Interview: DJ Bizkid6
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Meet hip hop turntablist, DJ Bizkid, from Berlin, Germany. He has been scratching vinyl since 1998. He has released a total of 15 projects (mixtapes, snippets, CDs)… and the number is still growing. He has featured on albums and tracks with Enough Names, Nomar Slevik, Id Obelus, Blame One, The Jazoburbs, Dumbfoundead, Elum, Factor, Kers, Robust, Scarub, and many, many more. Trust me when I say that dope sounds are coming out of Germany, and you’d be foolish not to check out the bizzy kid. Bizkid just got back from doing shows in Chicago with Robust and I was able to get him for an interview. Check it out after the jump!
Tiffology: Hey, Bizzy. Hope your month has been great. You just got back from doing a show in Chicago with Robust, along with Qwel, Himself, Dessa (of Doomtree), and Rift. How was that?
Bizkid: Chicago was great, good times. Stayed for two weeks, basically for doing the show but I also wanted to see the city. I was diggin’ at several record spots, met up with people that I’ve worked with or knew from records (such as Maker, Scottfree, Id Obelus, Dreas, just to name a few) and, of course, to enjoy my vacation. A couple of days before the actual show, Jeff from Galapagos4 came up and asked if Robust and me want to open up for Kool Keith on Friday, the day before the G4 show at the same spot (Reggie’s), which was undeniable. The G4 show had also been very great… not everything worked out well for us, ’cause the serato didn’t work, but we performed anyways and I felt comfortable behind the decks. I really enjoyed every performance but especially Qwel and Dessa, cause there hasn’t been any chance for me to catch them in Europe. All in all, great experiences and a great trip.
Tiffology: Was that your first time in the states or no?
Bizkid: No, I’ve been to the states once before, to California… but that was way back in ’94 with my fam and I was just a shorty. Chicago was the first time visiting the states as a grown up.
Tiffology: I saw that, while in Chicago, you got “Bizkid” tattooed on your back. Do you have any other tats?
Bizkid: No, that was the first one… but I guess there will be more ink on my body, soon. Haha.
Tiffology: Is there a meaning behind the name Bizkid?
Bizkid: Yes. I started DJing when I was 15 or 16. I really got into making mixtapes and spinning records all day long, practicing, keeping it busy. People around my way called me the busy kid… for short Bizkid. Thats where the name came from.
Tiffology: Who are some of your major influences?
Bizkid: Well, what really sparked my interest, hip hop wise, was back in ’95-’96. I borrowed CDs from a friend: “Raekwon’s Only Build for Cuban Linx”, “Gravediggaz – 6 Feet Deep” and “2Pac’s Me Against the World”…which are classics nowadays. I was listening to those albums on repeat all day. They really influenced me a lot and that was kind of a breaking point to get real deep into the hip hop thing. I started buying Mixtapes and Albums. Found out about all the other artists like Wu-Tang, Nas, Notorious B.I.G., DJ Premier and Gang Starr, Mobb Deep etc… I was in love. My major influences come from that era, the so called golden era of hip hop. Today, I also gain a lot of influence from all kinds of stuff like different music genres, other hip hop artists, movies and life in general. But I still love to listen to the old classics that “made me”.
Tiffology: What inspired you to become a DJ?
Bizkid: There was this Record Store around my way, me and a good friend used to go there all the time to shop for CDs. They had this computer to look up all the stuff and you could order all the good things. They had almost everything, a lot of imports etc. One day, we looked for new music again and there was this dude who noticed that we were digging for another mobb deep album, he was like “oh, you’re looking for mobb deep” and we started talking. He said that he wasn’t buying CDs, just vinyl and that there is way more music coming out on record than on CDs, which was interesting to me. We exchanged numbers and I met him at his crib the next day. He had two Technics, a cheap mixer and all these records. I started digging through his collection and he showed me how to use the Turntables. From that day, I knew I had to get some turntables, a mixer, stopped buying CD’s and started my record collection.
Tiffology: Do you work at home or in a studio?
Bizkid: Every now and then I go to a studio, but I like recording at home. I feel really well recording at my own spot where I’m by myself, got all my records around me and the atmosphere is chill.
Tiffology: What are your weapons of choice?
Bizkid: 2x Technics 1210, 1x Vestax PMC-06, a lot of Records, and sometimes, if needed, Rane Serato Scratch Live.
Tiffology: Favorite snack food or beverage? I guess what I’m asking is what do you run on (what keeps you awake on late nights)… while you’re making music?
Bizkid: Coffee and Cigarettes, haha. Nah, I don’t drink that much coffee, but I smoke a lot. I really like juice and soda, something with a lot of flavor. Some snacks like potato chips or chocolate, thats what keeps me going.
Tiffology: And after these hard days and nights of scratching… what do you do to unwind?
Bizkid: I love going to the gym and work out, almost everyday. I also like to sleep a lot. During the weekend, I go out to play basketball.
Tiffology: What was the first record you ever bought? First record you ever cut?
Bizkid: Let me think…it was ” The Pharcyde – Drop (12″)” and I guess that was also the first record I tried to cut…
Tiffology: Dope! I love Pharcyde. Are you a strictly vinyl DJ or do you dabble with CDs and MP3s too?
Bizkid: I’d say strictly vinyl, no CDs. I still go out and buy Records all the time, but in these digital days I had to get me a serato, too. It’s just really useful; a good tool for playing your own tunes or using tracks for mixtapes that you can’t get on record. Also for performances with Emcees at live shows. I feel comfortable playing the instrumentals from “record”.
Tiffology: Outside of hip hop, are there any other genres you enjoy?
Bizkid: Yes, I like rock music, especially for driving. Artists like Red Hot Chilli Peppers, Pearl Jam, Smashing Pumpkins, Nirvana and some newer stuff like Staind, Bullet for my Valentine etc. I also enjoy Drum ‘n Bass, Jungle or 80′s Pop. I like all kinds of music as long as it’s good music.
Tiffology: Great, I’m happy that you’re not just boxed into listening to one genre. How’s the hip hop scene in Germany?
Bizkid: Well, the scene is kinda big over here. We got a lot of mainstream, but I don’t really concentrate on german speaking hip hop music, cause I think it doesn’t sound good. A lot of cats doing the battle, downsouth or club thing, also electro starts to pop off a lot nowadays. But we also got some underground hip hop acts and not everything is garbage over here, there’s some light in the dark.
Tiffology: You’ve appeared on tracks with artists such as Dumbfoundead, Factor, Robust, Scarub, Infinito 2017, Efalive, Kers, and the list goes on. Were there any artists that you really enjoyed working with?
Bizkid: I liked to work with all of them. I already knew some from records so it was a great thing to me to appear on a track with them. Sometimes I just got put on a tune, because some rapper or producer wanted me to do cuts. It turned out to be a great collabo, because Factor made the beat or Scarub was featured and that was the case working with the escape artists. I also got to know new people cause they heard a collabo tune I did and they asked me to do cuts on a track. Internet is great thing to reach out or being reached by people, especially when you live in Germany and they’re all the way in the U.S., Canada or other countries.
Tiffology: I’m sure you get hit up all the time with people wanting to work with you on a song, or more. How do you choose who to collaborate with?
Bizkid: Basically it’s gotta sound right and I need to like what they do, then I’m almost down for every kind of collabo.
Tiffology: Any artists that you’d like to collab with in the future?
Bizkid: I take it as it comes, I’m not the one who forces things. However, a collabo with Slug, Sage Francis or Qwel would be dope. To be honest, I already got featured on tunes with Robust, Escape Artists, Factor, Scarub, Ira Lee, Blame One, Dumbfoundead or Reason the Citizen. That was beyond my imagination, two years ago, it feels really great doing tracks with people I like to listen to as a fan. It’s like a dream come true.
Tiffology: You’ve teamed up with Nomar Slevik, and recently released a mixtape with him. How did you two come together?
Bizkid: I did that mixtape with Id Obelus and made a raffle for that one. Nomar was one of the first who signed up for it and I sent one to him. He knew about Id and also made some tunes with him earlier. After listening to the mixtape, he asked me if I wanted to join him on a track called “The Whole World”. I was down for it and it turned out to be a very good track. The chemistry really did fit and rest was history. We still contact each other and do a lot of music together. He’s like an older brother to me.
Tiffology: I’m curious. Myspace is a great way to network with a lot of people. Has it helped you in any big way?
Bizkid: Oh yes, most of the the collabos I did were based on myspace. Just a great way to network with artists, I don’t know what I’d do without it. You can listen to people’s music and reach out to ‘em directly. Not only with artists and musicians, it also helped to gain more fans and people listening to my music. It’s global, worldwide.
Tiffology: Definitely. I would’ve never heard of the handful of artists/djs/producers that I listen to now, if it weren’t for myspace or the internet in general. I wouldn’t know about you! Haha. So do you do anything to prepare yourself before you spin? Finger exercises? Haha.
Bizkid: No, no finger excercises or anything. I practice a lot and prepare for my set whenever I spin at any location. That’s it.
Tiffology: Do you have any other hobbies or talents?
Bizkid: I like playing basketball, I also played in a team back then, but it’s more of hobby nowadays. Sometimes I get down playing at streetball tournaments. Another hobby is collecting jerseys of any kind (basketball, baseball, football, soccer) and I’m an addict for sneakers. I’m a Nike-head.
Tiffology: Do you remember the first time you showcased your skills infront of a crowd?
Bizkid: I don’t really remember the first time being on stage, but I remenber being real nervous for the first 10 or 15 shows I had. There was this inccident at a big birthday party back in ’98 or ’99, where some friends and me were supposed to spin. I took a lot of crates with me, almost 200 records or so… taking it way too serious. After 2 hours, it was my turn and I put the first record on, wanted to backspin, pulled the same record out of the crates. I was so nervous that I put the record on the same turntable which already played a record. What happened was, the needle skipped all over and the music stopped. Everybody looked at me and some dudes were screaming “waaaack DJ”… it was the only record I played that evening. It was horrible, hahahaha.
Tiffology: Hahaha, that must’ve been so embarassing. Do you have a favorite moment-in-time, performance wise, that you’d like to share?
Bizkid: I guess the Chicago shows, but I already told you about that one in the first question. I also shared one of the worst in the question before, hahaha.
Tiffology: A while back you sent me the “Fully Automatic” mixtape with Id Obelus (short in time, but packs a big punch), along with the Atmosphere mixtape. Thank you, you’re incredible at what you do! You have a long list of mixtapes/projects that you’ve put out too – you work HARD! Do you get the 8 hour sleep like you’re supposed to?
Bizkid: Sometimes I sleep more, sometimes less… but I’d say I get my 8hrs. sleep, even if it’s not during nighttime. I literally love sleeping.
Tiffology: I like to ask people what they wanted to be when they were a kid – along the lines of “when I grow up”. So tell me… what did you want to be?
Bizkid: Uhm, “when i grew up,…” I wanted to be a pilot, flying planes.
Tiffology: Is there anything that you would like to do, that you haven’t had a chance to?
Bizkid: Yes, meet the people I’ve worked with, in person. I’ve already met some of them, but I would like to meet everyone. Also, I’d like to have my own vinyl releases or be part of a big tour around the world.
Tiffology: Any future releases, projects, or shows that you want to tell us about?
Bizkid: The new Robust album “Grown” is coming out soon, on Galapagos4. I did all the cuts on that album and worked as an executive producer. I’m also working on some new tunes with Reason the Citizen, Moshe, Nomar Slevik, Id Obelus… just to name a few. Always Grindin’, thats why they call me Bizzy the Kid.
Tiffology: Any last words?
Bizkid: That’s all, folks. I think I’ve said enough.
Big thanks to JAM ONE for allowing me to post his video footage of DJ Bizkid in Chicago.
Interview by: Tiffology
WWW: DJ Bizkid myspace | Bizkid Meets Normar Slevik myspace
6 Comments
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very nice interview! Bizkid is nice with the cuts, and Tiffology rocks!
nice!! dope interview bro, much love.
@ Jam: Yeah, no doubt. And thanks!
@ Nomar: Thank you for reading. :]
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Nice 1.