DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: Who were some of your earliest musical influences?
DJ Kool: Let's start from the beginning people like James Brown, Little Richard, George Clinton people like that groups like Earth, Wind & Fire groups like that that was making real music with real vocalists and with real musicians. You want to talk about DC artists let's talk about DC artists ket's talk about the godfather Chuck Brown, let's talk about groups like Troublefunk. If you want to talk about DJs coming out of this area then we have to talk about Maniac McCloud. That is my father in this business Authur ‘Maniac' McCloud and another guy named Dr.Aston Reeves who game me my first start in this.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: Is this accurate you released an album in 1988?
DJ Kool: 87 well actually the first single came in ‘87 called ‘The Music Ain't Loud Enuff Pump Up the Volume'. The full length project came in 1990 and it was called The Music Ain't Loud Enuff. It had songs like My Music Ain't Loud Enuff, What the Hell did You Come In Here For?, Reggae Dance, I can Make You Dance. There was only nine songs on there and seven of them winding up being singles.
DC Music and Models/ CRED Magazine: The actual project came in 1990. In 2008 can you talk about how much the landscape of the music industry has changed since the time you released your debut to now?
DJ Kool: (Laughs) What we are seeing right now is not hip hop as far as the actual principles of hip hop. I'm talking about peace, love, unity and having fun those laws were set in place by DJ Africa Banbadah probably the godfather or the grandfather of hip hop along with DJ Kool Herc which we know as the father. Nowadays, it's like what is going on I would like to call it un-hip-hop, because it doesn't have anything to do with the principles with the laws. Half of these lids when you talk to them today they don't know anything about the elements I ask them ‘Do you know anything about the elements of hip hop culture?' they can't tell me anything. Then I say tell who you are and what you do and they say I'm a rapper. No you are not a rapper you are an MC mi controller, master of ceremonies that is what you are oh…(laughs). Then what I normally do I try to explain to them the order in which all of these elements came in first the DJ, then the MC, then the break dancer, then the graffiti writer and don't forget about the beat boxer do you dig what I am saying the five elements and a lot of these kids don't anything about it and it is sad to me but I can't blame them because I think they are looking at a whole I think that they are looking at to much TV. I don't know I am going to write a book called the Miseducation of Hip Hop.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: Do you think artists should be more of an advocate for more positive music?
DJ Kool: First of all I think they have to learn what the culture is all about. They think it is on some what whatever because they see it popping off on TV. Half of these kids like I said you ask them about the culture you ask them about the four principles or the five elements they can't tell you anything. So therefore you got yourself involved in something that you don't know anything about as far as you know this could be a satanic cult or something. Let's look at the video imagery that is going on TV nowadays. It's nothing but soft porn breasts out, ass out. I come from a time period where this type of imagery was not allowed it was just not allowed. I can remember when there was a program Uncut came on at like 2 o'clock when the kids were sup[posed to be in bed at least they were trying to show some kind of respect. Now I can turn on a video right now what time is it? It's a little after three TNA all day! I think the culture the true culture of hip hop and everything needs to be retaught. I'm actually about to do a lecture as a matter of fact on the campus of Shaw University and I am calling it Hip Hop 101. We are going to talk about the rules, we are talking about the elements a lot of people misunderstood KRS-One when he said we need real hip hop. It is not your particular style of music it is the content of your music.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: You recorded your single ‘Let Me Clear My Throat' in 1997. Did you expect such a strong response when you made that song?
DJ Kool: Yes and No because at the time I did that song the place that I did that song, I always record my songs live for the most part it was the crowd that I was in front of. I was in front of a diverse crowd kids from DC, Philly, Southern Virginia, Jersey. I was in Richmond, Virginia so there were a lot of kids from different places the schools VCU, Virginia State these kids come from everywhere. I said if it is working for this crowd right here then it is going to work everywhere.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: I know you have your lecture coming up at Shaw University do you have anything else coming up?
DJ Kool: Some people want me to take this lecture across the country and I have no problem doing it. In some of these places I might be sitting up there like Malcolm X and people will want to blow my head off like Malcolm in the Hammerstein ballroom. I'm standing firm when it comes to sticking to the protocols sticking to the laws. These laws weren't to be used for a particular amount of time and then kicked to the side these laws were set in place to be used from the onset to forever and ever but we did get lost. I think we got lost around let me see the gangsta rap era.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine:1986? N.W.A. Straight Outta Compton?
DJ Kool: (continues) Yeah a lot of people misunderstood them cats. Basically, what they were telling you was they were seeing this was their everyday life colors, the fuck the police stuff and all that was real for them.Now everybody wants to be hard hard hard nobody cares how hard you are. Nobody really cares but I think people misunderstood the messages that N.W.A. was trying to get across. I think a lot of people misunderstood the messages that Tupac Shakur was trying to get across even what the word thug did not mean what most of us thought it meant or a lot of them thought it meant. It meant something that was totally more positive then what a lot of folks interpreted it to mean. Once again it is going to come back around it's going to take some time there are artist out there the Talib's, the Commons and there are other people that try to stick close to the laws and culture of hip hop.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: What does D.C. need to do to emerge as a movement on the national scene much like Houston did three years ago?
DJ Kool: A lot more of this (clutches his hands together)….unity. There is a little bit of childish hatred going on still between these little crews and they have to realize what is going on. They have to realize that strength is always going to come in numbers. Always that particular law or rule will never ever change and if you are showing unity let's say people from New York see that them cats from DC getting together and they are sounding good maybe we need to pay more attention to them right now. They also have to step their business up I am seeing a lot of that as far as promotions and marketing and taking things up to the next level. I am liking what I am seeing.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: What would you like to say to DC artists and business people in closing?
DJ Kool: Just stay on your grind man this is a business there are a lot of artists running around here they don't have business managers, they don't have entertainment lawyers or anything like that they got they cousin managing them and things like that, and your cousin can't read the writing on this contract he does not understand the language even if I was to spit it in Lamen's terms he would be like what? Therefore, that is a person you do not want controlling your life so to speak. You need to get your business thing together and people will respect you a lot more.
DC Music and Models/CRED Magazine: DJ Kool thank you very much for your time.
