???Eu não o conheço...
What's good 9th? Are you working with D-Block?
Never have worked with D-Block....but I would love to work with Jada, Styles and Sheek if I had the chance.
First off, I would like to say that you truly are an inspiration to so many upcoming producers (including myself). All of your beats just have that vintage hip hop feel you know. It sort of brings the game back to it's essence. I'm a youngun' with an old soul, so I can appreciate what TRUE hip hop was (rarely what you hear nowadays) and you and LB (and the rest of the Justus League) always provide the people with a feel of what it should be. You've accomplished so much, I'm just wondering what keeps 9th wonder motivated ? Have there ever been times when you just wanted to uninstall the Fruity Loops and call it quits?
The music never made me wanna quit, however the business will tear you apart if you let it...all those years of hip-hop, and the looks on my baby's face keeps me working, point blank.
Ever since I heard my first 9th beat, I was hooked. The sound was a breath of fresh air and I've been producing myself on Fruity Loops and Cool Edit for a year or so and I've been trying to figure out how to get the drums to have that grimy sound that you give them. Do you have plug-ins or do you use a lot of reverb and filters?
Some filters, lotta compression. You just gotta tweak it 'til it sounds right to you, or feels right.
When sending out beat-CD's, should I send out full beats or snippets?
It really doesn't matter, because snippets can be looped. I wouldn't send any out if I didn't have an established name, because someone can steal your work.
How much will it cost me to get a hot beat from you I have been spitting for years and never found a hot producer to match my style. How can I get something from you and keep in mind I'm not the richest MC.
Gotta holla at Big Dho, my manager.
9th, how do you feel about many MC's (known or unknown), using your instrumentals so much on their mixtapes and promos? I ask this because I have used a number of them on my mixtapes and I was wondering do you take a good listen when someone is rocking on your beat?
Yeah, I do. I would rather someone take a joint I already did for someone instead of a beat they found on the net though.
How long did it take you before you were making great beats like you do?
Man, I guess 4 years. It all depends on who's listening to the beats to determine if it's great or not. The beat could have been one of my OLD joints...and cats STILL think it's hot!
What kind of music are you listening to right now? Any particular album you enjoy overall?
I listen to everything I grew up on. RARELY do I listen to anything past 1997.
First and foremost I would like to say thank you to yourself and L.B for keeping my faith in hip-hop. The music you have produced for L.B, Jean Grae, Buckshot, Sean Price, Murs etc captures what the true essence of hip-hop is all about. I would like to ask do you have any plans to come to London?
Hopefully soon. I plan to do some DJ spots over there...so be on the lookout.
What up 9th? I'm dying to quit my damn job and do this music thing fulltime. I really need to cause all I have is drum patterns and beats in my head all day, but you know, bills got to get paid. I'm in the process of getting a manager and shopping some beats. When do you know it's the right time to leave your job and do this fulltime? How did you know when to do this fulltime?
Really, there is NO right time. You just gotta say f%&k it and just do it...no matter what...it's a risk, but you only live once.
I love your beats man, but is Fruity Loops all you use? Because your sound is real professional from just using FL.
FL it is. No more, no less
Do you think you'll be doing any work with anyone from Wu? I think that would be a sick combination.
Ghostface Killah, Raekwon and Method Man has been a dream match-up for me. I got like 100 plus beats Ghost, Rae, and Meth can get on. It's all about making it happen.
What's good 9th Wonder? I've been using Fruity Loops for awhile and it seems like I can't make any beats on it. Did you ever have that problem when you first started? Can you help me out and give me some hints how to use it?
Man, you gotta break it until it works for you. I have seen FL flipped 20 different ways, so there is no set way to use it.
Whatever happened to the Allies?
Man, still trying to get them out there. They have a lot of great music that needs to be heard.
It seems that all these producers are putting out instrumental albums now. Will you drop one and show people what time it is?
LOL!!!!!! I think if you take the 300-plus beats on the net now, you prolly could make your own catalog!
One thing people get confused is rap and hip-hop. I believe rappers are destroying hip-hop. There are no real emcees going mainstream anymore. Its all about bitches, money, and cars. 9th, I'm from the South East part of Georgia. The only person that made an impact on this end is Camouflage and he was killed. Do you think its possible for a southern emcee to make it in a game full of gangsters?
I mean, don't get it confused. Rappers are not killing the game. The Rapper Jalil in Whodini is a RAPPER. It has always been RAPPERS in the game since Sugar Hill Gang. What's killing the game is a lack of knowledge of it, and slighting the culture 'cause of greed and money. There IS a way you can do both, make money and make good music too. You just gotta do you, because no matter if you talking bout guns or peace, if its wack its wack.
First, I want to thank you renewing my interest in hip-hop. I don't need to go into detail about how f'd up the 'game' is and all that but I want to express my deepest appreciation for your music. That song 'All for you' is one of the realest songs I ever heard and now you, LB, and the Justus League have a fan for life! But my question is about the current state of affairs in North Carolina. By now I'm sure you've heard of the Duke Lacrosse team rape scandal and the racial tensions that are building up between NCCU and Duke. You being an alum of NCCU, I thought maybe you would have some sort of input. What would you say to the students of NCCU?
First and foremost make sure that it doesn't happen on your OWN campus before anyone runs to Duke pointing fingers. Let justice do its job, and not jump the gun.
What's good, 9th? It seemed like you and Jay Dee were close. How did his death affect you?
You know the funny thing is, I never met nor talked to Dilla, but we had a lot of mutual friends, and fittingly enough I was making beats when I found out he passed...I always had a connection with him that way...through beats. It just made all of us just stop and look around...you know, slow things down...
What did you sample for "Sweetest Language"? That song is beautiful.
I sampled a 70's soul record
Little Brother's last album, The Minstrel Show was a real work of art that was created and which I think can never be duplicated ever. It is one of the best and purest hip-hop albums. I have ever heard in the last 10 years. When I first heard it I thank God that there were still people who take hip-hop seriously and not no quick way to make some money. 9th wonder, I think you are a genius and should be consider one of the greatest producer ever. Every producer have there own sound and all, but I have yet to hear a whole album when all 17 tracks sound so wonderful and beautiful. You have some of the best drum patterns in the history of hip-hop to me. I have compared all your beats to all the Hip Hop classics, I couldn't find none better. If you read this e-mail can you please tell me how you prepare yourself to create and produce such a wonderful album.
Thanks for all the support homes!!! I mean we just do music, we don't try to over think it. That's the beauty of NC. It helps you NOT to overthink things. So I just do beats, beats that make me feel good...
How long have you been using Fruity Loops?
Six years.
What else do you use besides Fruity Loops?
Cool Edit Pro.
I know you've been working close with BCC. Any word on albums from OGC or Hurricane Starang?
Naw...just Sean Price and hopefully another Buckshot record.
I am from Durham, NC born and raised in the Bull City. I currently live in the A. I want to know do you think you all get the love from NC like you do other places.
I was wondering why you think that your production style has become so popular and accepted in today's Hip Hop Community where it seems that everyone is playing follow the leader. Old School samples have always been used but never incorporated into the music the same way that yourself and Kanye are doing right now. Do you think Hip Hop was looking for a change?
I just think Hip Hop is looking to spend money on a good album, not two and three songs. So if any trend I want to start or follow is the trend of good music and DOPE records.
Do you have any upcoming collabos in the works in the near future like what you did with Murs, Access Immortal, and Kaze?
Murs and I are doing another one, for sure. Access Immortal was not a collab at all, that was just a situation where he got beats off the net, but its all good, we spoke about it and everything is solid. Kaze and I did a couple of jams, so hopefully we will do more in the future.
I heard that you gonna make a collabo with a portuguese rapper called Controverso, it is true???
Sure. He is for me one of the greatest mc's in Europe. I like his style, I will give to him 20 beats to his first album. He is crazy!!!
P.S. : E para quem leu a entrevista até ao fim... a ultima pergunta, para muita pena minha é falsa mas para vos compensar desta desilusão aqui vai um som para download, produzido por 9th Wonder para o rapper Tight Man que sinceramente nunca ouvi falar, e fiquem já a saber que 'tou-me a cagar para esses pseudo-diggas que veem com o bitaite: "não conheces o Tight Man???" Eu tenho a discografia toda!!!" LOol
9th Wonder & Tight Man - They Wanna Know
