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 DJ Excalibah Interview
interview 0091 added 08.02.02 words Caramac
Not a lot is known about the forthcoming BBC 'urban' digital radio channel, provisionally titled Network X. One thing we do know is that DJ Excalibah is going to have a hiphop show that will surely being more UK hiphop to the BBC airwaves than it's currently getting...
ok, so we couldn't find any other pictures...
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Easy mate. Right lets get going with the usual questions. How did you get started as a DJ???
I started rapping when I was about 14/15, just over BIG and Busta instrumentals. Then I tried my hand at a bit of production so I could make a whole Excalibah track, but then I was listening to Westwood (this is when I still thought he was God) and I heard Dj Skribble cutting it up like crazy and had to try it out. Luckily I got a part in a British film called "Tube Tails" which paid quite nicely, so I picked up two sound labs and a little Citronic mixer and I was off, within about 7 months I was on a pirate station called Destiny fm in south London.
Destiny. You see, I'm learning now. How did you get introduced to Juice FM then??
I was playing at The Point in Hackney and I dropped Mobb Deeps "Quiet Storm" and I kept bringing it back " I put my life time in between the papers line...I put my life time...I put my life time..." and Brandy (juice co-manager) liked what she heard and said that she was starting a station in west London. She was offering me a three hour hip-hop show and I was doing a two hour RnB / Hip-hop show on Destiny so I thought, "yeah this is it!"
What sort of response have you had from the listeners???
The listeners have always been a mixed crowd and I started trying to please everybody, so it would be a little DMX then some Dilated Peoples then Nas followed by Cage. Over time the show became more and more UK / Underground orientated whilst keeping the same listeners but also attracted people who couldn't get UK tracks on the radio. As for the artists, from the day I put on my first open mic at Deal Real (RIP) they've been there, I tried to get people down every show and they've always been great, hitting me off with exclusives and ill freestyles even though I was on a pirate station.
Deal Real used to be the lick back in the day. It's a shame that place is shut. Where abouts do you shop now??
Mr. Bongo's is great for all the new shit, Reckless Records have always got the classics and Major Flava's for the dirty bootlegs.
Not many people know about Major Records you know? What tune do you think you'll be most remembered for playing on Juice???
Looking back at my old play lists Roots Manuva's "Sword in the Dirt" was number one in my chart for about 6 weeks, but I think what I'll be remembered most for on juice was my 18th birthday radio show we had: Troy Scalpels, Kerosene, Ras Simeon Judah, Spectre, Mr. Hectic, Est'elle, Reveal, Mystro, Jargon and Black L.I.B. from Brooklyn all freestyling and I was absolutely pissed (as usual) champers and some prime cabbage. I think people are still passing tapes of that show around.
A bit of a drinker hey?? Who are your top three alcoholics on the mic?? You excluded obviously.
Number 1. Has to be KOPE I remember at the Battlescars Final last year first he nearly spewed up on stage and then when he was asked to get off he fell over. (he nearly won the round just cos of that!)
Number 2. Has to be Old Dirty, but then you didn't say "who are your top three Alcoholic, Crack, Smack, Dope addicts on the mic" did you?
Number 3. Hmmm...I gotta think about this one...I'm not included right?...I've seen a couple of twisted Chester P moments in my life but I'm not sure if that's drink or pure energy.
I saw the video of the night they did at Camden Underworld. The one with Jehst, Kyza, Harry Love and all them boys. I was brewing I couldn't make it. Farma was spitting lyrics amongst the crowd. But anyway, back to you. What nights have you been involved in recently???
Well my main night has been Rodney P's bash FireBlaze at Colleseum, that's been great fun I remember the Christmas one Root's was meant to do a set but he had some flu or summat, and me and Rodney ended up doing an impromptu set. This year I'm handling deck duties at Battle Scars and also come May I'm touring the UK as part of the Titan Sounds / Riddim Killa / 12 Stone tour, that's gonna be crazy.
Do you prefer playing out or presenting???
Definitely presenting, when I'm in a club the 'ravers' don't get any idea of my personality but when I'm doing radio I'm me. I gave up all that "Hey guys here's the next track" rubbish a while ago and now I just chat whatever craziness comes into my head. I kind of feel like a smart jukebox when I'm playing in a club but when you get the crowd rhyming along and going mad it's orgasmic!!
I hear on the grapevine that you're producing. Can you elaborate a little????
Yeah, I've actually been making beats longer than I've been deejaying. I recently got back in to it, I love digging in them Oxfam crates for some old record and finding some amazing virgin break that I can deflower. My equipment is shit but I normally fatten tracks up in a studio when I go to record, so far I've done tracks with Troy Scalpels, The Colony, MC Skolla and there's interest from Big P, Grimlok and Seanie T.
When we first met, you were part of Sony Street Team. What was that like??
Yeah Sony was fun, we used to all go out in a people carrier and throw up boards and hand out flyers / tapes / cd's / t-shirts whatever. Then we'd get to go to the events, like the Brits and the concerts and that. Ending up with a feast (and I don't use that word lightly) at Nandos courtesy of Sony. Semtex used to run Sony St but he's moved on to Def Jam now and taken some of us with him. I don't think the street team taught me how to do anything apart from get cold whilst still having fun. Semtex however has taught me a hell of a lot about label business and how the majors run.
How did you get involved as a DJ for Network X??
Basically they heard the show on Juice and tracked my number down, I got a call from Wilber Wilberforce who used to produce the One In The Jungle show on Radio One (amongst others) and he said that they loved what they heard and given a little refining it could work on their new station. After nine months of doing pilots and trying different formats I was offered my contract.
Was getting signed a surprise and if so how you been taking it???
Hell yeah! When I was on the phone to Wilber I was trying to play it cool and calm but as soon as the receiver went down I went crazy running round the house screaming and shit. I'm over the initial shock now but it's still mad that this time next year I'll be a national radio DJ.
What times will you be on??
Well everything's still a little hush hush at the moment but I can tell you it will be a weeknight and it will be before midnight.
How will your show be different to other radio DJ's and what can people outside London who are new to Excalibur expect??
I'm not quite sure how to describe the style...Extreme's a good word for it. No hold's bars (not the Hulk Hogan film the phrase). As far as music it's a mix, I mean mainly it's gonna be UK and independent US tracks but I'll play a Dre or a Jigga track if I think it's banging. For a little more info on the show check the web site: www.bbc.co.uk/networkx
Who are your favourite artists at the moment??
I'm feeling Jehst, Braintax, Mystro, Out da Ville, Skinny, Aspects, Fleapit, Rodney P, The Herbaliser, Wildflower, Fallacy, Roots Manuva actually pretty much every uk sounding uk act. When it comes to America I'm feeling the west coast underground artists like People Under the Stairs, Declaime and Dilated. East coast there are so many. Kool G Rap, Pete Rock, Hi Tek, Premo, Ghostface, Arsonists, Apathy, R.A. The Rugged Man there are hundreds. The only guys doing it for me down south are Timberland and OutKast but boy are they doing it right! I'm loving Canadian hip-hop right now, Kardinal Officall, Choclair, Saukrates. And there's some wicked hip-hop being made in Australia (I'm being serious).
You know people are going to look to you for their Hip Hop Knowledge now, so who do you tip (UK artists) to be running things in 2002???
Well if this Skinnyman album drops it's gonna be crazy, Brains and Rodney got their game locked with the Low Life/Riddim Killa ting. Blak Twang's hopefully gonna bring the long awaited follow up to 19 Long Time and Fallacy has got this 12" ready to drops that's gonna blow up if it's pushed right. My producer for 2002 as much as I'd like it to be me, is gonna be Harry Love and Mickle (from Titan) is up there too.
Ok you have ten pounds and you are in a shop with every single record released. What would you by???
With 10 nuggets it would have to be an EP or a single...hmmm...well being the new jack that I am I missed certain essentials so if it wasn't some old funk 12" it would have to be Mud Family "The Mud Files." I know everyone's going "tch I've got that, you chief." BUT I HAVEN'T!!!!
Any last words. Album cover shout out style??
Maximum freespect to everyone that took time out of their short life to read this, big up UKHH.com and anyone else nice enough to give me a little press. If you got good hip-hop music then e-mail me at djexcalibah@hotmail.com and I'll check it out.
Network X is meant to be launching sometime this year. check bbc.co.uk/networkx
Caramac, overseen by Riz
 
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