 When did you start DJ'ing and what were the first Hip-Hop records you ever brought?
I started dj’ing when I was 14 I got decks some pro 150’s on my 15th birthday so that was 1995. I brought my first hip-hop record in 1989 and it was a Pop Will Eat It album. It’s a shame actually that Pop will Eat Itself never get a great deal of credit in UK hip hop history! But to me they were definitely UK hip hop, them boys rapped with there own accents at the same sort of time groups such as Hijack were rapping with phoney accents, now that isn’t a dig at Hijack co’s they did have some excellent records but I personally could never get passed the accent thing and for me PWEI were equally as creative with the beats and concepts, maybe even more so! But they just never got the props they deserved from UK rap fans.
When did you start producing and rapping?
I put my first beats down on an Amiga 500 I can’t remember the name of the programme I used but I started attempting to create music way before I got decks but as you can imagine it was all bollocks.
The first time I would say I became fairly proud of a production was when I was 16 at college, I produced and rapped a baseline led British rap tune / poem called ‘Urban Street Life’ and although the title makes it seem a little corny now I still think I held my own.
Even before then I was writing raps out of pure boredom, I still have some of these knocking around there’s one called ‘Truck’ which is all about an imaginary time when I came across a truck and the truck started talking to me! I played the character of the truck and myself in this rap and although it sounds really childish and silly I was only 11 at the time, still my English teacher thought it was really good so I performed the rap in front of the class and even managed to get a decent reaction.
What do you prefer doing out DJ'ing, producing and rapping?
For a long time until about 3 years ago I preferred dj’ing too everything, for years I tried to master the craft, mixing all genres of music, just being creative with beat matching and tune selection, I also got deep into scratching from the age of 16 – 23 I was deeply into turntablism and did become pretty damn good if I do say so myself and although I still do hit the decks from time to time it would take me a month of 8 hour practicing per day to get back to the standard I was once at (although as soon as I get time to practice the DMC’s better watch out lol).
When I was on top of my DJ game I was playing out up to 7 times a week at various University / local events often with a crew that I assembled called The Pharaohs Of Funk, the problem I had with it all was that when the nights became really popular I felt that we were getting ripped off on the money I mean these punks (especially at the Uni) were paying us pennies and we were doing bare promotion and it seemed very unfair because those guys were pocketing our money.
However I must say that it wasn’t just the cash we were getting ripped off with they also started to govern what we were playing I remember when Eminem’s ‘Marshall Mathers LP’ was big and we were dropping tracks off that and the Gay community demanded that any Eminem tracks were to be banned, so I thought enough was enough and left the bigger clubs and continued to play in much smaller places one of which was a crackling pub called Nicky Tams who always sorted us out properly and let us play anything! I could play Necro alongside Buju Banton with no stress at all, when I moved back home from Scotland in 2004, I concentrated much more on HHB and OYM and stopped pursuing the live dj’ing as much.
I do still DJ out but mainly for rap groups, I’m Reggimental’s and Rusty Jukebox Records DJ and I’ve played a fair few gigs with them over the past few years, I’m also one half of the OYM DJ team alongside DJ Vokal.
I’ve made beats since even before I was dj’ing and it’s something that I really enjoy doing but don’t have the time as much as I’d like these days however I will be doing a full length album called ‘Disturbing The Sequence’ which will be entirely self produced.
In the meantime I’m doing the odd bit of production on the various OYM releases coming 2006 / 2007 but my main role is studio engineer at the moment and I’m really trying to learn how to mix and master tracks like the true pro’s and so far so good! I think you can always improve on something no matter how great you think you are so I’m always happy to learn new techniques.
With the rapping things as I said ive been having a go since the age of 11 and it’s something I’ll always do, look out for the raps I’ve done on the HHB Mix CD Volume 2 I think they’re my best verses to date.
 You are from just outside Birmingham. What’s the West Midlands Hip-Hop scene like at the moment?
I rate the West Midlands scene immensely, Of course I think the artists on OYM are the mutts nuts so that’s Kroscene, Reload, Izzy G, DJ Vokal, Kid Radikal and Hyzander, but I’m also feeling Wolftown Recordings, Ten Shott is a superb emcee destined for stardom, Late is a rap legend and isn’t scarred to try different things, Conman has music running through his veins, Size 8 has a wicked street flow in fact we were lucky enough to get Size 8 and Ten Shott on a video called ‘Smiling Faces’ featuring the whole of OYM and Joe Gutta which will be coming to MTV Base and Channel U screens very soon.
I also rate Moorish Delta, Sonny Jim, Kosyne, 2nd Suzpect, Mike Lazy, Red Beard, Deeze, Force Of Nature, Country Critics, Grimey with Grammar, DJ Murdock, Rukus, Fiba Optics (the producer), Reggimental, Taharka, Urban Monk, Mr Webster, Judge Dreddy, COV, Bigga, DJ Cutloose, Long Lastin, Raze and Lava Flo, SK and R 2 Tha Beatz, there’s loads of others just can’t think of them all off the top of my head, Watch out for The HHB West Midlands Mix because that CD right there gives a great overview of the west Midlands scene .
The capitol of UK Hip-Hop is still London. Do you think that this will ever change and major labels will ever sign somebody outside of London?
Difficult that one I was going to say the Streets are not from London but Mike Skinner still had to go there to get signed and taken seriously, JD from so Solid as far as I’m aware had to do the same thing! But for me I’m staying put for the time being! It aint where your from it’s where your at! Having said that I still go to LDN most weeks so I can attend shows etc as they’re really is not enough locally going on live at the moment in the second city and certainly not in Lichfield.
You like UK music on HHB, but don't lay much Grime. Why is this?
I properly rate the grime scene and we would play more if we got sent it, so if you make Grime music send us it for review and play list consideration to: Hip Hop Basement PO Box 4573 WS14 4AX, We actively listen to everything that is sent.
Do you interview a lot of acts on Internet radio station that you have? If so, have you any funny stories to tell?
Yeah we’ve interviewed a fair few people over the past year but we’ve started to interview at least one a week in the ‘Live From HQ Show’. So far we’ve had Reggimental, Tricksta, Joe Rizzle, Cappo, Midnyte, Joe Gutta, Agent, Lock Jaw, Conspicous The Coroner, Raze, Alex Blood, Diveno, BFG, Amit from On The One, Nine High, Lazy Habits, GTA, DJ Cro, Reload, Sonny Jim, Vicious Circle, Bulldog, Wariko, DJ Murdoch, Grimey With Grammer, Visualise, N Dubs, Rukus, Baby J, Lazy Habits and Larissa among others all pass through the HHB studio doors.
Some of my favourite people were Nine High they had mad energy and were really great guests also N Dubs were a laugh and they managed to attract bare groupies outside the station unfortunately the HHB crew didn’t get a sniff although we do have an official groupie you can check her out here
www.myspace.com/sarahkimberley83
 What DJ's are on the station? Anyone big?
We have some great DJ’s on the station DJ Cutloose, presents the wicked www.hereosofukhiphop.com show every Sunday from 6 – 9, Jabba tha kut has his consistent and skilful Cut Above Records show every Wednesday at 7.30 – 8.30, Mr CRF Saturday 4 – 6 and repeated Tuesday 4- 6, Conspiracy Takeover in conjunction with Mr Montana on Friday 10pm -2pm, DJ Flava 8 -10 Monday nights, DJ Skunkboy Tuesday 8 -10pm, Evil Ed Hidden Identity show 6 -8 pm every Thursday, Other DJ’s who have been allocated slots include DJ First Aid, Dan Greenpeace, DJ Slice, Harry Love, K Delight, Sarah Love, Late and Tricksta, Darkhorse Productions also Bare Records do a monthly show and Excalibah sends mixes every month, keep checking the sites for regular updates.
Tell us about your mixtape 'HHB Radio One'. Who features on it?
HHB Mix CD Volume One came out last December and has since defiantly served it’s purpose, I compiled mixed and hosted it, however peeps need to buy Volume Two (available from www.hhbradio.com in September) as it’s a much truer representation of OYM and HHB and where we are at now.
How long did it take to make?
The idea was floating around for a few months and I started to collect tracks just to see the kind of response we got! However it really came into fruition late last summer when I had about 5 really dope exclusives come and then I knew I had something special so I reached bare UK heads who I genuinely wanted to feature on the CD I managed to get a Blade exclusive and some really deep underground tracks. I mixed and hosted the CD in October but all the information got corrupted after my computer blew up but luckily I had all the tracks on cd so I mixed and hosted it again and we dropped it last December, so it took about 4 – 5 months in total.
Are you going to do a part two?
Part Two will officially drop in September but a few special folk like yourselves there at Raw Roots will have it late August it’s kind of under wraps at the moment but I can tell you the majority of it is produced by OYM and we have some big UK collabo’s on there, this one is mixed by DJ Vokal and hosted by Joe Gutta and I honestly think it will be one of the best releases this year full stop, you people are in for a serious treat!
Tell us about your label OYM. What's it stand for and who is involved?
OYM stands for Occupy Your Mind Records.
Izzy G, he’s into storytelling, punch line raps he can do commercial stuff as well as underground, highly skilled rapper, his second mix CD is currently in production.
Kid Radikal, dope producer, dope rapper, representing for the youth, also one half of Fundamental Elements.
Reload, his ‘Burning Desire’ CD will be a rap classic, great rapper, great person.
DJ Vokal, this geezer is on it like no one else, as well as being a sick DJ, cameraman and video editor he is responsible for a lot of the techy shit on www.hhbradio.com, without Vokal HHB would not be possible.
Kroscene, the best and most versatile beat maker with the biggest sound in the UK!
Hyzander, who is the resident technician he’s always there when things get fucked up on the computer! He’s got nice beats too! So watch out for him!
What would be your dream collaboration?
For me Dr Dre on beats and a verse something like ‘shit hits the fan’ off Obies first album, that would be a dream collaboration. Barring that I would like some of my artists on OYM to work with people they’re into; I know Kid Radikal would love to do a tune with Jedi Mind Tricks and I’m definitely doing my best to make that jump off for the Fundamental Elements album.
If Izzy G could work with anyone in music it would be John Legend but in hip hop he would really like to work with Sway. Reload’s dream collabo would be Nas because he’s always grown up listening to him and loves the message he conveys. Kroscene would like to work with any truly great singers, rappers or reggae artists.
www.hhbradio.com
www.myspace.com/lunatrix
www.myspace.com/thakidradikaloym
www.myspace.com/djvokal
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