Think In Gangsta - conducted by The William Brown Routine
The Case of the Lost Identity
October 2005
The THINK IN GANGSTA crew –– DJs FASE, LAW, AND CRYO –– put on gangsta rap listening parties in Toronto, Ontario. With a wide selection of gangsta cuts from the early 90s like Ice Cube, Too short and MC Eight, they’ll keep your Chuck Taylors moving, and as a bonus, if you wear throwback Raiders or Kings gear, you get in for free! I first came across the THINK IN GANGSTA crew from their eye-catching poster art that they throw up city-wide, and was interested in taking a few classes on how to THINK IN GANGSTA. So I contacted their Promotional Director Diggy Jansen, and he signed me up! School is in session.
MVRemix: What is the concept behind THINK IN GANGSTA?
Diggy Jansen: Well it’s obviously a take off on the “Think in Spanish” Spanish courses. I come from a graffiti back ground –– not pretty mural graffiti… vandalism graffiti! –– so I wanted to do something that gets people’s attention, and the best way to do that is to piss people off. We pissed the “Think in Spanish” people off big time, to the point where they were going over us, even on bus shelters, private property, etc. I mean I don’t fucking care who’s property I’m postering on but you’d think they would …pretty funny.
MVRemix: What’s the difference between gangsta music in the early 90s and the gangsta music being made now?
Diggy Jansen: I’m sure there’s lots of hard core gangsta shit still being made, but what I’d say the difference is that everyone in hip hop is claiming they’re gangsta. When I think of “gangsta rap,” I think of broke-ass gang-bangers talking outlandish shit, not multi-million-dollar-having dudes talking about their rims. Remember when shit was actually kinda scary? Like when Cube left N.W.A. and Dre said that when they caught up with him they were going to “cut his hair off and fuck him with a broom stick” or Bushwick Bill talking about fucking corpses –– that’s gangsta! But what the fuck do I know?
MVRemix: What are some your favourite gangsta songs and artists of all time?
Diggy Jansen: NWA, old [Ice] Cube, CMW, Too $hort, DJ Quick, Geto Boys –– all the classic shit except 2Pac. And my favourite hip hop group overall: M.O.P., the hardest motherfuckers in rap music today! “With all intentions of droppin a body I’m usually nervous so I’m flinchin’ when I enter the party.” How real is that?
MVRemix: THINK IN GANGSTA could be looked upon as a violent way of thinking.
Diggy Jansen: The gangsta gangsta parties are an excuse to get drunk. Someone got stabbed at the last party and we’re not sure which way we want to go with them. Do we get a bunch of security for the next one? Or do we see how violent it can really get?
MVRemix: Say you were in bartending school and you had to invent a new drink called “Gangsta.” What would you put in it?
Diggy Jansen: Real Gs drink 8 Ball (olde English). I drink Coors light.
MVRemix: Can you have sex with gangsta music on in the background?
Diggy Jansen: You can do whatever you want.
MVRemix: What’s the difference between a gangsta and a wanksta?
Diggy Jansen: I live in Toronto; what the hell do I know?
MVRemix: Was Darth Vader a gangsta?
Diggy Jansen: He’s got that whole all-black thing going… he’s not showing his flag if he’s down with a set…I say Darth is a mark-ass busta!
MVRemix: Do you think the American government is gangstas?
