UrbanSouth.us meets DFWHiphop.com

by Lil' Phil , Edward "Pookie" Hall of Urban South

DFWHipHop.com is rapidly growing as more artists get serious about the music business, performing, and promoting the events surrounding the local Hip Hop & Rap scene. The site has turned into a gumbo-mix of all divisions of local Hip Hop & Rap music. Via computer, Lil’ Phil caught up with Ch0, the site’s owner and also a hip-hop producer, for some insight on the online music scene and to discuss his production work.

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What made you start DFWHipHop.com, which is one of the largest websites supporting DFW music?

Back around '01, there was a site called DallasHipHop.com that I just stumbled across, which served as a message board and artist/business directory. I thought it was a great idea, and became a member. After a while, the folks running it shut it down, so within about a week, I launched DFWHipHop.com in the same spirit of its predecessor.

When u started the site, how did u go about gaining new members?

Everybody from the previous site came over to the new one, and it was strictly word-of-mouth. I already knew most of these people from many years of doin this rap stuff.

What services do you offer on your website?

Directly on the site, we offer promo & advertisement, as well as graphic & studio services. Artists can post their profiles, their music, network with other industry professionals, and put their CD up for sale. There are also many industry-related service providers and freelancers that hustle their biz on the site.

Lets switch to your production. How long have you been producing?

Got my first Ensoniq board back in '92, prior to that I was doing cassette-loop dubs & beat-boxing, quarters on the lunch-tables, jammin in the band hall on piano and drums, whatever.

What made u want to start producing?

Two things: 1) I've been formally involved in the competitive performance and creation of music since pre-K, so my lifelong involvement in music was pretty much inevitable. 2) I've felt rap music as the main part of my soul's expression since the early 80's, and throughout that decade my passion for the genre only grew, especially once I began to understand the technical mechanisms behind what I was hearing, with samples & breakbeats being huge back in the day.

Give me your production resume. Who have u worked with?

Uh, aint no way in hell I could run down 14 years of clients and remember even half, not to mention most of em were and are completely unknown. Some of the notable ones from around here include Money Waters, Steve Austin, Pikahsso, Headkrack, T-Wrex, Boogieman, Ghetto Priest, Mista Long, Tahiti, Coffee Nods, Gylo, Ab-Nu-B-Us, Starvyn Artists, Young & The Restless, Dirty Red, and countless mo. Got things currently pending or in progress with a lot of folks, like Dirty Dialect Click, KayBeezy, Wap1, Mista Green, 4th Quarter, NunuBaby, Mr. Blakes, etc etc etc. I also produce R&B, and have done things for folks like Christene Dino, Missy Burton, Eric Jordan, and right now I'm workin on some hot shyt for Dynamic from D-Town Hustlers. Time is money. I've also done a gang of remixes and collabos over the years, and just lately, aside from producing the W.E.E.D. 200.3 radio show and mix series, I've been layin down musical drops for folks like Lil Phill, Texas Tough Boyz, Dallas SWAT, and more... There are a lot more folks I'd like to catch up with and get in the studio for some hot 16s on some mixes when time allows, but bread-breakers always get to cut in line, and that's just what that is. It does slow my own personal progress, but my rap money is larger than most doing it around here at this time, so fuck it!

You and Peanut produced Gylo's "Yeah Yeah" a few years back which was big on the radio for a local artist & producer to be behind it. How did that situation get popped off?

We was chillin & chiefin at P-Nut's old Mastermind Studio in Aggtown like we always did, and I go in the control room and hammer out a lil 4-bar loop on Nut's ASR, then promptly forget about it. A few weeks later, I end up hearing the song somewhere, Nut done added some bass drops and extra hi-hats over it, and our boy Gylo rappin over it with a pretty catchy hook. Caught me completely by surprise, mostly cuz I was still doing music for fun & fame at the time, and he was more bout his business. P-Nut's hustle and connections were essentially what helped propel that whole project to the level it attained, with the airplay, club play, tours, and what-not. I was just happy to hear my music on K104 every day, like a dumbass... We did that though. K104 Battle of the Beats or whateva that was called, we won 11 times in a row, sent them boyz on tour, had kids and clubs screamin our stuff. It's all like a dream now. Bet that's how it feels to be Vanilla Ice.

Word is you are working on a DFW mixtape or complilation?

The date on the official DFW compilation is when I feel satisfied that there is enough original material of sufficient creative quality, marketability, and sonic quality to present as something with my name on the front. I ain’t gonna just drop some bullshit, cuz we already pumpin out a gang of mixes every month. I'm getting money and putting out local stuff constantly regardless, so I'd just as soon not rush it. That being said, I got maybe half of what I need, out of over a hundred-something submitted songs and beats contributed by local artists and producers. I've experienced a recent shift in priorities due to the runaway success of the W.E.E.D. 200.3 mix series, so much of the local material I've received has also been repurposed for those mixes. It'll kick its way out when it's ready to be born.

What features do u have already?

I'm not ready to start spillin on that, but I can say representatives of pretty much every notable rap click makin noise in DFW will either be on there, or I've received their submissions, or I've chopped it up with them or their representatives. It's already one particular multi-million-dollar rapper from Dallas on there, but beyond that, my lips are sealed at this time.

Does this include a bulk of production by you?

I wouldn't say bulk, maybe half at this point, and even that's tentative, because I really don't care who do what as long as it's professional-sounding and nationally-competitive in the quality of its presentation. A lot of what I'm doing is taking submissions from other local producers, and helping them get the homemade and muddy out their sound, using my experience to bump the creative and sonic quality up a notch. Unfortunately in these modern days of "everybody's a star and a label CEO", I have sort thru a lot of hot gobbij.

Where do you see dfwhiphop.com and your production going in the next 5 to 6 years?

DFWHipHop.com in 5 years? I'll be watching it run itself and collecting money. Production in 5 years? I'll be on the projects of major artists, charging ridiculous rates.

Getting back to dfwhiphop.com, what new features or services do plan to bring to the site?

I got someone helping develop a content-management system to better integrate the site's functions, as well as adding new functionality as needed. uh, sorry bout that - what I meant to say was "mo pictures, mo music, mo videos", stuff like that. Having help is a blessing. One-man-band can't jump a hurdle with a bass-drum on his back...

How do you feel when your site is not mentioned as one of the top hiphop sites in the DFW area?

I aint trippin, it's all on me anyway. I stay too busy in the studio every day of the week, so unfortunately moving around and gettin my network on is not my top priority, nor is running a website. I built the website to establish an infrastructure based on my many years in the local scene, so if I lose out on a little shine here or there, it's whatever. I'm over a decade deep in this, ain’t nuthin gonna fall off the Earth if person X don't know bout me. I've seen so many come and go, so as long as I have a solid place, I'm happy. Now in the event I actually do go full-time with the website thing, then maybe I'd have a reason to be upset. But the extent to which the website and I have thrived based off of face-to-face and word-of-mouth for the local scene, I'm positively thrilled at the recognition and progress we've acheived. This is not the final result, by any means.

Give me your thoughts on the hiphop scene in Dallas.

DFW is bout to blow! I've seen so much change, so many ups and downs, skyscraper to gutter, haters and dick-riders, I take it all in stride. I'm fully confident that we as a whole are close to achieving critical mass, and the inevitability of it is a given at this point. Lopez has been the most effective thus far in putting all the necessary pieces together, and I have untold amounts of respect for his accomplishments. There are and will be others as well, so my faith in "the scene" is strong. And by "the scene" I mean everybody in the metroplex who invests their time, effort, and talent, into making THIS the next major market. Every time I see another smaller city pass us by, I'm embarrassed. But we've all stepped our game up, year by year. I wanna see these paid guys show some love back into the scene, whatever role they play. The old "Dallas curse" of folks lookin out only for themselves is startin to wear off, but we can only shake it through conscious action and cooperative economics.

For those who would like to advertise, promote, etc, how would they get in touch with you?

FOR ALL THINGS RELATED TO DFW HIP HOP OR HOT BEATS - HIT ME UP AT cho@myself.com OR CALL 817 521 0137

People also pay me to do mixdowns or off-site mix consultations, because my ear is magic and they know it. I'll come mix your music down at somebody else's studio, I don't give a damn, just pay me! I'll play church keys, horns, chop & screw, you name it. Just cuz you can get it for free somewhere else doesn't mean you're winning.

I'm a Photoshop pro too (as in professional as in that's my job), so if you wanna advertise on the site and ain’t got nuttin’ to put up, I got you. We don't do demo deals, so don't ask. C.U.F. -- Cash Up FrontM

Any last words?

"You're my hooka now, time for me to take my prizzzzzze." Naw, for real - IF YOU WANNA GET SOME STUDIO TIME OR MASTERING, HIT UP DJ 9-11 at mindeyemilad@gmail.com -- Ya’ll need to get with him too, he runs the studio with me, he does mastering, production, engineering, and has worked with the likes of ESG, Hi-Five, Twisted Black, D-Lou, Juan Gotti (Latin Grammy nominee), Skratchback, Aggravated Lyfstiles, Go To Hell Records, Enthrone Records, SKS, Tequilla & Crystyle, and a gang of others. We both work with too many people to list in one sitting. Hit his fancy-ass computer phone at mindeyemilad@gmail.com or 817 703 7333 , or continue to wonder why your music sound muddy. And yes, you can chief in the booth.

I need someone who is serious about Management and PR. I have work for you. Call me.

Shoutout to Lil Phil for this interview and everyone who has ever visited DFWHipHop.com or shown love to me or my people out in these Texas streets.

Oh, and I would like to thank UrbanSouth sincerely from the bottom of my heart for the many opportunities you provide for serious folks here in the Metroplex. The best is yet to come, young pimpin! Thank you.

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Other notes about the DFWHiphop site

You will need to visit the site's business section for industry information and more serious discussions. Also, if you are only looking for music, events, and videos, visitors can check out forums dedicated to these areas.

If you are in a general discussion on DFWHiphop then jokes, mess, down talk and more is what you will get throughout the day because that is exactly what a "general discussion" is supposed to be. It’s a place for artists to pass time by Monday through Friday from 8-5.

For more from Urban South Entertainment, visit UrbanSouth.us

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