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DJ RODNEY
UDC: Name? Who you are. Background Information? DR: I’m DJ Rodney, I also go by Krozzphader. I’m from Virginia. I’ve been a college radio DJ. I’ve interned for about any label you can think of. I got a chance to run around on tour with The Roots and Lord Finesse. I hung out with King T. I’m an artist myself as far as Hip Hop goes. UDC: Explain what DJ Rodney means to you. DR: I started out DJing. So I kept it simple, Rodney. That’s my name for anyone that doesn’t know me. When I think of Hip Hop, the DJ is the first thing I think of. Historically, it started out with DJ Kool Herc. The wax and the turntables, and the party. Not saying all I do is spin records. It’s more as a tribute to Hip Hop to respect the culture. So I attached DJ to my birth name Rodney. UDC: Who are your musical influences? Why? DR: I’m a seventies child. I‘m kind of giving away my age but that’s alright. I like music that is soulful and authentic. Music that has a meaning to it and can liven up the party. Hip Hop influences, I got to say Krs One. I like everything he does even though some say he is contradicting in his message. He represents all elements of Hip Hop. I’m a fan of Chuck D, who told me I look like his son. This is a compliment because he always seems to remember me. On the music side and as a person for what he has done for Hip Hop. Slick Rick, ATCQ, Lord Finesse and Kool G Rap. A lot of these artists are considered old school but that’s what I’m a product of. I’m a Jay-z fan, what he has done is incredible. I’m a Biggie fan. I like the Alkaholics. I like some of 2Pac not all but a majority of his work. I like Hip Hop artists. More of a Jazzy Jeff fan then a Fresh Prince fan but I like them as a duo. EPMD and Das EFX fan, I like energy and I like lyrical content. I also like substance as well.
UDC: So what is priority number one for DJ Rodney musically? DR: I am a founder member of a group called Mental Chaos and unfortunately we ran into stumbling blocks. My number one priority is to take a step from everything I have done up to certain point and find a value for myself in the game. Unfortunately there is million and one rappers but only ten percent of them are really talented. You don’t want to be caught up in the mix of everything. I just took a step back to see how valuable I was to the game and did I really have a purpose. If you are doing something that has no purpose or meaning behind it then you are wasting your time. I kind of took a step back, no hip hop performances or nothing like that. I have been performing with a rock band called Rubba Rode. I am rebuilding my team for the upcoming year. I had to reassert my direction because like I said the group is no longer officially and unofficially. Now the direction changes as the members and sound change. We had to redirect ourselves because if we didn’t; we would be lost and trying to go the same path with a different influence. I really stopped having fun with hip-hop because it has become more of a business then an art form now. I am not one to really be into the exploitation of our art so I just took a step back. I got my love, desire, and hunger back for hip-hop as an emcee and I have a few things to say and a few people to address. UDC: How do you feel the mix tape circuit has grown over the last five years? DR: Being that I’m old school, a mix tape to me is a dj putting stuff down. It is not a collection of songs put on a CD and called a mix tape that is more of a compilation. When I think mix tape; I think the old Kid Capri’s tapes and DJ Clue’s tapes. DJs cutting up if an emcee comes in and freestyles over a beat that the DJ juggles back and back forth that’s all good. A compilation of songs on a CD is not mix tape to me, it just compilation from a artist. The whole concept and definition is mixed up which is a slap in the face to DJs because mix tapes is not a CD with a whole bunch of songs on it. It helps a lot of people and I’m not knocking it but I’m thinking less defined is what it really is. UDC: How do you feel the internet has affected your genre of music and the music industry as a whole? DR: The internet is good it’s a new form of media. The advantage of having a website versus having to sell our CD’s on the street or out of your trunk. (continued on next page) |
I feel like people now, can go to your site and learn about you then download the music. UDC: Describe you five years from now? DR: Alive, that’s the most important thing. As for as career wise… I could come up with a lot of things. I hope this… I hope that… But if I’m not alive none of that matters. Because anything can happen. I could go outside fall down and break my knee. This could kill me, injury me, or my mouth and I can’t rap anymore. So alive, healthy and everything else falls into place. UDC: How do you feel about large corporate labels suppressing artist and their creative freedom? DR: Artists in music are like puppets in the game. Everyone’s freedom is gone, just to compete for numbers. When I turn on the radio, which is very rare now of days, and I hear a certain song three times in a hour on three different station it’s sad. Back in ‘90 about ’91, I think artist breaking in from the local scene was much better than it is today. The commercial labels are run by executives who must meet their quota. So in a way the music gets watered down. The music is not a true representation of what Hip Hop music is. There are about eight to nine Hip Hop elements that are not represented. And it gets tiring to always here about sex, violence, and killing. The negative that’s associated with the radio music. Now we got kids running around quoting sexual lyrics. That’s the wrong message to let out. Look what we’ve done to this generation, and think about the next generation that’s to come. There’s nothing wrong with making a dollar, just make a respectful dollar.
UDC: What is your next project? DR: The recent project that I will be working on is game over part two by a gentleman by the name of Erotic and E world Entertainment. Erotic has produced for everyone from Dr.Dre, Jamal, George Clinton, Adina Howard, and he put DOC on the map. I am going to be working with him which is a honor to do that with E World Entertainment. My band starts recording an album. We have a little something on the table that we have to complete, starting in January. I have my own album with my DJ but it will be more of a solo album and whoever feature. I’m recording here in Dallas and I’m recording in Philadelphia. That will be my baby and that hunger will come out in that so I’m going to kind of keep that under wraps, no leakage. Those are the immediate things I see right now. UDC: Are there any words that you would like to express to your audience? DR: Let me talk about Rubba Rode first. We’re an all Black rock band. We are a six member band that is snatching back what was stolen from us. Anyone reading this doesn’t know that Rock is originally a black man’s music which was stolen from us. It's us going back to our roots and making good music. We going to show that we are musically talented. The funny thing is that the band is made up of all Hip Hoppers but we all have many musical talents. The name of the Rubba Rode album is called Obsidian, which is a black rock. As for DJ Rodney and my DJ Chris X we’re going to put together a hot album. It's going to turn a lot of heads and its going to shock a lot of people. The music is positive but it is typical Hip Hop. I’m a boom bapper and I believe in boom bap beats. At the same time we inject heavy lyrical influence and creativity. We are going to keep it rockin'.
DJ RODNEY
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© 2005 Uncommon Development Company