Artist Feature #152: Little Shalimar

In der Artist Feature Serie stellen wir euch regelmäßig interessante Musik-Künstler vor. Grundlage des “Artist Feature” sind um die 15 Fragen, von denen einige immer gleich und einige individuell sind.

In der 152. Folge des „Artist Feature“ haben wir Little Shalimar zu Gast. Der Producer ist in Brooklyn aufgewachsen und zwar zu einer Zeit, in der es dort noch richtig rund ging und Gang-Überfälle an der Tagesordnung waren. Es ist nicht ganz einfach Little Shalimar in ein Genre-Raster zu stecken, denn er läßt die Genres Soul, Hip Hop, Funk, Blues und Rock spielend miteinander verschmelzen.

Nachdem er bereits für Acts wie Run The Jewels produzierte, meldete er sich Anfang des Jahres mit dem vielfach gelobten Soundtrack zu „Rubble Kings“ zurück – der Dokumentation über die Gangkultur der 70er Jahre in Brooklyn. Wir haben uns passend dazu mit ihm unterhalten – checkt hier das Interview!

You was born and raised in Louisville, Kentucky. When you go back there for a few days to visit family or friends: Where to go to eat? Do you have a special place?

Two places: „Jack Fry’s“ for shrimp and grits or spicy fried oysters. „The Cottage Inn“ for fried chicken.

Which book did you read last?

„Bringing up bebe“. I have a two year old son.

You moved to Flatbush, Brooklyn when you was 10 years old. Please tell us: Growing up there – how was it?

Pretty crazy! I was pretty sheltered and privileged in Kentucky. Brooklyn was really wild in those days; extremely dangerous, but also exciting.

Please tell us a bit about how your connection to music started. How did you become a producer?

I’ve always been a music lover, but I didn’t start playing until I was 17. Jaleel Bunton ( he’s in TV On The Radio) showed me how to play a blues scale on a guitar, and that was it. I was hooked. I became a producer because I was impatient. I wanted to make records and I didn’t want to wait for someone else to do it for me.

Your stage name is Little Shalimar. In an Interview I read, that this name was given to you by a special person. Please tell us about this.

Hmmm. I wonder which interview that was. I gave myself that name the first time I made a recording by myself. It doesn’t mean anything. I was just 18 and completely stoned. I thought it sounded cool.

Please name a few artists, which influences you the most.

Jimi Hendrix // Funkadelic // Jungle brothers // Public Enemy // Sly

Which equipment do you use making music?

Guitars, drums, analog synths, pro tools, maschine – really anything I can get my hands on.

What’s the recording process like when you’re in the studio?

Depends on what I’m doing. If I’m just making something from scratch it almost always starts with drums (acoustic or programmed). Once I dig the groove I’ll improvise on something until it feels right. Often fo and arrangement come next. Typically vocals come towards the end, but those will dictate the to final form.

Let’s talk about your work as the producer for the „Rubble Kings“ soundtrack. When did the idea first come about that you’ll be the producer for the sampler?

Well I scored the film as well. I initially thought I’d release the score as an album. Shan Nicholson (d. Regisseur) and I decided it’d be cool to add some contemporary artists to the mix in hopes of attracting kids to the documentary. In the end, I sampled my score to make new tuns for rappers and singers. The album is a combination of cues from the score and these new, sample-based tracks.

You’ve collaborated with a bunch of outstanding artists like Ghostface Killah, Run The Jewels and Bun B. How did these collaborations come together?

I co-produce the Run The Jewels albums with El-P, so naturally I asked them to get on board. I know Bun through Killer Mike. In fact I’m friends with everyone on the album with the exception of Ghost to whom I was introduced by Mass Appeal.

An audio drama about my life should be narrated by …

Oscar the grouch.

Where I come from, the most important thing is …

Money – but thankfully I don’t really fit in…

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Alle Fotos: (c) Mass Appeal

Der Beitrag Artist Feature #152: Little Shalimar erschien zuerst auf RAP-N-BLUES.com.