DON'T MISS TODAY:

Back to DJs & Producers Section

6/7/2006 What's good? I'm good. I'm just running around Southside Queens right now trying to find an antennae for my car. What have you been up to lately? I've been in the cut working real close with Kool G. Rap on his upcoming projects. I'm about to start working with Ras Kass on his next installment of Institutionalized. I'm managing a couple of producers, Realson from Germany and Frank Dukes. I was working with Rugged Intellect from Canada. I'm watching the industry closely trying to see what's going to happen next. The industry is corny. Yeah. I don't know how much worse it could get, but it is what it is. How's G's new music sounding? G. Rap's new music is fucking bananas. Two words: fucking bananas. G hit them in the head with his Whoo Kid mix-cd and he has another mix-cd coming out with Green Lantern and then his street album, he's just going to bombard people and they're just going to feel blessed the godfather Kool G. Rap is back. How's a studio session with him? It's beautiful. He does a lot of recording by himself, but when we do get up, it's beautiful. It's great working with Ma Barker, his wife, as well. She holds it down too and a lot of things happen for G. Rap because of her. Have you heard G. Rap's new album? Yeah. The two producers I manage have mad shit on his album. I got one track on the album so far. I'm pretty sure I'll get more. I've just been concentrating on pushing these producers I have right now. I don't want to say I've been there and done that because I'm not a millionaire, but I've worked with a lot of people. G. Rap only fucks with heat. If you got heat, hit me up. How's Ras Kass' new music sounding? He just approached me and asked me to help on his new Institutionalized project, but I know he has a few things done already. I was actually supposed to get with him today, but we're still in the baby stages. It's not me producing it, so don't get it twisted. It's not me producing it. I'm helping him put it together. I'm trying to do more stuff like that. A lot of these labels fronted on me when I applied for these A&R jobs. I applied for a job at Atlantic. I don't want to mention any names, but they told me I was overqualified. How am I overqualified? I can see under-qualified, but how can you be overqualified? It's all good because I understand the politics of the game. So much for Atlantic Records and all their hit records. You probably wouldn't even want to be there. Obviously I probably wouldn't because they told me I was overqualified. Do you know how crazy it is to be told you're overqualified? I thought a label was finally going to give me a shot because I've always wanted to do A&R work, even if it's for an independent label I've been in the game for fifteen years. I must know something. Can you be successful as an A&R? Honestly, I'd do a better job than a lot of these motherfuckers out here. A lot of these A&R's don't know how to sign and develop acts anymore. There's more than just signing someone who's doing something. It's all about the mighty dollar, which is cool. At the end of the day, everyone wants to make money and feed their family. I know some real talented cats but they're not getting on because they're not selling records out the trunk of their car. I'm not knocking people who do that, and there should be more of that, but labels only look for if you're selling shit. Now all the talent is getting overlooked. That's why this game is so fucked up. What's the last song you've hated on the radio? I listen to 1010 News all the time. I couldn't even tell you. I don't even remember the last time I listened to the radio. I couldn't even tell you what "Laffy Taffy" sounds like. I've heard about it. Do you want me to sing it for you? That'd be some funny shit. I'd need to record that. But I can't front, there's some down south shit that's banging. The reason why they're winning is because they support each other. People in New York are more worried about who has more diamonds in their shit. I agree with Ghostface Killah 100%. Fuck New York. We're not doing shit. We were at the forefront of this shit and now we're the followers. Now everyone has to get a crunk beat. Do you, but there's no support in New York anymore. There damn sure isn't any support on Hot97. Should Ghost have gotten someone from New York on his "Back Like That" remix instead of Kanye? It's how Ghost sounds. If he did a down south track, he would still sound like Ghost. Everyone's rhyming like everyone else. 50 Cent put out mixtapes. Now, I could walk up to any artist and they're working on their mix-cd. Nobody's a leader anymore, everyone's a follower. And I'm not disgruntled at the game, so don't get it fucked up. I know I probably sound like the mad producer, but I'm not, believe me. Was the game really that much better in '94? That's a valid point and a valid argument because I'm a '90's-era producer. I don't have a problem with that. I know I came up in the '90's and the times change and music changes. I can accept change. Was it better back then? Yeah. I could listen to Rakim and Big Daddy Kane all day. I can't listen to music like that these days. Now everyone's trying to sound like Jay-Z and they lost their identity. It's crazy. The game is like a jigsaw puzzle broken into a million pieces. Do you see it getting better anytime soon? Hopefully. I have to give Premier love for what he's doing right now. Preem is doing his thing and I'm doing my thing. All the other producers I know from that "era" are still here. We're still here. A lot of these new producers need to look around and watch and learn. You can't be a producer by buying equipment. Hopefully the game gets better. What's going on with the new Big Pun album you're working on? I don't know the details yet, but I got a call telling me the Pun album was being put together and they wanted me to be a part of it. I have no idea where it's going, but I'm happy to be a part of it. There's nothing like hearing Pun again on some unreleased songs. Hopefully it will be hot. I know there's some heavy hitters on there as far as artists and producers. People would love to hear Pun one last time. How would the game be different if Pun were still alive? It would be a lot different. He was a very lyrical emcee and he put it down for the Latin people. I wish he still was alive. He was a pretty nice guy. Why haven't you done more work with Fat Joe and Remy? I really don't have an answer for that, but I have approached Joe this past year about doing some work. I sent him some beats, but I was never down with them. I got love for Armageddon, but I don't really know Tony Sunshine. I really can't explain why we haven't worked together. I guess they just went another way. I'm just going to stay doing what I do. Do you get the respect you deserve? Honestly, sometimes I feel I do, but most of the time, people really don't know what I've done. They don't know I did "Dream Shatterer" or "Homicide" for Tony Yayo. I've never cared to be honest with you. I never came into the game for fame. I came into it for the love. I just realize I have to make moves. It is what it is. All you have to do is look at the discography, the website, whatever. Then you'll recognize that this nigga had some shit. It's all good. Ain't no crybabies here, kid. What's up with the reggaeton instrumental LP you did? I did that for Avatar Records out in California. They asked me to do it, I did it, and it's out there. Whether or not it's selling, I don't know. We're in the process of getting artists to be put on the tracks. I did a joint with Capicu from the Bronx. It's not a project I'm going to be pushing and pushing, but it's out there. How do you feel about the critics who say reggaeton is bubble-gum music? What a lot of those critics don't know is that reggaeton's been around for years. It's just getting recognized now. Back in the day I worked with Daddy Yankee, Mexicano, Nicky Jam, and Maestro Guatauva. I produced for them. It's been around for ten years, but they're just getting a hold of it now. They could say whatever they want. They're going to say something about it anyway. It's a movement that corporate America is just catching on to. You have to give it its respect. I guarantee you artists will come out doing reggaeton records because they want to sell in that market. Will you be doing more reggaeton? That's not really my style. I'll leave that to the Looney Toons and Echo in Puerto Rico. I've dabbled in it, but it's not my forte. I've got a team, 210 Inc, which is my man Ricky Peso and Beatqueen. That's my reggaeton team. I have that if I need it, but I'm hip-hop, dog. What's next for Domingo? Definitely look for the G. Rap stuff and the Ras Kass stuff. I'm looking to blow up a few producers. I'm working on managing these producers and doing me. What do you want to say to everyone? Fuck you! Nah, thank you to everyone who supported me and to everyone who hits me up on MySpace. I never knew I had so many supporters. I'm not even going to mention names, thank you to everyone who always supported me, especially you for always checking in with me and seeing what's good. If anyone wants to get at Kool G. Rap for beats, you can hit me up.

By Brian Kayser

[19] REACT TO THIS INTERVIEW