Interviews Kenwop

[Fade]

Wassup? What's new with you?

Nothing much, chillin trying to stay on my grind. I've been working like crazy 7 days a week plus overtime every day so I'm pretty shot right now. Me and the rest of the Cold Kutz fam are trying to get this album together. We try to do as many shows, events, industry parties as we can but being that we all work and have families, it's a constant struggle but somehow we do it.

What's with the name Kenwop? Where did that come from?

That came way back when I was about 13 or 14, my man Izzy Moe called me that one day and it just stuck with me since. To break it down, my name is Kenny and I'm Italian, mix it up and ya got Kenwop.

Where are you from?

I was born in Brooklyn, New York and I lived in Flatbush, Coney Island, and Marine Park. Now I'm living in Shaolin, for those that ain't up on it that's Staten Island, New York. I'm in the Port Richmond area so basically I'm reppin BK and holding it down for SI and all of NYC.

Tell us about your winning beat. Was it easy making a Carribean beat?

Well I have to give props to wifey for this one she helped me out a lot and she is big into Reggae being that she is Jamaican and all that, so first off thanks to her - I love you baby! I didn't find it that hard, I guess the most difficult part was the drums because I'm not used to making those types of beats but it was definitely fun and a great experience. I had the fam dancing around the house for two days straight.

How did it feel to finally win the competition?

It felt great knowing all the talent on this site it's an honor to take first place and props to all of you but it's my time to shine bitches - na I'm playin'. Much respect to all my ill peeps - stay up and keep bringing that heat.

I remember that video you sent in for the video section, tell us about that and about your crew.

Aight that video was pretty much the whole Cold Kutz camp, we had my man Web on the hook, the MC's were Catalyst, myself and Spook 1, filmed by my boy Sav. The beat was actually done by another one of my ill peeps on this site, King Corruption also known to y'all as Haze. It was shot walking down 5th ave in Sunset Park, Brooklyn and in Sunset Park itself with a couple shots of our old studio. The song was a dedication to Hip-Hop. If any of you listened to it you would see what I'm saying, I guess it was our way of showing respect to the game.

So have you guys shot other videos as well? Have you ever got your video played on TV?

That was our first video, we have another in the works right now. It was played on the cable access channel in Brooklyn and Staten Island a couple of times but nothing too crazy. We pass it out when we do shows or when we sell a CD we give a free DVD and that would be the video. So we are still working it, as always money and time are issues plus everyone's schedule always conflicts, but keep your eyes and ears open because we are trying to flood the streets and the net.

When did you first start making beats?

I started making beats when I was around 16 or 17 way back when. First I got a keyboard and just used that and a tape deck to make and record them. After a while I got a drum machine, DR Sample and a 4 track, and the rest is history.

Do you MC too?

I do MC. I've been rhyming since I was 14 years old but lately I've been focusing on my beat making and production because I really don't have time to do both, but I'm hoping someday I can really sit and get serious with my rhyming again because it's something I love. When I make beats, the whole time I'm rhyming in my head or freestyling. I jump on an occasional track here and there but lately nothing too crazy but don't sleep on this cat for real!

Why do you think today's production is so much different from that of the golden era (early to mid 90's)?

Well in the early 90's, ish was raw and you could almost feel the realness coming out ya speakers. Now it's changed so much everyone wants to be a gangsta or whatever everyone else is, and it's so commercialized that I don't even listen to the radio anymore it's crazy. Back in the 90's the beats and production were pretty basic, maybe a change up or two in a beat but that was rare but it still rocked. Now you make a beat it gotta change up a hundred and fifty times or people say it's repetitive but that's what Hip-Hop is - repetition. Listen to any of the classic Hip-Hop albums and that's all you hear - repetitive beats and ill MC's. You're lucky if there is 3 or 4 changeups on an album. I guess it's the new generation and time's changing but the 90's will live forever in my CD changer.

I hear ya when it comes to the 90's style. Today's got too many changeups for sure, but what about the lyrics? What's your opinion on that?

The lyrics definitely have changed, now everyone is a drug dealer and a thug and got their spinners and all that bullshit. In some cases it's true but whatever, be creative and stop trying to be what everyone else is, there are too many Indians and not enough Chiefs, feel me? I always keep the 90's alive, it's just Hip-Hop in its rawest stage.

Who or what are some of your influences?

The RZA, Premier, my boy Joe Bodega, Big Ho, Bolos aka Krome Magnus, Catalyst Spook, Dyverse the first, Boot Camp Click, Eric B and Rakim, Biggie, Nas, Redman, EPMD, Run DMC, Wu Tang, Folklore, Gugy, Riddles, Mad Infinite. I try to just do what I do and not try to sound like anyone else and create my own style.

Have you ever recorded in a real studio?

Between me and my partners we got three places to record. Anyone that's ever there, if they get a phone call they say "I will call you back I'm in the studio", no matter who's house it is and I consider all our setups to be real and put out quality music from each. So the answer is YES I record in a real studio every day. Anyone that needs studio time holla. Bodega Cold Kutz is open to the public for a small fee or a lot of liquor!

So you're basically recording all the time?

As much as I can. I have 3 partners and they are all producers and we all rep Cold Kutz, so if I'm not recording, Joe Bodega is, if he ain't Big Ho is, and if he ain't Big Tone is, so we try to keep it moving as much as possible. Most definitely every Friday someone is in the lab laying tracks down 'till the early morning.

What's the first thing you do when you start a beat?

I pretty much don't have a first thing it could be whatever I'm feeling at the moment, or something I got stuck in my head. Most of the time I get on my comp and just mess with different things until I like something and start from there, or I will hear an old song on the radio or something and hear something I like and don't rest until I get the name and artist so I can get the song and start chopin. I could say most of the time I do the drums last 'cause the whole time I am making the beat, the drums are already laid down in my head unless I use a sampled drum pattern, then I might start with that.

Do you mostly sample or use synths?

When I started I hated to sample. I thought it was cheating but it grew on me and now I sample a lot. Usually I try to come up with something on the keyboard or with my own sounds and if I ain't feeling it I'll look for a sample to chop or have my man play some guitar riffs for me and work off that. I would say I sample 60 percent of the time, the other 40 I will create myself with synths or my keyboard or some guitar.

Tell us about your setup.

I have a Dell laptop with a Pentium 2, 1 GB of RAM that I just use for music, nothing else. I make all my beats on Fruity 5 and my man's MPC 1000. I record in Adobe Audition and chop all my samples in Wavelab. I have Reason but don't really use it. I also have a Yamaha AW 16g digital 16 track recorder I use when my computer pisses me off and decides to crash. My 16 track NEVER crashes so I keep it around. For my comp I got a US-122 soundcard, and a M-Audio keystation MIDI controller. Also I use a DR Sample - the old one, 2 Technics 1200 and my keyboard is a Roland XP-60 workstation, and a DBX 266 XL compressor, Art Tube pre-amp, and I'm looking to buy a new mic pretty soon. Right now I got a Samson.

What's that Yamaha 16 track like? And what about the XP60? What made you get those 2 pieces of gear?

The Yamaha AW 16G is basically a 16 track digital recorder. It has a built-in CD-RW, many effects and mastering tools, and it's very reliable. I know there are many of you out there that hate your comp as much as me when it crashes and freezes and all that wak ish, so most times I record in the AW and then dump it to my comp to master and mix it. What made me get that was because I had to upgrade from my 4 track Tascam LOL, saved some dough and checked out my options and came home with the AW. Thanks to Mr Sam Ssh and no intrest, no payments for a year.

The XP-60 I had for about 8 or 9 years now, it has some nice sounds. I'm gonna upgrade my keyboard pretty soon though but it's definitely a nice piece of equipment. I got it as a Christmas present and that's what I was using for a while to make all my beats on. I don't think I'm gonna get rid of it either, I'll keep it around because it has some nice old hard to find sounds and later on it could be a secret weapon of sorts, who knows.

Why did you get into production?

Basically I was tired of buying singles and looking to see what had instrumentals on it so we could rhyme to it back in the day, plus when we started we recorded with two tape decks - one playing a beat, the other recording our vocals. We felt it was time to get serious and up the quality.

What's the 1 thing you like the most about producing? And what's the 1 thing you hate the most about producing?

What I love most is that I can create something and make it any way I want, whatever mood I'm in or feeling I have I can go with it. What I hate most is when someone is like "no do this or do that or change this or make it like this", that drives me crazy. Just let me do my shit and leave me alone and when I'm done you can tell me what you like and don't like and then get to steppin.

If you were to record an MC over one of your beats, what kind of advice and direction would you give him/her?

First we would talk and see what direction we were going with the song, find a topic so everyone is on track. Then it's just ride the beat, keep your flow tight, try if you can to keep your voice level during the verse, and be as creative as you can.

What's the hardest part of making a beat?

About making a beat to me I really don't find anything hard, I guess the hard part is making something everyone will like which is impossible, but I do try. There are tracks I make that I hate and almost have deleted that people love, and then there are some tracks I love and people hate. Now that I think of it, I find making a beat with a theme in mind a little hard because when I sit to make a beat, usually I just mess with stuff until I feel something, but with themes in mind you have something set to do and I feel a little restricted.

I think a lot of "beatmakers" don't spend enough time practicing their mixing skills. What's your opinion on this?

If you don't practice your mixing skills, either you don't want your music to sound as good as it can or you have a lot of money to pay someone to do it. Mixing is something you have to want to do, it could be very time consuming and make you wanna break shit but in the long run it's well worth it.

What's your ultimate goal with your music?

My goal is to make consistant good muzik and do whatever I can to let everyone know the talent we have in the Cold Kutz camp. Making a lil' money wont hurt either. I don't need to be rich, just make enough off music to live and support my family and do something I love to do to make a living. It's not easy, there are many talented peolple out there and most of them are on this site "Props to IllMuzik" but I'm just waiting to get my foot in the right door and then I'm gonna kick that shit off the hinges.

Has IllMuzik helped you considerably since you started coming here?

It really really has, it helped me realize how many ill cats are out there and has made me and the rest of the camp step our game up. All of you here keep me on my toes daily and much props to everyone who takes the time to answer questions and help others out, it's hard to find that nowadays. It's like a family neighborhood atmosphere and everyone shows love and all the haters and big mouths get the boot. It's like they get jumped once they say the wrong thing just like real life when you are with your peoples, we are internet peoples and you get honest opinions of your music from talented producers up in here.

Oh yeah, how did you find IllMuzik? You've been around for a while!

I am pretty sure i found it from going to Bangin Beats, I checked it out and once I found out it was a site just for producers I was hooked and have been here since. I don't think a day goes by that I dont log on at least once to see what's going on.

Well thanks for doing this interview. Any shoutouts you'd like to give?

Yea no doubt shouts to the Bodega Cold Kutz fam, my IllMuzik fam, and Fade for letting me shine a little with this interview. Joe Bodega, Catalyst, Spook, Big Ho, Jeff, Big Tone, Gugy, Tempo, Dyverse the 1st, Clock A Dot, Krome Magnus, Spillz, Albert, Mariella, Devin, Asley, my wifey, my moms and all the true Hip-Hop headz stand up - I'm out.