Recently deceased entertainment icons Don Cornelius and Whitney Houston were honored in a congressional record by a Southern California lawmaker this month.   Rep. Laura Richardson (D) of Los Angeles County commemorated the two entertainers during a congressional gathering.  The significance of her statements is that they are forever recorded in the county government’s record of proceedings.

Richardson referred to Houston as an “instant musical sensation” with an “extraordinary voice [that] touched the heart of America.”  She also recalled her own experience of viewing Cornelius’ Soul Train as a young girl and noting that it will be “remembered for its bold fashion and “revolutionary” dance moves as much as the music it showcased.”

(Photo Credit: Roy Kasten)

Local KDHX DJ Ital-K is a veteran of the reggae industry whose 30 plus years of experience has taken him around the nation.  He has had the pleasure of working with many top reggae artists including members of the Marley family.   In his first St. Louis interview Ital-K discusses reggae as a culture and how its music is related to the world we live in.

Excerpt from Interview:

A few weeks ago I met with Ital-K on a Wednesday evening at the St. Louis Bread Company located on the Delmar Loop. The sun was starting its ritual of winding down for the day as the crowd of clocked-out professionals and after-hours students quietly filled the restaurant. In this setting Ital-K (the K standing for Kevin) shared with me his roots in reggae music and what he considers to be the “musical arc of the covenant.”

Dannie Boyd: Where did everything start for you music wise?

Ital-K: Music wise (pauses). That’s a generic question. But music wise, it’s from birth. I’ve been playing music on the turntable since [I was] at least six years old. I’ve always been involved with music; it’s a part of my blood. I was born into it and I’m so blessed to have been. Here in America, [involved] 30 years professionally. I’ve worked in New York, [and] I worked in Florida for 20 years. I’ve had very, very high ratings. Number one ratings for several years. Rated number one station playing Caribbean music every night of the week over night, seven nights a week. I’ve had a lot of experience.

How did you come up with the name “Ital-K?”

Ital is a name that was blessed to me from members of my community when I was in Florida. As I am a Rastaman, there is a very popular phrase that says “Ital is vital” and that was transferred to me. The “K” represents my first name which is Kevin. Instead of saying “Ital Kevin” it’s “Ital-K” for short. Ital is a word that means natural. Nothing artificial, no preservatives. Knowing that, the music that I play and the manner that you get it in is real [and] authentic; not imitating anybody. It’s all natural. Right from the almighty Jah Rastafari.

What’s been the road for you as far as getting to where you are on KDHX and how you got your show started?

When I came to St. Louis I was always involved with volunteering. I’ve been a firm believer in volunteering since I’ve been in America. [It's] something that I’ve done for over 30 years. It’s a part of service unto the almighty. We all have to do one thing which is service to mankind and to each other. I got started on KDHX because when I came to St. Louis three years ago I looked to get involved with radio. Radio is what I’ve done for 30 years so that’s what I wanted to continue doing. Reggae music is what I’m known for professionally [and] worldwide. I came to St. Louis and saw that there was a small Caribbean community here, and there was an acceptance of the music. KDHX was the only place [as an independent radio station] in town so it’s only natural that I’m here. I’m glad to be on KDHX. There’s no station like it.

Do you have any ties or connections with the Marley family?

Yeah! My connection with the Marley family runs very, very deep. It all started before me. It’s 1979, my mentor in broadcasting Clint O’Neil. He was in Miami, Florida and was very, very, very close to Bob Marley. Clint was the only DJ besides David Rodigan in England who Bob Marley recorded jingles for. Clint has five of them. Five authentic jingles from Bob Marley, no other DJ has it. Bob and Clint were very tight. I met and started working with Clint in 1996. In that time period, for nine years, we were rated number one overnight, including all of the commercial radio stations in Miami.

Clint passed in 2004 and in that time period I was a member of the Grammys, and I attended the Grammys in 2004 when Damian Marleycreated history-winning two Grammys in one setting. I was one of the few amount of people that was there to see that. I’ve always been a fan of the Marleys. I know all of them. When Ziggy came here to St. Louis two years ago I went out to a Barnes & Noble in Chesterfield where he was promoting his new album called B is for Bob. Ziggy was playing his acoustic guitar and singing “Three Little Birds,” and as Ziggy was singing I was giving him vocal backing. As Ziggy was singing I was toasting and we were rhyming and having a great vibe. So Ital-K and the Marley connection, very, very, very firm, make no mistake.

To view the interview in its entirety visit the link below:

http://kdhx.org/blog/2011/05/13/88-1-kdhx-dj-spotlight-ital-k-of-ital-rhythms/#more-5418

(Photo Courtesy of Elasticbrand)

Audiowear is a unique creation that combines fashion and music in the form of musical jewelry.  The wearable collection of instruments is the development of Amsterdam-based designers Arjen Noordeman and Christie Wright.  The entire set consists of a horn bracelet, pan-flute collar, xylophone bracelets in five different sizes and colors, guiro (rasp), cuff with thimble in black pigmented porcelain, whistle necklace with whistles in five different sizes with each one having a different sound.  With their Audiowear collection Noordeman and Wright had musician used the jewelry pieces to record a feature-length album.

Video:

Elasticbrand – The Making of Audiowear

To read the full Audiowear story follow the link below:

http://kdhx.org/blog/2011/11/14/not-your-typical-bling-the-story-of-audiowear/#more-8441

(Photo Credit: Steve Ley)

By: Dannie Boyd

This is Part 2 of Dannie Boyd’s interview with DJ Needles. Read Part 1 here.

Dannie Boyd: If someone follows your Facebook page or any type of rhetoric that you display you can tell that you’re a socially conscious person, do you think that influences what you select or play?

Needles: Yeah, it definitely does. I can’t ignore the fact that I have opinions about certain things and I take issue with a lot of things that go on in society. I feel that I would be a hypocrite if I were to play things that I consider part of the problem. It’s fine for people who are able to not let music influence what they do, but the truth of the matter is — just like a lot of things in society — music has a big influence as well. I would rather play more progressive music than not. Not to say that I don’t play anything that people may deem negative, but the difference is that I come from a soul aspect. I definitely limit the negative stuff but I don’t believe everything should be positive.

When I say progressive I don’t necessarily mean positive, I just mean more innovative, something to stimulate. Something that people might consider [to be] a negative record could still stimulate and push you musically. But when it’s just about one specific awful aspect of human life I don’t really respond well to that. A lot of times a lot of the things people produce are solely for money, and when that’s your main driving force I can’t really relate to you. When I hear just utter ignorance over a beat it’s hard for me to get down with it. I can’t promote that because I’m the DJ. I’m basically promoting your record if I play it. I’m saying I agree with this, I’m okay with this, I’m fine with this, so I can’t do it. I’ve never been able too.

My tapes back in the day were very (pauses), I was a discriminating dude. I didn’t tape just anything off the radio. We’re talking about taping off the radio like it’s real serious. I was serious about taping stuff off the radio. I was like, “Man no, I’m not about to tape this MC Hammer song. I can’t do it.” It’s funny, I was down with MC Hammer when he first came out, then he started doing stuff like “Can’t Touch This” and “Too Legit to Quit.” I liked “Turn This Mutha Out” and “Pump it Up” and all that stuff from the first album, and then it seemed like he went and got all pop and everything, which is fine to him. But I was not with him because he was MC Hammer; I was with him when he made good music.

That’s basically how I conduct myself now. I’m not going to show any allegiance to anyone just because they’re that person. They have to prove to me that they’re worthy of my allegiance. There are some artists that you can basically just expect good things from, like Mos Def. He might miss a couple of times with the beats he picks but he’s never going to be a disrespectful dude on his records. And even if he does put out something that’s really gritty, it’s a story, and more times than not it’s a cautionary tale. The current rap guys that talk about drug selling and all this stuff, it’s not cautionary; it’s just them talking about it. It used to be cautionary. It used to be, “Yeah we’re talking about this but understand that we’re not down with drug dealers like that, we’re not down with selling to kids.” It’s just gotten to a point where that’s the state of hip hop specifically. That’s the state we’re in with a lot of the mainstream hip hop.

It’s obvious that you have the mainstream hip hop that sells out and then you have a lot of artists that will start out with a great career and then slowly kind of drift away. Do you feel the same thing can happen with DJs?

Yeah! I do. I do. I’m fearful. I’m definitely fearful, but I don’t want to think about it too much (pauses). I don’t know if I’m fearful, I’m aware. I’m aware of that possibility, but (pauses). I don’t think it’s going to happen if you just keep being true to what it is that you do. If you keep trying to jump on different bandwagons that’s going to translate to the audience that you really have no identity to yourself. You’re trying to hang on for dear life, and that’s kind of weak. If you have a platform, your own identity, for what it is that you do, you really don’t have any reason to fear falling off or drifting away. And if the crowd gets smaller, that’s not cool, but at least you still have a crowd. You’ll still have a crowd, that’s the main thing. You’ll still have a crowd whether it’s 30 people coming out as opposed to when it was like maybe 300 people coming out, but you still have that 30 people that still understand what it is that you’re doing and they still appreciate what it is you’re doing. In my opinion, I don’t need that 270 people that left so quickly. It’s like, “You guys never knew me. You never knew what I was doing, obviously, so later for you.” I’m glad you’re gone so then I can focus in on the 30 people that actually want what it is I’m putting through.

How would you describe the Needles identity?

Um (pauses). Basically progressive soul music. As far as the DJing is concerned, progressive soul music. Definitely I’m concerned with having people dance and wild out and everything, but I also want to be able to play different things and not get stuck with just one type of element. I want the audience to understand that they can dance to different things, they can just let go, they can have fun. That’s what it’s all about, just positive fun. Really, it’s kind of like fellowship, fellowship in music. I just want a lot of music lovers to understand that DJs like myself, and definitely the DJs in my crew, the Soulition, that’s our goal. Our goal is to just fellowship through music. Good music. We want that feel good crowd.

As far as DJ and audio equipment is concerned, do you have a preference for what equipment you use?

(pauses) Yeah. As far as turntables are concerned I’m definitely a Technics 1200 dude. Real sad that they’re not making them anymore. But I’m glad I got mine (laughs). I actually got two sets, so I’m really happy about that. As far as mixers, I was definitely a big Vestax guy. They’re still good, but right now I’m using a Behringer, which is basically a want-to-be Pioneer. Sort of (laughs). Not a want-to-be, but it’s a more affordable model than the actual Pioneer. They’re basically similar. They’re big, but it doesn’t have to be that big, I just want the effects that it provides. It’s more of a futuristic type of a thing when you’re mixing. You’re able to echo things out and distort the noises and things like that. Just another element that you can add to your set.

Needles, I like Shure needles. Stanton is pretty good. Headphones, I was using Technics headphones for the longest, but then my girlfriend bought me the Beats [headphones] by Dr. Dre, which are great, obviously. I’m very thankful for those. I’m real simple. I’m real simple, even with Serato on the laptop I use. I have a Mac but I really don’t need it. I don’t need it to be a Mac. When I was laptop shopping I was looking for just a laptop, period, that I could afford. I’m thinking, “I guess if I want to afford one I’m just going to go ahead and get a PC, like maybe a Dell or something.” Then I see these prices and they’re like 500 or 600 dollars. Then I go over to the Mac area and this one is like 700 something. So I’m like if I’m going to get a laptop and pay 500 or 600 dollars I might as well just get a Mac for a little extra. So I just went ahead and did that and it works well.
Do you use all vinyl or do you mix in some digital tracks from your Mac?

Yeah. I mix in; I play vinyl (pauses). I’m analog and digital. That’s what I do. I definitely keep a few cases with me of vinyl. For the most part it’s mostly digital because a lot of stuff that I play I don’t have on vinyl. I can’t find a lot of new stuff on vinyl. I’ve been through the whole transition. I’ve been able to find a lot of the stuff, house wise, on vinyl and get a lot of stuff I initially had on MP3. The vinyl collection is still growing, even with the digital age in full motion. It’s a good mixture.

How would you feel about going all digital, using the digital turn table and the whole setup?

I wouldn’t do that. I mean, you’re talking about digital turntable on your computer?

Yeah. With software.

Without any actual turntables?

Yes. Like if you go to the Guitar Center and they have a display which is basically just a metal turntable and it gives you the impression that they’re vinyl but it’s really just for display, and everything is done by software.

No, I wouldn’t do that. Me personally (pauses). For one, my name is Needles so I have to have a tone arm and I got to have a needle on the vinyl. That’s why I like Serato so much, and programs like Serato. Even though you’re playing, not the actual record, you’re still playing vinyl and you still have that feel, and you still are able to cut and scratch and everything. What it does is, to me, it preserves your vinyl. When you don’t have to use your vinyl every single time you’re preserving your collection. You’re not playing it so much to where it develops scratches or wear and tear and everything. I definitely appreciate that aspect. With Serato and different programs similar to Serato it still allows you to play vinyl, specially made pieces of vinyl that reads the MP3s, but it’s still the actual act of DJing with vinyl and a needle. That’s why I really never went to the CDJs. These days I don’t really have to much of a problem with them. I would use them if that was all that was provided. I would probably get me a set for events that really don’t require vinyl. Like if I’m DJing for a certain crowd and they don’t really care about vinyl, they just want me to play a party, then I’ll definitely use things like CDJs and just my Serato and laptop and not bring any vinyl or anything. Too me, that’s what it’s really for, for me. Those gigs where you’re not going to have that crowd that really cares whether or not you’re going to have vinyl at all.

When I’m playing for a true soul crowd, a crowd that really appreciates the art of DJing, and that includes seeing a DJ digging through his crates and everything, that’s what I bring all [of it] for. It’s a godsend for me because when you travel and everything you don’t want to have to worry about bringing tons of your records. It cuts all of that out. You don’t have to worry about your records getting lost in different airports and all that stuff. I mean, that’s your vinyl collection. A lot of times people spend years looking for these records, and things like that really happen, stuff gets lost. Stuff gets stolen. With MP3s you can get it again like that (snaps fingers). You can get it again like that. If somebody deletes it you can still get it again.

What are some of the most memorable moments of your career?

Wow! (pauses). Definitely the first time I spun in front of people, like a real hip-hop crowd, that was back in ’98, ’97 or ’98 at the Red Sea. Rich Moneyput me on. He was the first guy to let me play. A lot of the opening sets I did for a lot of these bands and groups. The Roots, I opened for them at the Pageant. I opened for Common twice. Was it A Tribe Called Quest? (pauses) I believe so; I opened for them as well. A lot of good times at the Pageant. A lot of different private parties have been fun too. I can’t really go into any specifics because there have been so many. Many of them have been some of the best sets because when people hire you specifically to do their party most times they know who you are and they know what you bring, and they want that. It’s always good to have that.

When you’re not DJing what can you be found doing?

Graphic design. Graphic design, all day. And running my blog siteGhettoblastic.com. Just uploading different music videos and things like that. But definitely graphic design. That’s one of my passions. From the illustration I transitioned to graphic design. I still illustrate. I have sketchbooks all over the place. I definitely spend a lot of time with Photoshop just making different CD covers, flyers, posters, things of that nature, and business cards. And watching TV (laughs).

Are there any specific projects that you have going on right now?

I have a few monthlies that I do. A first Saturday of the month at theDelmar Lounge. Second Saturday I do at Lola downtown. Then I do a Thursday monthly at EXO. It’s just to kind of spread things out. I don’t really do a lot of weeklies because many times people really can’t commit to a weekly outing. It used to be good back in the day. My crowd, they’ve grown a little bit. A lot of people who come out to what I do are not really weekly people. They might be for general stuff, but for a specific style that isn’t general it’s hard to do a weekly for and get those numbers. Unless you’re a music mecca like Chicago or New York, or Philadelphia, I would say Atlanta or LA. Unless you’re cities like that it’s kind of hard to have those types of nights be successful in a city that doesn’t really promote a lot of that to begin with. You definitely got to treat every event like an “event,” like, “You have to come out because it’s only a once a month thing. Let’s come together. I’m not asking you to come every week (laughs). It’s just a monthly thing.”

I try to keep them a bit different. The first Saturday of the month, that’s called “Must Love Hip Hop.” That’s a strictly hip-hop set. I did that because I wanted to have something where a lot of the poorer [long-time] supporters that just knew me as a hip-hop DJ, because that’s what I was basically, just a hip-hop DJ. I was just playing old school classics and newer current, mostly underground hip hop earlier on and I kind of ventured out. I kept playing that, but I ventured out, started playing a lot of different genres of music at my events. That’s basically what I do now. It’s not just hip hop, it includes so many different things.

But a lot of people just want a straight-up hip-hop night, and I understand that, and I was just wanting to do something to do just that. So I was able to get a night over at the Delmar for that. Now the second Saturday is more funk and soul based. It’s called “Funkin Right.” I play a lot of deep funk and rare groove. I mix house and Latin and I still keep hip hop in the mix and everything, and dance hall here and there. But for the most part it’s real eclectic but it’s up-tempo. I keep it very up-tempo, very danceable. I usually have a percussionist to assist me. This comes from being influenced by my friends Enoch and Will Power, and seeing people like Rich Medina spin in Brooklyn a few years back. Also, really embracing this cultural type of flavor and making it work and tying to show people a different way to party because it can be done and should be done. It keeps you grounded to something we are kind of disconnected from. The same thing goes for the thing I do at EXO on a Thursday. I don’t have any musicians with me yet, but it’s more, I would say low key and not as in your face. But it’s definitely on a nice tempo. I play a lot of mellow soul, a lot of mellow new soul, jazzier music. But like I said it’s still all danceable, up-tempo stuff.

Do you feel that’ there’s any difference between listeners in St. Louis versus listeners, in say New York since that’s basically the hip-hop city?

What I think is, it’s just a matter of numbers. There’s just more there. There’s people here. I don’t think there’s a difference; it’s just a difference in numbers. It’s not a difference in people. We have the same fine-tuned ear here that you’ll find anywhere else, but it seems as if there are fewer here. Places like New York, and basically all the points that are on the edge of the country, that seems to be the place where there’s kind of a pull [pulling away] of people from places like here. A pull of those specific people and it’s a few. It’s always a few out of so many in places like St. Louis. There are a few us that venture out, that know that we’re not going to get what we want in abundance here. We might get it here and there, but if we want to be among other people that get it and celebrate it to the fullest we have to go elsewhere many times to experience that.

So that’s what you find a lot of times when you go to places like I mentioned. Most of them aren’t from there. A lot of people are from Indiana, Ohio, Missouri, Illinois, Idaho and Oklahoma. They’re from the middle, those were the few people. There’s always going to be a few of us born in the middle of the country that just kind of get it. We kind of understand. We look at things differently. We hear things differently and we want more of it. We want to meet other people that hear it the way we do and we want to celebrate it with them. When it’s not a whole lot of outlet in the places that we’re born in you got to go and seek.

How do you market yourself?

Heavily (laughs). Market as in promote?

Yeah, promote your services.

I’m definitely on Facebook. I rarely do Twitter just because I haven’t gotten swallowed up [by it] yet. I admit I’ve gotten swallowed up by Facebook. I’m on Twitter but I haven’t done a lot of promotion on Twitter. And believe me, I’m on these social networks, honestly, because I’m a DJ and that’s where everybody else is. So if I want to reach the people who I’m trying to reach I need to be where they are. I put up event pages almost every week. I still print out posters, print out flyers, hand them out and leave them different places. I put up the posters and everything. I send out texts here and there. Now I’m getting into video marketing. I don’t have the big, fancy video-making programs. I’m actually working with [Windows] Moviemaker (laughs), but I’m able to get the job done. I’ll probably be doing more of that for my events as well. Put it up on YouTube just to garner more attention and more interest in what I’m trying to put through.

Do you feel a DJ could make and produce a music video, similar to how recording artists do, that could be featured on MTV, BET, or YouTube and everything?

A DJ? Like direct and everything?

Yes.

Yeah. I think so. I don’t see why not. I mean, definitely now with technology. You don’t even need a production crew. That’s bad to say because it puts a lot of people out of work, but when you don’t have the money to begin with they weren’t going to work anyway. If you can do it by yourself all you need to do is, you got to spend some money for it, get that5D Canon that shoots video and do it yourself. You can shoot your own video, and edit it. They make it so easy now, and you just put it out. Now to get it on MTV, I don’t know how easy that is, but I’ve seen a lot of up and coming independent artists get on MTV-Jams and things like that without the big budgets or anything. I think things are definitely coming back to where they need to, where you don’t need the help of these big major labels to put your music out. I’m definitely just talking about quality music. We all know it’s still easy to put out trash and garbage, but when we’re talking about quality artists I’m glad for that. I’m not glad for how easy it is to put out the garbage (laughs).

What are some of the artists that you listen to?

New or Old?

Either, or.

Let’s see (pauses). I listen to Fela Kuti, I listen to Eric Roberson, Erykah Badu, Brittany Bosco, Bob Marley, Stevie Wonder, James Brown, Mos Def, J Dilla, Janelle Monae. A lot of different artists. I’m trying to think (pauses). Queens of the Stone Age, a lot of people.

Do you download music form iTunes or any kind of online venue?

A lot of stuff I’m able to find on different websites, and I share on my blog as well. I try to buy actual CDs and albums when they’re available. Like I said, a lot of stuff isn’t available. I’ve been trying to find Foreign Exchangeon vinyl for the longest, and I was finally able to get the first album on vinyl, but I’m still trying to find some more.

Where do you usually go to look for vinyl?

Where did I get that? [The Foreign Exchange record] I think I got that from Vintage Vinyl. Yeah, I got that from Vintage Vinyl. I still shop there. I shop at Record Exchange, Euclid Records, and a few other vinyl shops in St. Louis. I know there’s one on Cherokee but I don’t know the name of it [Phono-Mode], on the southside. And they’re online. There’s tons on places that still sell vinyl online. I go to Discogs, Juno Records, Dusty Groove,Turntable Lab.

Where do you see yourself long-term when everything is all said and done?

Well, like I said, I don’t plan for anything so I don’t have any plans right now. I don’t know. All said and done like I’m done DJing? I don’t know if that’s going to happen (laughs). I might be in a rest home playing records for the old women. I don’t know, I definitely see myself married with kids, sooner than later. Teaching my kids about music, hoping they go the right way (laughs). You can only do so much. That’s kind of the goal, get someplace settled to where you can continue doing what it is you love but get started on the next generation.

Reposted from kdhx.org

http://kdhx.org/blog/2011/03/16/88-1-kdhx-dj-spotlight-dj-needles-of-rawthentic-part-2/

(Photo Credit: Steven Ley)

By: Dannie Boyd

“My name is Needles…I got to have a needle on the vinyl.”

Nappy DJ Needles is known across the St. Louis hip hop and soul scene for his turntable tactics and fresh groove for every occasion. Needles describes his comical yet interesting story of how he came up with the name Needles. “I wanted to make people understand that when they hear ‘Needles’ they know that they’re going to get somebody who’s playing records with an actual needle to the record,” he says.

This past month I had the opportunity to sit down with Needles (government-appointed name James Gates) at the all-too-familiar St. Louis Bread Company on the Delmar Loop during the noon rush. As a laid-back and easy-going person, Needles told me all about how he got his start, his name and enough background information to write a book in this detail-packed, one-of-a-kind interview. Below is Part 1 of the interview. Come back tomorrow for Part 2.

Dannie Boyd: Where did everything start for you music wise?

Needles: Well, my father is a well-known DJ in St. Louis and other parts of the country so we always had records and all that stuff. We had tons of records in the house, so music was kind of in my life at birth. Growing up I never had a desire to become a DJ though. I always loved music but that was not my initial path. I’m a cartoonist. I draw, I illustrate, I do all of that stuff. I’ve been drawing since I was 2, so I was going towards that through pretty much the whole school experience all the way up to high school in ’94 when I graduated.

That fall in ’94 is when I did my first party. That came about from my brother’s friend who needed somebody to do some music for her birthday party. He knew I had tons of tapes I made off the radio and I had a couple of CDs. I didn’t have any money back then so I didn’t really buy CDs. I had tapes, cassette singles, things like that. He just knew I had all this music so he kind of suggested me to do the party. I didn’t know how I was going to do it. I immediately thought, “I’m not about to just press play and let the whole tape just play.” I guess I kind of just had that instinct to figure out how I’m going to DJ a party with tapes and cater to that party. I quickly figured out, “Okay, I need a main radio.” I didn’t have any type of system or anything; this is early, early days. My sister had a boom box, and it had dual cassettes, so I had that. And it had the turbo bass and all that stuff. I knew that would carry because it was just a basement party. Then I had the smaller radio that I would use to cue up the different songs on my tapes. While the main song was playing I would be busy finding another song, rewinding and fast-forwarding and cueing up the next song. So that’s how I did that. And when I did that something kind of bit me. I got bit by the bug, basically, and the feeling never left. I was just like, man this is awesome! I’m doing my personal picks and people are really responding off of it and I’m responsible for a good portion of the good time that’s being had. So that’s kind of how it started.

When did you put together your first mixtape that you released as a DJ? How did that process go?

Aw man. It was ’98, after tons of practicing. What happened was, from that first birthday party in ’94, I guess word got around that I was cheap (laughs) and I was doing parties just like that. Tapes, a few CDs, but mostly tapes. I would do mini-jams, is what they would kind of be referred to as in high school, in between the years of ’94 and like ’96 or so, ’97, and [I would] get the birthday parties. But then, in the back of my mind I was like, if I want to keep doing this I’m eventually going to get called out by some kid looking at me and how I’m doing it and being like (laughs), “You don’t even have any records. You don’t have a turntable or a mixer; you’re not a real DJ!” And I would not consider myself a DJ [back then]. I didn’t have a name or anything. I was just playing music. But I always wanted to make sure, before that happened, I was skilled in the actual craft.

In ’97 I got a job at Vintage Vinyl. So many records were coming in because around that time, late ’90s, the CDJs [CD decks] were coming in, the CD turntables were coming in, and a lot of DJs were transitioning from vinyl to just CDs and they were selling their vinyl back; a lot of classic pieces that I’ve never seen before. [When] I got the job at Vintage Vinyl, I was able to buy all this stuff half price, and I got all these records. Basically, I took ’97, almost a whole year, just to teach myself how to mix. I was able to come up on this busted mixer that my mom got me. I had two different turntables. They weren’t even real standard DJ turntables; they were like record players. The ones that come with the floor-model stereos. I had one of those, and then I had one that this guy came in Vintage Vinyl to sell. He sold it for like 25 bucks. It was an old Technics turntable. It wasn’t the 1200s, but it was old. And I sort of taught myself how to mix then. I was out a lot and observed a lot of DJs.

So around ’98 I was like “I want to release something.” I was practicing, I was taping what I was practicing, I was mixing and stuff and I was like, “I think I’m ready to release something” because it [mixtape making] was really big in The Loop and St. Louis in general; a lot of mixtapes. So I put it together. A lot of underground, current, hip-hop fellows out at the time. It kind of went real well. A lot of people responded to it. I sold it for 5 bucks. It was in a cassette case like Maxell [brand cassettes]. I did my own graphics like how I do today still, but it was very primitive back then. I cut my picture out, pasted it and copied it (laughs) and put text on it from another cutout. But it was real cool. It was called ’98 Fresh Mixtape. It had a lot of Pete Rock, Black Star, Lauryn Hill. I think I put “Lost Ones” on there. It was real nice, and like I said, people responded to it well, and that was kind of the start. That was the beginning of the mixtape series for me.
When did you actually develop the name DJ Needles, or Nappy Needles, and consider yourself a real DJ doing shows and things of that nature?

Well, I would say kind of before I got established. And really, before I got out and played my first set. I was thinking to myself, “What might be a cool DJ name?” and I landed on Needles. It was so silly because I remembered the movie Dick Tracy and all of their nicknames were cool to me. I liked all their nicknames; they kind of matched them and everything. I could have sworn that there was a guy, a villain, on the movie named “Needles” and I was like, “That’s cool. It’s been used in the movie so why can’t I just use it as a DJ name?”

I wanted to make people understand that when they hear “Needles” they know that they’re going to get somebody who’s playing records with an actual needle to the record and everything and they’re not getting CDs. So I picked Needles believing that this name had also been used in Dick Tracy. Come to find out later, I was thinking of “Mumbles.” The guy’s name was Mumbles (laughs) and I was wrong. Dude was mumbling and for some reason I thought they called him Needles because, I don’t know, maybe his mouth. I have no idea why I thought they would call him Needles. Anyway, it stuck. A lot of people just gravitated toward it. To this day It’s weird, a lot of people that knew me as James, my real name long before DJing, they now call me Needles. I don’t know if I dig that too much (laughs). I’m talking family members too. It’s not cool (laughs). It’s all good. But yeah, that’s basically how it happened, a silly little story. I think I was actually on the Metrolink when I came up with the name Needles. I was riding somewhere and was like hmm (hums), what about Needles? Okay.

How did you get into production and making your own music?

That came from the influence of my little brother Barry. He was heavy into computers, also into programs. Initially around, I would say, ’99 or 2000 or so. I was beginning to notice all of this stuff that I was hearing from him back in our den. That’s where I kind of setup a makeshift studio. I put my turntables back there. My mom let me setup and everything. My father’s records had formerly been in there and I kind of started to take over with my record collection and things like that. But I was hearing a lot of house tracks and techno-style tracks and everything coming from there [the den]. I’m thinking he’s playing records because he was also a house and techno DJ, but come to find out this is his original music. It was that good to where I thought he was playing established records. So I’m like, “Wait a minute! How are you doing this?” I was really curious. “How are you making your own music?” I was ignorant to the whole computer wave that was really beginning to take off at that time, so he just explained it was a computer program. He taught me a few computer programs as far as making music and recording music. I was hip-hop mode back then, so I was like I’m going to take this and I’m going to start making hip-hop beats and I’m going to see what I can do.

There was a lot of music made by older artist that I heard. I heard a few songs here and there and I was like, “Man that would probably make a good sample you know.” And I never knew what I was going to do with that. I kind of just made a mental note that if I ever was in the position to make my own beats I was going to try to use this stuff. That’s basically how I did it. Around 2001 is when I first started making beats. Like I said, my brother walked me through it. He taught me how to use the programs. Until this day I still ask him for help and everything. But that’s how it started. Real humble man, just like “I can actually make beats!” It wasn’t traditional hip-hop style because I didn’t have an SP [sampler]; I didn’t have an MPC [sampler] or anything. This is all on the computer. I still plan on learning how to use those different traditional production styles and everything, but for right now I stick with the programs I was taught. It’s been working out.

Have you had a chance to work with any artists, as far as providing them with the tracks or working with them musically?

Yeah. A lot of people here in St. Louis. Jada Avenue, Black Spade, Tef Poe,Karim, Got to be Karim. A lot of people that basically are my friends. There have been a few outside St. Louis, Eric Roberson. You know, very few. I’m definitely not out on the map so-to-speak in that sense. Who else? Indiana Rome, he has recorded over my tracks. Definitely a lot of local, just immensely talented artist here in St. Louis.

What’s been the biggest obstacle for you so far?

As a DJ?

As a DJ or music wise.

I would say, the biggest obstacle is to keep (pauses). It’s hard to say (pauses). Exposure. Trying to get different people to get where I’m coming from and to try and let go of preconceived notions of what a DJ, specifically a black DJ, should play. That’s definitely a hard thing to get over. A lot of crowds see you and they expect you to play certain music and stay with that, and that’s just not the case with a lot of DJs. Definitely not a lot of DJs that I run with. We’re all individually specific. We kind of try to bring forth the same type of attitude toward what we do as an artist because we are all artists. I would say an artist that people actually consider an artist because a lot of people don’t consider DJs artists. We bring that attitude that an artist — a band or whoever else performs — performance-wise brings to their performance. We want people to understand that when you come to see a specific DJ. Not all DJs because a lot of DJs are just general DJs. They’ll play whatever a crowd wants to hear. But when you’re dealing with people that have specific flavors then you got to get to know them and kind of get to understand them just as much as you would get to know some new rapper, some new singer, some new musician and decide whether or not they’re for you or not. That’s the type of style that me and a lot of other DJs here in town and around the world are trying to get through to people. You can’t really paint all DJs with the same brush. We’re trying to provide a service as well as good significant art through music.

I know you’re classified as a hip hop/soul/afro-beat DJ but do you incorporate other genres of music into your rotation?

Yeah. Definitely. A lot of Latin, Latin funk, house, soul house, dance hall, definitely a lot of dance hall. As well as a lot of the old-school R&B which comes from soul but really isn’t soul music. I include that. Pop and rock music I incorporate. And all of these genres a lot of people might not get it, or they might think that it’s like (pauses). Like, if I play rock music a lot of people might think that I might be playing that as if I have an obligation to certain people that may be in the venue. It’s really because I like it. I only play stuff that I like, you know. That’s basically it. If you hear me play it, I like it, and I want you to hear it, and hopefully you’ll dance to it. A lot of this stuff, a lot of the pop music, a lot of rock music, definitely from the ’80s and a lot of it from the ’90s I dug. I didn’t just listen to hip hop. That’s my core but I definitely branched off.

That’s the good thing about true hip-hop music. It actually teaches a lot of people about different genres of music in and of itself. Mainly by samples, and many times by the rappers referring to different lines out of different songs. Like Method Man on “How High.” He starts off, “Excuse me while I kiss the sky.” Before I heard that song I was familiar with Jimi Hendrix, but I didn’t really realize that that [line] was it [his]. That kind of keeps the connection when people give a nod to the older artists. It’s a bug out when you actually discover, “Wow he was quoting Jimi Hendrix.” Even though I don’t like this song very much, the Wyclef, not the Wyclef song, but Pras did a song with ODB and Maya [titled] “Ghetto Superstar.” That was a whole Kenny Rogers song that was sampled, an old country song. It’s a really exciting genre that opens you up to different genres that you might not have so quickly been drawn too.

How closely related is your personal musical collection to what you actually play?

Very close. Quite close actually. You’re bound to hear a good, I would say, 60 percent of my actual music collection when I play. I try to cover a lot of ground without spreading myself to thin. I try to keep it all coherent and mixed well. I try to keep transitions going. It’s funny, most of the things that I play, most of my sets, are just flooded with inside jokes. Not jokes but inside connections that people really have to listen to. It’s fine if people don’t get it, but I get it. If I’m playing this song and I try to mix this other song in with that one there’s usually a connection. This song might have sampled the next song I’m playing. A lot of times I do mini best-of sets. It’s not just limited to people who died or anything. It’s just that I might play, like, a lot of Outkast. Like three or four songs in a row just to get people excited like, “Aw man, this is all Outkast right now. I’m very happy about that!” That’s kind of what I try to keep. I try to keep it fun and keep it going to one direction musically.

How has your experience been with Rawthentic on KDHX?

Great! Honestly, that was one of my big goals, to get a show on KDHX. Back when I was coming up through the ranks and everything I’d always listen to KDHX, particularly to “Street Vibes” and “The Underworld,” Doug Morgan’s show which is now “The Record Sto’.” I’ve been listening to those cats since, I would say, ’89, ’90 something like that. I was a big fan of all of them. I listened to different shows from time to time. I finally got to meet DJ Alejan and I got to meet G-Wiz, and Doug. I worked with Doug at Vintage Vinyl and it was just really amazing to be among him and working beside him.

Now I have my own show. I definitely credit it to G-Wiz because he was the one that brought me into 88 [88.1 KDHX] in ’06. I’d gotten at him I think a couple of years prior and I suggested that we do a show together if he could make it happen, and he was down with it. He said “Let me take care of it, let me handle it, let me see if I can get it” and 2 years later, because the waiting period is so long and I understand that, he comes back leading up to ’06 — he’s like, “It’s looking good. We got to fill this out, fill that out” and in ’06 we made it happen. We were able to get a show on Monday night at 8 p.m. That’s like prime time, and I loved it. Then they did the whole switch around and changed up and Wiz couldn’t really do Friday so they gave me my solo show on Friday, and now I’m on Wednesdays. It’s just a great experience. I know I’m definitely reaching my core group of people that quote unquote “get it.” There’s no wondering. When you’re on 88.1 it’s safe to say that the majority of the audience tunes in for a specific reason, and that’s to get something that they’re not getting anywhere else on the radio. That definitely makes me feel good that I’m a part of this type of organization.

What goals do you have for 2011? Where do you see yourself by the end of the year?

Well (pauses). I’m not one for making plans (laughs). I never really made plans before. I’m not planning anything, but I definitely hope to get more global actually. Definitely more national. At the end of the day, global. I want to travel and perform in different parts of the country, and different parts of the world as well. That’s definitely the ultimate goal, just to keep going.

Do you see yourself staying in St. Louis and branching out in the city or would you consider moving to another city?

Yeah. I don’t rule anything out. If I stay I definitely want to be the kind of performer where I’m able to travel wherever to perform and just come and rest back here, and still do my events here as well. I don’t necessarily have to move away to do that. I do plan on spending some time on the east coast. If not there then definitely Chicago to get exposed to more music, different styles, and to make more connections. Whether or not that lasts a long period of time or if that’s just a short month or so, it really doesn’t matter. The main focus is to just to keep providing a good performance, good sets with a plethora of music that basically just evokes good feelings. That’s about it.

Have you had a chance to do any gigs outside the city or work with anybody in other cities?

Yeah. I’ve been fortunate to play in Atlanta and down in Miami. Miami Beach I mean (pauses). Or maybe it was South Beach, I’m not sure. It was at this convention in Florida. Texas and Brooklyn, New York with my man DJ Center. I really want to go out to L.A. and see what that’s all about, and overseas obviously. I’d love to go to London, Japan, Africa, all of these places. As far as the states I’ve definitely been fortunate to venture off here and there.

Reposted from kdhx.org

http://kdhx.org/blog/2011/03/15/88-1-kdhx-dj-spotlight-dj-needles-part-1/