Do What I Want
Twenty years into his profession, DJ Drama retains his beloved mixtape sequence Gangsta Grillz alive as one among hip-hop’s nice cross-generational creators.
Interview: Peter A. Berry
Editor’s Note: This story seems within the Spring 2023 challenge of XXL Magazine, on stands now.
It’s onerous to pinpoint an all-encompassing snapshot of mixtape tradition, however a pile of outdated Gangsta Grillz CDs is fairly shut. Since creating the franchise on the daybreak of the weblog period, DJ Drama’s carved a legacy as rap’s final hype man, teaming up with a few of hip-hop’s greatest names to raise road albums to an artwork type.
Raised in Philadelphia, Drama, born Tyree Simmons, was impressed to change into a DJ after watching Omar Epps play a teen DJ in Ernest Dickerson’s 1992 movie, the cult traditional Juice. After studying methods to work turntables as a youth, Drama left Philly to attend Clark Atlanta University, the place he met eventual longtime enterprise associate Don Cannon. In 1998, Drama launched Jim Crow Laws, a debut mixtape that started the trek that took him to stardom.
By the mid-2000s, Drama had change into a proverbial family identify for road rap, with artists like T.I., Jeezy and Lil Wayne teaming up with him for numerous tasks. Drama’s hoarse, guttural shouts, knack for ingenious one-liners and penchant for collaborating with artists getting ready to superstardom helped crystallize his standing as a hip-hop icon. In 2013, he took his skills in a brand new course, founding the document label Generation Now alongside Don Cannon and Leighton “Lake” Morrison. Since then, the label’s signed multiplatinum-promoting artists Lil Uzi Vert and Jack Harlow, certifying itself as an trade powerhouse.
Drama has been in exec mode, however that hasn’t stopped his DJ grind. Dating again to 2021, he’s hosted tasks by Jim Jones, Symba, Dreamville and, most prominently, Tyler, The Creator. During his profession, Drama has had his ups and downs—in 2007, he and Cannon have been arrested in Atlanta and hit with RICO expenses for promoting copyrighted supplies—however the DJ has managed to make his profession a continuous acclivity, one culminating with the second Tyler, The Creator’s Call Me If You Get Lost LP received the Gramophone for Best Rap Album in 2022.
During the April launch week for his new album, I’m Really Like That, Drama, 45, speaks inside his room at New York City’s Times Square Edition lodge in Midtown Manhattan. The Grammy-winning artist discusses his legacy, useless rapper dream collaborations, Generation Now and extra.
XXL: I’m Really Like That is out now. Why launch a brand new album at this level in your profession?
DJ Drama: I really began engaged on that album someday after Covid, you realize, loosely. Generation Now, the corporate, as a workers, we have been simply laying out our tasks and my album was one among them. And we began to slowly work on songs. And simply within the final like, I don’t know, perhaps six, seven, eight months, as a number of issues have been revving up. I used to be at a degree in my profession the place I felt energized. I began to essentially put my all into it, and started to essentially dive in, and finishing the undertaking and actually feeling like now is a superb time to place a undertaking down.
You’ve launched a number of nice tasks over time. What is it to you that makes a traditional mixtape?
That’s an ideal query. Obviously, an artist that makes nice music, sequencing is essential, what individuals hear on the very high could be very key. Just the sequencing and the circulate of the mixtape. When it involves, to me, like what I lend to it with my persona and my speak recreation and how I strategy the document. The inventive issues that I say, the bells and the whistles. The Gangsta Grill drops, the sound results, in addition to simply little methods of the trades of perhaps working a document again and giving it some vitality and creating that pleasure.
I all the time examine it to love being a chef. People convey me their turkey at Thanksgiving, and it’s their turkey, however I take advantage of my oven and my seasonings. I do know precisely the diploma to cook dinner it on, 425. And after I current it, it’s essentially the most scrumptious turkey you’ve ever tasted in your life.
You’ve been on the pure DJ aspect and the trade government aspect. What’s been harder: increase a mixtape sequence or a document label?
It’s onerous to check as a result of there isn’t a Generation Now if there’s no Gangsta Grillz. So, simply even whenever you requested that query, it made me reminisce concerning the days actually of me sitting in my one-room duplex, placing CDs within the circumstances and placing the covers in there, closing it, doing one other one, closing it. It’s insane. To that diploma, to love the place I’m now, the place it’s now I’ve a full facility compound in Atlanta, a workers of 30. A totally practical label.
So, they each have been advanced in their very own methods, however one led to a different and, clearly coping with artists and different personalities is a posh factor as a result of I can’t simply go off my very own schedule or my very own emotions or after I’m able to get to work. I’m coping with different individuals, and I’m invested of their lives, and their lives are invested inside me. So, their success is my success in a way.
None of it’s straightforward. Putting collectively an album, making a profitable artist. I wish to assume that we might make it look straightforward due to the successes, nevertheless it’s a number of onerous work and it’s a number of dedication. It’s a number of identical to 25/8 days, 25 hours, eight days of labor and grinding it out. Thankfully, the payoff has been fairly nicely in my state of affairs or in our state of affairs.
Another factor that comes together with working a document label or any firm is giving steerage to and simply tapping in with the artists in your roster. Lil Uzi Vert has mentioned he’s gotten sober, and he recorded The Pink Tape whereas sober. What are your ideas on that? Did you will have any conversations with him about it?
We did have some conversations about that. Me, Cannon, Lake and Vert, about that private journey. Obviously, it’s not one thing outta respect for him I’d wish to share the perception on how he feels or what it was like for him, however I wouldn’t be shocked if it’s one thing that he touches on on the undertaking.
I’m tremendous pleased with him and I’m positive that for him, having the ability to strategy the music from that facet was eye-opening and one thing completely different, one thing {that a} mature Uzi, who’s at a unique stage in his life and his profession, is ready to accomplish.
Have you seen a change within the music?
Yeah, I seen a change. Again, Uzi is kind of secretive about his work. So, I like to go away the thriller to him and let him share it with the world. But, from what I’ve heard, I’d attest to that.
On the topic of Generation Now artists, what’s up with Jack Harlow? When is he dropping some new music?
He’s within the studio now. He’s gearing up. We’ll positively see new music from Jack this yr, for positive. [Editor’s note: Since this interview was done, Jack Harlow dropped his third album, Jackman, in April.]
Who are some up-and-coming artists you’d do a Gangsta Grillz undertaking with?
I’ve had the dialog with Stove God [Cooks]. I’d like to do a undertaking with him. I believe a GloRilla Gangsta Grillz could be fireplace. Maybe even like Ice Spice or perhaps Lady London. So many dope females on the market. Obviously, lots of people have all the time needed the EST Gee Gangsta Grillz. Don’t get me began, so many individuals. I imply, would like to do a Brent Faiyaz Gangsta Grillz. It is infinite. I believe that’s one factor that’s dope and potent about Gangsta Grillz. It’s a platform and cross-generational.
A De La Soul Gangsta Grillz tape is within the works. What’s the standing of that?
It’s not that far alongside, to be sincere. There’ve been a number of conversations, particularly between me and Pos[dnuos], one thing that we’ve talked about for the final, like two, two-and-a-half years and actually making an attempt to convey it to fruition. Pos advised me early on concerning the day once they have been bringing their catalog to streaming platforms and the plan and the purpose to, after that occurred [was to] begin engaged on the Gangsta Grillz. And clearly we misplaced [De La Soul member] Dave, nevertheless it’s one thing that we’re each nonetheless very enthusiastic about and nonetheless very gung ho on finishing.
Who are some late rappers that you’d have favored to do a Gangsta Grillz tape with?
S**t, f**king The Notorious B.I.G., Tupac. I’d’ve beloved to have gone again in with Nipsey Hussle, did one other Crenshaw. That would’ve been wonderful. Imagine Crenshaw 2. Imagine a Tupac Gangsta Grillz. ODB.
In March, it was reported that DatPiff was going to be shut down, and clearly, many Gangsta Grillz mixtapes have been streamed off the platform. Do you ever fear about your music being misplaced due to one thing like that?
I do. There’s an entire period of hip-hop that, as a result of it’s not accessible on streaming platforms, if we have been to lose a website or platform, there’s an artwork that would doubtlessly go misplaced, you realize? I believe it’s essential for us to protect that. And it’s simply even in my targets of going ahead, of making an attempt to convey a few of these tasks to streaming platforms to offer extra ears and get extra listeners to, and extra accessibility to a few of this music, that solely exists in a sure house that should you’re not conversant in, you wouldn’t even know is there.
That was an enormous worry after I heard that rumor or simply on the whole. I can take into consideration what number of tasks of mine are on the market on this planet, however not as accessible to only go on an Apple or a Spotify or a Tidal and be capable of discover. Loads of it lives on locations like DatPiff. We’re speaking a couple of good 10, 15, perhaps 20 years of music and of tasks that doubtlessly may go misplaced if we don’t protect it and don’t embrace it and give it an opportunity to dwell on. And that could be a scary thought to consider.
What are a few of the issues that you just and Generation Now have arising?
I bought a bunch of Gangsta Grillz tasks within the works. I bought some actually large ones that, you realize, goes to f**okay some s**t up. We’re engaged on a Generation Now compilation. We’re within the strategy of signing some new artists. I’ve another ventures within the works, avenues that I’m taking my model in, course by a podcast that I’m engaged on that I’m gonna formally announce very quickly. I’ve a e-book deal on the desk. Just lately, [I’ve] been entering into narration.
You’ve completed lots over time.
I believe my legacy and my accomplishments are my motivation to proceed due to so many issues that I’ve been in a position to do and simply proceed to problem myself to constantly put out new s**t. That’s the mixtape DJ in me. I’ve all the time been hooked on new s**t. Yesterday was dope, however watch what I’m about to do tomorrow.
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Check out further interviews in XXL journal’s spring 2023 challenge, together with the quilt story with Lil Durk, conversations with Key Glock, Coi Leray, Joyner Lucas, Fridayy, Lola Brooke, Luh Tyler, Destroy Lonely, Blxst, Curren$y, Finesse2tymes, Vic Mensa, Toosii and actor Tyler Lepley, plus a take a look at how famed hip-hop legal professional Bradford Cohen helps purchasers like Drake and Kodak Black beat their circumstances, veteran photographer Johnny Nuñez tells the behind-the-scenes tales of 10 of his iconic hip-hop photographs, six rappers from six completely different eras—Melle Mel, MC Shan, RZA, Lupe Fiasco, B.o.B and Cordae—talk about the change in hip-jump over 50 years and a deep dive into the town of Memphis changing into a breeding floor for brand spanking new rap expertise.
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