The golden 90’s era is where
sampling beats and lyrics matter and it still is today. A lot of producers have
paved their way through sampling beats from the MPC 2000, ASR 10 to chop up
beats, add kicks and snares. Artists can flip both emceeing and production in
one element. This includes Brownsville New York’s prolific artist Agallah who
has blessed the hip hop scene since his first single hood anthem “Ghetto Girl”.
Agallah have produced for EPMD, Das Efx, Onyx, Sean Price, R.A. The Rugged Man,
Mr. Cheeks, Busta Rhymes, Big Pun, Remy Ma, to name a few. As a former member
of the group Purple City, he is well known for his solo projects and his
production skills. Agallah has been one of the few emcee/producers during the
90’s before it exploded to a different phenomenon.
Intrigued has the humble chance to
interview with Agallah as he discussed his most talked about mixtape “The Red V” as well as his forthcoming
album, working with Alchemist, working with Pop Off and his overview of the hip
hop game.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): The Red V
mixtape is awesome, tight production, great lyrics. The audience is receptive
to the mixtape. Are you satisfied with the mixtape and if there is anything you
would change on the mixtape?
Agallah:
Yes i stayed
tru to my roots on #REDVMIXTAPE i dont regret nothing or changing we spent a lot
of time trying to make sure its special , I don’t try and come with music
to compete cause everyone is in competition and this industry can be very
competitive and don’t want that aura on my music . I just know how to make
incredible records.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): Flashback
thought: When you came out with Ghetto Girl (my personal favorite till this
day) and the classic album Wrap Your Lips Around This, did you say to yourself,
this is what I wanted to do with hip hop?
Agallah: When I came out with
ghetto girl it wasn’t my plan to make that record. I was experimenting but knew
it was something the label (east west) could market and promote, they really
had no plan when they signed me as well as the other artists on East West/Elektra
at the time. Wrap your lips around this is a cult classic heads will never hear
me rhyme like that again. I switched my style cause you grow out of certain
ways as a MC so that’s what happened and glad it’s one of your favorite joints
.glad it made an impact.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): You’re on of
the most prolific producers in the game. Who were your musical influences in
the game?
Agallah: Thank you well the pioneers Marley
Marl, Erick Sermon, Dr Dre, DJ Premier, Easy Mo Bee, Pete Rock, Latief who did
the slaughter house album for Masta Ace, Ty fyfe got dope production too always
wanted to work with him, and others, Alchemist is dope I just know my style
goes with his production so me and ALC have chemistry, sampling will never die
the game needs that.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): I definitely
admire your work ethic. You got that go getter attitude by doing it on your own
and you had tragedies early in life. How did it shape your musical work ethic
and your view on life?
Agallah:
Well we are all
human at the end of the day and work without faith isn’t happening. I did demos
in studios on borrowed time. Shopped deals even still when labels turned me
down and didn’t give up. I’m a man first before the mic so there’s certain
things I’m not gonna tolerate like disrespect. I am from Brownsville projects
so I grew up with a chip on my shoulder and learned to brush it off cause
nowadays these youth don’t know struggle to a certain extent. I as well as
other rappers my age pay respects to the forefathers and I don’t see that in today’s
culture, people screaming out young like that is gonna last forever. Nas said
you gonna be older longer then you'll be younger. Do the knowledge.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): The Red V
mixtape is the warm up to your next project, the Red Velvet. How the project coming
along and how much of it is completed?
Agallah: Red Velvet been was
completed but didn’t wanna surprise the people too soon cause it is truly an
epic album which I been working on for the last 7 years. I know you saying 7
years? Yeah it takes time to make a fine wine and that’s what red velvet is
like a fine wine sifting thru the b.s going on in the rap game now. Trust me
this is a classic album i put my name on that.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): We are going
to keep the new album in suspense for the listeners, (laughs). What can the
fans expect from the new album?
Agallah:
They can expect
greatness at a high level, right now I got Roc Marci, Big Daddy Kane, Prodigy,
Alchemist and Dame Grease ,Killah Priest, Inspectah Deck, Sean Price,
Termanology, Killer Mike posed to make an appearance as well as others such as
Planet Asia, Rockness Monsta, Onyx and more. I got a gang of dope motherfukers
who is all on the same vision with me and I can’t go wrong cause I aint
planning to fail. Word! The red velvet album is fire also got Ras Kass and
Chino XL. Total emcee and producer carnage!
DJC Jones (Intrigued): One of my
favorite tracks on the mixtape is “Sky High” with Popoff. It has an
intoxicating feel good west coast feel to it, love the video. What did you see
in Popoff that made you decide yo I want him to get on this track?
Agallah:
Well Pop Off
has a commanding voice when I met him. I was impressed by his style to say that
he is Mexican from Whittier California who has been in the streets and survived
thru the love of hip hop. Him and his brother Gil are very passionate about the
culture and they were like my first homies I met on the west. Me and Pop Off
have a good chemistry and that’s what’s it’s all about. Can’t force great sound
or music when you don’t have chemistry! Check his mixtapes G&C 1 and
G&C 2 also his EP with producer Max Dollas called Strength. Pop Off is a
part of my movement now Propain Campain. Other artists to watch for Spliff Hemingway
and my secret weapon Young hope! Hope will bring hope back to this rap shit.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): You also got
an Alchemist track on the mixtape. In fact, you and Alchemist produced Crookie
Monster which is very creative. How was it working with him and what element(s)
did he add to the mixtape?
Agallah: Alchemist is like a drug dealer with the best coke in
town. I mean he a white boy making crack that’s like Boston George or some shit
feel me, when I met him he had a keyboard, ASR and records and just bangin out
joints. When I met Al, we just were fond of each other skills and became
friends. Hung out in his apt in NYC a lot and just was creatively making joints
and record shopping. Al makes sure he is doing something that is gonna last that’s
why I work with him. He is not a fly by night producer.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): What are the
arsenals of equipment you use when making an Agallah beat?
Agallah: My mpc 2000, 3000, reason, logic , live instruments ,
analog gear , my portable mpk mini , lots of vst's ,protools mbox and mic
DJC Jones (Intrigued): What do you
think about hip hop nowadays compared to how hip hop was when you first
started?
Agallah: Hip hop has evolved into a big corporation now. It’s all
over. Anyone can try to rap but it’s not organic anymore. Now you can buy a ratchet
rapper song online like a dollar menu, music that don’t help you get healthy
but causes a cancer, that’s what’s going on cancer music. I’m not gonna say
that for every artist, there are some who trying to say some stuff, I can’t
even remember who, it’s so much poison out right now.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): If you come
through material from an upcoming artist or producer, what talents do you look
for?
Agallah: I look for a skill
a talent that no one has, how much an artist puts into his or her craft
dedication and work. The work will speak for itself as Jordan said he had to
start from the bottom when he played for North Carolina and when he got to the NBA
he also started at the low bottom of the totem pole, soon to win 6 chips. Start
from the bottom for real you'll get to the top eventually.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): The hip hop
world heard the Kendrick Lamar verse on Big Sean’s “Control” record. What were
your thoughts of Kendrick’s verse?
Agallah: Kendrick’s verse
def sparked a riot for a few weeks, I don’t know if it was positive or
negative, hopefully he can just keep making good material, as far as his style,
Andre 3000 is def the father of it and can’t say that he is truly original. I
break down rappers, I’m a producer I hope he don’t get offended. Oh well,
PROPAIN IS THE SHIT!
DJC Jones (Intrigued): You
discography resume is filled with the best artists. You worked with the best of
the best from R.A. the Rugged Man, The Alchemist, Mr. Cheeks to platinum artists
like Busta Rhymes and Big Pun. With 20 plus years under your belt, what
motivates you to continue do music?
Agallah: Technology was gonna
change the game whether producers emailed beats or not, now it’s too easy, so
now everything don’t come across authentic it’s very hard to filter tru hip hop
so be careful listeners everything aint that boom bap rap, it’s a lot of wack
sauce over bass beats and that ross style era of music is now played out to me,
people can be more creative. I aint knock the bass sound but be more creative. We
gonna start looking stupid if we don’t.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): With
technology changing the game, emcees and producers are emailing tracks and
doing beats on IPad’s. During the 90’s golden era, everything is done in the
studio. What do you think about artists emailing tracks and do you think that
messes up the creativity as oppose to working with the artists in the studio?
Agallah: Yes and no on that one from a labels
perspective yes, from an artist /fan perspective no.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): What advice
would you give to upcoming artists and producers that want to get in the game
right now?
Agallah: Start building your
brand from the start. Don’t get caught up in false promises and dreams go and
get yours. You ya self, don’t rely on people in the business ESPECIALLY WHEN
YOU AINT PAYING THEM YET. Best advice i could give.
DJC Jones (Intrigued): We’re about
to close this, where can peeps hit you up for guest features and production.
Also where can peeps download and hear your music? Any social networks or
emails they can hit you up with!
Agallah: FOR GUEST FEATURES WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/AGALLAH
SUBSCRIBE TO MY VEVO CHANNEL WWW.YOUTUBE.COM/AGALLAHVEVO
LIKE RED V MIXTAPE PAGE WWW.FACEBOOK.COM/REDVMIXTAPE
TWITTER INSTAGRAM PAGES: @AGALLAHTHEDON @PROPAINCAMPAIN
DJC Jones (Intrigued): Any last
words and or shoutouts!
Agallah:
The most high,
Allah the most merciful, my family, friends those who support me, my whole
Propain Campin family, the city of New York and the city of Los Angeles,
Propain Cats World Wide
Go cop that new mixtape from Agallah The Red V on Itunes! Hip Hop at its purest.
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