Do What I Need
Twenty years into his profession, DJ Drama retains his beloved mixtape collection Gangsta Grillz alive as one in all hip-hop’s nice cross-generational creators.
Interview: Peter A. Berry
Editor’s Observe: This story seems within the Spring 2023 situation of XXL Journal, on stands now.
It is onerous to pinpoint an all-encompassing snapshot of mixtape tradition, however a pile of outdated Gangsta Grillz CDs is fairly shut. Since creating the franchise on the daybreak of the weblog period, DJ Drama’s carved a legacy as rap’s final hype man, teaming up with a few of hip-hop’s greatest names to raise road albums to an artwork kind.
Raised in Philadelphia, Drama, born Tyree Simmons, was impressed to change into a DJ after watching Omar Epps play a teen DJ in Ernest Dickerson’s 1992 movie, the cult traditional Juice. After studying how you can work turntables as a youth, Drama left Philly to attend Clark Atlanta College, the place he met eventual longtime enterprise companion Don Cannon. In 1998, Drama launched Jim Crow Legal guidelines, a debut mixtape that started the trek that took him to stardom.
By the mid-2000s, Drama had change into a proverbial family identify for road rap, with artists like T.I., Jeezy and Lil Wayne teaming up with him for numerous initiatives. Drama’s hoarse, guttural shouts, knack for creative one-liners and penchant for collaborating with artists getting ready to superstardom helped crystallize his standing as a hip-hop icon. In 2013, he took his skills in a brand new route, founding the report label Technology Now alongside Don Cannon and Leighton “Lake” Morrison. Since then, the label’s signed multiplatinum-selling artists Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow, certifying itself as an business powerhouse.
Drama has been in exec mode, however that hasn’t stopped his DJ grind. Courting again to 2021, he’s hosted initiatives by Jim Jones, Symba, Dreamville and, most prominently, Tyler, The Creator. Throughout his profession, Drama has had his ups and downs—in 2007, he and Cannon have been arrested in Atlanta and hit with RICO costs for promoting copyrighted supplies—however the DJ has managed to make his profession a continuous acclivity, one culminating with the second Tyler, The Creator’s Name Me If You Get Misplaced LP gained the Gramophone for Finest Rap Album in 2022.
Throughout the April launch week for his new album, I’m Actually Like That, Drama, 45, speaks inside his room at New York Metropolis’s Occasions Sq. Version lodge in Midtown Manhattan. The Grammy-winning artist discusses his legacy, useless rapper dream collaborations, Technology Now and extra.
XXL: I’m Actually Like That is out now. Why launch a brand new album at this level in your profession?
DJ Drama: I really began engaged on that album someday after Covid, , loosely. Technology Now, the corporate, as a workers, we have been simply laying out our initiatives and my album was one in all them. And we began to slowly work on songs. And simply within the final like, I don’t know, perhaps six, seven, eight months, as lots of issues have been revving up. I used to be at a degree in my profession the place I felt energized. I began to essentially put my all into it, and commenced to essentially dive in, and finishing the mission and actually feeling like now is a good time to place a mission down.
You’ve launched lots of nice initiatives through the years. What’s it to you that makes a traditional mixtape?
That’s an important query. Clearly, an artist that makes nice music, sequencing is essential, what folks hear on the very high could be very key. Simply the sequencing and the circulate of the mixtape. In relation to, to me, like what I lend to it with my character and my speak recreation and the way I strategy the report. The inventive issues that I say, the bells and the whistles. The Gangsta Grill drops, the sound results, in addition to simply little methods of the trades of perhaps operating a report again and giving it some power and creating that pleasure.
I all the time examine it to love being a chef. Individuals deliver me their turkey at Thanksgiving, and it’s their turkey, however I take advantage of my oven and my seasonings. I do know precisely the diploma to prepare dinner it on, 425. And after I current it, it’s probably the most scrumptious turkey you’ve ever tasted in your life.
You’ve been on the pure DJ aspect and the business govt aspect. What’s been harder: increase a mixtape collection or a report label?
It’s onerous to check as a result of there isn’t any Technology Now if there’s no Gangsta Grillz. So, simply even once you requested that query, it made me reminisce concerning the days actually of me sitting in my one-room duplex, placing CDs within the circumstances and placing the covers in there, closing it, doing one other one, closing it. It’s insane. To that diploma, to love the place I’m now, the place it’s now I’ve a full facility compound in Atlanta, a workers of 30. A completely practical label.
So, they each have been complicated in their very own methods, however one led to a different and, clearly coping with artists and different personalities is a fancy factor as a result of I can’t simply go off my very own schedule or my very own emotions or after I’m able to get to work. I’m coping with different folks, and I’m invested of their lives, and their lives are invested inside me. So, their success is my success in a way.
None of it’s simple. Placing collectively an album, making a profitable artist. I wish to assume that we might make it look simple due to the successes, however it’s lots of onerous work and it’s lots of dedication. It’s lots of similar to 25/8 days, 25 hours, eight days of labor and grinding it out. Fortunately, the payoff has been fairly nicely in my scenario or in our scenario.
One other factor that comes together with operating a report label or any firm is giving steering to and simply tapping in with the artists in your roster. Lil Uzi Vert has mentioned he’s gotten sober, and he recorded The Pink Tape whereas sober. What are your ideas on that? Did you have got any conversations with him about it?
We did have some conversations about that. Me, Cannon, Lake and Vert, about that non-public journey. Clearly, it’s not one thing outta respect for him I’d wish to share the perception on how he feels or what it was like for him, however I wouldn’t be stunned if it’s one thing that he touches on on the mission.
I’m tremendous happy with him and I’m certain that for him, having the ability to strategy the music from that facet was eye-opening and one thing completely different, one thing {that a} mature Uzi, who’s at a distinct stage in his life and his profession, is ready to accomplish.
Have you ever seen a change within the music?
Yeah, I seen a change. Once more, Uzi is sort of secretive about his work. So, I like to depart the thriller to him and let him share it with the world. However, from what I’ve heard, I’d attest to that.
With regards to Technology Now artists, what’s up with Jack Harlow? When is he dropping some new music?
He’s within the studio now. He’s gearing up. We’ll undoubtedly see new music from Jack this yr, for certain. [Editor’s note: Since this interview was done, Jack Harlow dropped his third album, Jackman, in April.]
Who’re some up-and-coming artists you’d do a Gangsta Grillz mission with?
I’ve had the dialog with Range God [Cooks]. I’d like to do a mission with him. I believe a GloRilla Gangsta Grillz could be fireplace. Perhaps even like Ice Spice or perhaps Girl London. So many dope females on the market. Clearly, lots of people have all the time needed the EST Gee Gangsta Grillz. Don’t get me began, so many individuals. I imply, would like to do a Brent Faiyaz Gangsta Grillz. It’s infinite. I believe that’s one factor that’s dope and potent about Gangsta Grillz. It’s a platform and cross-generational.
A De La Soul Gangsta Grillz tape is within the works. What’s the standing of that?
It’s not that far alongside, to be trustworthy. There’ve been lots of conversations, particularly between me and Pos[dnuos], one thing that we’ve talked about for the final, like two, two-and-a-half years and actually attempting to deliver it to fruition. Pos informed me early on concerning the day after they have been bringing their catalog to streaming platforms and the plan and the objective to, after that occurred [was to] begin engaged on the Gangsta Grillz. And clearly we misplaced [De La Soul member] Dave, however it’s one thing that we’re each nonetheless very enthusiastic about and nonetheless very gung ho on finishing.
Who’re some late rappers that you’d have favored to do a Gangsta Grillz tape with?
S**t, f**king The Infamous B.I.G., Tupac. I’d’ve beloved to have gone again in with Nipsey Hussle, did one other Crenshaw. That may’ve been wonderful. Think about Crenshaw 2. Think about a Tupac Gangsta Grillz. ODB.
In March, it was reported that DatPiff was going to be shut down, and clearly, many Gangsta Grillz mixtapes have been streamed off the platform. Do you ever fear about your music being misplaced due to one thing like that?
I do. There’s a complete period of hip-hop that, as a result of it’s not obtainable on streaming platforms, if we have been to lose a web site or platform, there’s an artwork that might doubtlessly go misplaced, ? I believe it’s crucial for us to protect that. And it’s simply even in my objectives of going ahead, of attempting to deliver a few of these initiatives to streaming platforms to provide extra ears and get extra listeners to, and extra accessibility to a few of this music, that solely exists in a sure house that when you’re not acquainted with, you wouldn’t even know is there.
That was a giant worry after I heard that rumor or simply typically. I can take into consideration what number of initiatives of mine are on the market on the planet, however not as accessible to only go on an Apple or a Spotify or a Tidal and be capable of discover. A whole lot of it lives on locations like DatPiff. We’re speaking a couple of good 10, 15, perhaps 20 years of music and of initiatives that doubtlessly may go misplaced if we don’t protect it and don’t embrace it and provides it an opportunity to dwell on. And that may be a scary thought to consider.
What are among the issues that you simply and Technology Now have developing?
I received a bunch of Gangsta Grillz initiatives within the works. I received some actually huge ones that, , goes to f**okay some s**t up. We’re engaged on a Technology Now compilation. We’re within the means of signing some new artists. I’ve another ventures within the works, avenues that I’m taking my model in, route by a podcast that I’m engaged on that I’m gonna formally announce very quickly. I’ve a guide deal on the desk. Only recently, [I’ve] been moving into narration.
You’ve completed quite a bit through the years.
I believe my legacy and my accomplishments are my motivation to proceed due to so many issues that I’ve been in a position to do and simply proceed to problem myself to constantly put out new s**t. That’s the mixtape DJ in me. I’ve all the time been hooked on new s**t. Yesterday was dope, however watch what I’m about to do tomorrow.
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Try further interviews in XXL journal’s spring 2023 situation, together with the quilt story with Lil Durk, conversations with Key Glock, Coi Leray, Joyner Lucas, Fridayy, Lola Brooke, Luh Tyler, Destroy Lonely, Blxst, Curren$y, Finesse2tymes, Vic Mensa, Toosii and actor Tyler Lepley, plus a have a look at how famed hip-hop lawyer Bradford Cohen helps purchasers like Drake and Kodak Black beat their circumstances, veteran photographer Johnny Nuñez tells the behind-the-scenes tales of 10 of his iconic hip-hop images, six rappers from six completely different eras—Melle Mel, MC Shan, RZA, Lupe Fiasco, B.o.B and Cordae—talk about the change in hip-hop over 50 years and a deep dive into town of Memphis changing into a breeding floor for brand new rap expertise.
