Producers
Presenting DJ Premier, One Of The Architects of “Illmatic” (Video)
April 18, 2019
Wow. “Illmatic” turns 25 years old on April 19th. When I realized that, at first, I was like, “Damn. I’m old.” But that seminal Nas project is a classic. Therefore, I’m not old… I’m a classic! Now I can enjoy watching Preemo speak on Nas’ classic LP as one of its architects.
(Don’t come for me. That’s just how it’s gonna be. End of beef. The tips are cooked!)
“Not the one that’s on the album. The one on the album is a remix.” During the making of Illmatic, DJ Premier made one version of “Represent,” then he heard what L.E.S. and Q-Tip did on “Life’s a B*tch” and “One Love” respectively. It sent him right back into the lab.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Interview, Producers, Series, Videos | 
Tags: Architects of Illmatic, DJ Premier, Mass Appeal, The Architects of Illmatic | 
No Comments »
Eye Candy: Persephanii Doing The Fitness To A Jay Ali Beat (Video)
March 19, 2019
You know how, back in the day, dudes used to swear they looked at Playboy magazines for ‘the articles’ (yeah, right)? Well, after clicking to watch Persephanii (because I will ALWAYS do that when she uploads), I got into the music… not just the sexy imagery. Truth. But, I mean, I’m saying though, if I’m gonna listen to a dope track why not watch a sexy woman getting it in at the same damn time?
Trying to stay at it in the gym!!! Let’s WORK! Wearing @SCOFclothing Music by @Jayalimusic #workout #gym
Plus, she is shouting out who she’s wearing AND what she’s rocking to #SheNotJustABusiness #sheTHEbusinessMAN
Now, at the end, when she raises that workout jacket and shows them ‘alMOUND joys’ a whole different music starts playing in my head (bom chicka wah wah LOL). Have MERCY!!!
MORE PERSEPHANII ON INSTAGRAMÂ |Â ON JAYFORCE.COM
– @ojones1
Mannie Fresh Speaks On The Making Of Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up” (Video)
February 20, 2019
How much of a classic is Juve’s hit “Back That Azz Up” though? Watch what happens when it plays at a party TODAY! Azzes WILL get to backing folks up! Right from “Cash Money Records taking over for the ’99 and the 2000” it is ON!
Watch super-producer of that hit, Mannie Fresh, talk about its creation. Genius! For real…
Back in 1998, Juvenile’s “Back That Azz Up†introduced bounce music to the mainstream and helped Cash Money Records make a name for itself. The 400 Degreez track remains one of the New Orleans rapper’s biggest hits, peaking at No. 19 on the Billboard Hot 100. Production is handled by Mannie Fresh, who served as the architect of Cash Money’s signature sound from the early ’90s to mid-2000s.
– Genius
– @ojones1
Rhythm Roulette With Maaly Raw (Video)
February 6, 2019
Maaly scored huge with so many source sounds to pick from as a result of his blindfolded wax pull. Albums though? I’m not mad, because he definitely made use of his gift given the gift of all those tracks to work with to make this beat. Really digging that last beat he made.
“I can kinda hear anyone rapping on this one right here.â€
Maaly Raw tried his hand at Mass Appeal’s famed #RhythmRoulette challenge. After strolling through New York City’s Good Records and selecting three albums at random, the Philly trap producer behind Lil Uzi Vert’s “Do What I Want†chops up a few beats on the spot. Utilizing the soundtrack to 1983’s ‘The Big Chill,’ John Cougar Mellencamp’s ‘Scarecrow,’ and Oscar Peterson’s ‘Put On A Happy Face’ the young producer locks in and delivers three unique beats.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, Series, Videos | Tags: Maaly Raw, Mass Appeal, Rhythm Roulette | No Comments »
Rhythm Roulette With Joji (Video)
December 26, 2018
Hmmm… Some weird elements to start. But when you hear Joji yell, “Game over!” you somehow know it’s all gonna turn out alright… for the most part.
“This sh*t goes hard, right?†Joji stepped into NYC’s Good Records with one goal, select three records at random and create a beat on the spot, adding his name to the long list of producers to have taken the #RhythmRoulette challenge. Equipped with The Moody Blues’ ‘Seventh Sojourn’ and two other albums from deep in the crates, the 88Rising artist and producer got really weird using Jimmy Castor Bunch’s “The Last Olé†to create a trumpet-driven beat that is certainly one-of-a-kind. Peep the video above and let us know how he did.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Posted in Alternative, Dance, Hip-Hop, Producers, Series, Videos | Tags: Joji, Mass Appeal, Rhythm Roulette | No Comments »
Rhythm Roulette With Sango (Video)
December 13, 2018
You know how this goes: Sango puts on the blindfold, picks three disks and ‘tries’ to make some musical magic happen. So…okay, he ain’t really ‘trying’ because Sango is a Jedi at this. There is no try… only do!
After selecting three albums at random from Seattle’s Holy Cow Records, the versatile producer enters the lab and crafted two beats just for us. Chopping up the soundtrack to Richard Pryor’s ‘Blue Collar,’ and even creating hi-hats from vocals on Countess Cathleen, Sango makes it look easy.
– Mass Appeal
Got a couple of ‘cheat codes’ for this round of the game, but we’ll let it pass because the finished product bangs!
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, Series, Videos | Tags: Mass Appeal, Rhythm Roulette, Sango | No Comments »
Swizz Beatz Speaks On What’s Wrong With Hip-Hop Producing And How To Do It Right (Video)
October 31, 2018
YES! There is a DIFFERENCE between a beatmaker and a PRODUCER! Swizz is a producer. Understand? Watch and you will…
Producing. The somewhat lost art that Swizz Beatz, born Kasseem Dean, has specialized in since he was 20 years old dishing beats to Jay-Z and DMX. It isn’t just about pairing drums with snares or dancing in the back of the videos. It’s a curation process that’s earned the Yonkers native millions of dollars, more plaques than he can count on two hands, and a reputation that stretches across the seven seas.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Posted in Craft, Hip-Hop, Opinion, Producers, Series, Videos | Tags: Kasseem Dean, Mass Appeal, Studio Interview with Swizz Beatz, Swizz Beatz | No Comments »
Rhythm Roulette With Tuxedo (Jake One x Mayer Hawthorne) [Video]
October 17, 2018
Hawthorne’s of blue-eyed soul vibes and Jake One’s hit-laden list of production creds are brought to bear on the blindfolded beat-making challenge.
Jake One and Mayer Hawthorne form like Voltron to become production duo Tuxedo, the latest contestants on MASS APPEAL’s Rhythm Roulette. The pair stopped by Good Records – the shop, not the label – on East 5th Street in NYC, tied bandanas over their eyes, and grabbed up three random records to sample.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, R&B, Series, Videos | Tags: Jake One, Mass Appeal, MAYER HAWTHORNE, Rhythm Roulette, Tuxedo | 4 Comments »
DJ Premier Recreates The “10 Crack Commandments” Beat Live (Video)
October 16, 2018
WOW! If you were there to see Preem doing this live, I know you LOST it! This is Hip-Hop, even if the stage setup isn’t. Haha!
– @ojones1
Posted in Hip-Hop, Performance, Producers, Videos | Tags: beat for Ten Crack Commandments, DJ Premier, Sampling, Ten Crack Commandments beat, Turntablism | No Comments »
The Alchemist Speaks Praise On Jean Plum’s Music & Samples He Lifted (Video)
October 3, 2018
A compilation of 22 soul songs sampled by the biggest producers of American Hip-Hop. Lean in a catch The Alchemist’s contribution to the musical convo. Major takeaway: If you like the sample, give the whole source song a chance… you might like it!
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, Videos | Tags: Alchemist, Here I go Again, Jean Plum, Shaolin Story, Shaolin Story 6, The Alchemist | No Comments »
Quincy Jones’ Documentary Debuts On Netflix September 21st (Trailer)
September 7, 2018
Count on this being a good one! Of course, his daughter (Rashida Jones) is gonna do right by Q.
Beyond his own acclaim as a trumpeter, producer, conductor, composer and arranger, Quincy Jones’ inimitable gift to discover the biggest talents of the past half of the century is unprecedented. He has shaped the pop culture landscape for 70 years, mentoring and cultivating the careers of young talents, from Lesley Gore and Michael Jackson to Oprah Winfrey and Will Smith. Directed by Rashida Jones (Angie Tribeca and Hot Girls Wanted) and Alan Hicks (Keep On Keepin’ On), QUINCY seamlessly threads personal vérité moments with private archival footage to reveal a legendary life like no other.
– Netflix
Posted in Celebrity, Film, Producers, Trailer, Videos | Tags: Netflix, Quincy, Quincy Jones, Rashida Jones | No Comments »
Rhythm Roulette With Supah Mario (Video)
September 3, 2018
Just saying. Rhythm Roulette is a blindfolded record pick type of thing. Seems a bit much to claim cred for the selection. But what Supah Mario did with them joints though… give him ALL respect for that. Dope!
“I think I really did my thing picking these records dawg,†says Columbia, South Carolina producer DeMario Priester, aka Supah Mario, who recently pulled up to NYC’s Good Records and took the Rhythm Roulette challenge. Digging through the crates blindfolded, the producer behind hits like Young Thug’s “Wyclef Jean†and “Ice Melts†a standout track off Drake’s ‘More Life’ stumbled onto some heat from James Taylor, GangStarr, and some old-school dancehall courtesy of the Dillinger vs. Trinity ‘Clash’ LP. “I told y’all this was gonna be some Jamaican vibes!†he exclaimed after the needle drop. But he ended up skipping the reggae together and finding some ill breaks on the James Taylor and the Original Flying Machine disc, adding some of his own keyboards to complete the beat. Check out the latest episode of Rhythm Roulette right now.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, Series, Videos | Tags: DeMario Priester, Mass Appeal, Rhythm Roulette, Supah Mario | No Comments »
Producer Ron Browz Declares That He Gave The ‘Ether’ Beat To Jay-Z Before Nas Back In The Day (Video)
August 16, 2018
Man. Just think back to how hard the ‘Takeover’ came in for that Jigga–Nas battle back a good while ago. That was an ouch hit, definitely leaving a mark and making Nasir wobble. But then came ‘Ether’… that KNOCKOUT!! And Nas wins hands down with the Hip-Hop ‘hands’ that song put on Jay. But what if Jay was the one that dropped fire on that beat? Would Nas be the one that history records got ‘Ethered’ (hmmm)?
Harlem producer Ron Browz has produced for some heavyweights in the industry. He sat with Sway In The Morning to talk about his career and production credits for iconic songs like ‘Ether.’
– Sway’s Universe
Posted in Hip-Hop, History, Interview, Producers, Radio, Series, Videos | Tags: Ether, Nas Vs Jay-Z, Nas Vs Jay-Z battle, Ron Browz, Sway Calloway, Sway In The Morning, Sway In The Morning Show, Tracy G | No Comments »
Producer Teddy Walton Speaks On The Making Of Kendrick Lamar’s “LOVE.” (Video)
August 7, 2018
So, in this video we hear from the man standing next to the man (RIP comedian Robin Harris) on the single “LOVE.†off Kendrick Lamar’s album ‘DAMN.’
Kendrick Lamar’s ‘DAMN.’ was one of the most acclaimed album releases of 2017, with all 14 tracks hitting Billboard’s Hot 100. With each song placing on the charts, it’s hard to deem any one track the major standout. But “LOVE.†feat. Zacari was a favorite for many Kendrick fans, as the song’s lyrics became the third-most-viewed ‘DAMN.’ track with 2.9 million views on Genius.
– Genius
Posted in Album, Hip-Hop, Producers, Videos | Tags: Damn, deconstructed, Genius, Love, Teddy Walton, The Making Of Kendrick Lamar's "LOVE." With Teddy Walton, Zacari | No Comments »
Rhythm Roulette With Tom Misch (Video)
May 22, 2018
Ah! A J Dilla disciple is on deck to play ‘Rhythm Roulette’ huh? This should be more than interesting!
Tom Misch is a devotee of Dilla who’s been putting in work for years as a lo-fi SoundCloud producer. The South London singer and beatmaker self-produced most of his recent debut album ‘Geography,’ which features a rare lyrical cosign from Native Tongue OGs De La Soul. The last time he was in NYC, Misch accepted Mass Appeal’s Rhythm Roulette challenge, pulling up to Norman’s Sound & Vision in Williamsburg, Brooklyn to tie a T-shirt over his eyes and go groping for vinyl. His random selections included ‘El Sabor De Gene’ by Gene Hernandez, as well as albums by the Panamanian vocalist Basilio and Hells Kitchen’s own Lisa Lisa. Wasting no time, Misch pulled the vinyl out, dropping the needle until he struck gold. Before you knew it, he’d isolated and chopped a funky break and started laying down keys and electric guitar over top. Check out the latest episode of Rhythm Roulette right now.
– @ojones1
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, Series, Videos | Tags: Mass Appeal, Rhythm Roulette, Tom Misch | No Comments »
Rhythm Roulette With Dame Grease (Video)
May 11, 2018
Thinking we’ve blessed you with footage of Dame Grease putting it down in the studio, but not of dude doing the do for Rhythm Roulette though. Check, check. Soundcheck. Okay… time to let Grease get his blind picks and production on!
“I gotta get Funkadelic on em,†says Dame Grease, producer of crucial tacks for Mase, The LOX, and the whole Ruff Ryders camp. When Dame accepted Mass Appeal’s Rhythm Roulette challenge, we knew we were in for a treat. Although he and his protege Swizz Beatz are known for a mostly sample-free sound, the Harlem-born and Bronx-raised producer can chop with the best of them. “Every producer knows you can look at the grooves and see where they thin out at,†Grease said while surveying three randomly selected vinyl albums. “That’s where the breakdown’s at.†Working his way through ‘Spinners Live,’ Jose Feliciano’s ’10 to 23,’ and ‘Romantic Swing’ by Eugen Cicero, Grease zeroed in on Feliciano’s 1969 version of ‘By the Time I Get to Phoenix’ because he used to live in Phoenix. “Let’s go straight to that,†Grease said, dropping the needle. “Groovy! That’s the one.†Check out the latest episode of Rhythm Roulette to find out how Dame Grease flipped that joint like it was meant to be.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Rhythm Roulette With Carnage (Video)
April 18, 2018
Maaaaan… kinda feel like somehow Carnage got spotted a huge advantage with the records he blind-picked. How could he not come up with something with wax picks that powerful?? Watch.
“Vinyl & guacamole!†That’s how Carnage gets his creative juices flowing. Born and raised in Guatemala, Carnage grew up fascinated with producers like DJ Khaled and DJ Drama. He would go on to become a major player in the fusion of EDM sounds with vocals by Hip-Hop artists like Lil Uzi Vert and Young Thug. But don’t get it twisted—Carnage can chop samples too, as he demonstrated when he accepted MASS APPEAL’s Rhythm Roulette challenge. Working with randomly selected albums by The Jacksons, Rick James, and Gladys Knight & The Pips, he got down to work chopping and cooking, pitching and reversing. Carnage even hopped into the vocal booth to sprinkle some of his own special hot sauce. Check out the latest episode of Rhythm Roulette right now.
– Mass Appeal
– @ojones1
Rhythm Roulette With Chuck Inglish (Video)
April 4, 2018
Ahhh! Chuck Inglish (of Cool Kids) with a different strategy for the blind pick… dancing a jig to catch vibes from the wax. Must be something to it; seeing as how he declares that he “lucked up” with his picks, and produced a banging azz beat from them.
Enjoy this ep of ‘Rhythm Roulette.’
Robert Glasper Examines The Work Of Pete Rock & J Dilla (Video)
February 8, 2018
Whoooose world is this? Well, for the purposes of this clip, it’s Robert Glasper; but only because he is bringing the world of music making in Hip-Hop closer to you. Those sample sounds… where do the great producers get them and how do they use them so adeptly. Yep, Glasper is giving up some game.
Posted in Hip-Hop, Producers, Videos | Tags: Jazz Night In America, OKAYPLAYER, OKP, Robert Glasper | No Comments »
Fat Joe And Dre Talk About Coming Up With ‘All The Way Up’ And What Else They Have Going Down (Video)
February 5, 2018
So, this year’s Summer Jam could feature all kinds of ‘squashed beef’ on the menu… Fat Joe, 50 Cent, and Ja Rule all getting along and doing Hip-Hop. The beat goes on. Joe and Dre talk about that and more in this sit-down.
Fat Joe and Dre (from Cool & Dre) stop by Ebro In The Morning to talk their new album, possibly having a feature with Jay-Z, 50 Cent and Ja Rule at Summer Jam TOGETHER and being the greatest rapper ever.
– Hot 97
Posted in Hip-Hop, Interview, Producers, Radio, Videos | Tags: Dre, Ebro, Ebro in the Morning, FAT JOE, Hot 97, Hot 97 Morning Show, Laura Stylez, PETER ROSENBERG, Rosenberg | No Comments »
