Interview with Aneeway Jones
1)
Aneeway Jones, what you up to these days?
Peace. Summertime you know, everything goes kinda slowly so i just take
time for myself and my daughter, I'm in Grenoble, France for now and about to
go on vacation with her. I don't have that time the rest of the year so i just
do simple things these days and enjoy life. And for sure promoting my new album
"by Aneebeats necessary".
2)
How you came up with the name Aneeway Jones?
I think it really started when i heard Quasimoto's album "the
unseen" in 2000 which is one of the albums I like the most. I noticed that
Madlib used the word "anyway" mad times in his lyrics and especially
in "jazzcats" when he says "anyway, I love jazz". I've
certainly started to make beats after I’ve heard this album because of the love
for this culture of digging samples and loops. Kids and then girls used to call
me Jones for some reasons, and you know "anyway" is one of the most pronounced
words in English and Jones is one of the most popular name also, so the
association of the two becomes unique. Also a meaning of how to be a regular
person with something special likes making music.
3)
Who are your musical influences?
I grew up with a lot of music when I was a kid with my pops; he listened
to a lot of blues and mostly 70's music like Bob Dylan, The Doors, and Pink
Floyd etc…. Then I came to
hip-hop in 94 but to name a few influences I would say Gil Scott-Heron, Madlib, RZA, Pete Rock, for sure J-Dilla but also movies, I watch a lot of them. And New York is a city that influences me a lot; I used to stay in Brooklyn so it is a big influence on my music and lifestyle. But you know there are dope joints in every kind of music so I take influences everywhere as long as I can feel that groove!
hip-hop in 94 but to name a few influences I would say Gil Scott-Heron, Madlib, RZA, Pete Rock, for sure J-Dilla but also movies, I watch a lot of them. And New York is a city that influences me a lot; I used to stay in Brooklyn so it is a big influence on my music and lifestyle. But you know there are dope joints in every kind of music so I take influences everywhere as long as I can feel that groove!
4)
Hailing from France, what made you decide to become a
producer?
I've started to rhyme in 96 or 97 and there was no internet and that
many producers at the time so for a young artist it was mad hard to find
exclusive beats to record because there was no record deal etc... So we've been
recording on some beats from vinyls. I was like I needed to produce my own
instrumentals. As I said before I really felt in love with this art of making
beats and digging, and looping samples with Quasimoto's LP. That’s what made me
decide to buy my first MPC 2000 in 2002. I was 18. I've spent mad times on it
and finally stopped rhyming because of not enough time to do everything; you
know work a 9-5 to pay bills etc. Producing hip-hop matches to the person I am
so everything came up naturally.
5)
How did you learn to make beats and produce?
By myself! I've spent mad times to listen to some hip-hop and different
styles of music to study and learn how the tracks were produced, how bassline
were made, drums, try to find how producers used samples, filters and so. Then I’ve just tried to make
it sound similar on my MPC. It took me a few years to master it, and step by
step getting my own style. But I've always known before I've started to produce how I wanted my
music to be like. Just spend times by myself, with the sampler and a bunch of
records!
6)
How long you have been making beats?
I've started in 2002, so for 10 years! Time runs fast yo!
7)
Do you think your beats have progressed over the
years?
Yes, definitely. I'm a work addict so I'm always looking for making
something different. I love discovering new stuffs that inspires me so I always
have new ideas about music. And you know when you meet people that bring you
something musically and spiritually your music evolves and progress by itself.
Traveling was the key also. L.I.F.E. Long was one of these people I'm talking
about. You know, I’ve put out around 20 instrumentals albums and EP's with
different concepts, like only Indian samples after my little brother came back
from India or only doo-wop samples etc. Staying open to different things and
always keep it moving make me evolve through my music so yes I can say that it
has progressed over the years.
8)
How was it producing tracks with France TV channel
Canal Plus?
Canal Plus is a big channel so I was honored to work for them. Our
tracks were played each time before every NBA games, for two years. First year
was with L.I.F.E. Long & Respect Tha God from Perverted Monks, second year was with L.I.F.E. Long and
Iomos Marad. They also played other tracks during the highlights. A lot of
people who watch NBA games like hip-hop so it was a great promotion plus I was
a fan of that dude who hosts the show since I'm a kid as a basket-ball fan.
Respect Tha God has been interviewed before they broadcast a game also, I
wasn't there, I think I still was in The States at this time, anyway. It was a
dope experience, real talk, like real underground hip-hop on TV!
9)
Talk to us about Beat Trotterz label
Beat Trotterz is french label managed by my man Lord Faz. I've met him
at a show in southern France. He is a DJ and producer so he wanted to create a
label for producers.
We are 6 or 7 in it and he put out a compilation of remixes we produced. I've made two of them. He's also a tour DJ and tout manager so he book shows for artists like Verbal Kent, Radix, Icon The Mic King and perform with them as a DJ. The label put out mad mixtapes for U.S artists, last one was for my homie Racecar of Modill. We are now working on a new Modill project. Beat Trotterz has also a podcasts website with a few DJ's spinning hot music on.
We are 6 or 7 in it and he put out a compilation of remixes we produced. I've made two of them. He's also a tour DJ and tout manager so he book shows for artists like Verbal Kent, Radix, Icon The Mic King and perform with them as a DJ. The label put out mad mixtapes for U.S artists, last one was for my homie Racecar of Modill. We are now working on a new Modill project. Beat Trotterz has also a podcasts website with a few DJ's spinning hot music on.
10)
What do you look for in a hip hop artist?
I just expect artists to stay true to themselves and bring heat on the
beats. They can write on everything they want as far as the music is good. There's
no rules to make music and being creative, just staying ourselves and don't
fake it. That's why hip-hop is a varied culture; each one of us brings
something different.
11)
Any artist you haven’t worked with but you really like
to work with?
A lot of artists! To name a few I would say Sean Price, C-Rayz Walz, Wu-Tang
members, Sav Killz, RA The Rugged Man, Buckshot, my brother Premrock, just
waiting for us to be free at the same time to do it, I don't know, there's
many..Declaime also, anybody else who is dope.
12)
How about Money Hungry Bastards?
MHB, also means Make Hip-Hop Better or a few other things is a huge crew
of artists all over the world. We have a website that introduces the artists,
we put out albums and mixtapes with most of us on them and we work on mad projects all together or
just a few of us. We all fams and stay in touch to debate on music, music
industry etc. I've worked with a few artists of the crew and working on some EP's for some of them. You
can hear me with MHB memebers like L.I.F.E. Long, Leaf Erikson, Masai Bey,
Which Craft, Citizen Kane, Emac Ulit.
13)
How did the A.L.L.I.E.S. crew come about?
Allies is me, L.I.F.E. Long from New York and Iomos Marad from Chicago.
This is an acronym for Aneeway Life Long & Iomos Elevate Souls. I was
making music with both of them and they knew each other too so we decided to
make a track the three of us and "winter" came out. People liked it a
lot and the alchemy was there so we decided to work on a whole album. They came
to visit me in France in 2010, I've met L.I.F.E. Long and stay with him before
but it was the first time I've met Iomos face to face. We've spent time working,
recording, promoting, chilling, and Allies was born. We've put out a mixtape
online and our first album is coming soon.
14)
That’s an awesome connection: France, New York and
Chicago. How do you get with them and do tracks together?
As I said they came to France, we've recorded ruff versions of the
tracks, then they been recording the tracks again in Chicago and New York, I
came to New York and worked on the mixes with L.I.F.E. Long and our sound
engineer Ed, we talk on the internet, on the phone, we use of all the ways we
have to build, it's funny Iomos just texted me!
15)
You worked on an album with Unknown Mizery called
“Empty Handed Warriors”. What was the concept behind the album?
I am proud of this album, Unknow Mizery is a dope artist and we had
success on it, it was charted number one on university radios in Canada, people
liked it. Rumplestilz, a cello player also worked with us on it. Mizery is very
political and he speaks on how to struggle the system, how to think by
ourselves, how to refuse to believe what the governments want us to believe. We
are like warriors even if our hands are empty; we have to use our intellect and
knowledge as a weapon. Mizery came to Europe on tour to promote the album, he
met a lot of people and then Empty Handed Warriors became a movement with a lot
of artists across the world, we've put out an album a few months ago with all
of them. The movement or crew, whatever we call it, is so huge now I'm not even
sure everyone knows that I am at the beginning of it!!
16)
You did remixes for Ghostface, GZA and Joell Ortiz to
name a few. It seems like remixes are not as popping like before. In the 90’s
almost every record had a remix or a B side that wasn’t on the album.
Yes sir, true. Remixes were dope at this time when Pete Rock dropped his
remixes of Public Enemy etc. The exclusive remixes on the b-sides maybe were
like a collaboration between the artist and another producer. In the 90's there
was Producers. Now that everybody has a laptop, a facebook page and software to
make beats, we can't say that each of them is a producer. They are beat makers
and everyone can remix a track and put it online. Remixes ain't popping like
before but now there are a lot of remix contests so anybody that makes dope
beats can promote his music this way. Also I think that now, we can download
that many things too easily on the internet that people don't listen that many
times to the same tracks, life of a track is shorter now so maybe people don't
pay attention to remixes and don't wait for producers to remix tracks, they
bounce from one thing to another mad fast. Remember back in the days, we spent
bucks on some records and listened to them until the cd or vinyl was dead!!
17)
Who are your favorite hip hop producers at the moment?
These days? Kankick. I'm listening to a lot of Kankick beats. And as
always Madlib, J-Dilla, 4th Disciple, RZA, Black Milk, Lewis Parker.
18)
You got the online radio show, Bring Dutches, how is
that going?
Yeah, I did it for three years, every Saturday for Stay Rap Radio that
closed last February. Now it is like a social network for French artists. I was
playing songs I like and I really liked to do it. I've continued to do it just by myself, put the
podcasts on my mixcloud page and they also will be soon on the Beat Trotterz
web radio called Mixlawax.
19)
You got an album coming up “By Anee Beats Necessary.
Talk to us about the album.
This album dropped last may 25th on New York label Cocoon Movements
thanks to L.I.F.E. Long and Chicago distribution company Joe Left Hand records
thanks to Infinito 2017. It's available on Itunes, Amazon, Virgin, Deezer,
Spotify and all sites you can buy music on. There are 20 tracks featuring MC's
and 3 instrumental tracks on it. You can find mad cats from New York, Canada,
Chicago, California, Detroit, Greece and France. Artists like my Allies
brothers L.I.F.E. Long and Iomos Marad, Ace Lover, Khai Sharrieff of Lunar
Heights, Leaf Erikson, Juni, Unknown Mizery, Illskilled, my sister Nena Bleu
from Brooklyn, and many more. The title of the album is for sure from that famous
"by any means necessary" from Malcolm X. It's a soulful album, music
from the heart and the soul and I'm happy of what MC's did on it, peace to all
of them.
20)
Was it hard getting verses from artists for the By
Anee Beats Necessary album?
Nah! This is the NO budget album; I didn't have to pay anyone to be on
it because I know personally everybody who is on it! Some of them even know my
moms, brothers and daughter or were my neighbors! This is a kind of family
album, I didn't want to have big names on it just to have buzz, my music speaks
for itself, same for my people who are on this album.
21)
Is there anything that bothers you about modern day
hip hop?
Absolutely not! Hip-hop is still real or it ain't hip-hop, I don't have
time to waste to listen and debate on wack joints. Hip-hop changed maybe but
nothing can stand at the same point for 40 years. Maybe younger artists and newcomers have to acknowledge
their history. But it's all good!
22)
What’s next for Aneeway Jones in 2012?
Still promoting the album "by Aneebeats necessary". And a
bunch of projects! I love producing a whole project for an artist. Here is
people I will drop a project with: Allies, L.I.F.E. Long, a mixtape and an album with Queens MC Hastyle The Barber-Artist,
D-Strong from Los Angeles, Lee Reed from Toronto, Grone da Radikal from
Florida, Hakeem Sayeed from Swatziland, South Africa, a reggae album with Which
craft and other MHB artists, an album with Khai Sharrieff of Lunar Heights
& Icewater of The Pharcyde. Another EP with German mc Ammoeinser & African
mc Street. EP with soul Canadian singer Ayo Leilani. Also a few instrumental
projects like "Amakat in India part 2" and an album of me as an MC's
under the name of Rasheed Cole. Here what is coming for 2012 and beginning of
2013. Hopefully an "Empty Handed Warriors" album volume 2 with Unknow
Mizery! An album I'm making for someone special under the name of The 7's,
y'all know the concept soon. No sleep!
23)
Where headz can get at your beats or music?
Just google my name, and check on youtube, soundcloud, blogspots etc.
Everyone can also hit me up on Facebook!
24)
Any shoutouts!
Thank you, and peace to you for the interview! Peace to my little
brothers Mike and Charly, my brothers L.I.F.E. Long and Iomos marad, Power.Allah.Universe.Love.I.Nation.Equality
ready to build! Hastyle Barber number one all MC's on my album, my MHB team, my Empty Handed Warriors team, my Beat
Trotterz team, Hobo Banditos, Jaki M., Ace Lover, Geometry, Nena Bleu, Leaf
Erikson, Khai Sharrieff, Sapeur, Teo,
Rime Hunter, my Brizaka Records team, Stronghold, my Grenoble team, Size, Greg,
Seb, Dj Senik, Dj Skore, Bwy-J, Premrock, Respect Tha God, Aquamonk, Perverted Monks, everyone I forgot, everyone
who support me accross the globe, everyone who show me love, everyone that
inspires me or I made music with, stay up and shining!
Go check out Aneeway Jones at these websites
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