DJ Kay Slay: More Than a DJ

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DJ Kay Slay: More Than a DJ

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Tuesday, 20 October 2009 00:00

"I’m into artists that knows how to spit. I am from an era where TALENT COUNTED in the culture, I’m not into any trickless magicians."

A lot of rappers can’t even make it up to 40 years old in the game but this DJ/Entrepeneur made it, and more importantly he watched Hip Hop Come into existence. If you don’t know his name then you’ve been living under a rock. If you are familiar with him then let me just tell you that you are stil behind, The wisdom that comes out of this “G” mouth is one that a lot of rappers need to sit back and take notes on because Dj Kay Slay is definitely More then just a Dj!

Okay, So this is going to be a re-introductory class for those who aren’t up on their DJ game, whose been living under the a rock, Introduce yourself to them. Let them know what exactly it is that you do and where you are repping?

Well this is Dj Kay Slay, “The Drama King” I’ve been a Dj for over 30 years. I was a 7 time mixtape award champion, I retired from doing the mixtapes. I have 2 radio shows, Hot 97 in New York City. and Series Satelite radio XM 66, I am an A&R for Ray J. I am currently working on my 4^th compilation, I can go on and on but don’t want to bore ya.

Lol, That’s a long resume and very impressive. What inspired you to become a DJ?

Well coming from the Hood, My friends and I were always looking to find something to do take our mind of the fact that we weren’t in a good position to do anything. There was a older brother in my projects that respected the way I carried myself; you know humbled, well-kept and respectable. He use to take me to his house and have me Dj for his house parties. So as time went on I began to like it and that was in 1977 before the technique turn tables.

Wow! So you have longevity in the game. Who were or are some of your influences?

Definitely. That was before Hip Hop. I watched Hip-Hop come into existence. This was during the time of Disco. Disco was the thing back then. As far as influence, definitely Pete Dj Jones, Grand Master Flash, Afrika Bambaataa, those were the names I heard coming up you know when Hip Hop actually came into existence. Those are the people that stuck with me because they were doing it on a level that I wanted to do it on.

Because you are a DJ, people expect you to listen to music all the time, it’s in your job description, but I want to know who do you listen to? Whose CD’s do you go home and rock in your system?

Well if I’m going to listen to Hip-Hop, you can catch me listening to Raekwon, Ghostface, really anybody from The Wu Tang Clan. I like Busta Rhymes, Bun B from Ugk. RIP (Pimp C) 50 cent. I’m into artists that knows how to spit. That has some type of lyricism. I’m not into the party records and things of that nature. I am from an era where TALENT COUNTED in the culture so I’m not into any trickless magicians. Other than that you can catch me listening to classics such as; Earth Wind and Fire, Luther Vandross, Ohio Players, Bobby Brown. Believe it or not I get a lot of my ideas for some of my projects from the classics. That’s the real music that a lot of cats ain’t making no more. So I’m kind of stuck with that.

Taking from your comment, “ You’re from an era where talent counted” How do you feel about MTV’s list of MC’s this year?

That list is somebody’s opinion. You know opinion is like an asshole, everybody has one. But I will tell you for sure that is not the top HIP-HOP MC’s Lyricist of the year. That list is the top Popular list. That’s what that is. Those are the most popular people in Hip-Hop at this time. Those are not the most lyrical top rap artist in the game right now, if it is somebody needs to kill me because I don’t know what rap/lyricist is anymore. But like I said that’s somebody’s opionion. Why Eminem wasn’t in the list? His album went platnium when you go lyrical. They had Raekwon at #10, that’s disrespectful. I could go down the line but I’m not here to debate on someone else’s opinion. But two thing for sure that is not the top rap artist list in the game right now, it’s the most popular.

Thanks for sharing your point of view. How long have you been in the industry?

When you say the industry, I would have to say 2000-01 that’s when I received my first deal with Violator from Chris Light. Shout out to him he was the first one to give me an opportunity. As far as the industry. As far as the game? All my life.

How did you end up working for hot 97?

I was really hot on the streets and I was blessed to get a call by Tracie Claudy who was running things at the time. She told me that she wanted to meet with me. When I got there she said that she never had Funkmaster Flex so much in her office about a situation. She was real clear, she said she didn’t really listen to mixtapes and she wasn’t sure what exactly I did but whatever it is I was doing she needed me up there. She asked what it would take to get me up there and I said let me be who I am on the street on the airwaves, don’t alter. She said no problem and that was that. Radio came to me.

With the internet being used as the “Electronic DJ”, by that I mean it’s so fast and new artist as well as well known artist are using it to leak their music. It seems that being a successful DJ/Entreuper nowadays is a very difficult goal to accomplish in this industry. Do you think the DJ is a “dying” breed?

I mean they done attempted to dust of the Dj’s on several accounts. It began back when they first made CD’s and replaced it with the Dap. That made it where somebody could do a show and not even use a DJ. If you remember back in the days, every MC use to have a Dj there live, cutting and as time evolved, Dap’s and instant replays were used to replace us. This ain’t something new that’s been going on but at the end of the day we (DJ) the backbone and foundation of the whole Hip-Hop culture. Without us a lot of these Cat’s would be lost, a lot of the labels would be lost. I also think just the way they tried to X the Dj out, this is why the music sales are down these days and the industry is the way it is. We are the ones who knows what’s hot, we are the ones that always dictated the good music and now, we got these jerks and a lot of these labels that read a book they think they are A&R’s and high profile executives. They are putting out artist that they are financially gaining from. What happens is after that artist make that one hit or that one album you don’t hear about them anymore because they grabbing some other artist. There’s no artist development, Nobody looking for real talent. The game changed from the love of the culture to the love of the dollar now and that’s what wrong. The internet gives them the avenue for them to fuck the Dj that knows what they’re talking about. They go and throw the music out themselves.

Has it affect your work in anyways?

It damages the Dj to a degree. But at the end of the we always going to eat. It hurts us but it hurts the individuals more that’s in the game because if you notice we are still here. Funk Master Flex is still here. Early 40’s. Grand Master Flash is still here, early 40’s. I’m here early 40’s, Kool Herc is still making money, Dj Hollywood is still making money, Mr. Cee, Chuck Chill out, Kid Capri, everyone I named is 40 plus. How many 40 plus rappers that’s still in the game? People need to analyze who’s going to be here for a while and who’s not. It has’nt really hurt me because I have a relationship with the artist that I deal with. I still have my exclusivity rights. I’m one of the lucky people that could do that.

Let’s talk about your albums; when creating an album do you go out looking for new acts or do you play it safe and stick to well known artist? I guess my question really is are you the “Mr. DJ” that new acts can still come to or have you reached a new level where you work only with recognizable artist?

Everybody knows I’m well grounded and it’s always going to be that way. If you listen to my radio show on Hot 97, I always play up and coming artist but I also play established artist. My whole platform from day one was always dedicated to up and coming artist. I always have a record on my albums with a new artists. That’s my M.O and I have plenty of people that would attest to that. On my album I have 4 records on their with up and coming album. I have J Rock, Locksmith, Staci Adams, Big Rich, hoodstars on the west coast etc. In New York I have Nina B, Grip, Lucky Don, these are all artist you probably never heard off. Now on the flip side I have exclusives with 50 Cent, Jim Jones and lloyd Banks, Tony Tayo and Patt Poose. Twista with Bun B, and I have my single with Busta Rhymes with Jim Jones, Ray J and Plies on it. So I got both sides of the game.

Now, you’ve worked with a lot of well known artist, why do you think you are one of the most respected DJ’s in the game?

Well for one, Just like the title of my album, I’m more then just a DJ. I’m from the streets. I politic with street cats. I don’t want to be in Hollywood. When I go to L.A, I go to compton and watts and the projects. I move around like a real street G and they respect that. I’ve always been a strong believer that if I have to be scared of my own people then I need to go to another planet.

You’ve been in the game for a while and I’m sure at times doubt creeps in, what keeps you motivated?

I think the death of my Grandparents. I love my mother, but there was a time in her life where she had to do what she had to do and she couldn’t do it with me there. So she put me with her parents and they raised me. I went through a lot of trial and tribulations in the street. I was young and doing a lot of stupid stuff but in their last days they got to see me change my life but they didn’t really get to see all of their success. It kind of bothers me that at the time they were alive I was going left but they got to see me go right. I feel like if I fail, I’m letting them down. I feel like I owe that to them. I owe this to them, this has got nothing to do with business, this is personal.

Wow. Thanks for sharing that. What advice would you give someone trying to get to the level where you are?

First off, try to be the best of your own talent and not the worst of somebody else’s. Don’t follow Be a leader. Whatever you do, do what you do. Be a original. Sometime you have to know when to back down and keep it moving. My intention wasn’t to be one of the biggest Dj’s but I wanted to be in the industry so I had to try other things. I didn’t want to be an intern so I did the mixtape thing, my point is stick with what works for you and not what works for somebody else. Be the best of your own talent. Everything you see on T.V. ain’t what it appears it to be.

That was great. Now for your many loyal fans, how can they reach you?

They can speak to me on twitter. @thedramaking. Other then that, I’m on hot 97 they can call me there. And every now and then I’m on my space.

So just to switch it up real quick, I have a final question that I think a Dj/ Entrepeuner in the game like yourself needs to answer. In your opinion, is it possible for the game to have a successful female MC that has longevity and remind us that ladies can spit and be as successfully as male rappers in this game?

At the end of the day in order to have a powerful- highly respected female MC with longevity in this game, she’s going to have to come in the game on a different aspect then Lil Kim and Foxy Brown because that’s been done. We need a different topic. We need a female with a quality record to make it happen. I have a record on my album called Bad Girls with Remy Ma, Jacki O, and Adonis the Amazon. Adonis is a real powerful MC coming from Philly. I also have a record with NiNa B from Brooklyn. So there is a lot of female rappers that are good out here but I think there’s a sour taste left in the industries mouth because of the way a lot of them turned out in the end. Things can change though, we just need a female with a powerful record and a powerful image that’s talking a whole different way then we’ve heard from the other succesfull artist like Lil Kim, Foxy and Eve. It’s possible. Anything is possible.

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