What made you
want to be a DJ?
Just my taste in music. I always had mad love for music. It kept me away from
getting too caught up in the streets. I was obsessed with music. I was the type
of cat the always had to have the new music first so when I hit high school,
I knew I wanted to be in the music industry somehow, someway so I was writing
rhymes and learning how to make beatz so that was the completion 2 the triangle
was the djing aspect
What was the
first song that grabbed you?
"Ladi Dadi" by Slick Rick and Doug E Fresh. That nigga Slick Rick
was just killing it on the mic!
When did you
make your first mixtape?
Like '94 it was
in high school. I had my man selling them shits but even then I knew I had the
crazy ear for music...I was killing it in school. Everyone always checked me
to hear the new shit so when the tape thing started it was crazy.
How have your
mixtapes grown from when you started?
One, a lot more
people cop them...Nah but I always had a good fan base! I mean, formula-wise,
it's still the same. I think just quality-wise, it's a lot better. I have more
top-of-the-line equipment, plus I'm a lot more selective with what gets rocked
on the CD's. If I don't like a song, I don't play it. I'm not like one of these
other DJ's who will play anything just because they have a track by a well-known
artist. I mean I deal with a lot of exclusives and rare jump-offs so I let them
rock so people could enjoy them.
How do you know
when you've made a good mixtape?
When five years
later everyone's still playing it or they talking about it is when the CD itself
is timeless...I mean a lot of my CD's last for years and years. Check your local
bootlegger they have J-Love CD's from
98...some DJ's have a CD for like week and they think they have accomplished
something just because they had an exclusive for two days in the streets before
the next 20 DJ's do the same thing bunch of corns.
What's your
favorite mixtape that you've done?
Hard to say I'm
pretty much fan of the majority of my own shit but maybe the Rakim CD or Big
Pun. It's hard though to name single one…I like the new Ol' Dirty CD's
I did too.
You do a lot
of "Best Of's," what made you want to do those?
It's like paying
hommage to artists I really respect and also keeping their names mad hot in
the streets. I won't just put one out for the sake of putting it I have to really
feel their music and respect their work as an artist.
How difficult
are those?
For me, I don't think it's too hard but I put in a lot of time and research
in trying to find a lot of rare and unreleased demos and the best songs I like
from them. Plus I definitely try and involve the artist if possible. I mean
some cats are hard to get up with sometimes due to schedules and stuff but I
try and make a classic jump-off so when you get my CD you like "damn son
know his shit and do his thing and his 'Best Of' CD is the only one I ever wanna
hear!"
What have you
been up to as far as producing lately?
I have been doing
crazy remixes and stuff like that. If I have an artist host my CD, I have him
rock over one of my beats too...I mean a lot of people don't know but I had
an album deal like in '97, '98. It was just on a bum-ass label (Old Freeze Records),
but I recorded a whole compilation LP over there with numerous artists like
Cormega, Large Professor, Brand Nubian, Kool G Rap, Inspectah Deck, Guru, Smif-n-Wessun,
Tragedy, O.C…Just off the top real quick but the label just kept putting
it on the backburner so I got fed up and was like 'fuck all this shit' and broke
out. I took all the music and contracts, and even the two-inch reels and never
looked back.
The beat you
did for Cormega on "Fallen Soldiers" was dope, how was it working
with him on his first album?
I did a few tracks
for Cormega, like five so far that hit the streets.
Dramatic Entrance, Fallen Soldiers, Love In, Love Out, Endangered Species, and
Sugar Ray and Hearns...the Fallen Soldiers jump-off was originally for my completion
LP but when then didn't happen I told him use it for his album. Cormega is my
nigga I always had mad love for him even before I knew him personally. I always
felt his music and I felt like he didn't get his due. I was one cat who always
believed in him talent-wise...I mean I basically I brought him to Landspeed
when they didn't wanna put his LP out. They was straight fronting like "he
can't sell, I'm not feeling his demos"...I basically talked Cormega into
doing it just so his music could reach the public when the whole industry was
fronting on him and even when they (Landspeed) was fronting and offering him
very little money but I was telling him let his music speak for itself and everything
else will fall into place. In time look what has happened. he is now in a very
good position for an independent artist or any artist in general. I know he
stay with money where as you see a lot of other artists fronting like they have
mad money but be broke as fuck.
Who are you
working with now?
A lot of different
people but I m focusing on doing me right now because I get tired of being around
artists who have 1000 dick riders around them all day but I have this CD I put
together with all production by myself...With a bunch of songs cats did for
me and also a handful of remixes I did. On top of which I have few on there
rhyming too which is about shock a lot of people.
What would you
rather be known for, your mixtapes or beats?
Maybe the beats.
There are too many people doing mixtapes these days. It's disgusting...Its the
wave of the internet DJ...Lil' herbs get a new song or two and all of a sudden
they're mixtape DJ's. Its pathetic. Niggas know I been doing it since '96, '97
in the streets but I cant knock everyone. I've seen a lot of cats do their thing,
but then again I seen mad cats who are straight trash.
What artists
do you look at as being a "must" for your mixtapes?
M.O.P, Rakim, Nas,
Mobb Deep, Wu-Tang, Cormega…I'm feeling Jadakiss a lot these days. I feel
cats who come with that raw Hip Hop, not this bullshit a lot of people putting
out. That's why its hard for me a lot of times…I have all the same exclusives
some of these so called top mixtape niggas have but if the song is weak its
weak. I like 50 Cent but he don't always do hot shit. Same with Nas, Jay-Z…any
artists…so if I feel the song is banging, I'm gonna rock it because the
song is banging not just because you're a name or you was trying to make a hit
record.
What young artists
have you broken?
A lot...Cormega
definitely is one. Big Pun when he first came on the Scene, I was playing Pun
shit first. Niggas at Loud used to hit me off, Beatnuts, Noreaga or CNN as a
whole…Tragdey Khadafi, Ghostface as a solo artist. I definitely contributed
to the 50 Cent rise-to-stardom. I was one of the few playing his songs in the
beginning way before the G-Unit takeover, a lot of the Wu-Tang niggas and their
offspring groups. Like I said you don't have to be a star to make it on my CD
just do some hot shit!
How do you showcase
unsigned heat and show love to those without the major connects?
If they shit is
banging (to my taste that is) its not problem. I always show love but some cats
forget they have to pay they dues. Just cause they say some slick shit don't
mean they could make a hot song or that they made one hot song I'm gonna run
and play everything they do now. It's like you have to play in the minors before
you make it to the Major Leagues.
Should DJ's
charge money to play artists?
Nah that shit is
weak but then again niggas have to make money somehow.
I don't really do that shit cause if your shit is hot I'm gonna wanna play it.
What DJ's do
you respect in the game?
Kid Capri.
What artists
are next to blow?
Game is doing his thing J-Hood got some heat. I like my nigga Killa Sha, La
the Darkman is crazy underrated. Meyhem, Raze, Sky Gray, Exquizite, even J-Love.
What's coming
up for you?
Like I said putting
this CD out to really showcase my production and the heat I have 2 offer the
game as well as letting the game hearing me on the mic a little something and
just keeping the street music on the streets not just the commercial artist
rocking. Building up artists I'm working with and just everything I have to
offer to the game.
How should artists
go about submitting material to you?
Get ready for that
J-Love "Better Your Life" CD coming real soon with 25 bangers all
produced by J-Love with tons of your favorite artists on there. Keep check the
website www.J-Loveonline.com
a redesign is in the works…and keep checking for J-Love the last man standing
doing that official shit kiko. Keep an eye for me this year I have big plans
niggas.
Shout Outs:
730 for hollering
at the kid and all my real niggas I fucks with you know who you are.
05/13 - 
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What made you
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