These Questions
were asked by Oriana in the US at Buzz,Washington DC.
Oriana: This is
the first time that you’ve been in Washington DC for two years.
You have been out to the west coast more frequently. Will you come
spin here again more often?
DJ Rap: Well,
this is possibly my last DJ tour in the States. Right now I’m tired
of being on tour and its a lot of work. I came out here on tour
with Sneak and feel that the next time I come out will be with my
band. I’ve been with the band for the last 10 years and its great.
Its so much fun and I’ve been busy writing our album which is not
characteristically drum and bass. I want to do something different
so though I hope to again come to the States and perform, next time
will be with my band.
Oriana: As a female
DJ, do you feel that the drum and bass music industry has been a
lot more difficult for you to express yourself in as an artist?
Do you feel as if you must spin more techstep or heavier, male dominated
industry tracks to please the crowd?
DJ Rap: No, I
don’t believe that its any different for a man than a woman. The
most important thing to me is good records that produce a good vibe.
I like pleasing the crowd, as well as myself, but in a crowd setting
I don’t want to scare them away with crazy dubplates.
Oriana: There
have been some comments made about how you have used your sexuality
on fliers, etc. to sell records and events. How do you feel about
that statement and what would you say to these critics?
DJ Rap: Fuck em!!!
I don’t and have never used my sexuality to sell anything. I am
where I am because I spin, produce, compose, and engineer all my
own tracks. I’ve worked with my band for ten years. The people that
say that I’ve slept my way to where I’m at are dumb and ignorant.
I’ve worked very hard to get where I am and if at the end of the
day I’m an attractive bird, well then, so be it. I’m sick of hearing
this shit. So all I have to say is "Fuck em"!
Oriana: Do you
spin for yourself or for the crowd? You really excited the crowd
tonight with a lot of rewinds and your new tracks that you dropped
were stormers.
DJ Rap: I spin
for both the crowd and myself when I spin out. I mean, you have
to please both to be a good DJ. Obviously at home I spin different
sets than I would spin out. Generally I go for deeper tunes at home.
Oriana: How do
you feel about the techstep craze and the idea that some say that
there is no more "soul" in jungle music? Do you feel that its played
out?
DJ Rap: Personally,
I think that its time to go on to different things. I think I’m
bored with the music now to a point. Its getting harder to play
with the same enthusiasm. That’s why I’m really involving myself
now with the band. The band is really different music. However,
I think that you can produce different music while incorporating
drum and bass influences. And that’s what we’re doing with the band.
Its more freeing though because its better than getting stuck with
having the same intro, same 16 bar phrases, same drum rolls, and
dropping bass lines. Its hard to say because there used to be a
time when 100 records would come out and they were all stormers.
Now its like 1 record in 100. I think that all music gets to a point
where everything has been gotten out of it. And I think that jungle
has reached that point. Of course I still think that Roni Size,
all of V, Andy C, Sneak, Moving Shadow (etc.) are producing great
records. I’ll always enjoy their work. However now for me personally,
the band is where I see my work progressing.
