HITSQUAD Special: Dre (Das EFX) Interview
HITSQUAD Special: Dre (Das EFX) Interview
Door: Karst Jaarsma
Fotografie: Jasper Suyk 07-08-2010
Samen met Skoob vormt Dre sinds 1988 de legendarische rapgroep Das EFX. Met hun authentieke ‘Iggedy’ stijl wisten ze een groot gedeelte van de rapwereld te inspireren. Vandaag de dag zijn de invloeden van deze kenmerkende wijze van rappen nog steeds terug te horen in het muzieklandschap. Naast een grote solo carrière is Das EFX ook onderdeel van de Hitsquad en de groep mag in onze Hitsquad special dus niet ontbreken. We hadden met Dre een uitgebreid gesprek over de Das EFX sound en jezelf vernieuwen.
You two are known for the so called ‘Iggedy’ style, how did you start rapping that way?
I do not remember that. It was many, many, many years ago, in 1990! I cannot tell you which day it happened, which record or why. It just happened. We did many songs, we probably created the style record by record. We were young boys and just making records. I do not even know if I did the Iggedy first or Skoob did it. It just evolved.
So you started rapping in a normal way and it evolved into the ‘Iggedy’ style.
Yeah definitely, I wish we had old stuff so that you can hear it. We liked to rhyme fast and it might have been an accident. I do not remember.
Would you ever want to try doing something different?
Of course, I have done a few songs on my own. They are not Das EFX records. I look at music like dressing, I do not necessary want to wear the same clothes in 2010 as I was wearing in 1984. I want to buy some new clothes. It goes the same way around with music, I want to try some new music.
I as an artist want to grow and try new sounds. The fans want the older stuff that they are used to. Jay-Z has a great line where he says: “Hov on that new shit, niggas like how come. Niggas want my old shit, buy my old album.”
As an artist you want to grow and try new shit, but the fans do not really want you to do new shit. I heard an artist once saying; “I would rather gain some new fans and lose some old fans”. It sounds kind of harsh but as an artist you do not have a other choice than trying some new things.
What kind of new things can we expect from you?
We have never done much singing on Das EFX songs, or tried different styles and beats. I am not saying that we are going to do Calypso or rock and roll or R&B, you know. I do not know what we will be doing because I just walk into the studio and see there what sounds hot to me. As an artist, you always will face that. A true artist wants to try new things, don’t you think?
But, I love to do the boombap stuff. I am not saying that it is no more boombap for me, I love it all! My problem is that I love so much different music. I can find something in Lenny Kravitz, I can find something in KRS-One, I can find something in The Black Keys, in Lionel Richie, it goes on and on. I can find something in almost everything.
You said that you just walk into the studio and there decides which beat fits you, how is that working with the two of you?
With Das EFX we know what the Das EFX sound is. We know what the fans expect from Das EFX as well, so that is easy. But for Crazy Drazy to make something different is what we’re talking about. When I am recording a Das EFX song I know the recipe. A little bit of sugar, a little underground, some salt, pepper and boom; a Das EFX song! I do not know the formula when I am recording my own songs. I just want to experiment and see where I end up.
With Das EFX you are just making what the fans want, making money and solo you are doing what you like?
No, Das EFX is like your favorite jacket that you put on. It fits great. We know what we are looking for when we go to the studio, we want that boombap hiphop beats. We know as well what the fans want, we are going to do this ‘Iggedy’ and have boombap beats. That is what Das EFX fans want to hear. I will not bring in a totally different sound on a Das EFX album. That is not what the fans want.
Why shouldn’t you experiment on a Das EFX album?
Das EFX is a team. We have a formula when we work together. It is a totally different thing when I go recording music by myself. I want to have a different sound because people otherwise will complain that it sounds like Das EFX but that they are missing Skoob.
I know it sounds complicated, but is not that complicated. It is like when NWA was together, everyone knew the NWA sound and format. Then Ice Cube went away and his music sounded a little bit like NWA but he created an own Ice Cube sound. He was not only working with Dr. Dre now and changed his sound a little.
Every Ice Cube album has its own sound, so why shouldn’t every Das EFX album has its own sound?
That is what I am saying. Every Das EFX album will have its own Das EFX sound.
You have grown up in New Jersey.
I am from New Jersey but I have not lived in New Jersey for many years. I moved out of Jersey, but I still represent New Jersey. Actually I am representing the whole world, because I perform everywhere. I was born in Jamaica, the island. Moved then to Jersey for high school and moved to Virginia for college.
That is where I met Skoob and where we started making music. We spend the most time recording music in Brooklyn. So I lived in Brooklyn for a while as well. We met EPMD, dropped out of college and left Virginia for good. We could not live in Brooklyn anymore after the first Das EFX album was released because people could not stop passing by.
So we moved to Long Island. That is more secluded and we lived there for ten years. We then moved to Atlanta where I lived for six years, very interesting place though. I am now living in a place near Washington DC, Wale his hometown.
Lots of people say that your ‘Iggedy’ style is reggae based, you are born in Jamaica. Is there a connection between the two?
Just like I said, we do not remember how we came up with it. The style was fast, we had dreads so people automatically made the reggae connection. We did not start recording any album wanting to put some reggae on it. The only connections are that I am from Jamaica, that we had dreads and we smoke a lot…
Do you mind that your music is labeled this way?
No, I do not really mind. I am grateful that people even take the time to label it. That people want to label it. I do not care how you label it as long as you take the time to listen to it and love it. It took us lots of ups and downs, blood, sweat and tears to make the music so it is great when people listen to it.
What is the best point in your career when you look back at it?
It probably was getting the record deal. We dropped out of school, everything was on the line, our parents were not happy. “You dropped out of school, after three years??!!!” You know, I only had one year to go.
Your parents are satisfied with your moves now?
They came to realize that it is about being happy and doing what you love. You have to live your own live. Nobody can walk in your shoes but you. I do not have kids yet but I know that that is going to be the thing I will tell them. I might not agree with all the shit that you are planning, I can give advice but it’s your live at the end of the day. You are the pilot.
