KING BHOB

One of the most essential ingredients in Hip-Hop has always been the production aspect. Regardless of how well the lyrics or flow might be put together, the song will ultimately fall flat if the production isn't top notch. The right track can catapult an artist into the mainstream basically over night, just like it did with Talib Kweli's "Get By" back in 2002.

Although he was already an established artist at the time, that song alone solidified him as a real Hip-Hop contender. No one knows the importance of this more than the legendary Wu Tang Clan's DJ/producer, Mathematics. For years he's been on the forefront crafting head nodding beats for the Wu Gambinos. This Jamaica Queens native has contributed tracks to such albums as "The Pillage", "Tical: 2000 Judgment Day", "Beneath The Surface", "Uncontrolled Substance", "Supreme Clientele", and "Blackout!"; the collaboration album between Redman and Method Man.

With all those accolades under his belt, he then produced the the original theme song and all music for the short lived show, "At Large With Wanda" which starred female comedian Wanda Sykes. Mathematics can easily be considered one of the hardest working beat junkies in Hip-Hop. Now in 2007, he releases a rare album called ''Wu-Tang And Friends: Unreleased.'' A
compilation album that features material from the Wu-Tang Clan and the extended Wu family that up to this point,was unavailable.

Not to be out done (by himself) he also bestows on us "Beat Kings," a DVD that has all the major producers in the game talking about their tricks of the trade. With all of these extra curricular activities going on, he still managed to sit down with NobodySmiling.com and discuss his own production techniques and what he has planned for the future, as he is showing no signs of slowing down.

NobodySmiling.com : So did you go through any process in selecting the people you wanted to be featured on 'Beat Kings'?

Mathematics : Well I was just trying to reach out to a lot of people you know. I was able to get a lot of people that I wanted to get in the within the time span that I was doing it. So basically everyone who I got, wanted to do it, there wasn't really a problem.

NobodySmiling.com : Was there any particular reason that made you come out with the 'Wu-Tang and Friends' album now?

Mathematics : Well the DVD actually sparked the album. Because me being a producer, and going around interviewing other producers, was a way for me to enlighten all these new cats trying to produce. Their getting there little Fruity Loops online and all that other stuff. I just wanted to let them know that there is more to it than that, and nothing happens over night. There is a lot more you have to learn and nothing is over night, there's a history behind this that was the whole premise of the DVD. Me personally, I learned a lot and I felt that my beats stepped up a notch. So I went into the archives and found plenty of unreleased material from the Wu and from the extended family and I put it all together.

NobodySmiling.com : What do you think the keys are in staying relevant as an industry producer?

Mathematics : It's about longevity. A lot of these producers have been around for a long time, and a lot of them are still doing it. You can take people like Mark The 45 King, a lot of people don't even know him but they know his work. One of his earliest works was the ''900 Number'' (starts imitating the beat) ''Dah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah--Dah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah Nah.''

NobodySmiling.com : I remember my sisters gigging to that record!!

Mathematics : Yeah see, everybody remembers that. He also did "Stan" for Eminem and "Hard Knock Life" for Jay-Z and he's still relevant. Even Track Masters, they were doing it for Chubb Rock back in the days and they did "Ill Street Blues" for Kool G. Rap and "Shootouts" for Nas, one of my favorite beats of all time. Some might associate Track Masters with a certain type of music, but you have to remember their roots and where they came from. At the end of the day it's a business. It's like if you baking a cake, and people come to your store, and they want a certain type of cake, that's what you have to give them. But as long as you stay true to yourself and the music is good, you're always going to be relevant.

NobodySmiling.com : Has your techniques changed over the years, or have you just basically kept everything the same?

Mathematics : Well my philosophy for a long time was if it ain't broke don't fix it you know (laughing). After I did this DVD and from being on the road, I found myself growing, and developing more. You can't have that "ain't broke don't fixit" attitude there's nothing wrong with trying new things.

NobodySmiling.com : What influences did you have that helped create your sound?

Mathematics : Basically it's all Hip-Hop based. I came from the era of Hip-Hop where biting was illegal. Wu-Tang came from that era, you know. We had nine individuals that all sounded different, and nobody wanted to sound the same. Even when Cappadona came in, he had his own style. Nowadays, if you have a crew like that, you have four or five people that sound the same. They can have different pitches in their voices, but their flow is the same. We all wanted to be different and unique, that's the era I came from. You walked, talked, and dressed a certain way. If you saw someone doing the same thing as you, you'd be like "damn now, I got to switch my shit up" (laughing) you know what I mean. Now everybody's a follower, and it's the same with the music. RZA let it known, he told me to do what I do.

NobodySmiling.com : What are the differences that you've noticed in production since you first started?

Mathematics : Well the technology is getting a lot better. The music is a lot cleaner, but at the same time it doesn't have that same depth to it anymore. That's why I stick with the ASR-10, it has it's own certain style to it. I have a Triton also, and if I use it, I hook it up to my ASR-10. So that way I can get all the sounds I want from out of it, and get the feel from out of it.

NobodySmiling.com : So the ASR-10 is the one piece of equipment that you couldn't live without?

Mathematics : Yeah I need my ASR-10 (pauses) well I'm gonna say I can't live without it, cause if need be you got to go on sometimes (laughing). But that's what I love and that's my favorite piece, the ASR-10, that's what I'm confident with.

NobodySmiling.com : So what's keeps you motivated, have you ever felt like not working?

Mathematics : Well not in a long time, but at one point I'd be like "I don't feel like making a beat right now." That right now might turn into a couple of days, then it turns into a week, but at the same time I'm dealing with other business. Doing this DVD was a spark for me, because now I love to hit the boards again, and I've been like that for a minute now. Even
with DJ'ing, like when I was on tour with Meth, it was fun again. I was loving it, and the last Wu tour I was loving it too.

NobodySmiling.com : Oh you and Meth were touring together?

Mathematics : Yeah, we was on tour for his last album, the 4:21 Tour to promote his new album. Earlier last year we did the Wu-Tang Clan Reunion Tour. That was the tour where I started having fun again, I was hitting the turntables, making my music and I started feeling good again.

NobodySmiling.com : How do you feel about the current state of Hip-Hop?

Mathematics : I feel like this; you have individuals saying Hip-Hop is dead. It's nothing against Nas, I'm a fan of Nas, he's one of my favorite MC's of all time. But I feel as long as we people like him and people like Rakim doing it, it can never be dead. It's just that people have to know where to go and where to look for it now. Hip-Hop is like a root, you plant your seed into the ground and a plant grows. From there you have the roots; like you got ya crunk music, ya chopped and screwed for example. You have so many different types of Hip-Hop, and to recognize real Hip-Hop, you need to have all of that other stuff around.

NobodySmiling.com : Have you ever had a set time where you'd finish a track?

Mathematics : Well every beat is different. Some might come in a couple hours, and others, you might start today and you don't know what else it needs. You might have to step away from it, and come back to it in a week. Or even a month later, or maybe even a year later. By then you might finally finish it. Basically my method is this: I go inside the studio and pick up any old record, just to get some type of flow. Then I light me a bone, and I sit back, smoke and listen. And as I'm listening, I hears sounds that I might want to duplicate or take. Then I cut my board on and whatever happens, happens. It's all about getting into that mood, that zone, yeah (smiles).

http://www.nobodysmiling.com/hiphop/interview/87305.php

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>>>>>>>LIFE

DJ Shinobi [RA]

major props, allah math is the truth.

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Minorities gotta stick together. Fight the power! - ILLogic
“I respect hip-hop and i dont know one word of Midnight Marauders and truthfully dont have the interest to go and find out…” - Lupe Fiasco

Rebel INS {CF}

indeed he is, got some real dope beats in the archives

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"Fighting Ignorance every day is gettin weary"
[name pending] --- The Gateway Drug --- Sometime Soon

Grandmaster G

good lookz mayne

YoungArty

fuck .......