Single Minded Pro's
October 2004
These are the transcripts of an interview conducted with Single Minded Pros by Hugo Lunny on October 14th, 2004.
MVRemix: Explain your artist names and the group name.
Rude One: The group is "Single Minded Pros." There used to be a whole bunch of (about six) and we all thought the same way about everything to the point that we could finish each other's sentences. We all basically had the same brain - like I'd have an idea for something and my partner Doc West, who's the only remaining member of SMP besides me - he'd finish my sentences like I'd say "We need this scratch right here." He's like "Ah, I've got the perfect one." All the music flowed together and everybody made the songs like we were one - like one mind. A single mind. So it became Single Minded Pro's. "DJ Rude One" comes from taggin' stuff; I would always write "Rude," it became "Rude One."
Doc West: I'm Doc West, they call me the Doc for the longest. I don't know why, I can't figure.
MVRemix: How did the group actually meet up?
Rude One: I used to DJ. Just in a basement and stuff and I had this friend... He was tellin' me "Man, you ain't nice. You ain't nice. My cousin would get you. You ain't nothin." So I was like "Man, bring him over here dude, I'll serve this cat." It ended up being Doc and we didn't even end up battling, we just ended up being friends and since then its been on. That was like 1991.
MVRemix: So how did you manage to get your material out there to begin with?
Rude One: We put it out ourselves. We're in Chicago, so J.U.I.C.E. was easy to get a hold of. We convinced him to do a 12" with us and we put that out and once that was released it was a lot easier to go to other cats. The single was distributed by Fat Beats. So a lot of people got access to it. When we started callin' around, tryin' to work with other people they were like "Oh yeah, yeah, yeah - I've seen y'all. I know that single."
MVRemix: How did you end up hooking up with Louis Logic and Kool G. Rap?
Rude One: Louis Logic was in town doing a beer tasting thing - a sort of beer fest in Chicago. He got my number from Tone B. Nimble of All Natural because he was lookin' to meet up with some people and Tone wasn't gonna be around. So he gave my number and he (Louis Logic) called me up and was like "Yo, we should hang out and whatever." He'd never been to Chicago before and so I was like "Hang out? Lets do a song man." As far as G. Rap - we'd DJ'ed on the "Jenny Jones" TV show here. The guy who hired us that did music production and that was in charge of all that was in contact with G. Rap's publicist fairly often. We were tryin' to do a record with Canibus at the time and it fell through. He contacted us and was like "Uh, sorry I can't get you Canibus, but I can get you G. Rap." We were like "Fuck! G. Rap? That's the king!" We got a number, we called him and two days later we were at his crib in Atlantic City tryin' to record the joint.
MVRemix: What do you use to produce? What's your equipment?
Doc West: MPC2000, MPC3000.
Rude One: We got an E-Mu Proteus, a Rackmount, an Akai S950, two turntables and a mixer.
MVRemix: What motivates your creativity?
Doc West: I don't know. The surroundings, music... just our everyday living. Music itself with different styles. Trying to come up with those things. Trying to be the best producers we can be just by making beats that fit the artist we make songs for. Trying to make that beat the artist's best song ever. When you listen to J.U.I.C.E.'s track on our album, who did the beat for that? And to me, that's still the best J.U.I.C.E. song I've ever heard by him. It's something different that with his usual lyrical hooks, Rude came in with the ill scratches and built a song. Some anthem type shit.
MVRemix: What can you tell me about the album?
Rude One: It's dope.
MVRemix: Uh, that's a pretty good summary.
MVRemix: Doc, I heard you're a Football (Soccer) fan, which team do you support?
Doc West: Well, World Cup I always go for Brazil. I'm more of a World Cup fan than anything else.
MVRemix: Ah well, Brazil. You should have gone for England, mate. Doc West: Ronaldo! He's the man!
MVRemix: Yeah, if you say so...
MVRemix: In your opinion do aliens exist?
Rude One: I'm convinced of that.
Doc West: One runs our label.
MVRemix: Do you two still have day jobs or are you doing this full-time?
Rude One: Nah, we're professional hitmen. And I double as a porn star.
Doc West: I'm a Nascar driver on Thursday's.
MVRemix: Are you seeking a major label or are you satisfied with the indie scene. What's the situation there?
Rude One: Well the alien won't let us off the label first of all. So, it would be wise to answer that question at a later date. We're in his office right now.
MVRemix: Will you be voting in the upcoming election?
Rude One: Yes.
Doc West: Yes.
MVRemix: A la "Fight Club," "If you could fight any celebrity, who would you fight?"
Rude One: Sammy Sosa. I'd beat his ass. Dude's a herb.
Doc West: Justin Timberlake for wanting to be Michael Jackson.
MVRemix: What do you think about the whole Michael Jackson controversy with regards to the new Eminem song?
Doc West: I don't know. Haha. No comment.
Rude One: Who's Michael Jackson? Didn't he used to play for George town as a Point Guard?
MVRemix: Are there any guest appearances or collaborations aside from the album we've got to look forward to?
Rude One: Me and my boy Chester Copperpot just finished up a record with Pace Won. It's gonna be hot to death, and we've got some other surprises in the works. We don't want to make them official yet, but the second installment of Single Minded Pro's should be a bigger venture.
MVRemix: If you need to take a break from Hip Hop, what do you do to relax or step out of the loop?
Rude One: Throw eggs at Taxi cabs. Then try and run over bike messengers in an SUV.
[Doc West chuckles]
Doc West: I play Polo.
MVRemix: Predict your next year for me.
Rude One: I'm gonna win a Baseball Triple Crown and take the Cincinati Reds to the World Series. Oh, and I want a gold glove too.
Doc West: I'll be starring center forward for Brazil during the World Cup.
MVRemix: As I said, you should've played for England. Any last words to your fans or potential fans that are going to be reading this?
Rude One: I hope.
Doc West: Yeah.
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