Interview on "Totally Crushed Out" + New TRACK

My man Ryan Pangilinan started up new online mag, "Totally Crushed Out." We did an interview last week and it was posted up along with a NEW track from the as yet untitled follow up to "Basement Sessions." The track is called "Process" and my man Just Another DJ produced it. Peep the links, but I'll paste the interview below.


Dawhud Interview
The Meeting of Minds: Dawhud vs. Totally Crushed Out
by Ryan Pangilinan
The story of white suburban kids discovering hip-hop is a pretty tired tale at this point. For all Asher Roths, Snows, and Brian Austin Greens that pass through pop culture infamy, there’s guys like Miilkbone who are relegated to the dollar bin. Then there’s guys like Indiana-transplant-by-way-of-Seattle, Dawhud (nee: Dave Thomas) who have cultish sensibility and exist in a backpacker limbo of sorts.

Dawhud’s self-released debut album “Basement Sessions” came out last year to critical acclaim, landing on top 10 lists and heralded as another return to the boom bap. Since his 2008 record, Dawhud has been hard at work on the Revisionist Project, a record that covers classic jams with underground emcees.

Recently, Dawhud chatted about his start in hip-hop and gives a little detail on hip-hop in the Hoosier state.

Totally Crushed Out: Okay. So the first time I remember hearing about you, you had the radio show in Olympia and you used to take a bunch of pictures of events and what not. What made you want to stop observing and be an actual participant?

Dawhud: Well... hate to break it to you but I didn't take too many pictures. Maybe that was Aaron. HAHA. But, I got interested in doing music since I was about 11-12.

I remember coming home from elementary school to see Yo! MTV Raps and I'd try to write some party raps like Kid N Play.

In sixth grade I got a Casio Rapman keyboard. It was this wack little keyboard that had a fake jog wheel that made "scratch" sounds and a mic that you could change the pitch of your voice with.

I remember those. My kid has a similar one

Yeah... I still got one. I've even used the mic effects on a couple of the tracks I've been working on lately.

Fast forward to high school, the group I was in with my friends I'd dig up records and we'd go over to this guys house and have him make the beat on his EPS-16. I'd give him the samples and tell him how to make the beat, but he'd actually do it on the sampler. About a week later, duke would say he "lost" the disks and then we'd find out that one of his boys was using the beat that I basically made.

So then you started going for self?

Yeah. I never originally thought I'd go into making beats, but it just ended up happening because we were sick of dealing with cats that would steal our tracks.

My senior year, I had my parents lump X-mas, B-day and senior grad presents into a Gemini mixer, a 4 track, some belt drive turntables and a Yamaha SU10 sampler. That was the real start for REALLY getting into making beats.

Were you already collecting source records for sampling?

A little, mostly getting stuff from people's parent's collections.

That's the way to do it. What was the first break that you copped on your own?

Grover Washington's Mister Magic. Found it in a free bin at one of my fav spots. I threw that LP on and was like, “WHAT?!” Oh... there's another... but this is more sample source than break, Bob James “Westchester Lady,” and here's the story behind that.

My man's dad had a big porn stash and one time I was over at his house and he put in this "comp" porn video. It had a ton of old 70s porn and there was this one where they were playing that Bob James track. I was like, "Oh I've got to get this." I ended up recording the porno onto tape so I had the sample.

Haha.. That's fresh.

I still probably got it somewhere

That's got to be a serious hidden track

You could hear mostly the music, but in the background you could hear some deep throat action. Ha.

On the “Basement Sessions,” you reunited your radio crew, Late Night Marauders, for a skit, which was hilarious. id you ever think of doing a podcast with the old crew?

Yeah, I've thought of stuff like that, but just recording those skits was kind of hard. They were trying so hard to sound professional and the whole thing about our show was that we were just phawking around.

So what made the LP were really the outtakes.

Carlos (aka DJ Say Ten) sent me a HUGE box of our old shows and I've been meaning to digitize them.

That's awesome. Will that be recurring in Dub Styles or other projects?

We'll see. Dub Styles will have a DJ/host vibe to it. [Dub Styles is] the mixtape that is referenced on [Basement Sessions]. But, it'll be me on the mic, as host, djing, etc.

Are you going to do multiple voices?

Naw, it'll be like B-Mello doing a mixtape.

You should get B-Mello to do it with you!

Yeah... I originally was going to have him on the version of "Dub Styles" that was featured on my LP. He said he was down, but it just never ended up happening.

He's a busy guy. He's still grinding and being a dad.

What you actually hear at the end of the track was the demo I did for B-Mello so he would know what I was wanting him to do

Are you still working on the Revisionist project?

Yeah, it's just taking time. I want to do that project right and well... MONEY

Do you have any semi-completed tracks?

Yeah, a Prince Po, Moka Only track over a flip of “I Got Cha Opin,” a flip of “Microphone Fiend” with Wildchild, Frank (Fash-1) and Verbal Math from Dolla Bin. A track with Rusty from the Mudkids on a collage of several classic tracks

Have you ever thought of shopping what you have to a label to get some support that way?

Yeah, I just haven't kissed the right babies. But, yeah, I've been wanting to shop it around, but just haven't gotten that far with many people.

I know Ubiquity said they thought my LP (Basement) was good, but not the type of music they wanted to do, so to speak. I think the issue is more... what labels are interested in some DITC type boom bap.

Ubiquity is mostly downtempo. Have you thought about being a true Seattlite and head towards Massline?

Never really thought that because I thought that my sound and subject didn't fit in with their general vibe.

I like those guys and Ra actually said he was down to work on Revisionist History.

That's cool. What's Indiana's hip-hop scene like?

It's like Seattle when [Tribal Records’ compilation] Do the Math dropped. Like there's stuff going on, but it just hasn't clicked. Rhymefest was originally from Indy

Then he abandoned it to roll as a Chicagoan, eh?

And Rusty from the Mudkids battled Eminem at the 97 Skribble Jam.

I remember that

Yeah... but I understand, Chi is 2 1/2 hours away and a MUCH bigger city. But there's stuff going on here. The thing that DOES suck is that most tours skip over Indy. They'll hit Chi and the next day be in Columbus, OH or Cinci.

But, there are some dope acts here. Mudkids, Twilight Sentinals, Ace-One, and some real dope producers here too.

That's cool. You can lead the scene, my man. So what's in the works for 2010?

I'm hoping to have Dub Styles out by the spring summer. A lot of it is done, just trying to finish up a couple tracks. Dub Styles ended up also creating another LP, which will be more of a true follow up to Basement Sessions. On some good old fashioned boom bap.

That's the best. Are you going to press Dub Styles yourself?

Well, I'll probably do a preview/leak online and see how that goes. The WISH is to do a promo pressing on tape. I am also thinking about doing a pressing on CD as well, but we'll see.

Aiight man, I gotta rap this up, so last question: what's your favorite Group Home lyric?

HAHA That's dope. "Yo, I'm coming up with mad rage/ 18 and hittin' the front page/ You know I'm makin' it/ and if I can't have it... I'm takin' it

Your pick is much better than mine, D.

What's yours?

"Hit your moms over the head with a metal pipe"

Oh, I think yours is better.

Beats, rhymes and a whole lot of life

It is what it is. Working on things and this thing we call life is doing it's thing too. Without getting too much into the nitty gritty I'm finding myself in a position that I was in when I decided to fully commit to working on "Basement Sessions." For those of you that may not know, the kick in the pants that got me to pause and decide to work on that project was when a close friend passed away. God slapped me in the face and said, "yo, life is short... you got one shot... don't waste it." (that is if he'd say "yo") HAHA It was bittersweet because I would do anything to talk to my friend who passed than have released "Basement Sessions," but if it wasn't for his passing I wouldn't have realized that what I wanted and needed to do.

He passed the week of Thanksgiving four years ago and as happenstance would find it Thanksgiving has continued to be a time of reflection. I guess it usually is supposed to be like that, but what I mean is that moments like my friend's passing seem to levitate around this time of year. (which in turn makes me seriously take a magnifying glass to my life/dread the emerging holiday season)

So, what have I found after this long 4 day weekend? Well... I know what I DON'T want to do. HAHA I guess that's important. The next few weeks will really tell as to what and where things are going to be heading. Now, how vague can I be? HAHA I'll say one thing, my mother in-law said to both my wife and I to not waste our time doing what we don't love and use the talents that God gave us. Hearing that along with the other talks we had over the weekend has opened up a dialog about the future.

What does the future hold, I dunno about all the other ish but I can say this...

I'm working on "Dub Styles" and I'm hoping to have it done shortly. A lot of the recording is finished and I'm planning on a spring 2010 release/preview leak. I honestly think the project would make a better soundtrack for the spring/summer than while we're all freezing our a$$es off in winter. (yeah... not so much) HAHA I'm really diggin' it, I hope other cats will dig it.

You know what... blam... here we go peep this!!! Follow the link. This is a rough demo/snippet of some of the vibe from project. This is roughly how the project is going to sound. Just to let you know I've even made some changes from this. (I changed the intro a little bit) You most likely have heard the "Come Equipped" track that my man Dee Supreme laced a while ago, but dig it. This is but a taste for you all that are interested. Also, my man Josh G laced another one of the beats for this project. This has been a dope project and I'm really diggin' how some beats from other beatmakers/producers/associates mesh well with this project. (I will say it has been a little weird at 1st not rhyming on a beat that I made, but it's all good... takes some of the load off me)

And if you're wondering why it's taken so long... well some of it has been the ish I was talking about in the 1st part of this blog and also the project itself took a different turn and other songs that originally were for this project ended up creating another project. All good.

In other news...

My man Rusty from The Mudkids dropped a free EP. Peep the link and DL the "Free Money EP!!!" I DL'd that bad boy and rocked it on some serious head nodding ish. Don't sleep on this. I mean... on the real, it's free. HAHA The site is looking fresh and I'm looking forward to seeing more from their site. And for those of you that DON'T know... Rusty battled a Mr. Mathers back when...



^^^^
Respect

Dig it.

Until next we meet.

Metromix Indy Scary Gigs Article (Dawhud)

More funny than scary. HAHAHA

Peep

This was when I was back in Seattle and I was in the Big Tunes beat battle. HAHAHA The Big Tune battle at that point didn't have the Red Bull sponsor and it was a monthly battle going down at the War Room in Capitol Hill. My man Corey, "Just Be" was there to witness it. Man... I wonder if there's a youtube of this somewhere. (just looked... didn't see it) Well, I think on my profile there's still the pic of me from the battle. HA

Read and enjoy

MetroMix Indy, Basement Sessions sale & other news

Official!!!
Celebrated my 30th B-day with the dopeness!!! Had my parents come out to visit, which was real dope because I hadn't seen them in a year. My wife kept the whole thing on the DL the whole time. Honestly the best thing I could have asked for. I wasn't really planing on a lot for my 30th... mostly just kick it. (Have a beer or two, work on some music and chill.)

A couple days prior I was contacted by MetroMix and they were doing a piece on hip hop artists in Indy. Sounded cool in my book, but more than anything I was shocked that 1) they knew who I was 2) wanted to have me in their publication and 3) wanted to do a photo shoot with me. Dope! So, the day after my B-day they had one of their photographers come over to my house during lunch break and take my pic.

I honestly had no idea when the article was gong to run and happily stumbled across it online today. Then after work I mashed out to a local spot a grabbed a few copies. HAHA Turns out it's the center page. I jokingly said to my wife, "never thought you'd be with a centerfold, eh?" (you can almost hear her eyes roll) HAHA

In other news...

You can now get Basement Sessions through here for $5 + shipping!!! And with purchase you will get a free DL of the album. (good look) Just click on the pic of the album cover. Dope ish!!!


Dub Styles is moving along. I've let a VERY select few close cats peep out some ruff versions of the project. I'm hoping to finish up principal recording on this project shortly. (then it'll be the UBER tweaking of post production) HAHA

Stay tuned

Instore @ Indy Vinyl & CD (& other news)

Yep, yep. Cool points have been achieved. HAHA Saturday August 29th in celebration to help promote the Mudkids latest EP, "MKEP" they had me open for them at the instore. As you can see, that's Rusty from the Mudkids in the background. HAHA Thanks to Indy Vinyl & CD for having me perform there, it was a blast.

Had a great time hanging out, hearing the Mudkids do what they do best and hip some cats to my ish. Only thing that sucks is my Numark CDX that I've had for a minute and have NEVER had problems with now seems to be broken after the show. This morning I plugged the thing in and tried powering it up and the blasted thing doesn't seem to do a bloomin' thing. (shaking fist) Either I'm going to have to have Numark tech support try and help me or I'm going to have to finally break down and go the Serato route.

Despite that it was dope!!! And for those of you how don't know... PEEP the MKEP out now. (iTunes etc. etc.) If you're in Indy, you can pick it up at the local spots and at Indy Vinyl & CD you can cop a T-shirt with it for FREE!!! (can't hate on that) Mudkids ish!!!

In other news: A bulk of "Dub Styles: Walkman Redemption" was recorded last week. The project is far from over, but it is on it's way. I'm hoping to have some more music up on the myspace page.

Finally... the www.basementaddicts.com domain has been forwarded to the Basement Addicts myspace page. It only took like 2 years for me to get that going. I may have the domain pointed here in the near future because this spot seems to be more of the main spot instead of the myspace page. The site is still in the works along with all the other projects, but wearing many hats along with balancing the day job it isn't easy.

Stay tuned peeps!!!

D

Who's Next?! in full slide show GLORY!!!!

This is a slide show from the release party for "Basement Sessions" from last summer. That night was a blast. More than anything it was a nice night to hang out with my 206 fam.

Cleveland

4th of July I went with my wife and her parent's to visit some fam out in the burbs of Cleveland. When I jokingly told my friend's that I was heading to Cleveland and going to say what's up to "Bone Thugz" I got a txt back from my friend wondering if it was anything like the episode on "40 Rock." Although I didn't get to peep downtown Cleveland, these two videos pretty much sum it up.