Dusty Fingered DJ
Digging through the hip-hop history of Columbus' own J. Rawls
By Travis Hoewischer |
|
Hip, hip hop/a you don't stop.
-"Rapper's Delight," Sugarhill Gang, 1979
Somewhere on Columbus' East Side, J. Rawls was listening to the Gang's sage advice.
It's been 20 years now since the modern musical movement we know as hip-hop was birthed between an old microphone and a square of linoleum. Somewhere in there, Rawls, now 35, took that classic line as a prime directive.
When it comes to hip-hop the man doesn't stop. Then again, with the star-studded elbows J has scraped - who would have the desire to? The beats have bedded underground heroes (his Brown Skin Lady graces the center of Mos Def and Talib Kweli's iconic Blackstar record), he's put down remixes for legends (the Beastie Boys' 'Shadrach') and, right now, he's hopping from the Czech Republic to Germany on tour behind Ghostface Killah and Dilated Peoples.
Photo: Christopher Atwood
Tack on a couple solo albums (with a third on the way), his own POLAR label and countless side projects to promote, local albums to produce - Rawls has gathered enough credits to choke a Wikipedia page without ever relocating from his hometown.
"It's just non-stop," said Rawls in a phone interview from his Pickerington home. "All day every day, trying to get something going; I'm always looking a couple months ahead. I live on my Blackberry."
But, he's as much about looking back; Rawls stays committed to his musical roots. He dedicates time to deconstructing his favorite pieces of music from vinyl records. He also spends as much time in construction, building a framework to showcase the talents of an extended Columbus crew that includes neo-soul singer Middle Child and the Liquid Crystal Project, a sharp Roots-esque live instrumental "jazz-hop" band.
In short, life is good for Rawls and his Columbus crew. All that's left now for Rawls is to keep his ear to the beat - and the Blackberry.
614: Hip-hop has changed many times since you've been making music. What would you point to as the biggest change in hip-hop?
JR: I do like that music is easily accessible. I hate that vinyl isn't as popular, going to the record store is kind of dead and that's kind of sad. The biggest sellers now are Walmart and Best Buy; that's not good. But you know, it's good that you can get on the Internet and just discover, 'cause a lot of people wouldn't go to the old record store and get "dusty fingers." Now, you can go to a blog and find it.
614: And obviously, you're getting your fingers dusty for thousands of records at a time. Which is pretty cool for a kid that grew up searching for his own hip-hop blueprint.
JR: I guess, you're right, I've never thought about it that way; it's just something I do. When I am listening to music, I do pick it apart. I think, where did those drums come from? Where did he get that? Sometimes, it gets a little hectic. Sometimes, I just listen to talk radio or I'm going to over-analyze it. It's automatic; it's just me.
614: In that vein, are there certain bass lines or drum parts that you just had to have?
JR: Oh my god, all the time, all the time. My favorite song, just period, ever, is They Reminisce Over You, Pete Rock and CL Smooth. It's been over 10, 11 years now, but I found out where that sample came from and I was on the hunt. I found this guy in Cleveland who had it. He was like, "I'll let it go, but it's gonna cost." It didn't matter; if he had said 200 bucks it wouldn't matter. He said 50 and I pulled it right out - it was nothin.' If I wanted it, I had to have it. Anytime I'm diggin' - Japan, Europe, if I see something I'm looking for, it doesn't matter. I want, I need it, in my collection.
614: And, it's not like you're saying you've got to have it because you've got plans to use it on a specific record, it's more like a hip-hop artifact.
JR: That's exactly what it is. It's an artifact for me, it's important. I need to have a copy just for me.
614: Do you ever consider becoming the "wise elder of hip-hop" and tell-'em-how-it-is - teach the young kids about hip-hop?
JR: I don't think so. I don't really see it as me sitting back as the old man. But, it's funny you mentioned that, 'cause I was just thinking the other day about what I'm going to do when I get older; you know, I'm not going to be making beats and DJ'ing forever. I don't know, maybe become some type of professor of music or music studies. That's something I'm still trying to figure out.
614: You're not making music at a blockbuster, millions-moved level, but you've had some pretty remarkable moments in your career. Like making it onto the Blackstar album. How did that come to be?
JR: Man, like anything, it's about who you know. Through J Sands, I met Dante from Mood, who introduced me to Kweli, and he just asked me for some beats. I gave him a tape - a beat tape, 'cause that was a long time ago. He called me back one day with Mos Def singing in the background and was like, "Yo Rawls, we want to use this." It was all good.
614: It's 'all good' now ... but what was it really like?
JR: Oh, it was CRAZY! I didn't realize how big it would become, what it was. We were just making music. The exciting for me was getting to go to L.A. to record. I mean, I had never been to L.A. Mos was in a TV show or something at the time, so Rawkus (Records) flew us out there. It was dope.
614: You're trying your best not be .....
JR: ... a tourist? Yeah, I didn't do a very good job. I was definitely a tourist. (DJ) Hi-Tek and Kweli held me down, but I was excited.
614: So, what you're saying is, things like ending up on these big albums and working with these heavy hitters is more like an added bonus, as opposed to the ultimate goal?
JR: Don't get me wrong, it's not like if somebody gave me a deal to do this full-time I wouldn't; but me doing that stuff is a stepping-stone. Working with Kweli and Mos and the Beastie Boys could be what gets me up there. Maybe I could get offered a deal and relax; not have to do the business side and focus on the music, because it does take away from the creativity. But, it is what it is.
614: If you would have come along 10 years earlier, where you might have been slinging tapes out of your car, would you have hung it up by now?
JR: No, because I don't do it for the money. I do it because it's fun and because I love it. You know, I'll always make music but I don't think I'll be a 50 year-old man hustling beats, or out there at shows. I'll be back chillin'. Then, I'll probably tell people how we used to do it.
J Rawls
Producer/DJ/Founder - POLAR Entertainment LLC/Usual Suspects Crew
Lone Catalysts - "Back to School" - BUKA Ent.
John Robinson & J Rawls are JAY ARE - "The 1960's Jazz Revolution Again..."
Coming Soon - J Rawls & Count Bass D; J Rawls & El Da Sensei
www.myspace.com/jrawls
www.myspace.com/theliquidcrystalproject
www.myspace.com/theusualsuspectscrew
www.myspace.com/ofp_j_rawls
http://usualsuspectsradio.podomatic.com/
Originally Published: June 1, 2009
