Hela vägen från Paris förorter till M2s bakgård kommer Big Dope P på torsdag. Med tillhörande mix av house, hip hop, tropical och Jersey club. Förutom att göra egen musik driver han ett skivbolag, sänder en radioshow, gör remixer, producerar och löser sammarbeten med otaliga artister. Med tanke på hur mycket han har på gång i framtiden bör man nog passa på att se honom på Spinach på torsdag. Big Dope P premiärspelar i vår kära stad, och han har hört att det är ganska så grymt här. Så, upp till bevis!
Hi Big Dope P! How's life?
– Hello Fanny! Everything's good to be honest. I've been touring a lot this summer while doing tracks and enjoying life with friends. I knew harder times, so I definitly can't complain.
"I really don't feel like I'm part of a local scene."
Nice! So, what's the story about the name?
– To make a long story short, I used to make a lot of dudes in the area discover new music. I was crate diggin a lot to get the best vinyls, and when I said I had new stuff in my house, people came over to get the MP3 rips for their iPods. Somebody started to say this shit was crazy, because they were visiting me just like when they were going to a drug dealer… So the "Big Dope Pusher" name came from there.
So you decided to take the name?
– Well… At that time I used to appear on a few 12" with a new nickname everytime. When we did the first Moveltraxx vinyl, I named the track "Pop Dat Thing". It worked so I kept it.
– Well… At that time I used to appear on a few 12" with a new nickname everytime. When we did the first Moveltraxx vinyl, I named the track "Pop Dat Thing". It worked so I kept it.
How's the music-scene in Paris at the moment?
– There's interesting things going on. I feel like people are getting more open minded and less into fake hypes and stuff… Still, most successful acts get more love abroad than in our own country, which is strange. But honestly, I don't really pay attention to what's going on, as I really don't feel like I'm part of a local scene.
– There's interesting things going on. I feel like people are getting more open minded and less into fake hypes and stuff… Still, most successful acts get more love abroad than in our own country, which is strange. But honestly, I don't really pay attention to what's going on, as I really don't feel like I'm part of a local scene.
You mix a lot of genres in your music. What or who inspires you? Have you always been mixing genres?
– I'm from a place that's definitly more "hip hop" than "house", but from day one I wanted to share my love for house music with my people, so bringing hip hop into my electro influenced beats was natural to me. When I started touring, I discovered a lot of new genres, so back in the studio I wanted to incorporate the elements I loved in that music into my own stuff, to create something new.
"I really love doing remixes. It allowed me to do official works for artists I love, such as Lil Wayne, B.o.B, Todd Terry or Feadz. I love to take the original track and send it to my world."
You've done a lot of remixes. What's your view on that? How do you chose who to remix? Or do they ask you?
– I really love doing remixes. It allowed me to do official works for artists I love, such as Lil Wayne, B.o.B, Todd Terry or Feadz. I love to take the original track and send it to my world. When it's on my label Moveltraxx, I choose the tracks I remix, but otherwise people just send inquiries and if the project looks good, I'm in.
You seem extremely creative. You started your own radio show and your own record label, aside from doing music, producing and remixing. How do you have the time? What motivates you?
– Thank you! My motivation was, is and always will be building bridges between the sounds and genre I love, trying to explore new directions. Both the record label and the radio show has been created to share a vision I have of the music I never found elsewhere. I do this full time. Love and passion is the motto.
Tell us more about your recordlable Moveltraxx! How come you started it? What are you releasing? How do you find new artists to release?
– Initally we created this early 2007 just because we knew that if we waited too long, another label we knew would release "Pop That Thing". So we just created the label, pressed the 12", repressed it, released a few stuff vinyl and digital, like two records a year. But we only started to be really active in 2010 and 2011.
What are you releasing and how do you find new artists to release?
– Our latest releases features Funkystepz, Ezekiel, Lazy Flow, Dj Earl, Todd Terry and Dj Tameil. We release everything from hip hop to house, from footwork/juke to tropical bass and Jersey club. We just release the music we love, with no limits or boundaries.
The record industry isn't really blooming right now, with Spotify, free downloads etc. People don't seem up to paying for music in general. How does that affect you as artist and as a recordlable-owner? Moveltraxx is kind of specialized, do you think that helps?
– The fact that we melt the pot of various genres is a risk, but also a good thing, because it brings us more people. There is still money in the game. Sales may not be as good as 20 years ago, but there is still a lot of ways to make a living of music like licenses, publishing, airplay and bookings.
"I also hope to learn a few swedish words. The only one I remember is frukost…"
You do a lot of collaborations. What's your favorite so far, and why?
– I love to work with singers or MCs, but working with other producers is difficult. Still one of my favorite is one I'm working on right now with Feadz. It's hard to find somebody you really respect the vision of music, and I think we can be really complementary production wise. Future will tell…
If you could chose anyone, dead or alive, what's your dream-collaboration?
– My dream would be to produce an album full of collabs with Stevie Wonder, Bun B, Armand Van Helden, Brothers Johnson, Ezekiel, Scrufizzer, Feadz, Trina, Funkystepz, Juicy J, Noite E Dia, Splack Pack, Dj Nehpets, Honey Cocaine, Dj Tameil, Slim Thug, Mr 'De, NNeka, Just Blaze, Diomay, Fast Eddie and Sundance.
Have you been in Gothenburg before?
– No, never! I really cant wait, a lot of friends of mine who played there told me its awesome. I also hope to learn a few swedish words. The only one I remember is frukost…
Why should people come watch you on thursday?
– Because this is going to be a dope party for sure, and you're going to hear stuff you won't hear elsewhere.
You wake up and you married the swedish king, changed your name to Inga, are surrounded by ten blond and blueeyed children and they're all calling you "daddy". What happended the night before?
– Who da fuck put molly in my frukost ?
Finaly, what's next for you in the future?
– My new EP is out next monday with five original tunes and remixes by Maya Jane Coles, Kaytranada, Ben Mono, Feadz, Tagteam Terror, Eloq, Murder Mark & TT The Artist. Two videos are planned for the EP, and I'm already finishing the next one. And of course, I'm still very busy with the label, radio show and touring. No time to be bored…
Fanny WIjk
