TextMi-Latest: Interview: Jazzy Jeff

Our very own Jon Fitz caught up with the legendary hip hop producer at his Liverpool hotel suite on a fine Saturday evening to question him on his new albums, his gigs and his life in general.

Article posted on 17th May 2006 at 13:43

Hi Jazzy. What brings you back to the UK? Is it just to promote your album with Defected (Jazzy Jeff in the House)?

No, I'm over here doing DJ dates - also, there's a million reasons why I come to the UK, but it's pretty much to be on the road doing dates.

Where have you been on this visit?

London Friday, Liverpool Saturday, then I'm back in the States for a week, then I return to the UK to do the MOBO awards - I'm presenting - then I do an afterparty, too.

The Defected album is house, but you're mainly known for hip hop, is house something you just got into or have you always been into it?

Always, always... It's funny, it used to be like, we played anything that moved a crowd, R'n'B, soul, hip hop, house... People were a little more open-minded then, so if it was a good record people would move to it. Now people categorise it, but I have always loved house.

Do you think the respect for the DJ has a big influence on people liking the music?

Oh yeah, it has a lot to do with it - but that's how it always was. If there was a DJ you respected, he was like the captain of the ship; you followed his lead, he would expose you to new music or even drop old tunes that you hadn't heard in a while. It's funny but in hip hop, the radio became the DJ - if they didn't endorse it the people didn't like it, and that was a turn-off for me.

What has influenced your selection on the "Jazzy Jeff in the House" Defected album?

Every single track on the album is a track I like.

Everything you touched has seemed to turn to gold, is it honestly that easy for you?

I wouldn't say it was easy, but I have always achieved success when I have followed my heart. The hard part is when you achieve success - everyone comes in and tells you what you are supposed to do next.

Do you reach certain successes then set yourself new goals?

Absolutely. Will (Smith) and I did what we needed to do and we became successful and then everyone came in and was like, "This is what you should do next," and we would always look at each other. No-one told us what to do in the first place, nobody believed what we were going to do, then we did it and everybody had suggestions on how to become more successful - and it wasn't like we were trying to be successful in the first place, we were just doing what we loved.

Are you annoyed that you didn't get the recognition you deserve for bringing hip hop to a 'white, mainstream' America, when clearly other artists did?

Not at all. I have seen too many artists become bitter, staying on one thing waiting for the world to acknowledge what they have done. I always look at this like the coolest job anyone could ever have; to make records, do shows, play in clubs and make people have a good time. You almost forget you should get paid for it, because at the end of the night you have the satisfaction that you have made a whole bunch of people happy. But the best part about it - Will and I always talk about it - we would spend money to do parties. We bought wood, made our own speakers and carried them through the snow to do parties that no one paid you for. Now it's turned around and for it to make you money... there is no way I could ever prostitute it. I remember all that - what I would do and do it all for free.

Do you think as advice, that with that attitude, you can strive on to bigger and better things?

Well you know what, this is something I always say; this attitude I have now I ain't always had. 99% of people started out doing it for the love, but once you start making money you really get confused. Someone will give a bunch of money for doing something that you love, then the focus goes on the money. I tell this to everyone- if you give someone a million dollars they are going to go crazy, but you have to get that crazy out of your system. I think the ones who have long prosperity are the people who made it through the crazy period. Some people just burn up and don't know anybody who didn't go crazy. I learned all this through experience. I am very critical about people putting pressure on entertainers, because what they have to go through is something that people just don't understand. There's no training school, no special classes to help you deal with success.

What is your all-time favourite track?

It changes so much, I think liking so many different types of music can be really confusing. I can play some forms of jazz in my car, then go home and listen to some house, and it's like... you don't know what kind of music you want to listen to or when you want to listen to it. I love listening to house music while I'm driving - I get a ticket almost every time I listen to it driving.

What about your all-time favourite house track?

I don't think I have a favourite house track either. If I like a song I will sing it to sleep, there are records that are with me 24/7... then another good one will just come and bump that off.

What is in the pipeline for Jazzy Jeff?

I was doing so much stuff in the studio that I needed a break from it, so the whole DJ thing really helps because you can get a feel for what people are moving to or what you think is missing. I have so much stuff that is unreleased. I had a good team around me who I encouraged to get into relationships, then I encouraged them to have a bad relationship and they would come down to the studio, like, "She gets on my damn nerves..." A bad relationship creates great songs, you're getting all your emotions out by way of music. I'm in the process of releasing two records in January with my American distributor, with artist "V" who has worked with Masters at Work on a track called I Got Rhythm under the name Soul Fusion, and I got an album with him too which is nearly ready for release called Soundtrack to City.

Who do you think will be the next big thing?

I'm not sure who is gonna be the next big thing, 'cause the industry is so fickle that you just never know - but I love the Foreign Exchange album right now.

What do you think of the new Technics CD turntable?

I don't like it. I waited like lots of others with hype surrounding its release, but I don't honestly think it's all that.

Jazzy Jeff, thanks for your time.

No problem.

Thanks to Jon Fitz for providing the interview