Rick Rock Interview

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RICK ROCK (March 2012) | Interview By: Dubcnn Team

A few months ago [November 2011] Dubcnn caught up with multi-platinum producer Rick Rock, where we discussed his upcoming project, “Rocket”, producing for 2Pac, working with long-time collaborator E-40, and possibly getting some work in with Slaughterhouse.

Today we're back with a Rick Rock feature in video form which was conducted in late 2011 where he takes us through a journey of his career. In the video interview, Rick breaks down some of his history, producing for the likes of Jay-Z, 2Pac, Mariah Carey, and others.

Get to know the real Rick Rock right here on Dubcnn!


Read on and enjoy. As always feel free to hit up nima[USER=44786]@dubc[/USER]nn.com with questions or comments.


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Interview was conducted in December 2011


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Watch The Interview




Dubcnn: For those who might not know, who is Rick Rock?

Yo, I’m Rick Rock AKA the Northern Cali King of Slaps, and I’m a music producer…

I got started off working at S&A in Montgomery, Alabama. You know, at the time it was a promotion, independent street promotion place. From there I would meet a lot of artists, and a guy came through and was representing a road manager for Conscious Daughters. So I gave him one of my tapes, you know at that time we were doing tapes, so I gave him a beat tape and he took it back. And they gave me call back, and was like c’mon, you know. They picked a beat, Conscious Daughters picked a beat and they flew me out and I got down. It was called Gamers: The Remix’ – weren’t even on the album, but I was on, first major release.


Dubcnn: How did you end up working with Tupac in the Death Row era?

Yeah, I got down with Tupac through a guy he already was working with, his name was Mike Mosley, he was a producer. That’s who I came through the game through so... Mike was going out there, Pac too, come out there to do something and I was riding along. And I had just come from California so I would always have my bag, with my discs in it and shit, y’know my SB1200 discs. So y’know Pac was coming out, and we drove around the mountains and we got to y’know to the video – I mean to Can-Am studio, Death Row studio – and he played us his album. And He was ready to get down after that, and there was no producers around – but they had SB-1200s there! So y’know, the rest is history I slid some of mine in, I had SB1200 discs so I knew God said ‘eh, its time for you to wiggle n*gga’!


Dubcnn: How would you describe your producing "style" to someone who hadn't heard you material?

A lot of people, because I did the hyphy movement sound, a lot of y’know people think that’s what my sound is. They think ‘hyphy movement’ and they think ‘my sound’. But I’m all over with it. Y’know like, people don’t know I wiggled on from New Kids On The Block, to y’know Will Smith and Mariah… Busta…to y’know I did the ‘Breath, Stretch, Shake’ for Ma$e. I did Angie Martinez ‘If I Could Go’. Y’know I’m kinda all over the place with my hip-hop, but it’s all original music y’know. I just wanna show people that y’know I wiggle.


Dubcnn: Working with Jay-Z was a huge moment in your career - tell us a little about how that happened?

Y’know how the Jay-Z thing happened back then was… I’m just doing beats in my apartment – in the 916, in Sacramento, Stone Creek apartments – and, er, I get a call and shit. So I stop doing my beats and I pick up the phone. And it’s just this n*gga telling me my shit is crazy, and he starts playing a beat in the background and shit. And he says, y’know his name, y’know he says it’s Jay-Z! So I’m like n*gga you playing or whatever… you playing and shit! And then I keep going through like he’s playing, and then finally he put Big John on the phone, and I knew he wasn’t playing – he was in the office. And Big John was playing him some shit. And he was like ‘this shit is crazy’! Y’know and he wanted me to come to New York. So I felt like I was on! You feel me?! So I flew out there with my reels – we had reels back then – 2”. And er, I get to New York, and then… y’know he don’t want the beat no more! Haha! So then I’m stuck in the studio, my dreams crushed, because he don’t want the beat no more! But y’know, from there we did four beats on the album, you know what I’m saying – on the spot, and two others I just had. Y’know ‘Change the Game’ was one, um, ‘Squeeze 1st’ was another, ‘Parking Lot Pimpin’ was one, and er, I can’t think of the one with Snoop… but yeah that one too. And those were special moments for me because we were all in the studio, and Jay-Z kept saying he’s gonna make me a star, so…good look brother….at least with money…naw, haha!


Dubcnn: What's next for Rick Rock?

Right now I’m working on finishing and completing ‘Rocket’, and that’s my first album, solo debut you know what I’m saying… coming from a 707, West Coast, Northern Cali perspective… y’know organic, real music. So anybody that loves Rick Rock or has been a fan of any of my work over the years, but you never really could reach me, or reach out and touch me but who knew what I was about… peep the album. Its called ‘Rocket’, I plan on releasing it first quarter next year. So I’ll be doing little things throughout so you can kinda get to know and get to hear it, and know when its coming out. So look for ‘Rocket’. And of course look for 40, Snoop, Fabolous, Busta… wherever I might pop up. Trying to tell people I be out there on the regular too, you know what I mean.

Cheerios…Ch-Ch-Cheerios!