DC's own super producer Judah checks in with DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine to talk about his life, career, future plans and how record company people are shady. 

check out www.judahbeats.com

DCMM: I am L.D.Williams Jr from DC Music and Models and CRED Magazine I am sitting here with super producer Judah thank you for taking the time out to sit and talk with me today.

 Judah: What's good pimp?

 DCMM: The first question that I have is can you describe your introduction to music in life period and my second question is who were some of your earliest musical influences?

 Judah: I mean, in the real I always loved music coming from DC there is music here go-go, R&B, Jazz everything in DC originally I wasn't in to music as far as production I used to play foot ball. I did that collegiately and pro I really wasn't into the music like that. When I stopped playing ball I leaned over to it a little bit my man got me in to the drum machine and stuff like that ant I was buying everything else and messing with everything else. I always had the love but never pursued it professionally until after I finished ball.

 DCMM: Can you talk about your foot ball credentials just a little bit?

 Judah: I went to Robert Morris University in Pittsburgh and I played Wide Receiver. Then I did Detroit, Green Bay, Baltimore, a couple of other teams. Then I did the Arena League Indiana Firebirds stuff like that it was short lived I realized I really didn't love it like that got my paper got out started my studio you know what I mean.

 DCMM: You are very eclectic in sound. Who are some of the people that influenced you as far as being a producer?

 Judah: Me coming from DC Chucky Thompson people like that really influence me. I really deal with producers that really change music such as RZA, such as Pharell, such as Teddy Riley, cats that change genres and different lanes of music. That is really my thing I really don't hop on too many other producers. Just producers that change the game Dre people that really make their own lane and do something different and have people following them. Like everybody making Neptune beats, everybody making Dre beats, everybody making Neptune beats so I deal with those producers that are trendsetters and do something different. That's why I'm repping DC and I am trying to do the same thing for the city really do something different as far as production and having our own lane.

 DCMM: Who do you like on the DC hip hop scene and what do you think the DC scene needs to get national exposure?

 Judah: Me personally it is a good time to be from DC it is a really untapped market as fat as our artists. It is so open for us we really don't have an identity yet as far as the industry and that is good because the industry is whack right now and there shouldn't be no one that is that pressed to get in the industry because the game is trifling. It is really better for an independent to go out there and do what you do on your own. DC period if you a young'n  and you don't understand DC history, DC bred and raised some of the most vicious entrepreneurs in the world. Our mindset is so entrepreneurial driven and it is so independently driven and hustle driven you can tell by the old clothing company that was here our vibe here is so independent and entrepreneurial that I mean we hustlers here and that has been proven over time. Our mindset here is just different, the scene here it is just different I mean I think I got off of the question a little bit…

 DCMM: No go ahead.

 Judah: The hustle the whole hustle is ill right now we got cats making noise and we all know who is making noise from the city and we all know who is about to make noise from the city so I'm not going to name drop or say no names but just the fact that it is a good time cats are starting to get out there and with the evolution of MySpace and the internet I mean people all over the world are hearing music all over the world. I'm not mad at nothing here it's good things are moving as they should and it is good.

 DCMM: You talked about going independent are you discouraging artists from getting a major deal?

 Judah: No. I am saying that if you do not get one don't kill yourself trying to get one. Do what you do create your buzz, create your fan base do what you do it's nothing lucrative about a record deal no more for a artist it is nothing lucrative at all and there is there are very few that get an opportunity to achieve that. You can strive for it but have your base set if you have your base set you can make music for 15 to 20 years and they will still follow you. Just check The Roots they haven't had much success lately but they go and play somewhere and they have a sold out crowd same with Talib and the same with Common they don't sell big big records but they go anywhere they gonna sell out and that is what it is really about. We are going to be singing Common records fifteen years from now. We are not going to be singing Soulja Boy records fifteen years from now so it is what it is

 DCMM: You say the music business is trifling. Can you explain that?

 Judah: From a production standpoint like you know the trend for producers it was good for producers like a producer would come out have one or two hits then they were on everybody album. Now if you are a producer and you have a hit you don't hear from that producer no more that is how watered down the game is. There is so many cats that is snatching up records, A&Rs un the game they are producing now so if you are an A&R already at a major label what makes you think you are going to go out and find another producer when you are A&Ring a project and you are making beats. So you are getting production credit you are getting paid for the beat and you are getting A&R credit it is like the mafia.

 Why get a producer when you can get the money yourself and you are already in the game. Why go out here and get a producer? Also they going out here getting producers young producers hitting them of with twenty five hundred five thousand and selling the record for $80,000 and getting paid and getting publishing and the young producer isn't doing anything  but they are the A&R of the project. I done came across that cats telling me let's do this deal and situation and also A&R's are managing producers so A&R's managing producers and then get a kickback off of what the producer makes what type of game is that? It is the mafia. The game is watered down it is trifling you don't trust to many people in those offices and you go out here and do what you do. You do your little independent album sell it make bread make beats do it independently you will live longer and last longer.

 DCMM: You have a relationship with Kenny Burns is that correct?

 Judah: Yes that is my man 50 grand we go back we put a lot of work in and got a lot of money living life.

 DCMM: Can you describe how that relationship developed?

 Judah: We met when we were working on the first Wale mixtape. We met when Wale was down with Studio 43 and we met and we just kicked it off we are around the same age we trend set we fly you know have a ball and do big things. I actually met Kenny Burns a couple of times when I was doing some work at Roc A Fella dropping of beats. I met him and we just linked up and the opportunity came around again with Wale and then it came around a second time with our new artist Marky.

 DCMM: You worked with Anthony Hamilton in a artist capacity what was that like?

 Judah: I'm not even a rapper but when you are in the studio so much and you have beats you are making records and you don't even know you are making records so I just did a record. I wrote the joint help create the beat and I laid down a verse and Anthony thought it was dope and they kept it. Anthony circulated it over in Europe places like that and Anthony is one of the most underrated R&B artists by far. He is so ill and talented and I got to work with him and we put the record down it created a lot of buzz and it was what it was. I'm not even a rapper I just did the DMV wrap up song and they loving that joint so I'm thinking about doing it but first and foremost it is production and getting cats records right then I'll think about putting something out on some fun tip because I'm really not trying to be a rapper .  

 DCMM: So there won't be a Judah solo album anytime soon?

 Judah: Oh hell no I'm no rapper. I write raps for people and make hooks for people. If I do it, it's going to be fun and it is going to be a collector's joint because I am only going to do one and give it away for free and just have a ball with it. I am just waiting for the right time when there is a little bit more light shined on the city and cats are really checking for the city that is when I am going to do it.

 DCMM: Who have you not worked with that you would like to work with?

 Judah: To be honest with you I don't want to work with no major artist. It is more satisfaction from me when I make independent records with artists with no buzz and we get buzz together. I don't want to work with a whack establish artist who is 40 years old or whatever and they got so much buzz that they been around for a minute you are not creating nothing there. They already got hype what am I creating with that artist? If I got an artist out there independent not known and we create something get something together flourish and have something together that is more satisfaction to me. Half of the major artists are whack but they have a machine behind them and bread behind them. I don't want to stunt right now and work with major artists right now if it is going to happen it is going to happen I'm not killing myself to do it.

 DCMM: Who do you think is underrated that doesn't get the credit that they deserve?

 Judah: Once again on the independent tip, you know I am really feeling this dude named Guilty Simpson he is from Detroit he used to deal with JD rest in peace. I really like Guilty Simpson, I like Bishop Lamont these are cats that are coming up. A lot of cats really caught me but they buzz died down like Saigon people like that I love I just think they got a little different situation in the game right now. I buy nothing but independent music I am not buying no major records but I am definitely felling Guilty right now the words he uses are ill just independent artists that is what I am felling right now.

 DCMM:  You openly criticized putting Eminem on the cover of SCRATCH magazine?

 Judah: Right.

 DCMM: Why?

 Judah: For me personally covers are for those people that change the game and production wise he did not change the game. Lyrically he is a vicious MC but production wise he did not change the game. That is why SCRATCH is no longer around outing people like him on the cover you feel what I'm saying? There is no way he deserved that cover there is so many ill producers Pete Rock, Premo got a cover earlier like there is so many…Marley Marl there is so many people that changed the game that got Eminem to making beats so you put them on the cover. But once again that is why SCRATCH is not around  they put the Runners on the cover twice, they put DJ Khaled on the cover like that is why they not around they make stupid decisions you know real hip hop heads and people that were supporting the magazine stop supporting it and that is why they are on they heads right now. It is self explanatory he really didn't do anything production wise J Dilla should have got a cover and they wait till he passes away to give him some shine. Madlib I could go on and on about the producers that should have got covers that other producers really check for. You don't hear other producers talking about Eminem as a producer you hear them talking about him as an MC. It was ill for them to do that it was dope that is why they are out of business.

 DCMM: Do you think that SCRATCH was more of a sign of the times in the hip hop industry itself?

 Judah: SCRATCH is just the evolution of the industry period. SCRATCH started out as the first couple of issues real crazy talking about the equipment producers use, what producers were thinking when they were making beats, what do producers start out with when they are making beats then it got from that to record sales and DJs that fake like they are producers and so much more than what a producer thinks about. It got away from what it was supposed to be you know what I am saying once again it was a sign of the industry and the industry is whack so SCRATCH got whack. It is what it is man.

 DCMM: If you could how would you change hip hop right now?

 Judah: I mean it is a double edged sword right now I think the industry is still run by old guys who really don't understand the evolution of the internet and the digital age. If the industry went from selling CDs to digital downloads I think it would be more successful in terms of sales and artists making money and things like that, but then also on the creative side they don't look at the longevity of things they look at quick hits and I mean they not really moving forward but they not making any progress either I mean they not keeping up with the times it is about the digital age you know what I am saying? Like if you really think about it I was looking at the news the other day CNN like iTunes is the second largest music distribution center behind Wal-Mart. That is crazy that record stores aren't even up there you got department stores Wal-Mart and the internet are the top two and it is not even about record stores no more and they are trying to sell records that don't make sense. 2+2=5 in that situation it don't make sense you got the internet and a super mega store are number 1 as far as sales but you got record stores that's crazy to me they old they just sitting back and they are just riding with it until they retire. It is what it is man.

 DCMM: Do you think music executives need time to catch up with a changing business model in the music industry?

 Judah: I mean yeah it is just an understanding of what's going on and what is the world turning to like it's just digital now. Cats got ipods, MP3 players, no one wants to carry CD players no more what the hell? Cats aren't even writing liners no more. Nobody wants to read the CD nobody wants to see the CD if you just get the artwork and the songs that is what it is. Like with these young'ns out here they are not going to the store and buying CDS no more that is what time it is. It is just a bunch of guys trying to keep the same culture, a company culture and that is hoe they are doing. So, eventually they will find out when they have artists that has been going platinum for the last three or four years selling 40 or 50,000 they going to realize I mean the downloads me personally I don't even think I may catch flack for this but I don't really care I don't think the artists are worth the money anymore. Hell download it why am I going to pay for the single and that's it they not worth it anymore and it is tough to say that but the artists aren't earning it no more so download it for free. Download it for free until they learn to make better records. It's tough to say that but that is how I feel about it.

 DCMM: You do shoe design that is another entrepreneurial venture is that correct?

 Judah: Yeah I put out a custom Nike Dunk a couple of years ago and we sold like 25,000 of them in the boutiques. I designed it and it was two pairs ill color way I got into it I am a shoe head. I like shoes watches and fitteds you know I just got into it I had the opportunity to do it and I did it and it was successful. I probably won't do it again because Nike wanted to much of the bread but it was a good opportunity I met a lot of people, I traveled a lot of places so it was what it was the fitted out the Kenny Burns fitteds that we did with New Era. I'm about to do a new production line for New Era for a producer driven fitted so I mean we grinding trying to come out with my own G-Shock right now we grinding trying to hustle for the game from a different aspect. I don't drink so I'm not going to do liquor, I don't smoke so I'm not going to do a Judah blunt wrap I don't do a lot of stuff a lot of other artists capitalize off of I don't do that. I do what I like what is in my culture and how I see it I do the shoes the fitteds and the watches. I'm going to do that then I am going to branch off into some other things do you know what I mean?

 DCMM: They are loving the shoes overseas…

 Judah: The game right now is so crazy overseas. They really appreciate music they appreciate everything you do it is a different level of respect over there like it is so ill that you can go overseas and be an independent artist and get welcomed like a major artist you know what I'm saying? So they are loving the shoes overseas like when I came out with the dunks it was just when dunks were breaking everyone was getting on the dunks they didn't understand it like that like that.

They didn't understand how important it was to have a collectable shoe was they buy general releases but that is neither here nor there but overseas it is just ill that they respect your music they respect what you do it is not watered down. Don't get it twisted they got their pop artist that mimic U.S. artists over here. They have producers that mimic U.S. producers but the majority of the scene is underground and appreciative there is cats that is doing tours that don't have major releases in the states.

They have underground EPs and underground records and they over there doing tours. You can't do no tour like that in the U.S. off of no underground record they going over there getting paper balling out having fun seeing the whole European worlds like that it is crazy they are experiencing that off of independent records and that is what is ill about it they are really appreciate it they respect it their culture and fashon is doper than the U.S. to me their whole vision is doper to me because they are untouched by worldly things going on in the U.S. The U.S. is trifling right now when it comes to culture and the understanding of the world it is doper over there you know what I mean?

 DCMM: Do you have a timeline for your various projects?

 Judah: I really don't have a timeline for when everything is going to drop but in the next six months I am going to have the New Era or these G-Shocks off and popping I am trying to get that together with my management team right now. As far as music you walked in when I was working on records for Two Pistols who is an artist from Florida who has a major deal. He has git a single out with T Pain and I am working on records for him.

Of course I got some joints with Wale on the new mixtape coming out in March hopefully we can get that situated and get some records coming out on that. We got Studio 43's artist Marky who is in a good situation right now we gearing up to do new records with him, I got some joints with Shareefa that will hopefully go down, hopefully get in the studio with Bilal out in L.A. to work on some records with him, just really some artists that I really like or that I am really feeling some independent artists from DC, Maryland and VA.

I'm working  with an artists named Nando McFly and just a real young homie of mine I just out an EP with my man XO who used to run with Wale and he is a real dop MC so I just put out an EP with him so its all love and that came out on March 1^st. Just hustling and keeping it moving loving the music loving what I am doing loving what the city is doing and really no timeline. Just know when I say I am going to do it 110 percent and eventually it will come out when people remember that I said I was going to do it. It is going down.

 DCMM: Hopefully I can get another interview for the site when you are ready to come back out.

 Judah: It's all good when I got something poppin I am definitely going to call y'all first me and the whole DC Music and Models staff go back years it is all good whatever ysll need I'm there I am just a call away. I'm not hard to find.

 DCMM:  What do new artists need to have longevity and last in the artist?

 Judah: It is really just two things with me you have to have vision and patience. People get caught up in you got to have a lot of money to have a lot of money to be an independent artist you don't have to have a lot of money to be an independent artist. You have to have vision  and the people around you have to have vision and see your vision and move forward with you it don't take a lot of money to do it. As long as you can talk right and have organizational skills and understand the business and you can get anything you want for free or bartering people don't understand the idea of bartering services people don't understand the idea of talk correctly and you can make it a win-win situation for everybody for people around you and your camp. Also patience, It takes a long time to get in this business and also there are so many whack artists that is in the game messing it up that the good artists can't get no shine. The whack artists are getting s deal getting paper behind them or they know an A&R or their cousin know an A&R so it is really about patience man and when you take the patience and the time out to build your own following.

What I mean by that is build your own economy when people come to D.C. and ask who is the hottest producer then I want them to say Judah. I built my own economy to where I don't have to sell independent records to be in the game. I don't have to sell major records or major beats to major artists to be in the game I can have an independent economy and still survive and live and eat just like the next man. Just to prove to you how that goes down there is a producer that was messing with T.I.and had a big record with T.I. and he was loving himself and he started charging 60 grand 70 grand a record right and then the game dried up and they were not paying 50 and 60 and 70 grand to cats with one hit. So now I get an email and I get a call Judah so and so is selling beats for a hundred dollars now.