. And that, it was just, that was like the first recollection of that. Everybody was like kind of on the freak line. No, okay.
Starting point is 00:59:25 I remember that break. Yeah. That was early. That was early. And that was like an instigation into getting records for me. But, you know, luckily, you know, my dad had a pretty substantial record collection. And he would trade with my aunt Effie, was up in Harlem. And my other, my cousin lived a few blocks away, and they had like a bunch of records.
Starting point is 00:59:47 And then my friend who lived across the street, he was much older than me, Eric Sala. Oh, wow, bomb squad. No, no, not that one. Oh, okay. It's another saddard. another Sadler family. So they had a bunch of records. So I'd be like raiding everybody's joints
Starting point is 01:00:05 and just listening to music. Then by the time, you know, I start 13, 14 and the breaks and all that stuff, you start hearing all of that, I started putting two and two together. Because at first it was just like a family hobby to collect records. So it wasn't really from a position
Starting point is 01:00:23 of like grabbing break beats, but then that, that, I had kind of between from when I was seven up to ten, it was just about a record collecting thing. And then when I got to like 12, 13, 14, I started realizing, put two and two together and made the connection of what it was. So that's kind of how I kind of got into the whole.
Starting point is 01:00:45 So your dad encouraged, didn't discourage you from touching his record collection? No. You didn't have a, don't touch my stereo, dad. My mother was more like that, but my dad is. Your grandmother was more like that, I would do that and fuck the shit up, yeah,
Starting point is 01:00:58 because you know you'd have the whole, the one system with the, you open the wood cover and shit. Oh, the coffin, yeah, the coffin. And you'd be like, do, do, do, do it. What you're doing? I don't know that thing.
Starting point is 01:01:11 You know, that type of shit. Yeah. It was the belt drive, they were like they wouldn't even go back. It was just straight the belt drive. It wasn't direct drive. Yo, what y'all think, how do y'all think that out of face music now
Starting point is 01:01:23 that the era of your parents' records is over? Like, kids today don't get to go through their parents' albums. Like we all did. Yeah, because now there's 90,000 records. But do they go through their parents' iPhone? No? Like, how do you? They get it in the car.
Starting point is 01:01:37 My boys get it in the car. Like, when we go on road trips and stuff and I'm playing my music, that's when they get. You control the music, though, right? I control the music in the car. The car is a lot. Much to their chagrin? Sometimes, I mean, they'll purposely like. They got headphones on.
Starting point is 01:01:52 Yeah, they'll put on headphones and they'll do whatever. But fun, do you find that in the car when you having those chips, that they are a little bit more open to hearing it. And I was like, oh, wow, Dad, I like that. Yeah, yeah, yeah. I mean, I think. Give me an example of someone from our era that they really dig. Someone from our era, I mean.
Starting point is 01:02:10 That you put them on to you like when they was like five or six. Yo, no, no, dead ass. And I'm not saying just because he was here when the new record came out. I was just playing it in the house. And my son came home from school. He's like, oh, dad, is that the new tribe album? Oh, wow. And he had him, oh, son.
Starting point is 01:02:25 I had him on. Like, you might be a kid. You might get a job. But no, my son, he's 15. And so he was, I mean, I had him, I was playing, when he was a kid, I made him like a tape of just some of my favorite music. I had some tribe on there. Machundegio cello, like, can.
Starting point is 01:02:42 I mean, I just made him a tape. And so he would go to sleep to that as a kid. And so now, I will say, man, I mean, and I see it, I think this generation of kids, they're the most open. Yeah. Because everything is free. So whereas back in our day, like, you want to. might want to take a chance on a radio head or some shit,
Starting point is 01:03:01 but it's like, okay, Nick, I can buy a radio head. I can buy Cuban links. Yeah, nigga, I'm buying Cuban links. Right, right, right, right. But now everything is available. So those kids now, my boys, they listen to everything from, like, the most ignorant trap shit to, like, tribe, to king, you know what I mean? Like, they listen to it all.
Starting point is 01:03:17 Right. Because they have access to it. Rik's daughters that way, Salia, when she was born, I made her an iPod of just random stuff. and to this like she's 11 but she loves the police she loves do do do da da da da and my son
Starting point is 01:03:35 for last Christmas he asked for he wanted me to buy him a CD copy of Metallica's Injustice Falls because he we used to play one on guitar hero and so that like led him that
Starting point is 01:03:51 so like that shit Queens of the Stone Age like all that kind of you know rock He's into that. It's funny because, you know, my little cousins, they're like 1415. And, you know, they're not necessarily what everybody deems, what the millennial or whatever. I feel like that that crew is a little bit more open. It's like, okay, I feel like the millennials or whatever when they had streaming and all of that stuff and it hit for them, it wasn't, you know, the functionality of what's streaming really was to be, which was to cross-sectionalize all types of music, hadn't really
Starting point is 01:04:31 came, hit its stride with them or hasn't really fell on them with that younger generation through watching them, the sees that it's really, hey, it's about all of this shit. Everything, yeah. You know, because I was surprised, like, a year and a half ago, we had, like, this in-store, we did this collaboration with Stusi, and the line was like around the corner. It was like, yo, nigger, I, and I was, like, yo, nigger, I, Prior to this, I was cutting my lawn in my New York jet socks and my fucking Nike shorts. I had my tank top on, you know, smoking weed, yelling at my dog, scratching my back.
Starting point is 01:05:09 Like, I ain't been out. It's like, come do this. I'm like, oh, okay. And you go to it and you see this. And it's these 15, 16 year old kids. Like, oh, my God, you don't know it. And I'm like, huh? Yeah, pop-up stores are now the new black.
Starting point is 01:05:25 Do we feel good, too? Yes, it's encouraging. It feels encouraging. I'm encouraged by it. No, I will say, Tim, you were one of my favorite producers in the sense that you always, the way I've always described is like you always kept a foot in both worlds. Like, you could do Midnight Marauders, but then could do the infamous, you know what I'm saying? Or you could do like a Craig Mac remix.
Starting point is 01:05:47 And like, you always found a way, even when you worked with big mainstream acts of the time, you still found a way to put your stamp on. on what you were doing. And I think that's, in my opinion, to me, that always kept you kind of, you never, to me, never came across as like that bitter guy, like a lot of older cats, you know what it is, you know why?
Starting point is 01:06:07 And he could tell you, it's not really a big secret, it's DJ. Right, don't you find that, Amir? Like, DJing. Well, I'm probably, I'm smart about it now. Mm-hmm. Because I wasn't DJing as heavy since maybe the last three or four records
Starting point is 01:06:24 where I'm now aware of it. it. Now, now I know why Dre, like when I saw straight out of Compton and realized the environment that Dre was DJing at that roller skating rink, where it's like you play the wrong record. That's your ass. Now I realize, oh, that's why all of Dre's stuff is take no prisoners with his singles and stuff. Like, it has to. It's got a hit. Grab you by the throat. Now I realize that, yeah, that's the advantage of it. The other thing about it too is that it's, it's a, you know, you get to see what works and why, you know. Because I, you know, I think that you and I, we maybe, I think we come from the same philosophy when we spend. You know what I'm saying? It's like, you know, current, current, a little bit back, another one throwback, tempo-wise, tempo match, baseline match,
Starting point is 01:07:15 then boom, now current, you know, current, you know, just to try to mix. And then sometimes you know that the crowd may not know the throwbacks, but you just want to see the reaction if it's one of it. See if it works. Yeah, because if it doesn't stop the groove and you see who's moving it to it, it's a great study. Yeah. You know?
Starting point is 01:07:35 Psychological stuff. Yeah. If you're just tuning in, we're getting a hip-hop history lesson with rapper, actor, producer, DJ, a member of a Tribe called Quest Q-tip. The reason why I brought the record collection is because in the era of when you guys finally get your debut record out, First of all, the long-ass title, People's Instinctive Travels, and the Paths of Rhythm. Why? I mean, Captain Beefhearten.
Starting point is 01:08:06 I mean... It doesn't be difficult. Yeah, I mean, you know, it's like... Yeah, we need a long-ass title. We need to stick the fuck out. What were the other options for the debut album before? Was the other... I wanted no other option.
Starting point is 01:08:22 You never... Either or... We always had, like, three to choose from it. Really? decide like, okay. No, we was just like, yo, this is what it is. Really? You know.
Starting point is 01:08:29 Okay. So in the era of you guys making that record, well, as a music producer, the first thing, the reason why I have a dividing line between the Renaissance era of hip-hop and the classic era of hip-hop and the thin line that's in between is the fact that you guys managed to miraculously avoid James Brown. Well, using anything from Breakbee Lou's Ultimate Beets and Breaks collection, which, all right, for our listeners, Breakbee Lou, shout out, what's up, Lou, Lou Flores, wisely came up with a Wikipedia or a Cliff Notes, if you will.
Starting point is 01:09:20 of records. And Street Beat Lenny, uh, Street Beat Lenny too. Yeah, Street Beat Lenny. Shout out. Uh,
Starting point is 01:09:26 of all the records that Bam and Herc and, uh, Flash and Theodore would spin back in the day. And when this compilation came out in late 1985, uh, through 1989, uh, pretty much,
Starting point is 01:09:44 I'll say 60% of most hip-hop relied on these breaks for their daily diet. it. Right. All these, you know, synthetic substitution and impeach the president. God made me funky. It was just to the point where the average record, take like, take a producer like Herbie Lovebug, his productions on, say like a filler cut on a kid and play record. Yeah. You could, comprise those. You can instantly tell, oh, that's volume made. He used the drums from here and the loop from there and the baseline from there, you know, all on the same record where you really didn't do any heavy digging. So this is the first time
Starting point is 01:10:22 or at least with the native tongues this is the first time that I'm hearing loops that aren't on that compilation and it's like oh god I got to do some work to figure out what they use what this is. Was that already a rule that
Starting point is 01:10:41 like no substitution no funky drummer no impeach the president? Yeah we were um it was it was a crew of us right like it was me Africa juju juju
Starting point is 01:10:57 yep okay answer this real quick of the beat nuts who is the music head of the beat nuts they both are but who's your go to well juju
Starting point is 01:11:06 gun to the head I mean I would juju because juju because that was my man like in senior year high school like we were all
Starting point is 01:11:16 me him Rashad um yep oh wow wait they all went to the No, no, no, we all went to different schools, but we were all, like, meet up at the hubs and shit. Like, we just knew niggas from when, you know,
Starting point is 01:11:30 we was getting up, getting beats and shit, and you'd see dudes, you'd be like, yo, that dude got, because we all was, there was a small group of us who was, like, anti-breakbeat. You know what I mean? Like, we had to have the right shit, you know what I mean? You feel once like, all right. The substitute.
Starting point is 01:11:49 The substitute. The substitute is kind of good. Huh? But not once did you feel like, all right? Oh, yeah. Well, after, after, you know, after we've established ourselves in that way, you then come back. There's been times I've used substitution kicks and shit like that.
Starting point is 01:12:04 No, that's not really. All right. Kick, you can't tell. Yeah. Okay. Or, like, you know, and like Pete would use, he would use substitution a lot, you know. Right. Some of them shit's just as a producer, you'd be like,
Starting point is 01:12:17 yo, that shit is still, that James Brown's sneer is still rocking. and we got a boot. You know what I mean? But back then early on, it was just about, it was about the hunt, nigga. You know what I'm saying? It was the hunt.
Starting point is 01:12:32 You know, that shit just had to fight. It was just like, and then we got so on it, we would travel out of town, get flights. We and Paul would get fucking rent cars and be driving. Pittsburgh?
Starting point is 01:12:44 Yeah, all types of shit. You would go to Jerry's in Pittsburgh? Yep. I went to Jerry's. Yeah. Yeah. Yeah, if any beat digger, there's seven pilgrimage, like mecca pilgrim. But Jerry's, you'll never get past like the letter D or C.
Starting point is 01:13:02 Right, right, right. That's how large his warehouse is. That's crazy. But the crew was, it was like juju. And this is the crew. Like we all would know each other. We all would go to spots and shit. It was juju, diamond.
Starting point is 01:13:18 Large, myself, Africa, Pete, I said Paul, right? Paul. Is Prima around this time? Prime had already bought a store. He already had everything. Wow. He had a store. Oh, Latif.
Starting point is 01:13:39 Okay. I said Rashad. No slackers. Nah, we was, we was, we was. And now is Mark the 45 king in this? Mark already had, he's an OG, so he was already. So Prime had the record store that he bought when he was in Texas and came. And they just shipped him every like 40,000 records of some crazy shit.
Starting point is 01:14:04 So he had everything. And Mark had everything. So we were all putting our shits together kind of at that time, you know, at the same time. You know, but it was the hunt. It was the hunt. It was like Game of Thrones and some shit. Dude, I'm glad you're saying this because even though my career came in the tail end of it,
Starting point is 01:14:27 many a record dealer had the fear of their eyes when like, because I would just straight up ask them. Like record dealers will do this thing where it's like, all right, they know what kind of money's walking in. Right. So they'll look at me in like, okay, Amir's good for $10,000. So they have a system where it's like they'll give you, all right, that's 10, that's 20, that's 10, that's 20, that's 10, that's 20, that's 10, that's 20,
Starting point is 01:14:54 no, that's right, but then they know you're itching. And I'm like, so that's it. And they'll be like, well, you know, I got a shipment that just came in last night. Or the warehouses up the block. Right. Oh, oh, take you over the block. Yeah, that kind of De Niro. I got some dresses over here.
Starting point is 01:15:14 Yeah. No, but that's what it's like. And then there's just a point. And then they're running more expensive, those records? Well, I would tell them to just cut to the chase. Like, and that's the thing. As a record collector, you never tell them like, look, only got a thousand.
Starting point is 01:15:27 Just cut to the chase and give me the good shit. Because no, they'll just do the same shit. The tens, the 20s, the tens, the 20s, the tens, the 20s. Where are you out there? And then they'll be like, they will usually say, like Pete Rock was always the thing. Like, well, yeah, we were holding. some of this stuff for Pete Rock.
Starting point is 01:15:47 You know. I'll give you an extra 10 for it, right? Yeah, but then you get desperate and I realize. Some of that shit wouldn't even be true. No, no, no, no. I realized, then I realized that was the hustle. And then finally, I found a guy where he's just like, look, this is worth 100.
Starting point is 01:16:04 This is worth 150. You know, and those type of things. So, of course, those prices would be jacked up because they would use it. like stuff already. So like a, all right, prime example.
Starting point is 01:16:19 The Monty Alexander. Loving happiness. All right. So before you use that for gangster bitch, how much? I got a for $10. I know that. The album was worth like $10.
Starting point is 01:16:34 Now. But because gangstabit, like he, Q-tip single-handily brought up the stocks on all. I'm sorry. Why not because the stuff he was sampling. I feel bad a little bit because it just happened.
Starting point is 01:16:48 Like, okay, boom. Yeah, my generation is now paying the extra. Look, on the new tribe album, right, I use this for whatever we would be. It's the Nairobi sisters. Nairobi sisters, that's right, yeah. Like, that shit is skyrocketed already. But give me an example of like from once it came
Starting point is 01:17:08 to once it got once tip touched it. No, all the time. Like, oh, Jesus Christ. I paid. Ramp. Ramp is a $5 record. Well, ramp used to be. I don't even think there's an original Ramp record.
Starting point is 01:17:21 Like, every Ramp album I've seen is, I just felt like they finally just printed it in the name of the interest of finding the Benita Apple Bum sample. So how much is that now, Rant? $300? Well, you. For an original present? I've never seen an original pressing of Rant. But Eugene McDaniels. Oh, Haleighal.
Starting point is 01:17:44 I've never seen a headless heroes under 200 bucks. Original. They landed at a plum. Dude. Smile on the face. I played that for my kids on Thanksgiving. I played that shit.
Starting point is 01:17:57 I played that shit. Side note. Side note. The first argument Stacy and I ever had over music. First argument. Tasty Tasty Treats Stacy and I ever had over music was over that record.
Starting point is 01:18:17 She, by the time we got to that song, she was like, could you play a little bit? This is the last song on Eugene McDaniel's debut album, Hellless Heroes of Podcast. I played everything Thanksgiving. I played everything for my kids. You do, you do.
Starting point is 01:18:33 No, no, no. The sample that they used for this, for the tip used, it was a jagger the dagger. It was jagger the dagger. You know, we was having a ball. That's good on the mic. And actually, weird enough, Jagger the Dagger was such a dig at Mick Jagger.
Starting point is 01:18:49 Like stealing black music, but the loop was so dope. One of the last dates that we did on when Lauren released that. Did you play that as he walked out? No, no, no, no. Oh, man. You know what? He can't. Yes, he was scheduled to be on the show.
Starting point is 01:19:11 We prepared that song. and then he... Oh, okay, okay. He can do it. But, yeah, when he comes, we're trying to turn him into the Michelle Bachman. Part two? No, dude, he's dragging the dagger.
Starting point is 01:19:19 Like, what are they going to do the research on it? Anyway. Wow. Thank you, though. The last date of this Lauren Hill tour when she did that unplug record. Oh, smoking groups tour. I remember that tour.
Starting point is 01:19:30 Right. So it was Thanksgiving night in Seattle, and I played the parasite and blasted it because I would DJ before she came on. Dog, the look on the art. It was the best. I might have to play you. Yes, I got to, can I play a whole song please?
Starting point is 01:19:47 The whole song is like nine minutes, man. That's like, nah, we can't. Not right now. I mean, if you can play it on the show. A little bit, a little bit. Just skim through certain points. I think it's a good close. We'll close the show with it.
Starting point is 01:19:59 Okay, stop. All right. We will close the show with the, yeah. That's fair. Right down on. Can we talk over it while he goes the show? Like, I'm like mystery science theater. I mean, that is kind of what we do.
Starting point is 01:20:10 That's all we do anyway. Okay, great. Awesome. That's all we do. All right. So what, making this,
Starting point is 01:20:17 making the record. Yes, sir. The debut. Yeah. People's, or I call it PETA, Peter Petour. Peter Poet.
Starting point is 01:20:26 Peta. Peta, making that record. What is, because this is a group of super producers. I mean, it's a group of multiple MCs,
Starting point is 01:20:36 but it's also a group of super producers. How, what is the, what is the agreed upon method of making joints? Like is it just yo I got this loop yo I got this loop
Starting point is 01:20:51 oh I like that loop okay let's work on that or is it you know do you just come in with the finished product like I like this does Ali say yo what do you think about this yeah that joint's nice I'll do that
Starting point is 01:21:01 it's kind of both okay in the beginning what's it like on the first album like in the beginning a lot of it was demos that I'd done over the prior, I'd say five years maybe. Okay, I'm calling an audible. Storytime with Q-tip.
Starting point is 01:21:23 All right, I'm just going to play 10 seconds of random tribe joints. Okay. And you tell me, like, what comes to mind when you made this? Like, if you remember any details. Okay. I mean, running away my I mean Running away Roy is
Starting point is 01:21:53 You know what? It was one of my favorite This shit catches a lot of slack Like I'll read I'll read You know like A list Like ego trip list or whatever
Starting point is 01:22:09 Right right right Where of course this didn't Description didn't Was it Benita? Right, of course. So it catches flak as in Weird debut songs by groups that will later become God. Right, right, no doubt, no doubt.
Starting point is 01:22:22 But there's nothing wrong with this loop ever. This is not my go-to song to spin. Right. But I was never mad at this loop or the place. The ending, it felt like a good ending for the album. Yeah, I used to run that joint. Actually, the B-Side was even funnier. What was the B-Sy?
Starting point is 01:22:40 Pubic. Pubic enemy. No, no. B-side description. Oh, yeah, the long joint. You guys, just talking smack. It was like some comic shit. It was funny.
Starting point is 01:22:49 It was like it was just skipped in my loop. No, you know what it was, too? I had two years earlier, there was a store on Bleaker Street where you get all the fucking prints unreleased joints. Oh, Blika Blinken bobs. Well, not bobs, but it was another joint. Okay.
Starting point is 01:23:09 Generations? What? Generations? I think it was. Not on bleaker, but it's off-Blaker. When I'm Red Bull, you know where all the the chest stores are?
Starting point is 01:23:18 Yeah, I think it was... Across the street and down the block from Mahmoods. I think there's a story where Prince actually walked in to the store. To that store and walked out. With all his... All his shit.
Starting point is 01:23:28 Yeah, that had... Yo, it's ill because I was in there, I would always hit there after school because Kierna and I would always be in the village and shit, and I would always go get... I was a huge Prince fan.
Starting point is 01:23:40 So I'd heard movie star, I heard Bob George. Super Califraud, whatever that fuck, you know. All of that shit, like, I was just, like, stuck. I remember playing movie star for Africa. He and, we were in, like, 11th grade, and we're, like, mocking the shit and listening to all this unreleased print shit.
Starting point is 01:23:59 And this was, like, kind of like, one of the ones, yeah, what, hey, who's that? You know, it's just like. You're Bob George. Yeah, you know what I'm saying? Okay. We're, like, doing all that silly shit. Underneath it is the BT Express beat,
Starting point is 01:24:12 You know what I mean? I mean, it's clearly tuned out. But it was also still an overage of disco kind of house parties that was still going on. You know, you still have Frankie Knuckles, IP. You still have Larry LeVan doing parties back then, even though their houses had closed. And maybe Frankie was doing back and forth from Chicago to New York. So body and soul was being established, reestablished. So it was still a disco thing that was happening.
Starting point is 01:24:44 Have you ever got to see Larry spin? Yeah. Or his systems? Yeah. Well, I saw him at Limelight. Okay. Did he control the system there? I don't think so.
Starting point is 01:24:54 This is towards... Because when you DJ, you have the world's loudest base cabinets ever. I know that you're always... Me? You? You're always aiming for a Paradise Garage. Yeah, I'm trying to go for that, man. Yeah, okay.
Starting point is 01:25:09 I'm a stickler for that sound. But the first real big system I think I heard was in the world. As we discussed. A, A, A. Vice favorite song. Wow. My favorite song. I haven't heard this shit forever.
Starting point is 01:25:35 Slide a family stone. Advice. Take my advice. A. That was Scott Pageer from the 91 album. Classic. The Loewin Theory. When I made this beat, I was like,
Starting point is 01:25:54 yo, this is like one of the most perfect beats I ever made. Just because you hear the brushes. You hear the brushes on the drums playing, like playing right in between that fucking monstrous-ass snare kick. That fucking Gregor Rico is rocking. and then when the flute with the fucking phone and shit I was just like
Starting point is 01:26:17 damn I wanted to make the shit longer but I was like you fight we should keep this shit short like this like he was like bird bird he said this is my shit even though I would love to
Starting point is 01:26:30 but we got other joints we need to make this short like because this one I just I just love this record I think this is my favorite I think I've said before the butter was my
Starting point is 01:26:43 favorite on the album, but it's really this. I haven't heard this in a while. Wow, see? This is what we haven't come. Because I don't know. Maybe it was the beast being the beast side of Check the Rhyme or whatever, but this just hit
Starting point is 01:26:59 me at the right moment. Like we brought the Check the Rhyme single. It's like a Friday night, Tower Records, and when, like, we already knew Check the Rhyme. So when we heard, the B-side for SkyPager in on a loud-ass car system
Starting point is 01:27:15 on a Friday night like we sat there and listened that shit like 20 times in a row like I was so mad there was no instrumental over this shit but this is like one of the songs that like me and Tariq bonded over like just... It may be hard
Starting point is 01:27:30 to maybe you understand it Amir but don't sometimes it's like you take yourself out of it as the actual artist and then you as the DJ or as just a listen to you You know what I'm saying? And you just hear it. And for a minute, you'd be like, oh, shit.
Starting point is 01:27:46 You know what I'm saying? I sure you have to have time, I think. Like, you have to have distance away from it. You know what I'm saying? Yes. Because, like, while you're working on it, while I'm working on stuff, like, I hate it. I can't. Right.
Starting point is 01:27:56 I'm like, oh, my God. But I'm certain that you make records that younger you would want to buy as a consumer or... Correct? Do you not make rhymes that you, wish your id would like now? You mean like now? Or just in general, I thought that was the whole goal of a musician to make the stuff you want to hear?
Starting point is 01:28:23 Make the stuff that you would buy as a music fan. Oh, absolutely. Yeah, yeah, yeah. Making the stuff that you want to hear and pretty much, well, at least for me, just making the stuff that, you know, the stuff that I felt was missing, like a record that, man, I wish I could buy this record. I make the record that I want to buy.
Starting point is 01:28:39 But I think it only gets to that point for me Like kind of going back at what tip was saying While you're working on it Yeah I don't listen to none of it Yeah it's like Like I don't have to listen to this out Like when I put it out I don't listen to it And the only time I'll go through it
Starting point is 01:28:55 Is if I'm DJing I listen to the shit Because I really try to stay away From playing my own shit But When you're reading a crowd Or if you're in a play You know sometimes you may hit
Starting point is 01:29:08 A little bit bit of it. And then you see your work in the context of other people's in the club just to bring it back to the DJ hitting and it makes you go, ah. What was the last record that you played yours in the club? And you was like, ah, that's same feeling. You play what? You play what? Yeah. Wow. See, now that's weird. I have a rule against playing our shit because every time I play the root shit is the fastest floor.
Starting point is 01:29:38 That's the go to this. Get a drink. It's like, I call my story. Yeah. I don't lean on our shit either. Speaking spin. But no, but I'm saying they got dance more records. It's already established that you're the establishment of that level. Like, you know, there's at least five tribe songs that are the Mount Rushmore go-to songs of a party started.
Starting point is 01:30:03 So even when you were DJing, like, is it embarrassing to play? What's the Captain Avi's one? Like scenario? I don't play none of the obvious shit. So even when you were DJing in, let's say, 1993 and you put scenario on, knowing the motherfucker's going to go out of their mind. Like, is it still like a weird thing? Like, is it too?
Starting point is 01:30:22 Yeah, I don't, I don't do that. I can't do that. I'll play. Oh, you'll play some obscure shit? I'll play something more if, like, especially if it's like a, I have a groove rolling or whatever. Like, let's say, okay, so what is somewhere like 105 BPM or some shit? I know what you're going to say. Do what, what?
Starting point is 01:30:41 No, I was going to do it, do it, do it, do it. I was going to say you would probably play, uh, Sir Duprints. No, footprints. Oh, footprint, love it. I feel like you would play footprints. A not club song, but, okay, you taught me this term, pardon my French. Niggins.
Starting point is 01:31:03 Nigga what? Niggins. Niggins. Niggins. Niggins. Niggins. Niggins. The niggum.
Starting point is 01:31:09 Like, nigga ears or what we do? Nigger drums. Nigger drums. Oh, I need some examples of some nigger drums. Nigger drums. No, he's just, it's just, he taught me that term. He's just like, it's, like, that's the secret. Like, the music's smooth, but the beat is so cracking and hard and just hard.
Starting point is 01:31:30 Like, it's, it's like Freddie Fox punching you in the nose. It's, I would have to smooth this shit over on top of it. While, like, Celine Dion seems to you. In my head, why I was Freddy Fox? Yeah, the hip-hop. I like that. Yeah. Like, damn it.
Starting point is 01:31:46 Like, beat. Ew! Or getting a pound from Buster Rhymes, you know. Right. Like, it's, yeah, no, when Buster picks you up, it's, you got to hide your hands. Like, him and D. Him and D'Angelo are the two. D has the super grip.
Starting point is 01:32:03 Like, pulls your finger, like, Arsenio fingers. But, D is a relentless. D will do it all night for two hours. Every sentence, Primo says the same thing He has his death taste for Like he adapt you every two minutes I'm sorry No more
Starting point is 01:32:17 I agree No, D&Buster The reason why I give pounds now Because they will pull Your joints out of so hard Touching you a pound so hard Touch your manly hood It's just
Starting point is 01:32:27 No it's just Pounds man It does Um Jesus I feel like each album is like Nine hours worthy of Right
Starting point is 01:32:37 Right So we got any Any people was instinctive questions I missed. Well, I mean, I'm trying to think. I just remember, it's funny you played description of a fool because that was the first time I can recall my older cousin of mine
Starting point is 01:32:53 pointing out to me that it was a sample because I didn't know the Roy A's record. And I remember him playing, you know, the typical old school like, all y'all do is still, all the elbow, y'all's stealing. That's still like, I'm like, what's about? Let me say something about that. And I was like, oh, shit. about this whole sample shit
Starting point is 01:33:11 speak on it please I mean and you guys know this I mean there's fucking 12 notes you know right
Starting point is 01:33:22 and it's like you have different varying degrees of voicings and shit that you can use so everybody has sampled private joy by prints yeah okay could you play that real quick just a little bit we're not allowed to
Starting point is 01:33:37 oh okay I'm sorry. I'm sorry. All right. Do you have Frankie Valley, who loves you pretty baby? Not in my. Okay.
Starting point is 01:33:50 You ain't got no Frankie Valley in your Cerrado? Nice reference, nice reference. But my point is that it's the same voicing, just different keys. You know what I mean? Like if you listen to them back to back, it's the same shit. Like, it's like people, you know. All right, I'm playing it. It's Frankie Valley.
Starting point is 01:34:17 Yes. This is Who Loves You by Frankie Valley in the Four Seasons. Just a highlight and illustrate my idea. It's private joy. I didn't realize that to this. No, he is. Yeah, that's private joy. That is private joy.
Starting point is 01:34:49 Yeah. You know what I mean? I never realized that. until now. It's like that shit goes on. Some people can rearrange and re-voice certain chords and
Starting point is 01:35:02 you know re-approach the melodies and stuff like that. But sampling is something that has been done for it. How many times you've heard the chord changes from Cherokee in regular shit? You know what I'm saying? Like it's such a stupid.
Starting point is 01:35:19 It is. Yeah. When y'all were in terms of You were talking about Juju. It's funny that you mentioned that because I always... It makes total sense now hearing it that you and Juju ran together because I always thought, like to use a Stranger Things reference, I always thought that the Beat Nuts first album was like the upside down version of Midnight Marauders. Yes.
Starting point is 01:35:40 Like that was a real Black Seep album. Oh, man. Dead ass. Dead ass. I love that. There you go. There you go. There you go.
Starting point is 01:35:48 There you go. There's a little. Get down south, bro. You let me hang it. No, I get my dance on. That's you. Yeah. Yo, you're right.
Starting point is 01:36:02 You're right about that. I love, I love that. You know, they don't get their props, man. Never. Their fucking albums are always fucking fucking crazy. Yeah. There's no album that doesn't have like... No, when I first heard that fucking...
Starting point is 01:36:17 That Diamond Bird shit that a... Do do do do do do... Do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do do. Do do do do do do that I was like, oh, Jack! See, the Juja's crazy! I was like, you motherfucker, goddamn hell! Have they ever worked on, like, how does that work with ideas or whatever? Like, have they ever worked on...
Starting point is 01:36:39 No, we never, like, did that. The only thing we did was we started this group called the Fabulous Flee's, you know, Reyes, Juju. How far did that go? The fabulous flea! How far did that go? And why didn't it materialize? I don't know. We had two records.
Starting point is 01:36:58 Wait, what? Wow. So the existence actually made? Yeah. Wow. Shout out to POS and I'm still waiting for my fabulous fleas. Paz has a lot of shit. Yes, he does.
Starting point is 01:37:09 He has a lot. I DJed his wedding for free to get some fleas. Yo, he has a lot of stuff. He does. He is. He's doing the low. He's like, so, yeah, that was. was the, I was, you know, Juju, man, and light and less, sorry.
Starting point is 01:37:29 And I remember when fashion was with them for the first couple of joints, right? Fashion joined in the second, because was fashion on the first one? He was on the first one. It was the first three, right? No, no, no. He was on the EP, and then he was on the album, and then he left when they did street level. That's right. Because he did the God Connections album.
Starting point is 01:37:47 That's right. They had a couple joints on, too. Fashion is dope. Yeah. When you talk about sampling, one thing I wanted to ask you, like, from Marauders to Beats Rhyms and Life, how did the sampling laws, like,
Starting point is 01:38:00 was it harder to sample at that time? No. Beets Rimes' Life had a lot more live stuff on it. You didn't pay attention. Well, he especially didn't pay attention because this record, like, I thought it was bomb squad territory that I was listening to it. It's like, so much, I was like, how do they clear
Starting point is 01:38:16 all this shit? Yeah, the laugh from driller and shit. Speaking of which, Sir, Kamal. Yes, sir. It is time for a moment. Get your pen, get your paper. That's why I gave you a pen and paper.
Starting point is 01:38:32 I know. We're going through round one of... Bitch you guessed it. So, all right, to be fair, because I wasn't fair to Pete Rock when he did it. He's still dancing over there. Let's go. Here we go. I'm going to test your gangster.
Starting point is 01:38:51 I'm going to test a gangster on samples. My gangster in Gile. Yeah. I'm going to lose this horribly. No, you're not. No, you're not. Because I'm going to give it to you twice. I'm not that good.
Starting point is 01:39:02 I'm going to play you a slew of samples. Okay, come on. Ten samples. And you name them. You ready? I'll lose, y'all. No, you got it. You can do better than me.
Starting point is 01:39:12 Come on. Here we go. I'm going to do this for you twice. Okay. Here's the first round. Name these 10. You might want to have a pin because they're gonna come quick. Oh shit, like that.
Starting point is 01:39:23 You ready? Yes, sir. Part one, here we go. Oh, man. Okay. Tip is singing. He's not writing. There you go. The last one is my favorite song. I'm not gonna, I'm never gonna win.
Starting point is 01:39:52 All right. You gotta get closer to the mic. I'm not gonna win. It's too much. It's too quick. You didn't even try. He's gonna go again. Yeah, because I was like, I'm not gonna do this. This is too crazy. You're gonna get played. No, this is a, this is a staple.
Starting point is 01:40:04 Okay, come on. This is a staple of bitch you guessed it. I'm ready, I'm ready. I'll give it to you one more time. And I got to write these this, Amir.
Starting point is 01:40:15 Just write the artist. What the fuck? Everybody that's right as as quick as you and just write the artist down. You don't have to write the song. I know he concocted this shit too. Come on now.
Starting point is 01:40:25 It's fun. Bitch you guessed it is fun. All right, come on. All right. Music Geniuses. Ready? Yeah. All right.
Starting point is 01:40:33 Just name the artist. Don't know. I know that. Don't know. Eddie Kedjinks. Yes, you do. You know this. I don't know.
Starting point is 01:40:45 Don't know. It's not enough for me. Eddie Kedrix. Okay. You're singing the song. Next. That's easy. Eugene.
Starting point is 01:41:09 Is that Marvin Holmes? No. Uptiters? You know the songs. Yeah. That's a shit. Is that Phoenadella? No.
Starting point is 01:41:26 Close. That's Habekin. That's Hamilton, Bohan. That's Brenda Russell. Okay. A little bit of love. We got a little bit. Okay.
Starting point is 01:41:38 We missed Tyrone Davis in the movie mode. Tyrone Davis. Brick fun. Brick fun, yes. And our farmer's soul sides. Beat does use that for Lick the Pussy. That was right. Exactly.
Starting point is 01:41:52 Well, that's when he mentioned. I was like, the night lighters. Nightlighters, there you go. And Detroit Emeralds was. Detroit Emeralds. That was close. All right. So you sort of guessed it.
Starting point is 01:42:03 I'm sorry. I'm sorry. It's car, yeah, yeah. Give me another wing. Do you have another? Oh, yeah, I got a band. Give me Pete. Give me Pete.
Starting point is 01:42:11 No, I got advanced rounds. We'll get you a little bit later. You got advanced rounds. Give you a breather. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th.
Starting point is 01:42:25 You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.
Starting point is 01:42:48 One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast. It's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So if you've ever supported me or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
Starting point is 01:43:21 This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice Podcast on the iHeartRadio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man
Starting point is 01:44:05 should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist.
Starting point is 01:44:30 I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves.
Starting point is 01:44:47 Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. So did you, were you satisfied with, how did you feel the general reception was for the debut, record going into the second record like I had a little bit of a chip on my shoulder coming from like who did Chuck Eddie Roland Stone the three star review I was this like I never yeah fuck you motherfucker and then that's when I slowly but surely got on my diet of which I'm now practicing of trying to you know look at any kind of articles or any kind of reviews anything at all
Starting point is 01:45:43 of good, bad, I don't want to hear nothing. Because, you know. You and I took it personal. That's weird. It's not even my record. And I, to this day, Chuck is on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame thing. He, him and Alan Light, profusely apologize to you for, I never. When?
Starting point is 01:46:03 I'm literally one. All right. I'm on the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame board. So basically, the Rolling Center. Stone editors of the 80s and the 90s are in the same room. Trust me, they realized that them reviewing hip hop
Starting point is 01:46:20 10 years ago was the equivalent of vegetarians reviewing a fried chicken contest. Exactly. They need to make a statement then because that's in a room. No, even with Allen with with Alan with with out, Alan light has regrets over America's most wanted. Chuck Eddie
Starting point is 01:46:35 has regrets over people's his city. He said it was the least danceable hip hop out. dude, when I read it, I was just because I got the source review. Tribes debut record was the first album to get a five mic review in the source in the summer of 90. And they, because I had it already, they were saying everything I felt. I was like, wow, this is like real critics actually are reviewing.
Starting point is 01:47:08 That's when I realized like, oh, the source might be on to something being like our Bible. But then, because I was collecting all those Rolling Stone reviews on the back of the... Who's the main review? It was someone else that I think... Was it Neil Young? I don't know if it was freedom. Whatever it was, Tribes was the thing on the back. And I was just like, how can critics be so out of touch it?
Starting point is 01:47:36 And then I realized, oh, there's a double standard between hip-hop experts and rock experts. like Salange and Brandy. Yeah. What happened with them? I'm unclear. Well, Salonge gave Just Due to Brandy's work and kind of the
Starting point is 01:47:56 pitchforkian or John of... John Caramacca. Yeah, John Caramacca. I can never get his... I don't even know if I said it right. I think, yeah, you got right. John Caramacca.
Starting point is 01:48:06 You know, there's kind of like a snarky... They said stop caping for Brandi. something. Basically, right? Yeah, like a snarky, like, what do you know about, like, real music? Brandy's high art to you. That sort of thing.
Starting point is 01:48:21 It wasn't for grizzly bear, nobody would buy your record. Yeah, that shit. Oh, shit. Exactly. So, but she did the salons thing, got in their ass. Oh, yeah, well, you know.
Starting point is 01:48:31 Yeah, exactly. So it's... I remember when she was talking to me about doing a record, she was mad about... She was so mad that it was a little bit unintelligible, so I didn't really know. Like, I was like, just like, I was like
Starting point is 01:48:44 looking at her feet, like, make sure the motherfucker stay on the ground. Right, so she proposed to you the idea of what the album was going to be before you guys started working. Yeah. Yeah, when she came, that's the first thing. Like, she's like, come out of the studio, whatever.
Starting point is 01:48:59 I want you here some ideas, see what's up. And then, like, then she gave me the pitch. And Sanfa's there, too, and I'm looking at Sanfa, like, help me. Help me. Why? What was your word?
Starting point is 01:49:12 Dang, now y'all got me one. Well, no, no, it was just like, she was just like, I'm making a manifesto, and I'm tired of this shit. You whip me or not? My girl. And I was like, two, three, and fall in your way. You're like this. Dude, that's exactly.
Starting point is 01:49:32 You're like, is that okay? Did I do okay? You're joking, Fonte, but that's exactly what the fuck at. I was like, she was not playing when she made this record. Yeah, she knew what she wanted and was like, she was not gripping me by the neck, like full force and crush groove. Thank God. To get the result.
Starting point is 01:49:51 Thank God. So I love the records you did on her, too. That was one of my favorite joints in that one. Thank you, man. That joint is dope, man. Her and I have about about 10 records together. Damn. Yeah, because she's been working forever on the last one, yeah.
Starting point is 01:50:03 Yeah, and we were working on this shit, and then she went to Raphael and And at one point she came back to me. She came back to me. But I've been working with cilantro. I've always encouraged her to, like, go. Like, she's like a dear, dear, dear, dear, dear, dear. Like, we come to the crib, cook type shit. Like, that's my sis right there.
Starting point is 01:50:27 And I'm just really happy for her, for her. So how good is that album? Oh, my God. So fucking good, man. So good. Yes. And she's all. I'm so happy for her.
Starting point is 01:50:40 You know, because it's like, like, just not to digress, but, you know, obviously her sister is queen. You know what I mean? And it must be, you know, you know, nepotism aside, it must be hard to be. But she's so fucking hit and nailed her own voice here. Free. And stuck her foot in it.
Starting point is 01:51:05 And it's just, I'm just really happy. Happy for her, man. I'm still clapping for salons. So happy for her. So happy for her. So happy for her. Well, that's why I wanted y'all clap with me, so it didn't sound like, like that. So for you, it was like, the chip on your shoulder was, yo, wait till they get a little to me. I always, see, I didn't know if you read your, like, if you read reviews or not.
Starting point is 01:51:35 And so when you can't. I got another little chip after this one, too, though. But I can't say what it is yet. For Lowen Theory? No, for... This new album? Yeah. Woo.
Starting point is 01:51:45 I don't know who reviewed it. Well, it's not, you know, it, I just... All right, what's the name of the periodical? Does it start with the P? I kind of get mad. Is the rating good? You can do it. Damn.
Starting point is 01:52:02 Anyway, so... Saloon and then. Because about three seconds, it's this. Science. Murdering that. Was it a magazine? Like, was it a publication? Was it a peer?
Starting point is 01:52:14 Was it like someone, like peer review kind of thing? Good questions. It's all good, man. I'm just going to fuel it into the music. All right, for sure. There you go. You better not let one monkey stop your show. I'm sorry, was that an auntie mom?
Starting point is 01:52:29 That was such an auntie moment. I'm sorry. Come along here, baby. You got to bring some chicken in here for us? I can't have some chicken. Go on great some chicken. Cherry pie. So was there a meeting or a manifesto of like,
Starting point is 01:52:44 what should we do this record? It was just like... Allowing theory? Yeah. Um, yeah, I think it was more like, come on Fife. You know what I'm saying? And I was just like, yo, let's go.
Starting point is 01:53:02 So did he, was it that he didn't feel... No, it was just... Like, even with the last record, like, should he have... Was he late to a few sessions? that, like, what's on sort of should have Fipe been on on the first album that he wasn't on?
Starting point is 01:53:15 There was just like, all right, well, you're not there, so. Probably go ahead and rain, rhythm. He should have been on going the rain? Yeah, rhythm. Push it along. Wait, he's on that. Push one of the Fiper. It's time to decipher.
Starting point is 01:53:38 The situation which... Oh, yeah, wait. The situation which in private. They'll push it on... Push it along. You made me think I was crazy. Right. I mean, I mean, footprints.
Starting point is 01:53:48 He should have been on that. Damn. Okay. I mean, there was a couple. But when we got, when we was going to make low-end theory, we was just like. We need more of you.
Starting point is 01:53:59 With that, and we was just like, yo, now it's time to, to, you know, we put all the colors on the canvas with the first album.
Starting point is 01:54:10 Now it's time to go, cubism you know like sharp you know distinct exact like show now we got to show our lines you know I'm saying so it was more
Starting point is 01:54:26 it was more about that and luckily the timing was just I mean it wasn't our time and it was just like the environment was kind of heading towards that um also so you guys like you broke it down more simple for
Starting point is 01:54:41 the people whereas my idea of a tribe called Quest was definitely like whatever the back cover the Benita Applebum 12 inch was like my version of tribe is the abstract
Starting point is 01:54:57 kind of artsy looking kids or whatever whereas now the same group is now on the Tarek's side of the fence and just rocking because the first thing I noticed I was like oh they're rocking champion Right, right, right.
Starting point is 01:55:12 We started that. We kind of was doing that purposefully. By the time we got to the Cannot Kick It video, we was like, okay, now we got to start, we got to start phasing it in fashioning it as a precursor. So you wanted to look more like the people? Well, yeah, well, we came out, like, the first album was like about, the first album was more about the, the spirit and more about just philosophically
Starting point is 01:55:43 kind of the thing you know the vastness the all inclusiveness nature of the record you know the idealism the youthfulness the naivete
Starting point is 01:55:57 like it was important you know much like if you look through phases of childhood you know it's important to keep a kid's imagination intact and incited and you know you definitely want to step in with certain lessons there but you want to be more encouraging so the spirit was more of a child spirit whereas the low end theory was a little bit more of a coming of age like i said very specific minimal like bare bones like stripped down like that
Starting point is 01:56:29 was like all purposeful like disgust designed by the time we got to the can i kick a video you know, mixing a little bit of Kintay Kloff with polo. Right. Like, and then full on by the time the album came. For me, one of the most important musicians on the low-end theory. Ron Carter? No, Bob Power. Oh, well, yeah.
Starting point is 01:56:56 So how did, tell the story of how Bob came into, uh, to, uh, to, be. We were working in the studio, Goliopee. Shane Farber was like the head engineer, right? It was the other cat there too. They were all kind of like, you know, rock or do's like rock and roll, whatever. And it was a beautiful studio.
Starting point is 01:57:25 And Shane was doing the Jungle Brothers. He was doing biz. He was doing a lot, right? So we started to work on our shit. This was the first album. and I remember Africa and them had to have a sub one day like Shane couldn't do the session
Starting point is 01:57:42 so there was a guy in the back who would do jingles you had like the perfect jingle of ways and da-da-da-da-da-da and before we get there when you go into the lobby or into the front desk room of Calliope they'd have all of their records that were done at the studio up on the wall
Starting point is 01:58:03 12 inches and shit one of them being Stetsa Sonic Go Stetsa That was one of the Latin Quota staples You know When that shit would come on With those fucking drums
Starting point is 01:58:13 Rumbling It was a fucking problem If you had anything on nice You would want to hold on to it All of that shit So you're saying the heart of the drums Can you play a little bit of it please Are you trying to insinuate
Starting point is 01:58:25 That the heart of the song The more like Giant Insighting it was Yes it was back then And it was exciting for that Yes it was exciting Really? It was like, yes.
Starting point is 01:58:35 Because you were in the DJ booth. You know that, how do you say the Jiff with the battle kid? And he's standing with his glasses. And it was like, yes. And everybody was like, oh, yo, where do you find that? How do you find that Jif? Because I look for that Jif and can't, I don't know what you call it. I don't know what you call.
Starting point is 01:58:52 Battle rap. Really? Yeah, battle rap. So you heard Go Stetsza by Stetsa Sonic in the Latin corner. So this was like, Your smells like team spirit. This was your smells like team spirit at the Latin quarter. That record was so crazy that it inspired them to make this other crew came out
Starting point is 01:59:17 The Mighty Mike Masters. You ever hear that? No. No. Word. It was like an answer record to go to stets kind of. And that shit is banging too.
Starting point is 01:59:35 Freddie being Mighty Mike Masters. The Mighty Mike Masters. Yeah, that's the name of the song. I think it's called Word. It's just Word? I'm the real McCoy. I'm the real playboy. Ladies, man.
Starting point is 01:59:48 Look at me for a tour. You remember that? It's on Tough City. Yeah. Oh, oh. All right. Airfuge alert. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 01:59:57 Airfuge's alert. Turn it up. Aaron Fuchs alert. Arnie Palmley Alert. Oh. That's Daylai sampling these drums on swing a location. Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey. This is in the compression.
Starting point is 02:00:23 Wow. What year is this? What year is this? Pumpkin was on drums. Pumpkin's a motherfucker boy. Pumpkin was the house drummer of Enjoy Records, ladies and gentlemen. What Keith LeBlanc and Doug Wimbusch were in Sugar Hill Records. Uh-huh.
Starting point is 02:00:52 Pumpkin. I always wanted to know where these drums came from on Swing a Low Cape because I thought this was a print. Like this is like a Prince ball beat to me. Like every Prince ball beat in my mind is this. And I thought he programmed it. I'm not saying that. What studio was that done in?
Starting point is 02:01:12 The information is not here. Wow. I wonder if that was done. Freddie B. the Mighty Mac, Mike Masters, born Aaron Fuchs's, Tough City. Toughs. Ninety-six.
Starting point is 02:01:22 Wow. It was crazy. So Bob, so I looked, I was like, wow, Stetsa, because I remember always looking into credits and it said, recorded him. mixed by Bob Power. Jump Cut 2.
Starting point is 02:01:34 You know, the sub is in there and it's the engineer for Africa and for a session on Dunbarter Forces, I think. You know the song? I can't remember. I can't remember. I was about to say it has to be doing the own thing. No, J.B.'s coming through?
Starting point is 02:01:51 Hard. It could be. Because that's one of the... It was the hardest, yes. It's one of the... In terms of arrangements for hip-hop songs, It's either the first or the second for me. Like, Jay B's coming through, you listen to the fucking arrangement on that record.
Starting point is 02:02:07 Yes. And what's going to, that shit is like a queen record. Yes. It's insane. It's criminal. It's criminal that that was not even considered the first single off. I feel like if that came first before Beyond This World. Yes.
Starting point is 02:02:25 Oh, my God. They would. No, I agree. And if I liked Beyond This World was still. And the video of that shit could have made a difference. Yeah. It could have made a difference. I swore it was going to be like.
Starting point is 02:02:39 I mean, that shit is to this day. It's like. Yeah, because that was never an official single, was it? No. And then the fucking. No, no, no, it was. It was. Because the B side is what Farrell based nothing on for Nouri.
Starting point is 02:02:52 The George Michael father figure. Ah. That was his Noree. I'm just, you know. Kind of like Giminoizing it, you know. But that fucking jungle. So anyway, so this guy is like,
Starting point is 02:03:16 this engineer guy is like recording vocals on Africa. And he's like, Africa's rapping, rap, rap, rap, rap. He messes up. Then the engineer goes, oh, that's okay. I think that take was good.
Starting point is 02:03:28 Did you want to get another one? Are you ready to do another one? And AF is like, what the fuck is this motherfucker is? He's like, okay, clear, stand by. Like, he was just, okay, clear.
Starting point is 02:03:39 It's like, this motherfucker sounded like a fucking airline pilot or some shit and he would say, or whatever the fuck, right? So, I liked his efficiency. I liked the fact that he was just like
Starting point is 02:03:52 on it and just accommodating and nice because Shane was a little old rocker guy no rough a little rough not old rocker guy but he started because he had a few hits he was doing pneumonia shit he was feeling
Starting point is 02:04:08 himself right you know what I'm saying in the most unlikely space with a bunch of black kids so now he's bawling he's feeling himself feeling himself and Bob was just like okay I was like
Starting point is 02:04:21 so then we had to have the session we were supposed to use Shane and Shane couldn't do it because I guess Shane was in Costa Rica balling I hear the regretful vacation So then Bob Power was available I was like, we didn't Bob Power Is that the guy who was doing the Jungle Brother session Two days ago
Starting point is 02:04:42 And the guy who did And he was like yeah I was like book him And that was it Wow That was it Ever since then Ever since then He told that exact same story
Starting point is 02:04:52 Yes he did Bob was our second guest on the show It was amazing Literally that exact same story That record That's the Sonic record That was it. And I saw him work.
Starting point is 02:05:02 Because he and I, like, that's how, like. I wonder if Shane regrets it now. Like, in hindsight. It would have been different. If he didn't take that vacation, like, Shane could have been on so much hip hop history. What did he end up doing, Shane? Um. Records that he ended up working on.
Starting point is 02:05:18 I saw his name. He did just a friend. He did just a friend. He did stuff. Monies in the middle. He did. But for a lot of the mid-90s, late-90s generation cats, like, we, all read
Starting point is 02:05:29 the engineer credits to our favorite records and it was like Bob Power, try it, Bob Power, De La Sol, so that's who we roll with. We wanted a person that sounded crisp and clean. So how many mixes would you go through? And I know how meticulous Bob is
Starting point is 02:05:48 as an engineer. But for the low-end theory to get the bass frequency that fucking loud and to get the snare drum that, like, to get the the bass frequencies that you guys use, and the snares that you guys use, and the voices, and you guys don't have
Starting point is 02:06:07 Chuck D. Preacher Voices. So to get 33 and a third of the bass with the kick, the snare to punch through, and your voices, which aren't Teddy Pender Grass, come in a woman. It's none of that shit. That was good. Thank you.
Starting point is 02:06:26 I'm from Philly. I'm from Philly. But I'm just saying what was the mixing process like? I mean, how much damage did y'all do to... Well, I know, first of all, if you know Bob Power, he never uses the big speakers.
Starting point is 02:06:43 So that's even, like, he mixes everything on, like, clock radio status, like, the worst speaker. Well, because these... So we can hear it. If it sound good on that, it's sound on everything. That was his big rule
Starting point is 02:06:55 Like, and I must be quiet. To this day, he's so right. Because if you could, if you can, if you can. If you sound good on your phone. Here and you hear everything and it's an articulation, then you know that you're 75, 80% there. And he would always say, so being that you can hear everything,
Starting point is 02:07:14 then it's about what, you know, the person, what kind of personality you wanted to have. Like, so if it's going for this or that. He, he leans more to what's naturally there sonically. you know what I mean so how did you all achieve that because as simple as the record sounds drums bass voice
Starting point is 02:07:32 minimum samples that is some hard shit to achieve to be that loud it's it's louder than the average hip-hop record like you take an album like nation of millions yeah and put yeah which is crammed with everything and it's a sonic assault but it's not really loud though
Starting point is 02:07:49 but it's not loud it's not heavy it's light it's loud in the in the high end sense the word, but... Do you feel like it has a lot of compression? Takes the Nation moon? A lot. Right.
Starting point is 02:07:59 Yes. So how did you guys... It's a falsified loudness. How did you guys cheat that? Because that's some hard... Because Bob, because Bob, I mean, his thing is about placement, too. Like, a guitar should kind of naturally
Starting point is 02:08:14 be in, like, anywhere. If it's a rhythm guitar, it should naturally be in kind of like a, you know, low mid. The bottom. end of a low mid, so anywhere from like 300, you know, up to kind of maybe like... But I was so scientific with it. You know, two.
Starting point is 02:08:33 You know, it should be there. And then the bass has its section, like, depending on it. He was more about the natural placement of music and vocals and the sections of it, not too much compressions. And he really liked to use a lot of, you know, going through, like, we worked on that, the, on the low end there, you work. on the John Lennon Neve. That was in battery. What? Yeah, that was in battery.
Starting point is 02:09:01 Damn, that was before my time. Yeah, that was in Studio B. Really? Mm-hmm. So we did a lot of shit going through that Neve. And then we wind up mixing an A on the SSO. So the actual recording of it, the shit I was giving him, the sources I was giving him.
Starting point is 02:09:19 Yeah, it was going to do. So you were record that battery in the B room? Yeah. Damn. Do you miss going on a battery? Just to feel enough. I do. I do.
Starting point is 02:09:28 It was fun. It was fun. When did y'all go? Because y'all was record. We started December of 93. So what's weird was, okay. But the first joint y'all did, y'all did home, right? Well, we did Organics home at some spot in Nepal.
Starting point is 02:09:47 That sounded great. Well, that was like in a garage. We didn't know what we were doing. So all of Christmas of 1993, and this before automation this is on two inch tape so like you know
Starting point is 02:10:00 I regretfully like the guys would get mad at me if I'd say like okay I want to echo on this part which would mean that Bob would rewind rewind and you know when you rewind the tape
Starting point is 02:10:12 that's already 90 seconds worth of time now we're trying to perfect it any any request I had of Bob Powell was a 20 minute exercise so we're taking eight to nine hours
Starting point is 02:10:28 per song per day and you know we were used to just knocking shit out like okay now our song's done but now it's like but Bob explained like this is the meticulous process and you have to go to guys
Starting point is 02:10:39 I need some quiet if you guys want to talk please guys you go in another room did you hear that a lot did you hear that a lot? He said that a lot boss bill has alerted me to the fact that what's the website
Starting point is 02:10:50 all music all music dogs or discogs Oh, yeah, discogs. When you go to discogs and you look up someone's information, because I gave Bob a new moniker title for each song. It would be like mixed by Bob, guys, you really must take this in the break room. Power. He has over like 60 alias credits.
Starting point is 02:11:13 Guys, really, I left you guys some food in the fridge. Go check it out while I mixed this song. Literally. Yeah, Bob was, it must be quiet. There was no, like none of that. None of the shit that I thought was going to happen when you make a rap record, like girls and parties and all that stuff. None of that was going on at root sessions. Like we were quiet and focused.
Starting point is 02:11:35 Guys, I just need a little bit of quiet, please. That sounds like, Tim, why don't you come in and take a little? You know, I, you know, I know, I know what you didn't get. Right, right, exactly. He would talk you down. And a non-condescending. Yeah. In a way you feel like, yeah, you are doing this for the greater good, Bob.
Starting point is 02:11:52 Okay, let me take all this weed and hookers in the next one. Yeah, right, right, right, right, right, right. A win is a win. A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football, or my career in sports media.
Starting point is 02:12:12 Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for Raw. unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated. One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clivert Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger. So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to The Clifford Show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast.
Starting point is 02:12:56 And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galko, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the player. flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more,
Starting point is 02:13:35 follow Timbo Slica Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid surprises. And Rule 2, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield, and in this new season of the girlfriends, oh my God, this is the same man. A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target.
Starting point is 02:14:23 He's going to get what he deserves. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Well, at this rate, I'll be lucky to get the Midnight Marath. Yeah, we got to get him out of now. Let's get to come on.
Starting point is 02:14:48 All right. So look, so look, for me, I know this is nerd facts. But it should be noted. It should be noted that I feel like the scenario remix ushered in well the chopping of the chopping of blind alley
Starting point is 02:15:08 and what it represented I felt like that was the most influential move that you guys did as producers because pretty soon when cats heard
Starting point is 02:15:24 Blind Alley chopped in a way okay I'm speaking of the emotions blind Alley ain't no half step in Rumpshank All these songs Shions and Marley
Starting point is 02:15:38 And you brought it back for phony rappers on I love that fucking song Thank you man So to To chop it up in a way In which I feel like producers are like Wait a minute
Starting point is 02:15:52 We don't have to play the complete four bar phrase of a drum We can now Chop stuff in half Yeah that you know what guys Just to interrupt, that happened on Check the Rhym, actually. Because I remember having a conversation with Large. Because prior to this, and this is not like me trying to do it, none of that shit.
Starting point is 02:16:13 But just on some, like, producer shit, geeky, whatever. But I remember having a conversation with Lodge Professor, and I was like, yo, those drums on the EPMD album, you know that EPMD song, it was... Do you do... Oh, the... The Hydro, do... Right.
Starting point is 02:16:32 It was on their album, right? And they had the whole loop just playing. And I had the record. And I remember just... Wait, you... That's your drum? Yo, I remember just playing it. And I was like, yo, Paul.
Starting point is 02:16:49 Yo. I could just get half a bar of these drums. They're naked right here. And I can extend it. He was like, what you mean? I was like, yo. listen and it was like Badoo doom kett
Starting point is 02:17:04 Dood do Katt Dood do Friking me y'all I said I wasn't going to do this butt Duh Duh Duh
Starting point is 02:17:12 Duh Duh Duh Duh D Duh D Duh D D D Duh Hydra
Starting point is 02:17:16 Oh By Grover Washington Jr. And then I just took an extra kick off of the
Starting point is 02:17:24 Mini Rippet and I was like Yo look at this kick Just translate for me y'all because I'm just having a moment Yeah that was the first time Fucking Hydra. Yeah.
Starting point is 02:17:33 If you could take half of a, half a bar, to do do, like it wasn't, that wasn't being done. You know what I'm saying? So it was just like you would get the loop and loop it or you'd have a program still to that point. But to realize that you could just get a little
Starting point is 02:17:52 fucking piece and extend it, I was like, oh, shit. Now I'll take the rhyme. It was so weird that you said that because when you said check the rhyme, I was going to say, well, that doesn't count it because no one knows what those drums are anyway. We knew them all along.
Starting point is 02:18:08 Two. All right. Philadelphia's own, Grover Washington, Jr. I, Dr. A.B.A. Ballsville. Just go. Side note. Side note, Lewis Johnson and the brothers Johnson is playing bass on this.
Starting point is 02:18:22 Ah, wow. And, Steve, you are the master of all things. Cree Taylor. Yeah. do. Yes. What album is it?
Starting point is 02:18:34 Is it feeling so good? Yeah. Feels so good? Papa love it. Oh, I hear it. Papa love. Then it does it. You know what I'll go and check the rhyme?
Starting point is 02:18:53 I will. I would still love to flip it to show our listeners exactly how it was made. But, you know. If I can hear it, they can hear it because, you know, my. Yes. If you couldn't hear poison. Oh, man. What's the hint for that.
Starting point is 02:19:07 If auntie ears can hear it. Yo, where was Creed Taylor's studio at? Creed Taylor Studio. The CTI. Like, where did he cut? Rudy Van Gelder. Oh, he cut it in Englewood. Everything there, yeah.
Starting point is 02:19:23 All that CTI shit was cut? Mm-hmm. Yep. I would do that. All right, just for tip. I'll do it right now. Thank you. You're welcome.
Starting point is 02:19:37 You're welcome. And I forgot what I was looking for. The Kudu stuff, too, mainly. over there. Some stuff at Electrical Lady, actually. I realize that... I mean, it should be a museum. The reason why it was taking me so long
Starting point is 02:19:48 was because I forgot that rhyme was spelled. R-H-I-M-E. They cut Love Supreme in that room. Wow. They cut all that blue note, you know, all blue note. You hear it? I hear it. Yeah.
Starting point is 02:20:03 Boom-boom-th-thum-th-th-boom-th. It's fucking amazing. A win is a win. A win. I don't care what you're saying. Yep, that's me, Cliver Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, the reactions, my journey from basketball to college football,
Starting point is 02:20:20 or my career in sports media. Well, somewhere along the way, this platform became bigger than I ever imagined. And now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifford Show. This is a place for raw, unfiltered conversations with some of your favorite athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.
Starting point is 02:20:39 One week, I'll take you behind the scenes of the biggest moments in sports and entertainment, and the next we'll talk about life, mental health, purpose, and even music. The Clifford Show isn't just a podcast, it's a space for honest conversations, stories that don't always get told, and for people who are chasing something bigger.
Starting point is 02:20:55 So, if you've ever supported me, or you're just chasing down a dream, this is right where you need to be. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcast, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
Starting point is 02:21:10 top. This week on the Sports Sliced podcast, it's all about the NFL draft, and we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar, this is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Sliced podcast, on the IHeart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slice of Life 12 and TikTok Podcast Network on TikTok.
Starting point is 02:21:52 There's two golden rules that any man should live by. Rule one, never mess with a country girl. You play stupid games, you get stupid prizes. And rule two, never mess with her friends either. We always say that trust your girlfriends. I'm Anna Sinfield. And in this new season of The Girlfriends, Oh my God, this is the same man.
Starting point is 02:22:16 A group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. I felt like I got hit by a truck. I thought, how could this happen to me? The cops didn't seem to care. So they take matters into their own hands. I said, oh, hell no. I vowed. I will be his last target. He's going to get what he deserves.
Starting point is 02:22:38 Listen to the Girlfriends. Trust me, babe. On the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. Speaking of that, speaking of the remix. Yeah, speaking of the remix, where did Hood come from?
Starting point is 02:23:02 Hood was from around my way. You know, Sri K. He was in and out of group homes. He was really trying to get it together. And I was looking forward to working with him because kind of predating, you know, a Redman or B-I-G I thought that
Starting point is 02:23:24 like he kind of occupies something that I hadn't heard in a while like a real real street energy that was now but it was just real like he has some rhymes man he was dope and unfortunately that was the only he was from Hollis that was the only joint
Starting point is 02:23:42 that he got to do he didn't even get to see that come out oh damn How long was his demise after? Well, after we did the record, he was murdered, I think, the week after. Damn. Jesus. Okay, so how many versions of scenario are there?
Starting point is 02:24:02 And why did it go through so many drafts before we wound up with the final version that we have? I think there's like one, which is original, two. Do you know who was on each version? Three. No, I know. There's one version where it's us again with... There's actually four. There's the one that's out.
Starting point is 02:24:29 Then there's another version with all of us who are on the record with just different placement in different little versions. So there's a different where Buster doesn't end the song? And... He does... Yeah, something... Something different.
Starting point is 02:24:49 It was a rough about it. I don't know if you didn't end it. But I know it's a different rap a little bit. Then there's another version with Jerobi and Paz on it. And Chris Lattie, right? Then there's another version with Dres, Paz, and Chris Liddy. Damn. How did y'all decide on with the final?
Starting point is 02:25:14 Was this like, this is our moment? Let's not mess this up. I already knew that it was going to be the first. first one. So the album version is the first one? Yeah. I already knew that that was going to be it. Wait a minute. Let me make sure this straight. The version
Starting point is 02:25:29 that's on the album, was done completely as we know it. And you're saying that there was a discussion like we could do better. We did that. And I kind of knew what it was, but
Starting point is 02:25:45 everybody was in there and heard it and heard about it. It was like, You, I want to come by rum on it. Oh, everybody was like... Yes, I was excited. So here's the other million dollar question. And you know what's coming. Why wasn't De Laos on any tribe records?
Starting point is 02:26:02 And a war tour doesn't count. Yeah, you know... Or was just... Native tongues just a fantasy in our minds. No, no, no, no, no. The first thing I wanted to do, I had a record called... Native Tones for the first album.
Starting point is 02:26:21 And it's sampled Pride and Vanity by Ohio players. I still have the beat, actually. But, and I played it, I told Daylon and Jungle, I said, come by, I got the record for all of us. And then I had, like, on instinctive travels.
Starting point is 02:26:39 Shit! Right? And so then I was playing it, and Passenham was like, you know, Merth was like, you know. Listen to it to all that shit. Dave was just to see it. And then, because when we walked in, when they walked in,
Starting point is 02:26:56 we were working on Mr. Muhammad. Oh, man. He was the first thing he heard it. And he was like, yo, that's hype. That's the hype. That's the hype. He kept saying. That's like, yo, but let me play you the beat for native tongue.
Starting point is 02:27:07 And it's all like, do, do, do, do, do. Bram, bam. And, and, uh, and, uh, and, um, He was like, no, we're going to rhyme on the other one. I was like, nah, that's Mr. Maras Ali's joint. No, y'all not rhyming on that. It's this one.
Starting point is 02:27:28 Nah, fuck that. We're going to rhyme with the other one. Come on, y'all. Come on, pyes. Come on. Come on, let's do it. We're rhyming on the other one. And I was looking at him.
Starting point is 02:27:38 I was like, I was like, well, you're going to rhymeing on that. So they never. So that would never happen. Then... Well, I mean, her and ease, but that doesn't count. Yeah, that doesn't count. Ah, man. That was the one chance, I believe, other than a war tour and the scenario things, you know?
Starting point is 02:28:06 Because, like, every native tongue entry has their own native tongue posse cut on it. And it never happened on a tribe record. And I just, you know, all right, so midnight. There's a, there's a version of midnight with ad rock on it. The night is on my mind? Yeah, but before it was even that, it was just a beat. I'm rhyming over that. Wow.
Starting point is 02:28:37 I just found that shit. The George Juke Joy? Mm-hmm. What album? Ah, don't make you make me figure out what it is. Is it the oral? Prevail? Is it?
Starting point is 02:28:50 Okay, yes. That's it. You sure you found it? Well, I knew I was on it because it felt familiar. I didn't figure out which chords y'all used, but it was just... Who was the voice for the tour guide? Rest in peace, Laurel Dan. She just passed last year.
Starting point is 02:29:08 Oh, man. She was the production coordinator at Jive. Sweet lady, like just super nice. and oh man she was so white white yeah but she was super cool man like she deserved a chibreude i feel like she was dope and how did y'all EQ her voice to make it sound like that what you know we just wanted to make it sound like a computer or a phone or something like that something that was just that didn't fuck with the other frequencies and shit you know this is the voice on your own yeah i remember writing all that shit out for her and telling her say it like this
Starting point is 02:29:46 No, no, say it like this. And I was like, okay, now, Bob, you got to chop it. I know, I know, I know, I know. So he was like, this is on real. I was all excited. I was more excited about that than anything else in the record. I was like, okay, now you got to chop it. Now you got to make it sound of it.
Starting point is 02:30:01 Tip, I know. And he's chopper. This is on real. Actually, that is hard to compute. How do you do that? Yeah, like he's chopping it. Like, you mean like on actual real. He's chopping a voice.
Starting point is 02:30:12 That was done on, tape. Yeah. He would say oh no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no, no. I got to ask Bob. I can't remember. I wanted to say it was either done tape or it was a sample
Starting point is 02:30:32 or it was samples. And I would fire off the sample and fire off the sample for the next phrase, like, I am on the front of your album cover and then you're about to, you know, and try
Starting point is 02:30:47 Like Girl Quest, you know, I think it was that. Cute tip, yeah. Was that the first time, so you carried that graphic over into the beats, rhymes, and life cover? And I've always wanted to ask you this. Yeah, who is that person? I worry. Yeah, no, no, no, that was it.
Starting point is 02:31:05 Oh, no, that was it. I'm sorry. No, no, you was kind of completing it, right? Who was that person? And also, my theory, or how I always interpreted the beats, rhymes, and life cover, to me, it looked like because this is around the time
Starting point is 02:31:21 this is like Biggie Pop like all that shit was going on and it just looked like hip hop was just kind of in a state of emergency and you know so you had like the the red black and green the figure was crying and the city was burning and to me it just
Starting point is 02:31:36 that's what it represented it represented hip hop kind of falling apart I did I mean it was just like the B rhymes in life period it was an odd time It was a little dark
Starting point is 02:31:54 It was because I guess Fife and I were having our Issues And I converted to Islam And then I met Dilla And just meeting him Was just like a bright spot And bringing him in on the record
Starting point is 02:32:12 And I bought Consequence on the record So I guess everybody started feeling threatened And my whole thing was like, come on, you know, I was all just all happy go like, no, it's a tribe. Everybody can come on, yo, hey. You know, and I don't think everybody was feeling that. But I just wanted to kind of like be more expansive. I felt like, you know, the way that hip hop was starting to shift, even though we weren't necessarily following the same course per se,
Starting point is 02:32:46 I still wanted to put something in there that still represented like a growth, if you would, or some sort of like, you know, new elements. Just we're changing in our own way, you know, at the same time that the genre is changing. So, you know, it just bought, it was a lot of stuff that wasn't discussed, wasn't clear. But definitely People put us on this pedestal at the time critically and all this shit So sorry about that
Starting point is 02:33:24 But I mean but y'all had released like three perfect albums before So it's kind of like I mean You can understand where that pedestal came from I mean it was a well-deserved pedestal Well I You know
Starting point is 02:33:35 After that first It's like Wait a minute Why are we skipping a record Like we know We're not We just ask the question I was just...
Starting point is 02:33:47 He was talking about the figurine and what it represents. Wait, before we go to the dark place, wait, go to the happy place. Tim, please. Tip, explain this. Tell me this story. All right, I'm going to play this for it.
Starting point is 02:34:03 I'm going to play you this, and you explain what this means, Steve. This is don't walk away by Jade on Quest Love Supreme. Enjoy it all. You're in the comfort. I'm the one with the braces. Of course, no one...
Starting point is 02:34:35 I let that rock. Let the rock. You got the rock. Come on, hold on. Now, will you play this in your DJ sets? There's a reason why I'm playing this, ladies and gentlemen. Tip's going to explain why. Shout out for the girls who have poetic justice braids.
Starting point is 02:35:00 Can I ask you some... Tip. Wait, you're an R&B head. Head. That's weird to me because it's like, you live in a world where like Galt McDermott lives, but then right now you're doing the Reebok. I just took video this and it's going to be great
Starting point is 02:35:43 because there's no music behind it. There's like Garfield minus Garfield. Garfield minus Garfield. Tim. explain to me why that song is so important to you man listen to that record that shit is so dope
Starting point is 02:36:01 but this is the thing though in the bass line obviously but I heard it it didn't hit me that way so how where did it hit you to the point you were like yo
Starting point is 02:36:11 we gotta go there well dance too hard no it's a chorus turn it up wait it's it turn it up hey
Starting point is 02:36:23 Hey, hey, don't walk away, boy. See, I'm the only one that's followed the rules. You only have the words. Don't walk away, boy. I said vibrate. Put it on vibrate. I'll be right there for you. They got in a movie based off that song, Inc.
Starting point is 02:36:46 It's right. Jay's in Inkwell? Yes. You got to let this play. You gotta get to the don't walk. Break it down. Okay, this is the breakdown. You can turn it down.
Starting point is 02:37:01 Oh, you don't like that one. No, no, we just turn it down. Every time we hear the chorus. You can talk over it. It's the bass line, though, that. This is the hard. When you make a love. So can you explain our...
Starting point is 02:37:13 Do da-da-dum-dum-dum-dum-dum. Don't walk away. I was just here that shit in the club. That shit would just be rock and stuff. so hard. All right. The chorus is back. Well, no, not really. Not yet. Oh, it's not yet. It's like a play.
Starting point is 02:37:28 I've heard you play this in the club many times. You have? Yes, yes, I have. I mean, my God. It's still goes, man. It goes. And it's an era. Like, the whole era. It's summer 93 all over. Yeah, that was a good summer. Oh, my God. This shit was cracking. So when I heard it, I was like, I got to make a record, like, that
Starting point is 02:37:44 baseline. So I just wanted to, like, re-approach it. So it was, um, do-d-do-do-do-do-do. I mean, because obviously it was going against the Weldon Nervine. Right. You know what I mean? I never would have gotten that. Me neither. Yeah, like, it took me a long time to figure that that's where.
Starting point is 02:38:08 Yeah. How do you hear these music ideas? Because I know the original... I'm not. Because I know, I think you the king, especially with songs like this, where you... You will force a square and a circle peg. Because the thing is, the horn line doesn't have anything melodically. Actually, that is a guitar line from Charles Ehrlich.
Starting point is 02:38:46 I'm sorry. Yeah. So the guitar line from Charles Ehrlichin has nothing to do with Walden Irvine, which has nothing to do with a J bass line. Nothing. Which has nothing to do with the. The bridge But you forced it to work.
Starting point is 02:39:04 That was fun, wasn't it? Yeah, I love it. The dance break is always fun. Yeah, we don't have enough dance breaks. We really don't do. You need to have more dance breaks. More dance breaks. Or can Tip just be on every episode now?
Starting point is 02:39:16 Oh, oh, oh, how about this? Tip, I was the first guest, and now I'm on the show. You can be the 50th guest, and now you're on the show. Either that or is this a proposition or proposal. and you guys can talk it over
Starting point is 02:39:30 the Chappelle level of proposal this means it might not ever happen Oh don't do that. So crazy just like Brooke Amir You gotta trust me on this Yes So
Starting point is 02:39:44 I have a great idea It's great You don't get that It's just an idea Every time that y'all want to have have a dance segue. Just call it the tip dance segue. Oh, you ain't gotta be here.
Starting point is 02:40:04 All right, okay. We will now- Mitz-Sept-Six. No matter who, I don't care a nigga if it's a nigga I have beef with, you have to say, okay, this is the tip dance segment. If we do that, you have to record an intro for the segment. Oh, I'll, I'll totally, I'll do it.
Starting point is 02:40:21 Don't worry about it. I'll record the tip dance segment music. Give us the intro. Like, interrupt. We interrupt this for a tip dance break. We interrupt this for a Q-tip dance break. Dance. This will, I will always have this.
Starting point is 02:40:45 One, Bill, wait, come on. Effolus. Effolish. Effolish. Effiless. Effiless. All right. Wait, we all stop dancing?
Starting point is 02:40:54 No. It's a Q-tip dance break, man. It's a Q-tip dance break, ma'am. Don't walk away. Okay, let's talk about arguments in the group. Good segue. Great segue. Spoonful of sugar.
Starting point is 02:41:16 Actually, Midnight Marauders is so overwhelming. I don't know what to talk about it or how to praise it. Electric relaxation. Like, what that means? Let's get to the dark. You're three. No, no, not even. Because there's a lot of dissecting I want to do.
Starting point is 02:41:31 creative. Can I ask what question? It just can't keep popped in my head. I don't know if it's ever going to come back again, so I have to take advantage of it. Okay. The part on the album where you and you and rich, and I think it's you rich and who is I arguing?
Starting point is 02:41:47 Was that real? On the phone? Who was that? Yes, that was very much real. What was that? Okay, so we were. It's talking about the intro to Rising Down. The intro to Rising Down.
Starting point is 02:41:59 Should I play it? Have you heard? Play it? If Laia hasn't heard it, then that means it doesn't exist. Don't do that. You know I heard it. No, you did. I want to hear it.
Starting point is 02:42:08 I feel like if a root song falls in the forest and it, Lai doesn't hear it, it never made a sound. I'm good to Game Theory. I am good to Game Theory. It's like four albums after that. I know. I know. I'm just saying. Oh, I'm good.
Starting point is 02:42:25 It's the album after. Oh. It's like, Risen down. Oh, yeah. That was a good one, too. had to go-go-dron with Chris at Michelle and why like that's anyway all right so this is what tip is asking about like it is I mean that shit wasn't fun that shit was not it wasn't no fucking busy trip it was fucking hard work and shit you know what I feel like I
Starting point is 02:42:46 bust my ass for you all I want to what happened before I bust my ass and not get anything out of it well if y'all really that fucking unhappy all the my problems with me that made me off your school so how fucked up like two years is what she was really saying that and shit like that screaming at me. I'm telling you. It sounds like that conversation. We had a couple weeks ago.
Starting point is 02:43:44 That's Rich right there, right? That is Rich. You know that that nigga Rich? You're kidding. You're a kidnig ass up. Tell him? Don't matter what the nigga look like.
Starting point is 02:43:52 I love Rich. Rich? RIP? Rich got in that soul like Ether. Yeah, man. That was like he was... He was R. Peter Grant.
Starting point is 02:44:02 But that passionately his voice... That motherfucker will bloody somebody knows real quick. Yo, he's son Kim Gamble. Remember he's son Gamble? I'm sorry, that was... Rich will bloody your nose and you will thank him for it afterwards.
Starting point is 02:44:14 Yeah. I mean, but, yeah, so what you're hearing is... So who was that talking at further? That was Tariq? That was... Okay. AJ Shine, who is the Stretch Armstrong and Bob Beto of Philadelphia,
Starting point is 02:44:28 who discovered us, and with his accident money, settlement money, made a demo called Organics for the Roots. and we somehow nuanced that into a record deal. So this particular... He's coming back for some pay. Next question.
Starting point is 02:44:49 No, a bootleg recently came back. I was like, wait, where did this album come from? It was like us live in London somewhere. Anyway, so the scenario is we are doing our first promo tour down south, and this is where we're slowly real. that this is going to be a long, hard journey. And that long, hard journey, you know, in our minds, we thought like, well, if we make what's good to, like, we didn't know what a formula.
Starting point is 02:45:22 I didn't know about a hook and pop atmosphere and all that stuff. And we didn't know that stuff. So all we knew was that we went to a nightclub in North Carolina. No offense. Oh, damn. We went to a nightclub. in North Carolina. And in hindsight,
Starting point is 02:45:41 the DJ probably shouldn't have stopped playing Warren G immediately. Like it was one of those television segments. It was like... The roots are in the house. No, it was like... No, no, no, it was like...
Starting point is 02:45:53 Perfect example. It was like the five heartbeats. This next group coming on say they better than the five... Four tops. Right. The temptation is put together. We shall see.
Starting point is 02:46:04 Set you up for the goddamn okedone. I'm just saying, I'm just saying as a DJ who is DJ through the bad boy era, like Puff is notorious, especially like, let's go 10 years back. You beat DJ in a club, and then the bad boy street team commandeers your DJ booth with, yo, here, play this now. Right. Like, and so this person obviously didn't have any nuance with the segue. So it's like a very popular known song, suddenly he just,
Starting point is 02:46:36 takes it off and puts on a song maybe I should have put the kick drum on the one and the three so that the beat was more steady. Storcian static. He just puts distortion of static on and I literally watched a dance floor
Starting point is 02:46:52 all stop and turn back at the DJ like that. It was like, no it wasn't even that. It wasn't even that. It hurt them to dance to. They were just like that kick
Starting point is 02:47:06 Drum is a little disorienting. I didn't know. For me, I was just taking the second half of substitution. Yeah. I was taking the second half of subsidy. I wanted to do off substitution, but because those guys were like, we'll get sued, we'll get sued.
Starting point is 02:47:23 And I was like, all right, well, I'll do the second half of substitution. And I fought them on it because I said, yo, Dale I already did the second half of substitution on the last song on Blue Mind State. Yeah. And, you know, they're like, no, man, don't do substitution. We're going to get sued. So, I mean, I saw them struggle with it.
Starting point is 02:47:40 And then when they cleared the dance floor, it was like, oh, we're fucked. We are so fucked right now. And so just all that week, we go to in stores with just like three people there. And those are like the employees. We go to, we went to Florida somewhere and nobody cared. It was like a week of hell. And so we got on the phone. It was Wendy Goldstein.
Starting point is 02:48:06 Joe Wendy was on that call Yes Oh my God She was And Tariq Quiet hell yeah Had what y'all got them
Starting point is 02:48:16 Contract in the shredder Like Right So Right over that motherfucker Tarreek Toreek is fussing And cussing
Starting point is 02:48:24 And like He laid into it Like you know What the fuck Like We're out here The street team Doesn't know
Starting point is 02:48:30 Who we are And da da da da And we go to night clubs And that's Tareke right At the beginning No Well that's
Starting point is 02:48:35 Okay Yes, in the very beginning. He's talking to Wendy. Tarique called and cursed out Wendy Goldstein. Wendy then called Tarique like, I just got cursed out by Tarique. What the fuck? And then Rich called Joe and me and Tarique
Starting point is 02:48:51 was like, yo, like, y'all can't be spazzed out at the A&R like that. And, you know, you can't be spazzed out. And Tarik would just like, you know, it was just basically, we had, had all these expectations to do well. We thought... Tarreek is a wild boy, too.
Starting point is 02:49:12 Yes. So, it must have been like, I was listening to that shit. I mean, when it first came out, I was like, oh, I felt like, wow. You know the group dynamic. Yeah, I was like... It sounds familiar, though? Y'all didn't go through anything. Oh, yeah.
Starting point is 02:49:27 Every group. This is why, like, groups... One thing, can I ask, did you guys just tape record every conversation you guys had on the phone? What made you tape that? Yeah, right. Did you, like, did you? Oh, I was too... Okay, the part that I'm leaving out
Starting point is 02:49:40 was that I still had a bunk bed. Say what now? Yeah, exactly. Here's the thing. I was... I had... I'm still in my childhood home. This is how we're doing.
Starting point is 02:49:56 So, because I was on the top bunk... Bunk bed, can we make bunk beds? The message already went to... Machine. Amir, I know you there, pick up the phone. You know, like old-school answer machines. So machine recorded it. Right.
Starting point is 02:50:10 So then, you know, I'm on the top bunk. It's our region on the floor. And I was too lazy to get off off the bed to turn off the machine. Right, so I just let it go and stay. But then, you know, it's. So why was he calling out your name? Like, Amir, tell to them and tell them. Well, because it was, Rich was saying, Amir, will you tell them?
Starting point is 02:50:32 Because people think that they're talking to me. No. He was like, Amir, well? Will you tell them what happened on the road? Basically, it was kind of the two managers arguing with each other. Whereas Joe, A.J. Shine was like, yo, don't mess up our good thing at Geffen. And Rich was sort of on me and Tariq's side like, shit's fucked up out here. And we were broke.
Starting point is 02:50:52 And when you're broke, you argue. So that's, there was a lot of that going on. But surprisingly, we stayed together for 25 plus years. Can we get a sound effect for that? key to that. That's called clap. That's a major thing. Nah.
Starting point is 02:51:12 Well, this is what I want to know. Like, why didn't y'all just, not that you guys were road dogs as far as, like, always on a tour bus. But we knew from the gate that two tour buses would save this group. And, you know, I joke about the whole Gryffindor and Slythering thing. But, you know, In hindsight, could a lot of the tension then avoid it?
Starting point is 02:51:40 If we had two tour buses? Yeah. No. No. I mean, it was just... Like doing all the Lala Poulouza tour. Were y'all on the same bus? See, you got to remember, and it's probably like y'all, too.
Starting point is 02:51:52 Like, we grew up together. You know what I'm saying? We grew up, yeah. So you getting separate buses to me? Yeah. I've seen a lot of rock and rollers say that, and that works. and that was very well but our shit was deep
Starting point is 02:52:08 you know pardon the pun deep rooted that had nothing to do with any sort of physical separation it was more I mean like it's it was really like we were cool
Starting point is 02:52:28 then you get on and then people start coming around that you've never seen before and they start working their way into your equation and then this starts to become separate groups like little factions
Starting point is 02:52:43 yeah the little factions and you know how that shit is there's the faction we are all groups here yeah yeah there's this faction this faction and then
Starting point is 02:52:52 that couple with the fact that you're still young you are still you know fighting for your own terrain as an individual and all that shit
Starting point is 02:53:05 and then the new people are coming in like yeah man you got to fight for your own terrain nigga you gotta don't fight for my own terrain I want to know You know like that type of shit
Starting point is 02:53:19 I feel you and especially for you because there's nothing more awkward when you get singled out That's why I always said from the beginning Like this is my tribe Never put my face in the cover And I was always
Starting point is 02:53:32 I wanted to ask you that man Like to me you always seem to be and let me know if I was reading it wrong, you always seems to be like a kind of reluctant. Very reluctant. You know what I mean? Like you never, I mean, you had the talent. I mean, you know, cool.
Starting point is 02:53:44 You sound like James Brown, very reluctant. But the thing, though, is at least there is. You do sometimes, that's right. At least there is justifiable understanding for the lead voice to be the center of attention. Right. It's 12 more times awkward when, the leader is the guy that's way in the back.
Starting point is 02:54:10 Yeah, the drama, yeah. Yeah, it's like, oh, Jesus. Like, I don't want this attention. But your hair so big. Thank you. That's what she said. No, but it's, it's, it's like no one understands the group dynamic more in the shit that goes on with groups,
Starting point is 02:54:32 especially in your situation and in your situation. more than me. Like, it's just, I get it. I think, at least in me and Tariq's situation, the greater good of the group is probably, I mean, we at least had that understanding ironclad. You know, we've only had one fist fight in our 25 years. And that was like maybe two weeks after the distortion of static video.
Starting point is 02:55:06 Who? Who won? Who won? It's never... I mean, I'm too big. Like, I sat on top of him. Like, let's... Like, he threw a chair.
Starting point is 02:55:19 We wrestled in the office and then, like... I think he'll get off, me, get off. Well, here's the funny thing, though. This is the thing that Rich later admitted. Like, we, like, post... Post-fights with anybody that you ever been in the fist fight, I don't know if you've personally been in a fist fight. Uh-huh. Uh-huh.
Starting point is 02:55:39 I'm big. But, yeah, even even the person that gets hit and the person that does the hitting, they both are, there's equal pain, like, you know. And, but me and Tariq, like, didn't want to let each other know that we were, so we were, like, limping in the hallway of our apartment. Man. But when we see each other, like, I'm not hurt. I ain't hurt, yeah.
Starting point is 02:56:01 I'm straight. Then, like, a month later, we just laughed. out loud about it, like, yeah, I wasn't hurt. I wasn't hurt either. I'm sorry, man. Oh, shit. You know, so it's, it's, it's, it's, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, I, about a fight.
Starting point is 02:56:34 Fist a cuffs. Oh, yeah, this is definitely, Tip Ali right. Tip Fife right here So Tip Obviously Your story is way more expansive You're going to have to come back later In the year
Starting point is 02:56:48 In the future We'll speak about movies for the tip dance break Is this part one? Yes This is part one What did you learn, Fonte? I learned that Q-Tip is still One of the biggest music fans ever
Starting point is 02:57:03 To see you drop records and him still be dancing to it and, you know, for you to drop a record like Ghost Tessa and him to reminisce on it and it takes him right back to the last quarter. You know what I mean? That's just a beautiful thing to see. It's a lot of brothers that, you know,
Starting point is 02:57:19 have been in the game, have been in the game as long as you have, you know what I'm saying, but have become somewhat jaded and have lost that passion for the music. But then you know what fun? Like, how could you, maybe it's just me being naive,
Starting point is 02:57:31 but how could you not have that excitement for music? It can happen. Because some people, they take it personally. So it's like if you have musical dreams and, okay, the dreams didn't work for me. A dream. What happens to a loan deferred? You know what I mean? It's like it's that kind of shit.
Starting point is 02:57:51 So like if your shit gets deferred, then all of a sudden it's like sour grapes. I mean, I must not be that. I can't even understand that. Like seriously, like I can't even, I don't have a comprehension of that. Like, I love music so much. It's so much a part of everything. Even when if I'm in a fucked-up move, said, whatever, like, there's music to accompany.
Starting point is 02:58:12 Like, when Fife passed, you know, for, you know, days after, you know, I'd have to put together some, I'd have to hear some music to get me up or to give me going. So what would you play? What was your stuff? I mean, do you go to Stevie or Herbie or, you know, EW. Webb or, you know. The go-to. Yeah.
Starting point is 02:58:35 And if you want to cool out, like just keep me up, keep me optimistic, keep me, you know, going. And, you know, I don't know. I guess I sound corny, I feel. Nah, not. Did you have any records? Yeah, very human. Did you have any records that you played for, like, the other stuff just to really get into the sadness of the moment? Like, did you have any of those joints?
Starting point is 02:58:56 No, but it's funny because you know how it is, like, you always find something about, you always find something about. about whatever it is that makes you sad. It's just very relative or poignant to that moment. You know, for a horrible example, like if you have a breakup with a girl and every song you hear is like relatable to the breakup or whatever, you know what I mean? So even in those joyous songs,
Starting point is 02:59:23 there would be points that would take you there that, you know, to tear you up, you know what I mean? So I just can't even fathom somebody not appreciating me. Well, I'm going to actually take the liberty to say that I think we all learn something really important. And that's the importance of a good goddamn dance break. Ladies and gentlemen, yes, I've taken over. You gotta go. The awesome back swell.
Starting point is 02:59:54 No. We're going to dance break right now. This is the best Farnby song of 1993, according to Kamaupharee. Don't Walk Away. by Jade. On behalf of Frantigolo, boss bill, sugar Steve,
Starting point is 03:00:10 unpaid bill. Yeah, man. Yeah, yo. Yeah. Margaret. Your ass. And Qip. Yes, Questlove signing off.
Starting point is 03:00:19 Questlove Supreme. I got you. Questlove Supreme is a production of Iheart Radio. This classic episode was produced by the team at Pandora. For more podcasts from IHeartRadio, visit the Iheart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you listen to your favorite shows. A win is a win.
Starting point is 03:00:42 A win is a win. I don't care what I'm saying. Yep, that's me, Clifford Taylor the 4th. You might have seen the skits, my basketball and college football journey, or my career in sports media. Well, now I'm bringing all of that excitement to my brand new podcast, The Clifers Show. This is a place for raw, unfills of conversations with athletes, creators, and voices that not only deserve to be heard, but celebrated.
Starting point is 03:01:05 So let's get to it. Listen to the Clifford show on the IHard Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more behind the scenes, follow at Clifford and at TikTok's podcast network on TikTok. This week on the Sports Slice podcast, it's all about the NFL draft. And we've got a special guest. The director of the NFL's East West Shrine Bowl, Eric Galco, joins the Sports Slice podcast to break down what really matters when evaluating draft prospects. From hidden traits teams look for to the biggest mistakes franchises make to the players flying under the radar. This is the insight you won't hear anywhere else. If you want to understand
Starting point is 03:01:40 the draft like an insider, you don't want to miss this episode. Listen to the Sports Slice podcast on the Iheart Radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcast. And for more, follow Timbo Slical Life 12 and TikTok podcast network on TikTok. When a group of women discover they've all dated the same prolific con artist. They take matters into their own hands. I vowed. I will be his last target. He is not going to get away with this. He's going to get what he deserves. We always say that trust your girlfriends. Listen to the girlfriends. Trust me, babe, on the IHeart radio app, Apple Podcasts, or wherever you get your podcasts. This is an IHeart podcast. Guaranteed human.

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