This interview was done and published in our issue #17, 2010. Rasmus of Madness 4 Real has passed on since then, rest in peace. Enjoy the interview.
>>>>>>
Madness 4 Real Productions, established in 1986, have been producing rap for nearly two decades. Starting their career in their homeland Denmark, in Copenhagen the duo quickly gained motive and relocated to Los Angeles. During the height of the gangster rap era they developed their own unique sound. Working closely with Eazy-E, they developed an understanding for the music and the requirements of the artist. During this time Madness 4 Real traveled throughout the US and worked with different artists, both in Atlanta and in New York.
Tell me about your early years. When did you get into Hip Hop?
I started listening to rap in 1983-84. After I heard “The Message” for the first time, | was down with rap from day one! Later | was inspired by movies like Wild Style and Beat Street, and the book Subway Art. The rest is history...
I've been around the world because of Hip Hop. I’ve had a great life so far!
Did you break or write graffiti before you settled down to music?
I started out with graffiti and breaking. We had a local crew called Thunder Force, and we battled Snoopi Force, which Rens and my Madness 4 Real partner, Nick, was a part of back then. This was 1985-86!
Did you enter any dance competitions?
No competitions, but | came second in a Break battle on Strøget (Copenhagen's shopping street), wearing white glows and Cazals! That's my claim to fame.
You also did a little writing. What did you write?
I was in a crew called Thunder Force and | wrote Zulu2.
Were you serious? Did you hit trains?
Not very serious. | was out a couple of times with my old homie, Rens , but | was more into music. His father owned a record store and got all the newest shit from the States. It was the Mr. Magic Show non stop!
You were raised in Hillerød. That's the same area as Rens, a legendary Danish writer, was raised. Did you ever hang out as kids?
We've been hanging out since 1985-86. TAV 4 LIFE!
Did you keep track of the graffiti scene, or was it all about the music?
In Denmark, people doing rap music and people doing graff have always been together. | was on the outside looking in because graff was the thing | started out with. | was impressed every time | saw something new and fresh on the walls. An artist like Bates always gets it fired up.
In my opinion the A-Line was one of the most bombed lines in Copenhagen. So when you took the train as a kid, all the way from Hillerød to the city, you must have noticed the graffiti along the train tracks?
This is why it was our favorite inspiration. If you wanted to find something that could remind you of the graffiti and Hip Hop scene from the US, you took a trip up the A-line or to the Hillerød yard. Back in the days you could paint there in the daytime and get away with it!
Do you have any favourite graffiti writers?
It's no secret that rap music has gone from underground to mainstream, while graffiti remains in the underground. A lot of these artists still struggle for recognition and to earn a living. How come rap artists that have the means to get other rappers exposure, don’t help them out a little?
It should still be about peace, love and unity, like back in the days, but now it's all about money. In a way | can understand it because we all want money, but for me it's more important to do my own thing with Madness 4 Real and a team called T.E.AM. - which stands for Together Everyone Are More.
Phase5 has opened a Graffiti Art Gallery. Have you checked it out yet? Do you buy paintings by graffiti artists if you see something you like?
Yes, I've been there and | think it's a terrific initiative. | have bought some paintings myself, and think it’s a great way to support your favorite artist. Everybody should do it.
Most of what I've heard from you is West Coast inspired type of beats. Was this the style you did from day one?
Not in the beginning. We did much more diverse music in those days, and it was far from the L.A. sound we hear today. Back in the days we were more inspired by jazz, rock and funk. We sampled everything and run them in loops. When we came to LA. the first time, we saw LA ‘Dre in Eazy-E’s studio, playing keyboard over sampled beats and we got a real kick out of it. We started combining our Hip Hop backgrounds from our ASR-10 with a lot of keyboards and synths that we bought, and not long after this we made beats for Eazy-E, MC Ren, WC, Ice Cube, Da Lench Mob, Rakim, K-Dee and others.
Did you get any coaching from LA ‘Dre in the beginning?
No, we only got to watch him make his music, He was an in-house producer for Ruthless Records back then.
Who was the first artist you produced in LA. and what track was it?
Eazy-E's "Merry Muthafuckin Xmas», featuring Dolomite - Will 1 X (Will.I.Am), Menajahtwa and Buckwheet.
What artists/producers inspired you when you were a kid?
I got the most inspiration from my other crew members; Blæs B, Joker Jay, and Nick. These guys are still my biggest inspiration.
You formed DGP (Den Gale Pose) with Jokeren as your lead rapper when you came home from L.A. - tell us how that got started.
We had been working as a rap group since ’86-87, so when we went to the states in ’92, it was a natural step back then.
You sold quite a few albums in Denmark, right?
Yes.
You broke up a while ago, what happened?
We had different goals and ambitions.
Yessir! Check it out;
Some writers I spoke to called this a sell out move because DSB never supported Hip Hop.
Do you agree with that?
Get that money, homie! He gets paid by the DSB. That's hilarious!
What other projects are you working on at the moment?
We're doing six albums this year! First out is Smokenhagen Sessions. hits the streets in may with a lot of international guest artists like Proof of D12 (R.I.P), Erick Sermon, Will.I.Am from Black Eyed Peas and others. We're also doing a similar compilation with Danish Artists, such as Outlandish, Jokeren, Loc., Clemens, Burhan G. etc.
Later this year, our Danish rap artist, Supajan will release his album, and we have great expectations for our German rapper, called Bens.
Next year we are doing a DVD and a soundtrack with Dubcnn, with artists like Lil Scrappy, Dresta, 40 Glock affiliate G-unit, Kurupt, Bad Azz, Big Syke from Outlaws, Young Hoggs and many more.
J-Ro of Tha Alkaholiks moved to Sweden, a couple of years ago. I heard the track you did with him and Keith Murray, how did that track come about?
The song is on Smokenhagen Sessions. It was originally meant for J-Ro's album. Go and check it out, he's really putting it down on that track!
Have you done any more work together?
Yes, we have done several tracks, both with him and with Mic Geronimo and with Tha Alkaholiks.
| heard you've got a production company where you sell beats for other projects trough your network. How does this work, and can upcoming producers submit beats?
Everybody can submit if they are serious and dedicated. Hit us up on our MySpace page and send us your five best beats, and we send trough our system. We believe in team work!
More and more artists collaborate trough Internet. Is this a process that you embrace or do you miss the days when artists actually worked together in a studio?
Something magical happens when producer and a rapper work together in a studio. The new direction of internet sharing has made people making beats, beat makers instead of producers.
Doesn't this bother you? Wouldn't it be better if the artists work with the producers in the studio, instead of this indirect communication?
It is no concern of mine. One of the greatest things of our generation is that we have gone from an analogue to a digital era. It's a natural development. There is no right or wrong in building up a track or song, it's only your imagination. When it comes to producing vocals it’s different. To catch the moment in a studio. To mix and engineer a vocal is much greater work. It's a science and you have to have the passion for it.
True, but | can't help missing the days of the "DJ and the Rapper.” Now it all sounds like compilations, and not one artist's piece of work. Speaking of albums sounding like compilations, how come there are so few albums these days produced from start to finish by one producer or team?
Because rappers spend all their money on tits and ass! lt sounds funny, but it's true.
How did you hook up with Eazy-E and Ruthless Records?
The manager we used in those days got us hooked with Doug Young, Ruthless’ radio promoter at that time. We met him for the first time in Denmark in 1988 when he was manager for Low Profile who had artists like WC and DJ Alladin. Doug Young is a legend in his profession and we still get mad props for him! Besides being manager for Low Profile he was the radio for Ruthless’ earliest releases and for Death Row from 1992. A legend bro!
Yep, I will correct you. He left around 1996.
Where did he go from there? What is he up to these days?
Don't know. Haven't spoken to him or seen him for a long time. He visited us here in Europe a couple of times. | got the feeling he left the industry.
Since he worked over at Death Row, did you ever get invited to work with them?
Yes, but about the time they approached us we were working with Dresta and B.G. KnoccOut on a song called “Dogg Pound Killa," and that made it less tempting for them.
I've heard that you worked in the legendary Audio Achievements studios in Torrance, where Dr. Dre produced numerous classics. Shit, that must have been incredible!
Yep! We came in for a long period of time and worked there with Eazy-E and all his artists. It was both incredible and surreal. The collaboration with the studios owner, Donovan ‘The Dirt Biker’, was great. We are still in contact with him.
| didn't know that. Is the studio still around?
No. It was moved after an overflowing, but the studio is occasionally active elsewhere.
You guys became Ruthless in-house producers. Did you ever feel any pressure, creatively, to follow up Dre's legacy?
No, no pressure. We made beats from sunrise to sundown, and we made some of our best work there. It was all good.
Was it your decision to follow the G-Funk trend?
Yes. We were inspired by G-Funk in those days.
When listening to some of the tracks you did, I see that you caught the theme of the albums pretty well. Were you given any directions on either of the projects, regarding the sound they were looking for, by an A&R or the artists themselves?
Thanks man, it makes me happy to hear that. We just fired away and got into the spirit of it. That’s it!
I checked the credits on some of the albums you worked on. It says "recorded and mixed by Donavan ‘The Dirt Biker'.” Does this mean you just submitted the beats and actually didn’t produce them?
We produced and recorded all the songs with Donovan. We produced the vocals together and he pushed the buttons. Everything in those days was recorded analogue on two tape recorders with huge mixers. Not like today, where mostly everything is digital.
Another thing | noticed on some of the Eazy-E tracks is that you also are credited as writer. Did you write Eazy-E's lyrics?
No. Not that can | remember. My partner, Nick, was Santa Claus (on Eazy-E's “Merry Muthafuckin Xmas’), and the rest of us were shouting in the background Maybe that's what you mean?
Was Eazy as louzy on the mic as Dr. Dre and D.O.C said? Did you have to use hours upon hours to get his vocals right?
It was two lines at the time with Eazy, he wasn't a rapper. Eazy was an entertainer and the man behind everything. He's the godfather of gangster rap and without him we wouldn’t have any 50 Cent or Game today. Respect!
On “Down To The Last Roach” you open with some words for Dr. Dre. Were this meant as retaliation for Dre's words for you guys on “Deeez Nutz?”
It was all Eazy-E's idea. He had a good laugh on the behalf of his old partner.
You also worked with Dr. Jam on a couple of tracks, what's up with him?
He's one of the chiefs at Danmarks Radio.
Your manager was Carsten Willer at the time, right?
Yes.
I heard he fucked you for some money or some shit?
Yeah. He thought of himself as a gangster and spent our money like they were his own, so we jetted.
What went down?
Alot of bullshit.
What's he up to these days?
Not a clue.
Did you ever deal with Jerry Heller?
Yep!
I met him again last time we were there and made a movie with Dubcnn, and he is still the same as he ever was — Number 1.
Or are all managers a little shiesty?
Not what | think, mayn!
At the time you guys were working with MC Ren, Cube and Da Lench Mob their lyrics were pretty racist. It must have been hilarious at times being a white dude from Denmark! Did you ever feel any reversed racism?
Not much, but one time DJ Train, MC Ren's DJ tried to pull something, but his own homies told him to let it go. Actually it was all pretty cool. In those days we weren't the enemy because we came from Europe.
I read in "Dansk Hip Hop Kultur siden 83" that you guys got “smoked in” at the first studio session with Eazy-E, did you guys hit it off or was it all “just another day at the office?”
He was great to hang with. He was a hustler, but a nice one, and he was always game for a laugh, once we went bowling Eazy pulled out his own bowling ball with his initials engraved on the ball, it was fucking ridiculous! That was a good day.
It sounds like you had a lot of fun while recording tracks like “Merry Fuckin X-Mas” and “Down to the last roach.” Are those the only tracks you did with him?
We did more, but the others never got published, and l am sorry to say | don't have any copies.
Who did you enjoy the most working with?
It must have been Ice Cube, His creative power is unbelievable, and he hit us so hard vocally that we could use most of it on the first take! He had ideas for everything, everything from scratches to intros.
What projects are you most pleased with from your "L.A. period?”
All of them! 'm proud of them all, mayn!
Why did you leave L.A.?
Even more bullshit!
Are you still in contact with the artists you worked with back then?
Yes. We are stil in touch with a lot of them, and the future will show how strong the connections is.
I heard you guys have worked on new tracks with Dresta. What's the status on this?
We have worked with him on his new record, there are 5 or 6 tracks finished so far.
I also wanna use this opportunity to send a shout out to FatCap for always representing graff, music and Hip Hop. To Tommy Tee A true Scandinavian legend. Lots of props to the whole M4R inc.
The tracks produced during their L.A period in the 90’s (youtube links) >
DA LENCH MOB
-Goin’ bananas (video) >
K-DEE
B.G. KNOCC OUT & DRESTA
-D.P.G./K (Dogg Pound Killa) video >
WC
EAZY-E
ICE CUBE
MC REN
RELATED LINKS;
No comments:
Post a Comment
Note: Only a member of this blog may post a comment.