K-BETA - "COME CLOSER"

Clean ILL STREET GROOVES - J Scrilla vs Kev Brown 8.31.09!!!

On this momentious occasion the ISG crew pits famed, local producers/artists, Kev Brown [Low Budget Crew] and J Scrilla [Inner Loop Records], against one another in a friendly sound clash and interview focused around their careers and release of their respective new albums, Random Joints (Kev Brown) and Culture of Honor (J Scrilla).

Follow the link to listen to the show, and/or download it...

http://illstreetgrooves.podomatic.com/entry/2009-08-31T23_59_30-07_00

J-$CRILLA FEATURED IN THE EXAMINER!!!

J-$crilla is the epitome of the obsessive, over-driven producer. To say he’s “prolific” doesn’t even begin to do justice to the work ethic this VA/DC-based DJ/producer has. Kid’s always got something going on; whether it is the myriad of mixtapes he’s produced or the beats he concocts. Since the late 90s $crilla has been out there putting in work without the benefit of any kind of major label support. His impetus is the relentless drive and passion he has for the music and the culture. He started by promoting parties and hitting up the college circuits; just putting himself out there and getting things done.

“I’m from the area known as the DMV; started off DJ-ing 14 or 15 years ago and kinda developed into a producer. The first record that I produced that went world-wide was a single I did with Elemental called “A Night in the Life of…” and it featured kids like Apathy and Celph Titled in 2001. I was known as DJ Hi-C back then; I changed my name to J-$crilla in 2003. I don’t even know why,” he says, laughing.


“In 2001 I had this party called ‘Battle of the Box’ and I had producers come and everybody flipped the same sample and battled it out live on stage. I think it was the first live beat battle ever; I know I went off the cuff, like it was brand new. I know a lot of stuff started happening at the same time, but I think I was the first one to do it. I grew into the idea of making beats and I been producing heavy since 2002 or so.”

You can’t really pin down his style or sound with just few deft descriptions; J-$crilla is the kind of producer that flows off the energy of the artist he’s working with. Some of his joints are crazy heavy (peep Guns-n-Butter uncut featuring XO and K-Beta). His nature is an easy one and is most likely the key to his ability to coax the best sounds from whomever he has in the booth.

“I think what my music encompasses is my spirit and energy. I don’t wear my heart on my sleeve really so if you listen to my music I think you’ll get a lot of the emotional type of stuff I try to put out there through my beats. It’s gotta’ be edgy, hard, soulful… anything along those lines.”

It’s why he is connected with so many different artists and styles; $crilla is one of those cats that is ingrained into all kinds of extended fam through crazy amounts of different collabos and side-projects, though his main affiliation is with his foundation team Guns-N-Butter and his label Inner Loop Records.

“Me and Chop-La-Rock started Guns-N-Butter. We put out some mixtapes hosted by Nature and Tragedy, Agallah and a bunch of other independent cats from New York. We just been getting work from a lot of underground heads from all over; people like JR Writer, Reef the Lost Cauze and most of the Jedi Mind Tricks/Army of the Pharaohs camp. We’ve also worked with a lot of kids from DC." The list of collaborations is long; names like Bloodsport, Lord Digga, NORE, Demoz, Smif N Wesson and N.A.I.L.S, just to name a few.

“In 2004 I started Inner Loop Records with my folks K-Beta and Overok. K-Beta had just gotten out of jail and we started putting out a couple of records. We let it go for a little bit but then around 2007 we resurrected it and went at it again. Now we’re one of the top labels out of the DMV. We market and brand artists, we have a roster. Pretty much what we’re going for right now is taking this ish world-wide, you know.”


The first major release coming from Innerloop is $crilla’s album Culture of Honor.

“My joint drops August 25th and it features mad underground, independent heads. All production is by me and I just got a ton of people on it; Reef, Cassidy, Oddisee, General Steele (Smif N Wessun), Slaine (La Coka Naostra), Block McCloud, JR Writer, Wordsmith, King Magnetic, Muggsy Malone, T.E.F.L.O.N., Ankh Amen Ra… just crazy amounts of really talented heads killin’ it over my beats. I got a DC posse cut on it with a bunch of DC cats doin’ it like Wordsmith, XO, Ra the MC, K-Beta, Oddisee… There’s about 35 artists on there. It’s 14 songs and I’m actually gonna be releasing it digitally, mainly, and it’s going to include 12 bonus instrumentals; so you buy the album you get 26 tracks on it. I’m also working on an album with an artist Sketch; he was featured in ‘Unsigned Hype’ and he’s got a real big buzz out here. Me and him are doing a whole album. That joint should be out by the end of the year. I got a lot of projects I’m working on and I’m always shopping beats; stuff like that.”

One of Guns-N-Butter’s most recent endeavor was done for Enemy Soil Records; the new upstart label run by Jedi Mind Tricks frontman Vinnie Paz.

“Yeah, Reef the Lost Cauze vs. Guns-N-Butter: Fight Music. Basically me and StU Bangas got up with Reef and we nailed this album out; it was like 2 years in the making and it should be coming out soon. We dropped the single at the end of June and it was Indie Spotlight’s Track of the week on iTunes and it got a lot of good looks. We’re looking at October or November for a release date.”


Until then, keep your eyes open for "Culture of Honor" dropping August 25th.

For more informationcheck out www.myspace.com/gunsnbutter or twitter.com/J_SCRILLA_DMV

PICS FROM THE "NO LOVE" VIDEO SHOOT!!!

Thanks for Gabby Brutus for the images!!!

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INTERVIEW SERIES CONTINUED...K-BETA!!!

Shout out to my main CHUUUNNK, K-BETA, aka Beta Maxxx for the interview...DO NOT SLEEP ON THIS "89-09" MIXTAPE ABOUT TO DROP!!! I got to hear some of the rough cuts the other week, and this is not just any mixtape, this is a hip hop milestone, and will be copied from now on...Act like you know, and you won't look stupid...


CHUUUNK,

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1.) - Let's get right into it, tell me about the new project "89 to 09"? What's the concept behind it? How is it different from all the other mixtapes out there?

With 89 to 09, I just took a joint from each year and flipped it. It's a nice little ride through the last two decades of rap..and definitely a nod to some of my favorite MCs. Writing it has been a great experience, and I got the big homie DJ Alizay on the cuts for the joint. It hits on 4.28.09..right around the corner.




2.) - When can we expect a full-length from tha gawd, Beta?! Have you been doing any guest spots that we should look for?

I got the album in the can..ready for release in August. We gonna drop this tape, and then hit em with the J-$crilla album - Culture Of Honor - on June 02. After that, I'll be up to bat with my album - Sober. Then we gonna drop Sketch's album produced entirely by J-$crilla. You gotta ask Sketch what he's calling that joint (laughs). The title changes everyday.

As far as collabos, I've been in the lab with some of my peoples around the DMV like Laelo Hood, XO, B. Sheba, Face, SK, Lyriciss, Thad Reid, Pro'Verb, and of course me and Sketch got that Black Irish shit coming. We all on our grind real hard right now, so whenever our paths cross..it's automatic. I'm gonna be doing some work with some other real crazy spitters over the spring and summer.





3.) - Who are you working with on this project, the usual goons? Overok, J-$crilla, etc.?

Yeah of course I'm in the lab with O and $crill heavy. I also got joints with my folks E-Minah of Tha Villenz, Kevlar, Kev Brown, Judah, Marc Nfinit, Charlie Brown and Bad Abbot. The album isn't really feature heavy as far as guest MCs. I got Sketch on a few joints, and my girl Mina is on there singing.







4.) - I see you and Inner Loop Records have been really, branching out, and trying to mobilize different sections of the city, and mobilizing artists within those communities to stand strong and create a movement here? Tell me how are you going about it, what's working/not working?

We just doing our part to bring folks together and make noise out here. It's already happening, and we just a part of the movmenet. Actually, in a lotta ways we are pushing the movement forward with some real ill events and projects like the Illmatic and Reasonable Doubt remix joints. It's just good to contribute to the whole DMV onslaught. I don't really look at what's not working except to come up with ways to make it work yunno. The main thing is just the seperatism in the area. That's gotta go, but yunno we had that shit ingrained in our minds from the slavery days. I think as we continue to progress..we will see the opportunity to defeat and kill that demon and prosper even more.




5.) - After I took a little time off from the scene one of the most visual things I saw, was how many people, and females were out at the last few events I went to, have you noticed this trend that these events and artists are starting to get a little more, popular?

Definitely. I been on the scene since 04, and I notice the growth. Its a blessing for real cuz it means that all the hard work is paying off. It's kinda like the old saying "faith wothout works is dead" from The Bible. We always had faith that we could make it happen, but we knew we had to be on our gate everyday to get that tray. Some of us sleep and let the tray sit in the slot til they take it back (laughs). Inner Loop is up there gettin ours and that's why it's coming to be.

6.) - Besides those closest to you, who are you watching out there in the scene, who is impressing you? Who would you love to work with(locally), that you haven't been able to?

I'm getting familiar with RAtheMC right now. I had to go back and really listen to her tapes man. She is killing it hard right about now. I'm also rocking to that Realmatic joint from my man XO, that dude is just a beast on the visuals and wordplay. Me and him already in the lab though, but I'm checking for that Diamond District joint he got comin with YU and Oddisee. I definitely look forward to working more with all three of those dudes. Other than that, I'm feeling the stuff I'm hearing from AP, Tony Nice, The Package..maaan it's so many bloodthirsty artists in the DMV..got me on my toes out here. I was at The Grind & Lounge out Herndon VA the other night..and it was crazy! Just to feel the hunger and watch cats up there just tear it down. I'm just keeping my ear to the street and listening for that inspiration.


7.) - I understand that you recently shot a video for 28 Days, can you tell me more about that track/video/, etc.?

Yeah that track is about the 28 days I spent in a drug abuse treatment center. It was a real different experience, and I just started writing about it after I talked to $crilla on the phone one day. He was like "You should talk about that shit in a song" and it started coming to me. I wrote it str8 to the air, and he had the right beat for it as soon as I came back from the spot. We did the video with my man Ron H and it came out perfect. Big shout to everybody who came through to be a part of that.


8.) - What is one goal, that you as an artist, and as a person, would like to accomplish this year?

My goal is to keep building Inner Loop Records and BetaRaz Entertainment. Its just progress. We have a lot of goals within goals, and we're all hustling to turn the goals into accomplishments this year. As a person, I'm just taking inventory of myself right now, so I will have to get back to you on that.

9.) - Lastly, what is one thing about yourself, that people do not know, but you would like them to know? Random, I know...

My life is well-documented. Whether it be in the rhymes or on the videos or whatever...I guess if anything...hmmm...I'm a really good cook (laughs). I don't get to do it very often, but when I do, it's always a grand feast.

10.) - Shouts...

Inner Loop Records crew - J-$crilla, Overok, Marc Nfinit, ELEKT1, Bugs, Sketch, E-Minah, Soulful, Chapi D.

BetaRaz Ent. crew - my partner Faraz AKA Future Birth, DJ C-Note, Beanz, CDE

The rest of the fam - FeathaW8, Slim Cee, Kevlar, my brother Khaalis, Big Fuss, Unc, Guitta Rita, Ill Will, Mo Troof, XO, Anguish, Chop-La-Rok, DJ Alizay, Judah, Target Squad, 1Shot Mike and the whole Black Box crew, Bo Jankans, Lika Joon, Tony Moon, Bones and Block Beggan, B. Sheba, The S.D and Multiple Man, Team Demo, Tynz and Dre from District Entertainment, and Tha Villenz...


The 89 to 09 Tape drops 4.28.09
J-$crilla - Culture Of Honor drops 6.2.09
K-Beta - Sober drops 8.09
Sketch & J-$crilla LP drops 10.09


CHUNK UNLIMITED

1st CUT OFF OF J-SCRILLA'S CULTURE OF HONOR!!!!

DJ/Producer- J-$crilla of Guns-N-Butter is setting up to drop his first solo album called "Culture Of Honor." The DMV- bred producer who resides in the Nation's Capitol has produced for Tragedy, Heltah Skeltah, Smif-N-Wessun, NORE, Nature, Reef the Lost Cauze and many more. This song- "DRUG DEALER", features Cassidy and AR AB going back and forth over a laidback, piff- induced track. The album features JR Writer, General Steele, Cassidy, Reef The Lost Cauze, Oddisee, K-Beta and 30 other gifted lyricists. Look out for many free downloads in the coming weeks and the entire project (which will include all the instrumentals) which will drop June 2nd on Inner Loop Records. (www.innerloopuncut.com)

http://www.zshare.net/download/58974218e7917cb5/

Taken from The $crillionaire Lifestyle Blog...

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