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  Raze Interview
interview 0406 added
12.05.06 words:
Madrox
technical:
QED
As any budding UK hip hop MC will tell you - it's pretty
hard to get noticed in this industry
if you live outside London. So what of producers then?
With all the seeming limelight being held at ransom by
the Big Smoke. How does a producer from the Midlands get
noticed?
By having some top quality production and working with
some of the biggest names in the business, that’s how.
Ladies and Gentlemen, Madrox gives you a few words from
Raze...
Evening Raze. As is somewhat a custom of mine in these
interviews. For those that don't know...would you care
to let the good readers know who you are, where your
from, and a little about yourself?
 Well, I'm Raze Brooks, born in Selly Oak Birmingham. At
3 moved to Tamworth, I was introduced to hip hop by my
sister Kate, who was living down London. She'd bought a
couple of Grandmaster Flash 12's back home with her,
that was in '83. Since then I was hooked on hip hop, but
it was the likes of Rakim, PE, Kane, Hijack and BDP who
made me decide to do this thing, I started spitting in
'89, in '91 I copped a keyboard and started making
beats.
Early start indeed. Do you still spit from time to time?
Or do you stick largely to producing nowadays?
Yeah, I decided to stop spitting in about 2003. The last
thing I did was the end verse on Reggiimental’s 'One,
Two Remix'. I thought I'd leave the MCing to the MCs. I
still do the odd thing when Gnostix are performing
though.
Do
you enjoy placing instruments together more than words?
What is it in particular that made you step away from
the mic and behind the keyboard?
I'm in my zone making beats and it's my strength, as an
MC, I was average at best. Without being arrogant, I
would like to think of myself as a better than average
producer, plus I came into rap when it was real
political. A lot of the things I was saying, were said
better by other people. Plus Reggii, Bigga, Ryall and
Sorcera were all better MCs than myself. It did my
tracks more justice to have them spitting on it than me.
That’s cool man. It's good to see you get that much out
of it. I believe you've worked with some singers in your
time too right? So who's easier to work with... MC's or
Singers?
In my experience I can say, hands down, the easiest
people I have ever worked with are Lava Flo and Semantix
Tha Sorcera. I love what Lava does cause she takes time
to write to the tracks. Without disrespecting other
people I have worked with, I get the impression they
just spit 16 bars of pre-writtens.
Do
you appreciate it more when an MC hits a beat of yours
from scratch then? Do pre-writes bother you?
In some cases it can work. If a mc has a rhyme and it
happens to fit my beat. 'On My Way' by Bigga is a good
example of that, where he killed it. In other cases I
feel its laziness on the MC's part. Like sometimes it
might be better for an mc to say "That ain’t my vibe..."
than spit something that sounds counter to what I had in
mind for it.
“...I thought I'd leave the MCing to the MCs. I still do the odd
thing when Gnostix are performing though...”
Makes good sense man. Ok, so here's one for the digger
in you. What's the best vinyl you've ever spent your
hard earned money on?
That’s a tough one really cause there’s a lot of artists
I have pillaged. I have to say peeps like Al Green, the
'Call me' track, Minnie Ripperton, Stevie Wonders 'Songs
in the Key of Life'.
But then there’s a lot of hip hop I couldn't live with
out, like my Tribe, De la and Pete Rock.
How big is your collection?
 I must have about 650 CD albums, 100 vinyl, and 200 tape
albums, plus a lot of dodgy stuff.
Oh and loads of singles, I’m not sure how many 12's I’ve
got.
Damn man. That’s a lotta music. How do you feel about
the current downloading trend? I noticed a lot of CD's
have gone down in price since the boom in I-pod's and
what-not. Are you with or against the revolution?
Not at all, 'cause back in the day when I was rolling
with my original crew...one of us might by a Tribe
Album, somebody else would buy a Cube album, etc, and
we'd tape 'em off each other.
And stay up late to catch the big beat/national fresh
and tape that. Semantix was telling me the other day he
used to tape 'Yo! MTV raps' onto audio, plus I think the
net raises awareness.
I download but still like buying from shops to have the
artwork, and I think since downloading there has been
more awareness of underground groups. I heard of a lot
of cats through downloading, along time before I saw
them in magazines.
“...Being from the Midlands and it not having a strong hip hop
scene of its own was good for me 'cause I took in
everything, objectively...”
That’s very true. OK, so moving more onto your good
self. What projects are you currently working on? And
what are you most excited about?
I've just finished the Raze & Lava Flo album, it's got
Lava on the vocals. She’s a singer from Moseley,
Birmingham. And me on the beats. We mastered it
ourselves around my yard.
That’s being pressed as we speak. I've also got the
'West Midlands Allstars EP', gonna drop late summer. I'm
also putting out Semantix & Lokjaw's 'Dark Dark House'
album on my label.
 Plus, myself and Semantix have finished the
instrumentals for our first album, which will feature
Gnostix, Sonny Jim, Blade, Yungun, Yogi, Moorish, Joe
Gutta, Lava Flo and another singer and good friend of
mine Debb Kelly. Since the myspace thing I've hooked up
with people from around the world. There’s a Philly
female MC whose living in China who I’m doing an album
with, her name is Akua Naru. A singer called Holly O,
who is also in China, is doing a track with me. I’ve got
a track to MCK2 from Connecticut. Just waiting on him to
get back. Plus MC Serch from 3rd Bass is interested in
setting up an online distribution deal for me.
So
a lot in the bag then man. Good stuff. Do you feel as a
producer from the Midlands, it's a little harder to get
recognition than as say... in the big smoke? Where
producers seem to come a dime a dozen...
I think the Midlands is overlooked period. Regardless of
music, I’m glad that I grew up here because I got to
take in everything. Whether it be East Coast, West
Coast, South, London, Drum N Bass, some house music,
even groups like Two Tone Committee in Scotland, and
Krispy up North. I go down to London on the regular and
I think they are a little blinded by the fact that there
is too much to take in, in one place. So they tend to
just roll with their little cliques. Where as I’ve
always floated about between different crews. Although
Semantix and Lava are my team. Being from the Midlands
and it not having a strong hip hop scene of its own was
good for me 'cause I took in everything, objectively.
“...follow your own instincts, don't follow any trends, be true
to yourself and let your creativity do the talking...”
Makes good sense man. I never really looked at it like
that before. Ok, so it's fair to say you've been doing
this for time and your doing well for yourself. Any
message for budding beatsmiths out there just starting
out?
I would say just follow your own instincts, don't follow
any trends, be true to yourself and let your creativity
do the talking. Study other producers’ game. Listen to
instrumental hip hop tracks to hear how they are
structured. Listen to other genres as well to see if you
can apply any tricks they might use in your stuff. Learn
your equipment. Dig. If you got fruity loops, try not to
use the onboard sounds. If you do... effect them so they
sound original. I had a drum n bass guy message me on
myspace the other day and his programming was alright
but it was all generic fruity sounds and vocal samples.
That’s quite a bit of good advice! So tell me about
where your planning to take your music next? Are there
any videos in store for us?
 Well I had my house broke into in February. When I got
my insurance money I copped a video camera. Semantix is
hot on that, so we'll have some videos. Plus I'm in
talks to get our stuff distributed abroad too. Promote
the Raze and Lava Flo album "It's Not Just About Roses"
and Semantix & Lokjaw’s "Dark Dark House". Try to get
some airplay, gigs and hook up with other MCs. I've got
some work off a guy in Atlanta who wants to buy beats. I
made the mistake of not pushing myself until recently.
Relying on other people to do it for me. Like, people
were thinking certain tracks I'd done were by other
people. For example, 'G.N.O News 24' was my beat, but
some people thought it was Bloods, cause he featured on
it. I've just gotta build my name as a producer.
Well this is a good way to start man, haha. Do you have
any specific method for piecing together your tunes? Or
do you just let it all come to you?
Sometimes it's a progression. Most of the time as soon
as I hear a sample, I know how the track is gonna sound.
In that way, Semantix and I are very similar. We
approach making music in the same way. Although we have
different tastes in what we use for samples. His stuff
is a lot darker. I'm more light hearted. Although do go
off on one sometimes.
Hahaha. Ok. Here's a toughie. Name me one beat you wish
you'd produced and why?
I wouldn't say one beat, but when I heard 'The
Listening' by Little Brother, I was like "Damn they into
the same shit as me!" but just used it better, just
flipped. It took the classic early '90s sound but made
it sound fresh. Even though they ain’t the strongest
MCs, it worked perfect for that album.
Good choice. 9th Wonder's a top bloke & producer. Ok, so
lastly then... Do you have any shouts or information to
pass along to the good folks reading this?
I gotta say thanks to Lava Flo & Semantix. All the
Splattahouse and Gnostix fam, DJ Cro, Coz, Serch, & Akua
Naru. You can peep my stuff on
www.myspace.com/raze1974 or
www.myspace.com/razeamplavaflo.
There we have it. Hard at work as ever. You can look
forward to splatterings of Raze's noise all over future
releases from the Midlands and apparently even China.
Any MC's or promoters who'd like to get in touch with
Raze can reach him at his myspace sites. Thanks very
much for reading.
-
Madrox
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