NEW DR. DRE INTERVIEW -
« on: May 22, 2004, 11:23:51 AM »
This is the new Dr. Dre interview from Scratch Magazine. it should be inspiring and informative for producers exec's and artists
Dr. Dre doesn’t even listen to his old music, so don’t think he’s going to tell you what the bass line for ”Deep Cover” is. It shall remain a mystery, as Dre prefers to keep much of his process. He also doesn’t like to talk much. Why should he? The music speaks for itself. Dre is the measuring stick for how far hip-hop’s come and where it’s going. You can’t deny the gift the man has for putting together some hot shit. Truth be told, he makes anyone sound good. A few years ago, he said, “Fuck rap, you can have it back.” But it’s been three years, and he still hasn’t let go; he’s got this rap shit in a chokehold. This is a man at the top of his game, but after speaking with him, you get the sense that this is just the beginning. Unlike some who feel constricted by the hip-hop format, Dre feels the music has no limitations. He’s about to take this hip-hop thing to another level. Picture him with a 40-piece orchestra at his fingertips, and you begin to realize how serious it is. We managed to chop it up with him for a minute about beats, his process, and the life of the super producer. He’s sold over 50 million records and influenced the sound of music more than just about anyone in the game, but he just wants to keep making beats that snap necks. Dr. Dre is a man with vision. He’s trying to help you see it too.
SCRATCH: So you’ve decided not to release your new album Detox?
DR. DRE: I decided not to do it because I didn’t think it would be fair to all the artists that I want to work with. I’m really hard on myself when it comes to my own record, so it would have taken nine or ten months of my time. I could get two or three artists’ albums done in that amount of time, so I decided just to back off of it. I cut a couple of songs, and I was digging the way I was sounding on the mic. There’s always something to write about. I mean if I didn’t have a label to run, and a lot of artists to put out, it would be a different story, then I could just totally concentrate on self. Building my company and getting these artists out is my main priority right now. I spread out the tracks that I did for the record to the other artists I’m working with. I don’t think anybody’s going to be mad about it after they hear what I’m doing.
Are inspired by anything that’s going on out there?
I don’t think I’m really inspired by anything that’s going on out there right now. I’m not really mad at it, but there’s nothing that’s really motivating me right now except for the artists I’m working with. I’m not just saying that because they’re with my label. These artists are coming in with some hot new ideas so it’s just the stuff that I’m working with that’s inspiring. There’s nothing out there that’s really different. There’s nobody doing or saying anything that I haven’t heard before.
You have a very strong work ethic, spending days in the studio at a time, working on things over and over until you get it right. How do you know when something’s done?
It’s a feeling I get when it’s right, so I just keep going until I get that feeling. It’s like a butterfly type feeling. When I hit it, and it’s right, and the mix is right, that’s when it’s time to come out. Nothing leaves this studio until I get that feeling.
What’s a typical session like for you?
I don’t go out to clubs and party like I used to. I just get up, go to the gym, come to the studio. Usually I get to the studio around 3 PM, and my hours can vary anywhere from two hours to, I mean, my record is 79 hours non stop. As long as the ideas are flowing, I’m in here. I feel when I come to the studio, I have the same energy today as I did 20 years ago when I started. I still feel it, I love music.
Can you tell me a little bit about the collaborative process in the studio?
I use the same engineer every day. I work with the same player or players every day. Once I find something that’s working for me, and I dig it, that’s it. I work with a player named Mike Elizondo, it’s usually just me and him. He’s a bassist, and he’s learning keys and guitar right now. So it’s pretty much just me, him, and my engineer Veto (Mauricio Iragorri) in the studio every day just grinding out the tracks; we just go. Every day I come in the studio I try to lay at least two or three tracks down, at least that, before we start working on vocals.
How important is the engineer in your process?
The engineer is very important. Working with me, the engineer’s almost got to have ESP to know what I’m thinking, and he has that. It’s like body language, he can almost feel what I’m getting ready to ask him for. It’s a building process, and it took us a while to get to that point. We’ve been working together for years, probably since ’98 or ’99.
What is that makes a good MC to you?
Again, it’s just a feeling that I get. It’s a look that I look for, it’s the way that they carry themselves. Of course, the talent has to be there. I look for somebody that when you hear their voice, you know it’s them right off the top, it’s no question. And we have to be able to get along. The talent gets you in the door, the personality keeps you there. I have to feel like I can work with somebody that I wouldn’t mind leaving the studio and going to have dinner with and just chopping it up. That has nothing less than that. I want somebody that’s gonna come in and work, and be ready to fucking really do they thing. Because I’m the first one here, and I’m the last one to leave, I tell ‘em, “You can’t work hared than me, but try to keep up.”
What inspires you?
Just music in general, man. I love making music. This is what I was put here to do, to make music. I love doing this, man, it’s almost like a high for me. If I’m out of the studio too long, it feels funny. I got this feeling like, “Damn, this could have been the day I came up with fucking ‘Billie Jean’ or some shit.” If I’m not in the studio, it always crosses my mind
Do you know when you have ‘Billie Jean’ or a big hit?
Yeah, right off. Like I said, it’s a feeling. Most of the time that record comes fast. It’s not one of those things where you’re working on the same record for two weeks, usually that record comes in a couple of hours.
Can you talk a bit about some of the equipment you use?
I love using the MPC3000. I like setting up like four or five different MPC3000’s, so I don’t have to keep changing disks. So I have them all lined up, and I have different drum sounds in each one, and then we use one for sequencing the keyboard.
Can tell me a bit about your process of recording drums?
We really take a lot of time on getting the right drum sounds. We EQ the drums before we sample them into the MPC, and then once we come up with the track, we spend a lot of time EQing the drums before we record them into Pro Tools. We take quite a bit of time to get that right, because I know it’s one of the things that people like about my music. I’ve used the same drum sounds on a couple of different songs on one album before but you’d never be able to tell the difference because of the EQ.
You mentioned Pro Tools.
I had Pro Tools right when it came out, but I wasn’t a fan of it because I lost a little bit of my low end before they perfected it. So, I used to just use Pro Tools for sequencing the albums. But now I think they’ve perfected it enough for me to roll with it, so I’ve been using it quite a bit.
But you’re still using a lot of analog keyboards, I saw a Wurlitzer in the studio, a Fender Rhodes?
Yeah, I love the old school sounds. ARP String Ensemble, Rhodes, old school Clavinet, the whole shit. I’m a big keyboard fan. I don’t really dig working with samples because you’re so limited when you sample.
But you came from a sampling background?
Actually, most of my music has been played. Back when we started with the N.W.A. thing, it was a lot of drum loops, drum samples, and what have you. But if we were going to sample something, we would try to at least replay it, get musicians in and replay it. If it was something we couldn’t replay, we would use the sample. I’ve tried to stay away from it as much as possible throughout my career from day one.
Any surprising musical influences?
I’m a big P-Funk fan, that was it for me growing up. Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, I was influences by all of those guys. That’s what really motivated me to use live instruments on my records. Just listening to the way they put their records together. That appreciation came from my mother. There was always music being played in my house when I was growing up, and that’s all I heard was 70’s soul. And then the DJing thing came along.
How did you get into DJing?
What motivated me to want to DJ was Grandmaster Flash. I heard “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” and I was blown away. So, me and a friend of mine at the time decided to tear apart a couple of component sets and make our own little mixer and two turntables. And not too long after that, my mom got me a mixer, and that was it for me. But I would have to give credit to Grandmaster Flash for getting me into the business. We had dinner once in New York, he’s a cool brother.
Do you think your DJing background has made you a better producer?
Definitely. I would definitely not be as good of a producer if I hadn’t started DJing. Because that’s where I really started paying attention to how records are made. I would critique and just listen and say, “I would have done this different.” So that definitely was a stepping stone to what I’m doing now.
« on: May 22, 2004, 11:23:51 AM »
This is the new Dr. Dre interview from Scratch Magazine. it should be inspiring and informative for producers exec's and artists
Dr. Dre doesn’t even listen to his old music, so don’t think he’s going to tell you what the bass line for ”Deep Cover” is. It shall remain a mystery, as Dre prefers to keep much of his process. He also doesn’t like to talk much. Why should he? The music speaks for itself. Dre is the measuring stick for how far hip-hop’s come and where it’s going. You can’t deny the gift the man has for putting together some hot shit. Truth be told, he makes anyone sound good. A few years ago, he said, “Fuck rap, you can have it back.” But it’s been three years, and he still hasn’t let go; he’s got this rap shit in a chokehold. This is a man at the top of his game, but after speaking with him, you get the sense that this is just the beginning. Unlike some who feel constricted by the hip-hop format, Dre feels the music has no limitations. He’s about to take this hip-hop thing to another level. Picture him with a 40-piece orchestra at his fingertips, and you begin to realize how serious it is. We managed to chop it up with him for a minute about beats, his process, and the life of the super producer. He’s sold over 50 million records and influenced the sound of music more than just about anyone in the game, but he just wants to keep making beats that snap necks. Dr. Dre is a man with vision. He’s trying to help you see it too.
SCRATCH: So you’ve decided not to release your new album Detox?
DR. DRE: I decided not to do it because I didn’t think it would be fair to all the artists that I want to work with. I’m really hard on myself when it comes to my own record, so it would have taken nine or ten months of my time. I could get two or three artists’ albums done in that amount of time, so I decided just to back off of it. I cut a couple of songs, and I was digging the way I was sounding on the mic. There’s always something to write about. I mean if I didn’t have a label to run, and a lot of artists to put out, it would be a different story, then I could just totally concentrate on self. Building my company and getting these artists out is my main priority right now. I spread out the tracks that I did for the record to the other artists I’m working with. I don’t think anybody’s going to be mad about it after they hear what I’m doing.
Are inspired by anything that’s going on out there?
I don’t think I’m really inspired by anything that’s going on out there right now. I’m not really mad at it, but there’s nothing that’s really motivating me right now except for the artists I’m working with. I’m not just saying that because they’re with my label. These artists are coming in with some hot new ideas so it’s just the stuff that I’m working with that’s inspiring. There’s nothing out there that’s really different. There’s nobody doing or saying anything that I haven’t heard before.
You have a very strong work ethic, spending days in the studio at a time, working on things over and over until you get it right. How do you know when something’s done?
It’s a feeling I get when it’s right, so I just keep going until I get that feeling. It’s like a butterfly type feeling. When I hit it, and it’s right, and the mix is right, that’s when it’s time to come out. Nothing leaves this studio until I get that feeling.
What’s a typical session like for you?
I don’t go out to clubs and party like I used to. I just get up, go to the gym, come to the studio. Usually I get to the studio around 3 PM, and my hours can vary anywhere from two hours to, I mean, my record is 79 hours non stop. As long as the ideas are flowing, I’m in here. I feel when I come to the studio, I have the same energy today as I did 20 years ago when I started. I still feel it, I love music.
Can you tell me a little bit about the collaborative process in the studio?
I use the same engineer every day. I work with the same player or players every day. Once I find something that’s working for me, and I dig it, that’s it. I work with a player named Mike Elizondo, it’s usually just me and him. He’s a bassist, and he’s learning keys and guitar right now. So it’s pretty much just me, him, and my engineer Veto (Mauricio Iragorri) in the studio every day just grinding out the tracks; we just go. Every day I come in the studio I try to lay at least two or three tracks down, at least that, before we start working on vocals.
How important is the engineer in your process?
The engineer is very important. Working with me, the engineer’s almost got to have ESP to know what I’m thinking, and he has that. It’s like body language, he can almost feel what I’m getting ready to ask him for. It’s a building process, and it took us a while to get to that point. We’ve been working together for years, probably since ’98 or ’99.
What is that makes a good MC to you?
Again, it’s just a feeling that I get. It’s a look that I look for, it’s the way that they carry themselves. Of course, the talent has to be there. I look for somebody that when you hear their voice, you know it’s them right off the top, it’s no question. And we have to be able to get along. The talent gets you in the door, the personality keeps you there. I have to feel like I can work with somebody that I wouldn’t mind leaving the studio and going to have dinner with and just chopping it up. That has nothing less than that. I want somebody that’s gonna come in and work, and be ready to fucking really do they thing. Because I’m the first one here, and I’m the last one to leave, I tell ‘em, “You can’t work hared than me, but try to keep up.”
What inspires you?
Just music in general, man. I love making music. This is what I was put here to do, to make music. I love doing this, man, it’s almost like a high for me. If I’m out of the studio too long, it feels funny. I got this feeling like, “Damn, this could have been the day I came up with fucking ‘Billie Jean’ or some shit.” If I’m not in the studio, it always crosses my mind
Do you know when you have ‘Billie Jean’ or a big hit?
Yeah, right off. Like I said, it’s a feeling. Most of the time that record comes fast. It’s not one of those things where you’re working on the same record for two weeks, usually that record comes in a couple of hours.
Can you talk a bit about some of the equipment you use?
I love using the MPC3000. I like setting up like four or five different MPC3000’s, so I don’t have to keep changing disks. So I have them all lined up, and I have different drum sounds in each one, and then we use one for sequencing the keyboard.
Can tell me a bit about your process of recording drums?
We really take a lot of time on getting the right drum sounds. We EQ the drums before we sample them into the MPC, and then once we come up with the track, we spend a lot of time EQing the drums before we record them into Pro Tools. We take quite a bit of time to get that right, because I know it’s one of the things that people like about my music. I’ve used the same drum sounds on a couple of different songs on one album before but you’d never be able to tell the difference because of the EQ.
You mentioned Pro Tools.
I had Pro Tools right when it came out, but I wasn’t a fan of it because I lost a little bit of my low end before they perfected it. So, I used to just use Pro Tools for sequencing the albums. But now I think they’ve perfected it enough for me to roll with it, so I’ve been using it quite a bit.
But you’re still using a lot of analog keyboards, I saw a Wurlitzer in the studio, a Fender Rhodes?
Yeah, I love the old school sounds. ARP String Ensemble, Rhodes, old school Clavinet, the whole shit. I’m a big keyboard fan. I don’t really dig working with samples because you’re so limited when you sample.
But you came from a sampling background?
Actually, most of my music has been played. Back when we started with the N.W.A. thing, it was a lot of drum loops, drum samples, and what have you. But if we were going to sample something, we would try to at least replay it, get musicians in and replay it. If it was something we couldn’t replay, we would use the sample. I’ve tried to stay away from it as much as possible throughout my career from day one.
Any surprising musical influences?
I’m a big P-Funk fan, that was it for me growing up. Curtis Mayfield, Isaac Hayes, I was influences by all of those guys. That’s what really motivated me to use live instruments on my records. Just listening to the way they put their records together. That appreciation came from my mother. There was always music being played in my house when I was growing up, and that’s all I heard was 70’s soul. And then the DJing thing came along.
How did you get into DJing?
What motivated me to want to DJ was Grandmaster Flash. I heard “The Adventures of Grandmaster Flash on the Wheels of Steel” and I was blown away. So, me and a friend of mine at the time decided to tear apart a couple of component sets and make our own little mixer and two turntables. And not too long after that, my mom got me a mixer, and that was it for me. But I would have to give credit to Grandmaster Flash for getting me into the business. We had dinner once in New York, he’s a cool brother.
Do you think your DJing background has made you a better producer?
Definitely. I would definitely not be as good of a producer if I hadn’t started DJing. Because that’s where I really started paying attention to how records are made. I would critique and just listen and say, “I would have done this different.” So that definitely was a stepping stone to what I’m doing now.
