Interview - Dj Skratch
- G-Low: First of all, can you introduce yourself to people outta France and all over Europe that dont know you very well, 'cause you know your great work got to be known here !
- Skratch: First of all, for the fans that dont know me, I'm known as the
Nasty Man. I am a kat that likes to stay behind the walls. There is a
lot of bullshit that has came to the game, and I'm not down wit it.
I have worked artists such as. Playa Hamm, K-Dee, Ice Cube, Before Dark, 2nd II None, J.J. Fad, Craig Mack, DJ Aladdin, Penthouse Players Clique, Battle Cat, Rodney O & Joe Cooley, Tweed Cadillac, Stan "The Guitar Man" Jones, General Jeff, Ms. Toi, Bloody Mary, Corndog, Scarface, Doug E. Fresh, Suge Knight, King Tee, Crazy Toones, India, B-Low-0, G Len, Montell Jordan and a lot more.

- G-Low: How did you happen to work in the rap game and when did you start producing ? Which where your first productions ?
- Skratch: I started rappin about 6 years ago, producing about 12 years. My first production was with a group I was in called DV3. I think the name of the song was called Standing On The Corner or something like that.

- G-Low: Who are the artists and which are the kind of music that have
influenced you the most in your creation ? It seems that funk takes an
important part in your production. Who are your best producers ?
- Skratch: I would have to say Al Green, Denise Williams, GQ, BT Express, Fleetwood Mac and the Crusaders. And for my best producers I would have to say ME. I produce my own stuff, me and my partner Jearl.

- G-Low: What do you think of the evolution of the westcoast rap scene, from the early 90's to the new millenium ?
- Skratch: Where I came from, in the 90's it was real music, live instruments, and real people. Now todays music is mechanical, loops, and fake people. I no I should change with the times.
But fonk is in my Blood. So I gottas keep it fonkey all the way.

- G-Low: Let's speak about your future projects. Your are back in tha lab, working on your next album The Remedy, can you tell us more about that ?
- Skratch: The album is almost done. We dont have a release date at this time. But it will be out by the summer time. It will be release off of
my own label:. Futuristic Fonk Records. I have featuring artists on the album such as Ms Toi, Penthouse Players Clique, 2nd II None, K-Dee and a few up coming artists. The album incorporates the most exciting and smoothest production of fonk with some of the most sexual lyrics. While the lyrics are definitely daring, they are not insulting, but rather perceived as a turn on. I came up with the name Remedy because I feel I have the solution for sex, the party side, and these street niggas. There for, I am the REMEDY dawg, you feel me.

- G-Low: We heard about the new generation of Penthouse Players Clique, can you tell us more about that ? Why tweed wasn't around for a couple of years after the Mackadelics album.
- Skratch: The old members of the PPC are still around. But we have a
new generation of youngsters that will keep the name alive. A group by
the name of Young Giantz. These are player Hamm's two son's. There
album will be out real soon. It's called Take It Personnal.
Tweed was not around for a min, because he was looking for the right producers for his album. I could not produce his record at the time because my plate was full, and DJ Aladdin was starting his own solo project.

- G-Low: Speaking about Playa Hamm, What happend to his first solo Layin Hands ? It seems that it isn't sold anymore.
- Skratch: Well I think it was a good album. It had good producers.
Battle cat got down on it, Brain G, and I produced the song Grindin. I think that the lable didnt push it.

- G-Low: What are your relations with Dj Quik ? Do you have any connection with producers Brain G and Dj Aladdin ?
- Skratch: Quik is my friend. I dont realy talk to him alot. But he is
cool ass fuck. I have been up to skips where he dose most of his work.
He's just a down to earth brother. Brain G. is good peoples, I dont hang
out with him, but I do know him, and he knows me. And DJ Aladdin, is like a brother to me. I was the DJ for the group Mackadelics. We were both DJ's for the same radio stations in L.A. back in the days. Me and Aladdin put out a mix cd called The Shiznit, it sold really good in Japan. Thats my dawg.

- G-Low: At present, your are working on the new 2nd II None album, can you tell us about the rumours that KK and Gangsta Dee broke down ?
- Skratch: Dat's not true about them breaking down. That's a rumor that came from somebody outside of the camp, that just got outta control. Anyways, there new album is called 2nd II None and it's commin' out soon. They have a compalation album thats coming out called Compton Blockz featuring 2nd II None, Hi-C, Suga Free, Mausberg, Kam, Tha Why-Gee'z and Misery. I can't remember the release date. lol.

- G-Low: You are also working on Tweed's and Hamm's upcomin solos. Can you tell us what we can expect from this 2 albums ? When will it be out ?
- Skratch: Well Tweed album is on some pool party pimp shit. With a
touch of old school. I have a few tracks on the album. My homeboy G.
Bear also did a few tracks. G. Bear is a hot ass producer you will hear
a lot on this guy. And Hamm's album is on some gangsta fly pimp shit. I also did a few tracks on that project. By the way Hamm has a few tracks on the album he produced, and the shit is on some fly ass shit. There is no release date.

- G-Low: You are also connected with Str8-G and he gonna drop his 2nd album. The track Indo Activity is off the hook.
- Skratch: That album was pulled by me, behine some bullshit Str8-G
pulled. I rather not get into it. Bottom line it will never come out.
Thanks for love on Indo Activity. You well here that song on my album.

- G-Low: What happened to G-Avanni ? The album 2 Much Drama is bangin'.
- Skratch: I Produced that record about 5 years ago. We did it for fun,
but we got so much good responce from the streets. I'm just going recut it over and release. It funny you said the name G-Avanni because G-Avanni and B-Low 0 are the same person from the Mackadelics. He just goes by two names.

- G-Low: Thank you for taking time to answer my questions. Do you have any message to say to your fans from France and Europe ?
- Skratch: I wanna thank everybody for their support. Im trying to get
there, so I can put on a damm good show and spend time with all my
fans. Please dont forget to pick up my album ( Futuristic Fonk for tha
Millennium). You can only get it on line, at my website (www.djskratch.net) . You can not get it in stores. The reason I had it set up like that is because we all know money is hard to come by. So I have it at a low price for my fans I love to give back. Be on the look out for my second album The Remedy. Love you guys. And a big shot out to my homeboy G-Low, for all the love and support. Thanks dawg.

> 29/04/03 Interview Dj Skratch.

Dj Skratch a bien voulu me répondre à quelques questions. Pour lire l'interview rendez-vous par ici. La version française arrive bientot.
Pour commander le 1er album de Skratch, Futuristic Fonk For The Millenium, ca se passe par ici.

> 22/04/03 Revue: Penthouse Players Clique - Paid The Cost.

Ajout de la revue de l'album de PPC, Paid The Cost. A lire dans la section reviews.

> 2nd II None: Nouvel album.

Selon le site www.djskratch.net, les 2 artistes de Compton KK et Gangsta Dee, alias 2nd II None, seraient de nouveau en studio pour la sortie de leur 3ème album. La production serait assurée entre autre par Dj Skratch.

> 17/04/03 What's up ?!.

West'up boyz and girlz ! Le site est de retour avec quelques newz fraiches du côté de la Westsiiiiiiiiiiiiide. J'en profite pour remercier ceux qui m'ont envoier des mails ou qui ont postés des messages sur le Guest Book pour prendre un peut des nouvelles de GFV, votre soutiens est toujours le bienvenue alors n'hésitez pas à me contacter où à faire un petit tour sur le Guest Book.

Le lien pour acceder au forum de la Westside French Connection marche désormais. Donc pour ceux qui sont pas encore inscrit, il faut vraiment aller faire un tour dessus, aussi bien pour les novices que pour les westsiders confirmés, ya toujours à apprendre.

Le lexique a été un peut plus etoffé avec quelques nouveaux mots.

> New albums from Dj Skratch, Tweed Cadillac & Playa Hamm.

Voila le grand retour des 2 artistes de Penthouse Players Clique, Tweed Cadillac et Playa Hamm, avec chacun un album solo qui seraient annoncés pour bientôt ( esperons-le):
- Tweed Cadillac - Toast To Da Foolz
- Playa Hamm - Layin Hands 2 ( No Glove)
Il s'agira donc du 1er album solo de Tweed, qui a déja participé aux albums des groupes Mackadelics et PPC en tant que membre.
A la production on devrait retrouver l'éxcellent Dj Skratch qui prévois lui aussi la sortie d'un nouvel album intitulé The Remedy.
( source: www.djskratch.net )

> Voici un petit son de Mr Money Loc, qui viens tout droit de Long Beach. Il s'agit d'un extrait du Maxi Single Imma Rolla sortit en 1997 sous le label peu connu Loc'N Up Records. La track est produite par E.Coston et ce single est un veritable petit chef-d'oeuvre à telecharger d'urgence !

> Mr Money Loc - Imma Rolla [ download ]

> 05/03/03 Nouvel extrait du M&Mster.

> N'hésitez pas a faire un tour sur le site officel de Foesum, vous y trouverez 3 chansons extraites du prochain EP de M&M.

> Voici un petit audio extrait de la bande originale du film Straight Out Of Compton disponible en dvd et qui est sorti en 2000. On retrouve sur le morceau 3 très grands artistes de la west: Rodney O, Domino et Rappin' 4 Tay. Le morceau s'intitule Pump Your Breaks et est vraiment bon.

> Rodney O, Domino & 4Tay - Pump Your Break [ download ]

> 19/02/03 Interview Bigg Robb, par Khomany.

Voici une petite interview de Bigg Robb, fondateur du label Killa Valley Entertainment, réalisée par mon homie Khomany. A lire par ici.

> 10/02/03 Newz str8 from tha West !

> Warren G, le fils prodige du g-funk, prépare un nouvel album, qui pourrait étonner certains d'entre vous qui ont cru que The Return Of The Regulator serais son dernier LP. The G-Filez: Case #213 devrait voir le jour cet été. Un CD qui se veut être un 'témoignage' de la vie de quartier et de l'enfance du G-Child du côté de Long Beach.

> La 1ère sortie de Tha Row sera la B.O Dysfunktional Family qui fera figurer les artistes du label et quelques invités surprises comme Jay-Z ( ! ), Mack 10 ou encore Juvenile. La sortie est prévue pour le 25 Mars. Voici la tracklist:

Ya'll might know Playa Hamm from his appearances on past DJ Quik albums, Suga Free's '98 cut "If You Stay Ready" and you may even remember him from the Penthouse Playaz Clique. Here he is finally dropping a solo LP that the masses can grab onto. Many of you might not of heard of him but I assure you that he's without a doubt a vet. Representing Cali, Playa Hamm brings some sunny day--beat bumpin--with the window rolled down--looking for some honeys in some daisy dukes cuts with "Grindin" and others. Like a lot of albums you'll notice a little mistake on the listing of the tracks on the back. You'll notice that there is only 15 tracks and that's because the first song listed "Layin Hands" doesn't seem to exist, the album starts out playing track two "2 Da Curb". Playa Hamm's flow is mostly relaxed laidback flow and it is matched perfectly with his playa voice. Production contributions came from Blaqtoven, Brian G. and others. The most standout instrumental is credited to DJ Skratch. Playa Hamm spits mainly about his playalistic skills, keeping it real with his Truz and str8 game. With instrumentals to match you'll be sure to bring this album back in the summer to listen to some of your favorite songs on the album like "Still Lougin'" and "Hit Again" even if it ain't all sunny and hot out--you could find yourself bumpin' it still. I would consider Playa Hamm just an average lyricist or maybe I pinch above average but he still put out verbal satisfaction. So, if ya like that Cali playa vibe definitely check this out.
Written by: T. Wilson