| J-Zone: So working with Del, A-Plus, Casual - they're really good people and they respect what I do. I try to work with people who think in the same box and people who make the kind of music that I like and people who support what I do. When I send them beat CD's, they pick shit that they like. Also, I think that a lot of the things with these people is that they didn't pigeon hole me. A lot of times I send people beats and they're like, "Do you have anything like "Candy Razors"? Do you have anything like "No Consequences"? Do you have anything with an accordion like "Orphan Babies"?" But these guys probably never even heard my whole shit, so they probably have nothing to say - they have no measuring stick. They just hear what they like. It's cool to shop to people that you've never shopped before. It's not like they have that picture in their mind of what a J-Zone beat is supposed to sound like and everybody wants a beat just like that. They allow me to be me and give the kind of beats that I want to give and that's the important part.
MVRemix: Have you had many major labels approach you trying to sign you for a production deal?
J-Zone: I got approached for an artist deal, but like I said I make more money doing it independent. I don't wanna be a major label artist. I wanna do things my way. I'm hard headed, I'm stubborn. I wanna do shit how I want with no-one tellin' me shit. So that's out. In terms of production, I've submitted beats to labels and that's a nightmare 'cause it lets you have a hit that's on the charts and nobody gives a fuck. I've had artists on major labels approach me for beats and I gave it to them, but then you deal with their management... I was on tour and somebody told me that Lil' Fame (M.O.P.) had told me he'd heard some stuff that I did for Akinyele and he wanted a beat CD and I wouldn't be back home for another two weeks. I got back home but I couldn't get it to him directly, I had to go through a lot of different people. Long story short, I don't think he got the CD, so... I think I would have a chance with major artists if I got to sit down and play for them, but when the labels and the managers and the A&R's get involved - your chances become slim to none. So until I do a chart topping hit or somebody wants to take a chance on me, I'm pretty much stuck in a spot. That's why I try to work with artists like Akinyele or Tha Alkaholiks, somebody who a major artist might listen for or hear and they'll come and get me. Doin' shit for Hiero is great for that because I've got people who approach me for beats sayin', "Yo, I heard this shit you did for Casual." You can't get that when you only do shit for yourself. I don't really care much for freelance producing these days because it doesn't pay that much and a lot of the artists you don't like, but the artists we've just spoken about are all guys that I like what they do and working with them is gonna help get me to another level.
MVRemix: Is there any confirmed area where your stuff with Del is going to appear?
J-Zone: He two tracked one of my beats and they e-mailed it to me and it sounds dope, but I'm still waiting on them to send me a final session because it's taking him a while to finish his album. I don't know when his album is coming out; I don't know what the details are. But right now as it stands I'm waiting for the Pro-Tools session so I can sequence the beat and mix it. I finished a couple of A-Plus tracks already but the Del ones I'm still waiting on the vocals.
MVRemix: Yeah, the last time I spoke with Del about the "11th Hour" was 2003 and it was coming soon back then...
J-Zone: Yeah, the two track that they sent I believe was in September or October and I'm still waiting on. Some people take longer than others to execute, so...
MVRemix: Which would you say have been the most influential movies to you?
J-Zone: In terms of my life or my career?
MVRemix: A mixture of the two.
J-Zone: Not necessarily my favourite, just the most influential?
MVRemix: Yeah...
J-Zone: Wow. My favourite and most influential movie, all around favourite is "Hollywood Shuffle" by Robert Townsend. For those who haven't seen it the movie is about stereotypes that black actors get in Hollywood and the movie is just about a struggling actor that keeps getting cast to do pimps and hustlers and jive talking shit. The movie is broken down into a series of skits and mini-movies. The way it's arranged, it's like the movie version of what "Amerikkas Most Wanted" or "Death Certificate" would be, or "Fear Of A Black Planet." It’s just got skits and a theme or a concept... It's flawless the way it's put together. I always wanted to make - if it makes sense... I always wanted to make an album that flowed like that movie. Throughout my career I kind of used it as a blueprint and not to mention, he bankrolled that movie out of his own pocket on his own credit cards and sold it to a movie company. The actors got paid barely anything. It was Damon Wayans' first movie, it was John Witherspoons's first movie, Keenan Ivory Wayans' first movie. A lot of actors that were in there that had never been in anything before and they went on the blow up later on. His whole situation, how he couldn't get a deal for the movie and he did it himself. It was like a creative process. The whole approach to "Hollywood Shuffle" and how I try to do my albums is how I do my career - that's just my favourite movie all around. Besides that, I would have to say "Baller Blockin" by the Cash Money Millionaires. It's only an hour and twenty minutes, but it's just so ignorant and wrong. Like when Turk shoots the mail man in broad daylight because he brought the welfare cheque late... Shit like that is just cinematic genius. After I saw that movie I aspired to just... Ah, it's a great movie. "Baller Blockin" and "I'm Bout It," by Master P. He just came out of pocket and did some independent, low budget, letter box shit. I just love that low budget, do it yourself, independent type of pimpin' shit. I'm not a high budget, big fancy dude. The shit that appeals to me is just un-heralded with a lot of balls and a lot of attitude. Those movies all represent that.
MVRemix: A la "Fight Club," "If you could fight any celebrity, who would you fight?"
J-Zone: I would fight Paris Hilton.
MVRemix: Why?
J-Zone: Because she's a dirty freak and if I smacked the shit out of her she might wanna blow me.
MVRemix: Do you reckon you'd win the fight though?
J-Zone: What does she weigh? Like 18lbs? I'd kill that bitch. [chuckles]
MVRemix: What are you working on next musically?
J-Zone: That's a good question man, I don't know. I'm kind of in an odd spot in my career because every year there was no question, I was in the studio doing an album. Now for the first time, I'm not really working on any J-Zone solo material like I can't make a conscious effort to do a J-Zone album, it has to happen. I'll wake up one day and the ideas will start pouring, but I haven't had the motivation to do a J-Zone album. Boss Hog just came out. At the moment I'm doing a lot of stuff for television and movies, music for commercials and shit. I've never had a beat CD before with more than 12 beats on it. Now I've got like 30 because I'm not using the beats for anything. I've got a couple of production endeavours going on. I might start a production team with some people but I can't really speak on it now because we're working on the paperwork. But a couple of high profile producers. I'm probably the lowest profiled out of all of 'em. I'm thinkin' of some kind of full length project where I don't have to involve many people because people are unreliable in every way. In a day it's hard to work with different people because everybody has different motives, different work schedules. That's why I always enjoy workin' on an album because people can drop their verse and leave and I can work and be a hermit. That's how I do, so... Boss Hog was a challenge because of that. We were workin' 50/50 - Celph is a night owl, I'm an early bird. It was a great challenge but for now I'm just lookin' for something I can put my own time into. I'm still brainstorming man, I think it's just gonna come when I'm not thinkin' about it. For now I'm just doing beats, promoting Boss Hog and doin' TV stuff as side gigs.
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