FAM #9 - Tapemasta

It's been over a year since our last FAM interview, so this unexpected drop may come as a surprise to you. Well, it was definitely a shock for me to find myself in New York's Power 105 studio, sitting across the console from DJ Self! I was having my own 'just happy to be here' moment, but when he said he had a quick window to do an interview, I had to make it happen. In this 15 minute, unedited conversation with the Prince of New York we try to cover everything from his upbringing in Brooklyn (a place where stars are born), to the Lox Family tape that put him on the map, to his recently released app. Hands down our Gwinin'est episode yet, and hopefully just one of many more to come.

As we look toward the future and aim for the stars, FAM brings you more real conversation with the next generation of rap. There's no denying the wealth of young talent out there, artists whose energy and perspective are the much needed breath of fresh air in an otherwise stifling musical climate. Leading the new school are Su Bviley and Vice, two members of the collective known as Tribe GVNG. Crafting a sound that reflects the way they live, they shed light on the group's origin and the stories behind some of the standout tracks from their rapidly growing catalog.

People cop mixtapes for different reasons. In the beginning, when there were no tracklists, the DJs reputation was based upon his ability to select, blend and scratch records. Personality can go a long way too, even as the game transitioned into the exclusive era. DJ SNS has excelled throughout all of these stages of the game by mastering each skill. Between offering such words of wisdom to aspiring DJs and MCs, SNS shares the stories behind a few of his classic tapes: including the making of the notorious Bad Boy Vol.4 mixtape! Hear the incredible lengths to which SNS went to obtain some of raps rarest exclusives, and learn why he should be considered an icon, not a legend!

I'll readily admit: I don't necessarily have my finger on the pulse of what's going in the rap world outside of the Northeast. Honestly, it's all a little blurry for me once you get past Pennsylvania. So to capture my attention from all the way out in South Carolina, it takes a special kind of artist. By somehow incorporating Jean-Claude Van Damme and the Ninja Turtles into one of the most brutal choruses in recent history, Just Rich Gates had me at "BAHHHHHHHH!" But for someone so at home over Lex Luger production, you may be surprised to learn just how well-versed Gates is in the sounds of New York. We discuss the differences between Merk City and The Big Apple, his work with A-Mafia & Waka Flocka Flame and the legacy of Freaky Tah.

Maino's accomplished career has been the fulfillment of a dream. Inspired by the classic mixtapes of the 90s, he left the prison system after serving nearly a decade, setting out to make an impact in the music industry from his first day of freedom. Now just days before the release of his newest album, "The Day After Tomorrow," we take Maino back on a trip through time to the year 2003. Running through his earliest freestyles and features, he talks candidly about the excitement, even nervousness, of those first recording sessions. We reminisce over the rappers that came up alongside him nearly a decade ago, and how his survival instinct kept him from slipping into irrelevance.

Like so many others who were there, I was fascinated by Jeromes Dream: the 3-piece from Connecticut that sparked endless debates on messageboards and bidding wars on eBay. The raw emotional fury manifested in their elusive records and blink-of-an-eye live sets was unlike anything I had ever seen or heard before. It had been over a decade (and several musical lifetimes) since I last spoke with Erik Ratensperger the former drummer for JD, and later The Virgins. Yet despite the lapse of time or difference in paths taken, the commonality of growing up within the hardcore scene of the late 90s framed our conversation in a mutual understanding. Reflecting on the vinyl, the VFWs, the basements and the friendships, Erik obligingly answers all of the questions I've harbored since high school.

You'd be hard pressed to meet a rapper as humble as Tom Gist. Paradoxically, you would find it even more challenging to name another lyricist as talented. Embodying the work ethic of the independent artist, and bodying every record he gets on, are equal parts of this Harlem-bred MC. From his days battling under the alias Arrogance to his breakout appearance on Cam'ron's Public Enemy #1 mixtape, Gist gives us the story behind the struggle. We get the word on his work with Ransom, the Diplomats, the Gistmatic mixtape, and what it is that motivates one of rap's most underrated.

Pardon me for geeking out a little bit on this one, but one of my favorite rappers ever, Cormega, was kind enough to give FAM a call this week! With 2 decades worth of experience in the rap game and a catalog of acclaimed albums, Mega is set to drop his new double-disc "Raw Forever" September 27th; an exciting, ambitious project he recorded with a live band. Of course, we get into the defining moments and proudest achievements of his exalted career, but it was simply impossible to mask my enthusiasm in asking him about his classic albums and unreleased rarities!

Taking a break from his schedule DJing 7 days a week for Albany's Jamz 96.3, the Grammy-nominated DJ Iroc provides FAM with possibly our most captivating interview yet! A member of the Bad Boy camp throughout their beef with Death Row and the passing of the Notorious B.I.G, Iroc was present for some of the most pivotal moments in hip-hop's history. You'd be hard pressed to find a single relevant artist from the 90s that did not contribute to one of his classic mixtapes. He lets us in on the secrets of his hustle and shares stories ranging from touring Japan with Big L to getting into a car chase alongside (who else?) Fat Joe!

In this episode, ForAllMasters.com touches down in Brooklyn to visit the Mixtape Librarian himself: Tapemasta. Without a doubt, the authority on all things related to mixtapes, having amassed a collection of recordings numbering well into the thousands; Tape gives our listeners (and this self-proclaimed connoisseur) a real history lesson! Sharing our passion about this often overlooked aspect of hip-hop culture, he speaks at length about the important role the mixtape has played both in the music industry and in his own life. True to form, you can also expect to hear plenty of shoutouts! Listen and learn.