M.C.’s flow, B-Boys break, Graff artists tag, and D.J.’s scratch. This installment of the Quick 5 focuses on the turntablist. The ability to create/manipulate sounds with your hands is a special talent that only the best D.J.s possess. Scratching can completely add a different vibe to a track. It makes the track hip hop(Real heads know what I mean). One person who has mastered this art is The White Shadow. Aside from winning the Norwegian DMC D.J. Battle in 88/89, he has also shared the stage with the likes of: Busta, Jay-Z, A Tribe Called Quest, KRS-One, Gang Starr, Arsonists, and many others.
The White Shadow has cut up records, produced tracks, and rocked crowds from NYC to Norway. Now the Norwegian Hip Hop pioneer is rockin’ the Quick5. Here we go!
Before we get into the Quick 5, What/Who influenced you to become a turntablist/producer?
I heard Wheels Of Steel by Grandmaster Flash back in ’81 when it dropped, and it was on. I was also inspired by DJ’s like Jazzy Jay, D.St, Whiz Kid, and a little later DJ Cheese, Jazzy Jeff, and Cash Money. I’d been into DJ’ing since the late 70’s, so Scratchin’, and all that was just a natural progression. As far as production I’ve made beats since the late 80’s, and was inspired by 45 King, Paul C, Bomb Squad, Lench Mob back then, and many more. From DJ’ing to production was a natural progression as well.
Do you have a preference when it comes to production tools? Ex. Reason vs. Triton? Serato vs. Vinyl?
I used to be a vinyl, and SP-1200 purist, but as time goes by so does evolution, and you either keep up with it, better yet stay a bit ahead of it, or get left behind, so I’ve switched to Fruityloops because it has about a million more options than the SP, and switched to Serato as well, and I’ve understood how limiting it was with vinyl compared, I mean, you can do all you could with vinyl plus a whole lot of other good shit with Serato, still I’m hangin’ on to my SP, and records for nostalgic reasons, and I had to stop collecting anyway cause everything I was still lookin’ for was $500 and up a record so it was gettin’ too crazy, but yeah I’ve gone all digital, and it’s better.
Okay, here come the Quick 5.
Question #1
You’ve rocked with many MC’s and rocked many crowds. What is your most memorable moment?
There’s many but as far as DJ’ing the early 90’s in New York at all the clubs there, and especially at a jam at The Ritz where I opened up for BDP along with the first MC I made tracks with who was Tricky Tee (Zulu Nation, and Sleeping Bag Records artist) playing for about 5000 heads including a lot of the old school cats like Bam, Jazzy Jay, and many more, and we killed it. That was my best gig ever, and I sorta knew it would never get better than playing for the best and most Hiphop savy crowd in the world in the hometown of it, New York.. For production it’s all the records I’ve produced, and especially my own albums, and in particular the vinyl EP Back To The True School that I put out in 2003. Working with Easy Mo Bee in the studio, as well as hangin’ out with Premo, and the Guru(RIP) when they made the Daily Operation LP was a learning experience too.
Question #2
Living in NYC and in Norway. Is there a difference of attitude towards the 4 elements of hip hop. Is there more appreciation for the art in Norway?
I don’t think so. Hiphop heads are the same, and as real or whatever no matter where you come from. If anything, back in the days in New York it was more a part of everything than in Europe, like if a song was big you’d hear it from every car, bodega, block, etc, etc, like, Hiphop was just more a part of every day life to a lot more people than out here, and back then you could definitely get the feel of why it started in New York, and it was as common as food and water out there, but Europe, and Norway are shaping up, and there’s a big scene out here for Hiphop, but it’s not as non commercial as a lot of people say. The MTV generation Rap and whatnot has had it’s run here too, but finally people are starting to tire of it, and the general public are starting to see that there’s better artists out there than what you hear on the radio every day. We can thank the Internet a lot for that giving artists a channel without being a part of any major corporations.
Question #3
What hip hop album do you remember listening to and just saying, “Damn, this is my shit!!!”
I’ll list a few:
Run DMC – Raising Hell
Beastie Boys – Licensed To Ill
Public Enemy – Yo Bum Rush The Show
BDP – Criminal Minded
NWA – Straight Outta Compton
Ice Cube – Amerikkka’s Most Wanted
Stezo – Crazy Noise
Wu Tang Clan – 36 Chambers
Common Sense – Resurrection
Gangstarr – Moment Of Truth
J-Zone – Music For Tu Madre
Jedi Mind Tricks – Violent By Design
and there’s 100’s more. Actually there’s more 12″ singles than albums that means a lot to me like all the early Grandmaster Flash & The Furious 5 singles like It’s Nasty, Wheels Of Steel, The Message, New York New York, and Bam’s early joints, Planet Rock, Renegades Of Funk, Funk You. Rockit by Herbie Hancock.
Question #4
In your opinion, what was the best year in hip hop?
I can only imagine it cause I wasn’t around back then, but from what people who were tell me it was before Hiphop was on records you know the mid to late 70’s back then before it became big business. Hard to point out a year after wax started comin’ out cause every year had it’s styles, and classics.
Question #5
If you could make your own version of triumph. What MC’s would you put on?
There isn’t that many cats I haven’t worked with yet that I still feel I need to work with, which is one of the reasons why my next album is my last producer album featuring various artists, but you know the legends who are still doin’ it like Rakim, Nas, Jay-Z, Chino XL, Common. That would be dope!
I know Mills is loving the Chino XL reference in Question 5!
I’d like to thank The White Shadow for taking time out to answer the Quick 5. I’d also like to shout out Norway for reppin’ the elements.
Bless.
StroyDnaire
