Dirty Needlez - conducted by Bill "Low Key" Heinzelman
Dirty Needlez
July 2005
Dirty Needlez is one third of the Godz Wrath production team. His signature boom bap sound diversifies the psychedelic contributions from his two partners, Mod The Black Marvel and Jordan River Banks. Needlez has been perfecting his production sound since 1998 by lacing tracks for local crews like Ontoppadiz. Eventually, Needlez helped form SuperCharger Records and put together Godz Wrath. Needlez distinct beats are heavily influenced by 90's East Coast Hip Hop, and combines elements of soul and rock. In part five of MVRemix.com's interviews with SuperCharger Records, Dirty Needlez tells the world who he is.
MVRemix: I just want to start with some background questions so fans can get to know the person behind the music. So where were you born and raised, and what was it like growing up there?
Dirty Needlez: I grew up in Holland in a small town, nothing exiting really.
MVRemix: What is your first memory of Hip Hop?
Dirty Needlez: Don’t call it a comeback! The LL Cool J - Mama Said Knock You Out album. Before that, I used to listen to a lot of shit, some Hip-Hop tracks, but that summer in 1990 I really got addicted to it. After that came Ice Cube, Ice T, Public Enemy, KRS One, etc.
MVRemix: How did you first get into producing?
Dirty Needlez: It began when I found out about this certain function on a friends CD player called A-B , which is a cheap kind of loop function. I got hooked with repeating shit’s and from one thing came the next. My brother introduced me to someone who was producing and he taught me the basics.
MVRemix: How did you start to make a name for yourself in this Hip Hop game?
Dirty Needlez: By improving my skills and teaming up - building a strong production crew called Godz Wrath.
MVRemix: For those who haven't heard your work, how would you describe your sound or style?
Dirty Needlez: Sort of like an ad-dick-tion, hard, mid nineties sound, straight up bangerz!
MVRemix: How did the production super group Godz Wrath form?
Dirty Needlez: We got introduced to each other by Twann, who was our mutual friend, and is also our manager now. We sat down together and came up with the idea to team up and form one strong production crew, in order to make a name for ourselves
MVRemix: How did you hook up with Supercharger Records?
Dirty Needlez: I founded it with Twann & Jordan River Banks. We felt that if big labels weren’t feeling the classic Hip-Hop music we love we had to put it out ourselves.
MVRemix: Tell us about The Campaign Mixtape?
Dirty Needlez: The Campaign is basically an introduction to what is gonna come. It’s a mixtape but you can see it as a full-length album. 33 tracks, all bangers, straight up raw shit! The reactions we get are crazy yo.
MVRemix: You and Godz Wrath have done a lot of work with The Black Market Militia and company. How did you hook up wit Killah Priest, Tragedy, Hell Razah and that whole crew?
Dirty Needlez: We stepped to them while they were performing in Holland together with Shabazz the Disciple. We’d already known Bazz by that time so we sat down, talked and send him the beats. He loved it and from one thing came to the next.
MVRemix: What is your relationship like with them? Are you their new production team?
Dirty Needlez: Something like that, yeah. We’re doing a mad production work for them, right now we’re working on the albums of Killah Priest and Hell Razah. And in the future we are planning to team up a little bit more, putting out an album together with them and the SuperCharger artists.
MVRemix: Is it tough working with artists when you are not around be in the studio with them?
Dirty Needlez: It’s not tough at all, because of the internet. It just takes a little bit longer, but it isn’t as intense as it could be. Working with somebody in the studio makes you put a lot more in the tracks, you get involved more.
MVRemix: What has been the biggest headache for you coming up in this Hip Hop game?
Dirty Needlez: My daytime job. As a production team, we are growing daily but at this point I also got to spend my time on making money in a different way. This just basically is the reason why we aren’t on the same level as Def Jam or Death Row yet (Laughter). But change is gonna come, trust me!
MVRemix: A lot of people feel that people overseas have a better appreciation for Hip Hop than people in America. What are your thoughts on that?
Dirty Needlez: I think it’s bullshit. You got people that really love Hip-Hop and you got people that really love bullshit everywhere. The only thing is that the big American record companies are setting the trend; bullshit sells! So that is what you see in the media. But I think you’ll find the same love in America or wherever.
MVRemix: A lot of people look at American culture as ignorant or in a negative light, so when you look at America, what do you see?
Dirty Needlez: I think American people are just like people in any country but it’s the media who’s to blame for their reputation.
MVRemix: Who are some of your favorite producers of all time?
Dirty Needlez: Marley Marl (Mama said knock you out), Diamond D (Flow Joe), Trakmasterz (Ill Street Blues), True Master (Fish), and of cource RZA, Premier & Dre.
MVRemix: What else do you have going on in the future?
Dirty Needlez: As SuperCharger Records, we are going to put MOD the Black Marvel’s album. Shit is gonna be crazy! After that Ciph Barker, Propaganda, Tyrone, Thun. Next to that we are also working with artists like Heltah Skeltah, Shabazz The Disciple and Timbo King. So don’t worry; we will have enough for you!!!!
MVRemix: Any last words, shout outs, or plugs?
Dirty Needlez: For those who haven’t got The Campaign mixtape yet: buy that shit! Check out www.superchargerrecords.com. Peace!
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"We’re doing a mad production work for them, right now we’re working on the albums of Killah Priest and Hell Razah. And in the future we are planning to team up a little bit more..."