Whats up Rediculus? how is everything going with you?
Peace man, alls good here, just loving life right now. Thanks for taking the time to talk to me today!
Give us a little background about yourself and your music?
I’m an older cat so I remember it really coming about as a musical form and culture and having it around pretty much my entire life, kind of growing up with it. I was born in Buffalo NY and we’d take trips to NYC all the time back in the 70’s and early 80’s and I remember seeing early graffiti and hearing some of the really early music and not to be corny but it just grabbed me. Seeing Blondie’s rapture video, the UTFO/Roxxane Shante battle records, MC Shan/KRS 1 The Bridge Battle, seeing Beastie Boys on tour with PE before “My Uzi Weighs a Ton” came out, all these and more really threw me knee deep into the music and culture and there was no turning back.
As far as production and producing, I’ve always listened to the beat first when listening to music even when I was young. How the vocals and other instruments fit into the space of the song and how the song builds up and slows down, I guess I was just programmed that way when I was born. When I get new albums, the first thing I’ve always looked at where production and engineering credits since I knew fairly early on that they were the ones who really made the music sound good. I played a few instruments as a kid and in the mid 90’s I had an opportunity to grab a sampler and drum machine dirt cheap and figured why not give it a shot. I always had day jobs so it was just a hobby until early 2000 when I actually opened my studio and it all just grew from there.
Growing up who were some of your influences?
My mom would play anything from Statler Brothers and Kenny Rogers to Aretha to Billy Holiday to Styx and Talking Heads so early on I heard a lot of different types of music. When I got into hip hop some of the producers that have definitely helped me find my sound are DJ Muggs, D Nice, Eric Sermon, Sam Sever, SD-50’s Rick Ruben, Dre (definitely try to get all my mixes sounding like Dre tracks), RZA, Premo, Pete Rock, and even cats like Peter Frampton and Thomas Dolby.
Out of all the different sounds in the game what sets yours apart?
I merge the past and the future very well. I keep that boom bap aesthetic, whether its how I chop up my samples to how I program my drums and hooks, but keep it moving forward with new sounds, new ways to chop/flip samples and hand built drums kits.
Describe to us your most memorable moment since you’ve been in the game.
So far its definitely been seeing my instrumental album “Walking Down Broken Paths” come out with the “Distributed by Island/Def Jam” on the listing on ITunes. Also all the amazing MC’s I’ve been able to work with for the upcoming Masters of Conversation project is coming close to topping that.
What are you currently working on now?
I’m currently promoting my debut instrumental album “Walking Down Broken Paths” which came out thru my distribution situation at Def Jam and I’m in the studio working on several things as well. The next Masters of Conversation album is due out before the summer with a ton of folks on it so I’m wrapping up recording that soon, Lewi Ldn and I have a project this year, 1Fifty1 is dropping an album and going on a tour with Sen dog from Cypress Hill, Pair-a-Dyce has a mixtape and album coming this year, Rich Malone’s mixtape is done and his album starts soon and Prome is back with the camp again and he should have something this year as well.
What’s up next?
1Fifty1 is on tour with Sen Dog and then dropping their next studio project, I’m finishing up the last few guest appearances for the Masters of Conversation project and then dropping the first single featuring Ruste Juxx, working with Lewi Ldn, Pair-a-Dyce, Rich Malone and Prome on their solo works.
Where can we find you online?
Facebook personal page:
http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=579346392
Facebook Artist page:
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Rediculus-Beats/71790667327?sk=wall
Twitter:
http://twitter.com/Rediculus
Website
www.knowledgegivingbirth.com
I know you have some shout outs?
Definitely want to shout out you guys for taking the time out to talk to me, shout out to the entire KGB family: Rich Malone, Prome, Lewi Ldn, Pair-a-Dyce, 1Fifty1, Solomon D’Augustine and Kayzer9soze; shouts out to Marko, J Hatch and everyone at IStandard, all my peoples at Park St over in the UK and anyone who supports good music. Thanks!!
