Photo by Evan Daniels for ATG
88 Keys has been at hip-hop's creative fronts since high school and the late '90s. He's been best buddies with Kanye West since 2001. ATG chatted backstage with the rapper, producer, Ralph Lauren enthusiast about the game, wack producers, his misunderstood last album, The Death of Adam.
ATG: On tour again. How is this run going for you?
88 Keys: Tours beeng going well; people show enthusiasm and excitement. It's been crazy. We're trying to multiply energy with each date. Each night is robust. I'm making fans. Exposing fans, exposing myself to people...not in terms of whipping my thing out, but people getting a whole other dimension of who I am. There's never a setlist, it's just a question of interacting with city, reciprocating energy.
ATG: Saw you last time in '08 at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. What's changed since fest for you besides no longer having that hot DJ?
88: On stage there's more self-awareness. More singing along. There's anticipation for songs. I lost the suit, funeral service concept. I realized how many people don't have my album and didn't get it. Had a bad show with Black Starr, realized people want to rock, don't want to be told a story.
ATG: Yeah, you've been with Mos for years. You produced songs on my favorite hip-hop album ever, Black On Both Sides. How is that relationship?
88: My big brothers. I was in high school going to the studio, vibing with D'Angelo and Erykah before they came out. I was in there with The Roots. At the time, Mos was a guy sitting in the corner sizing me up; eventually I met him at a video shoot with De La Soul, gave him a beat tape, he called me, I tracked 12 songs [for Black On Both Sides], only three made the final thing.
ATG: On the subject of big friends, you've been close to Kanye West for a while. He has a generous reputation, but also one of leaving behind guys like Freeway and Rhymefest. Do you worry about not getting returned phone calls?
88: Our relationship was built outside of music. We've been best friends since 2001. There's been times when he doesn't call me back but next week he'll text or email. I know he's in the zone right now. He actually asked for music for his upcoming project but unfortunately, being on the road, I missed opportunity to prepare anything. Hoping by time tour in April is over he's still looking. But it's all love. I can still stay at his house. I'm the kind of dude who understands circumstances.
ATG: Drake had beaming reviews of 'Ye's new album. Have you heard it? Thoughts?
88: No comment on that one.
ATG: Tell me about your last album, The Death of Adam and its success.
88: I put everything I had into the album. I told myself I'd jump on opportunity to make an album on someone's budget. I told myself to be creative and reminiscent of early '90s, Native Tongues stuff I liked. I wanted to do something fun, something you can walk away with. Take home messages beyond tongue-in-cheek playfullness of the funeral concept.
ATG: And now? What are you working on?
88: A mixtape that was a little too good so I decided to make it an album. But I wanted it to be free for everyone so as of today it's a tape tentavtively called: The Alpha Program Version 2.1
ATG: You're a huge Ralph Lauren fan. What's the last item you bought?
88: A collection for my daughters. I haven't shopped for myself in a minute. But [my daughters's] closets are crazy. They're three and one and a half year-olds. The crazy part is Ralph approved my daughters's middle names for part of his collection next year.
ATG: What advice do you have for up and coming producers?
88: Find comfortable euqipment. Master it. Freak it. Know when to upgrade. Don't set up MySpace accounts and start bombarding people with beats unless you're sure. It's funny I still have "Raw Dog," my old Akai MPC 3000, the same one I've had since since age 15. That's all I produce with.
88 Keys: Tours beeng going well; people show enthusiasm and excitement. It's been crazy. We're trying to multiply energy with each date. Each night is robust. I'm making fans. Exposing fans, exposing myself to people...not in terms of whipping my thing out, but people getting a whole other dimension of who I am. There's never a setlist, it's just a question of interacting with city, reciprocating energy.
ATG: Saw you last time in '08 at the Brooklyn Hip-Hop Festival. What's changed since fest for you besides no longer having that hot DJ?
88: On stage there's more self-awareness. More singing along. There's anticipation for songs. I lost the suit, funeral service concept. I realized how many people don't have my album and didn't get it. Had a bad show with Black Starr, realized people want to rock, don't want to be told a story.
ATG: Yeah, you've been with Mos for years. You produced songs on my favorite hip-hop album ever, Black On Both Sides. How is that relationship?
88: My big brothers. I was in high school going to the studio, vibing with D'Angelo and Erykah before they came out. I was in there with The Roots. At the time, Mos was a guy sitting in the corner sizing me up; eventually I met him at a video shoot with De La Soul, gave him a beat tape, he called me, I tracked 12 songs [for Black On Both Sides], only three made the final thing.
ATG: On the subject of big friends, you've been close to Kanye West for a while. He has a generous reputation, but also one of leaving behind guys like Freeway and Rhymefest. Do you worry about not getting returned phone calls?
88: Our relationship was built outside of music. We've been best friends since 2001. There's been times when he doesn't call me back but next week he'll text or email. I know he's in the zone right now. He actually asked for music for his upcoming project but unfortunately, being on the road, I missed opportunity to prepare anything. Hoping by time tour in April is over he's still looking. But it's all love. I can still stay at his house. I'm the kind of dude who understands circumstances.
ATG: Drake had beaming reviews of 'Ye's new album. Have you heard it? Thoughts?
88: No comment on that one.
ATG: Tell me about your last album, The Death of Adam and its success.
88: I put everything I had into the album. I told myself I'd jump on opportunity to make an album on someone's budget. I told myself to be creative and reminiscent of early '90s, Native Tongues stuff I liked. I wanted to do something fun, something you can walk away with. Take home messages beyond tongue-in-cheek playfullness of the funeral concept.
ATG: And now? What are you working on?
88: A mixtape that was a little too good so I decided to make it an album. But I wanted it to be free for everyone so as of today it's a tape tentavtively called: The Alpha Program Version 2.1
ATG: You're a huge Ralph Lauren fan. What's the last item you bought?
88: A collection for my daughters. I haven't shopped for myself in a minute. But [my daughters's] closets are crazy. They're three and one and a half year-olds. The crazy part is Ralph approved my daughters's middle names for part of his collection next year.
ATG: What advice do you have for up and coming producers?
88: Find comfortable euqipment. Master it. Freak it. Know when to upgrade. Don't set up MySpace accounts and start bombarding people with beats unless you're sure. It's funny I still have "Raw Dog," my old Akai MPC 3000, the same one I've had since since age 15. That's all I produce with.
- Evan Daniels
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