|
 Tricksta Interview
interview 0089 added 21.01.02 words Riz
All too often it's easy to give props to London and big up the heads down there and bang on about how hard working they are. Now I aint disrespecting them people at all because they have a lot of hard workers, a lot of people that have put their giro on the line to push out their latest tune, however, love needs to go to the hardworking strugglers everywhere.
This is the first part of UKHH.com Survival series which will focus in on UK Hip Hops hardest workers, either as an Emcee or as a Promoter, a DeeJay, a Producer, whatever. To me one of the hardest workers I have come across, and I have come across a few, is Tricksta.
|
The man (who alongside Late) is behind, Rago Magazine, Wolftown Recordings, Villains, and who (alongside producer Pez) does the beats for Vicious Circle, Wolftown Committee, Late, Conman, High Timez, Wayney G and Jai Boo, and as a DJ has played all over the world and is just starting a mixtape called UK Runnings and who as an occasional Emcee has bust science on the first two albums and has apparently held a track on his own called Maintain on the forthcoming Wolftown Committee album,
plus he reviews hip-hop for 7 Magazine, Lexicon Magazine and of course RAGO, and many, many more, and we are talking cameo appearances in the three videos the label has done, and has written musical scores for a short film called Boxed! As we at UKHH.com pride ourselves in promoting the scene, it was long over due to bring you TRICKSTA
So Tricksta, for all those living under rocks can you tell us a little history of yourself and your moves?
Well I got into hip-hop around 84/85. I dont class my self as old skool but I do know my shit. Acts like PE, Just Ice, Duke, Demon Boyz, BDP, Rakim, Lord Finesse, Main Source, 3RD Bass, Kool Moe Dee and Ice T where my early inspirations. Then I was just a kid and used to tape a lot of the fresher shit off local pirate stations like Skyline and PCRL. Then obviously as I got 16/17 I started raving more, went to more clubs and started linking people. My obsession turned to DJing and about a year later I was playing out and a radio show on a station called Fantasy FM. Even then I used to support UK rap to the fullest, I spun Lords Of Rap, Hijack, Einstein, Mello, and even had a jingle of Katch 22!!! As the DJing took off I started working in a record shop about 91 and stayed there for about five years. This taught me a lot of things about how people buy music and gave me the opportunity to make more contacts and learn more about the industry. Me and LATE started putting some local jams on and stuff, those days where wicked! In 1996 I went to work for a music group, and a year later me and LATE decided to start Villains, I think everyone knows the rest!!!
What is your actual aims in UK Hip Hop?
To be involved in the UKs most successful independent entertainment company - Wolftown Recordings. To be part of an underground movement that will one day pay so the UK hip-hop scene turns into a UK hip-hop industry.
I have co-produced the Villains album, and together with PEZ have produced the Vicious Circle, Wolftown Committee, LATEs mini-album International Rhyme Spittin with US, European and UK guest rappers and have started on the Conman and High Timez albums. Maybe I would like to be the first UK hip-hop producer to produce ten albums (remember that Wolftown value for money 20 tracks per album flex!!) that are released (in other words in the shops to buy!!!), has any one done that before? Mmmm, my aims are many, I dont wanna give too much away!
What was your ambition as a child?
To make a record, to work in a record shop, to DJ in America, to write for music magazines, to be a producer and run my own label. I done all of them by the age of 25.
So who do you have on the label?
We have Villains, Vicious Circle, Wolftown Committee, LATE, 10Shott, Size8,Conman, High Timez, Jai Boo, Lee Dee, Wayney G, Jai Boo, DJ Amo, Staxx, IMD (producer) Tricksta & Pez (producers). We got other rappers in the wings too, armies of MCs, MCs for Days.
Whats your future plans for the label?
To keep doing what we do best, to make music but increase the output of releases. Try and get RAGO Magazine cooking, weve just had some US labels advertise and Westwood even bigged it up on his show. In April the Wolftown Committee album Legendary Status which is so tight. 20 tracks deep you get to peep all the crew and there a lot of people gonna be shocked, its pure quality! In June LATEs International Rhyme Spittin EP will drop which features some great underground talent from all over the world. The posse track on there is gonna be have bare mans on there, last count was 16 but then LATE told me 20 - it keeps going up! Thats a concept EP from LATE that keeps us going until his debut solo album Street Science in 2003. We got CONMAN doing a mini EP too, hes just done a track called Lookout thats ill, and then work has started on the HIGH TIMEZ album which is tight. Gonna be fusing the ragga sound in his beats and his flow is totally original, so we got some heavy tunes to come trust me. Dont forget VC too, got new shit coming from 10SHOTT & SIZE8 too,.
Now you have videos for your tunes, many say this is a good thing, but many also say it is a waste of time, whats your views on this and what bonuses has the videos brought you?
Well I have mixed views too. It is a great promotional tool. The perfect visual for an audio experience. It profiles the artist, gives an insight into the act more and when played gets national or even European exposure. Now we had the Villains video played in Spain, France and over here on Rapture TV. Rapture has now gone bump, so there is a channel locked off. MTV, well they still want these big budget videos, the girls the glamour or something weird, off key, strange, so thats a battle. Who in this industry can spend £20,000 on a video like So Solid or Lady Dynamite. Independents havent the funds and if they did would rather chose other avenues to promote their records. MTV have played the Vicious Circle video on YO MTV Raps but now that has been taken off. And now apparently the geezer who works there now hates UK rap and wants more UK Garage videos. Their are underground cats like Oshin, DarknCold, Home-grown Entourage and Haroon doing UK documentary type things on VHS too, and its a big world out there and everyone watches TV. Videos are risky but only you can decide what the most benefical form of promotion is for your acts or sound.
There is a connection with Wolftown videos and Star Wars, care to explain to the readers?
Yeah Im a big fan. But this is a funny question because we are linked more than you think. Our next video BOXED by WOLFTOWN COMMITTEE is going to shot on a format called HD. Its the new shit that is better than film. Proper shit trust me, now the only people in the music industry to use it are Babyface and Madonna, and guess what George Lucas is shooting Star Warz 2 on it!!! So we like some big players, proper Jedi business! Use the force Wolftown, use the force.
So whats the idea behind Rago, where did you get the idea and what can we expect from Rago in the future?
This is an idea me and LATE had when we first started the label. It started off as a flyer for Wolftown, then as we got involved in the game more and started linking acts and producers and stuff, it turned into a newsletter. Then being the kind hearted Midlanders that we are decided to start the magazine to promote our shit (we do pay for it!), and put some other people in there too. The media response in UK is still hard for UK acts so this is another avenue for UK mans to get noticed. Its Tricksta & Late giving back to a scene, its part of the scene and has become well known within 4 issues. It also allows peeps to network, thats why a lot of UK acts advertise in there because everyone on our mailing list (all 500 of em) get a copy sent! We enjoy it too, its a natural thing writing about your passion, hip-hop.
Now you are also working on a project UK Runnings whos on that and can you tell us more about that?
Again, this is me giving back to the scene. There are a lot of UK mans who are getting no exposure, the music is hard to get hold of unless you go to the West End very week, so this enables people to get a CD with about 40 different acts on from ALL OVER - not just London. Im gonna mail it out to my people and get the acts some extra exposure, people love the Disorda ones but they where on cassette. These are on CD, so its a bit of a different vibe. Its strictly UK but has talent from all over - thats the flex, showing everyone what goes on. However I am keeping it tight and wont put dodgy tunes on there!
Is there any truth in the rumours of Wolftown Clothing?
Yep.. by the summer we will have merchandise available for purchase. This is more LATEs ting to be honest, but hes got it on lock. The website www.wolftown.co.uk is where youll find out the most information for this.
What are your plans for the future, out with world domination?
To keep focused. To expand Wolftown in Europe and beyond. Make more music for films, produce more US acts, keep the stuff on Wolftown tight, pushing, promoting, building, expanding - keep working hard, maintain and stay focused.
What advice would you give to someone wanting to start a Label?
Dont pack ya day job in. Dont think ya gonna be blinging, the costs are expensive. Get product before ya bust, dropping two singles in one year aint enuff. Please mix down the vocals properly, and put an advert in RAGO Magazine.
Anything else you wanna mention that you have in the pipeline?
Yeah 2003 will see me drop my mixed album on Wolftown, gonna be producing tracks and stuff and are looking for mans who can rap to submit demos. You need to be able to deliver a quality CDR of your accapellas.. I wont be starting this until the end of year so dont bug me yet! Hopefully gonna have a few artists from days gone by on there, as well as some fresh new talent.
Shout outs?
Yeah man, to all the Wolftown Family of course.. big up all UK mans and dans keep ya head up and keep pumping ya shit. And a special thank you to Riz for recognising the hard work I put in. Nice touch bruv. Big up all the all the mans that know me and who have showed support of our vision of a United musical nation.
contact Tricksta on TRICKSTA, Wolftown Recordings, PO Box 1668, Wolverhampton, West Midlands, WV3 OAE - tricksta@wolftown.co.uk, www.wolftown.co.uk
Next up in the Survival Series will be Mat Ckillz
Riz
 
|
