A Conversation with A Dope Boy

What is there to say about 2DopeBoyz? You love it or you hate it. They changed the blog game, the music industry and are delivering a new generation of emcees to the masses free of any overseer. If you've been following Meka since his days talking shit in editorials you probably expect a loud and outspoken asshole. He couldn't be further from his online persona. After he traveled to DC for a show that didn't happen he hoped on a plane and joined us at the HG Lodge to rock an Almost Famous set. Those in attendance heard a set full of great tunes that definitely veered away from his blog rap world. Before he went on I sat down with him for a few minutes on the upstairs deck to learn a little bit more.

You grew up in LA?
Yeah, all over. I was born in Fresno from Carson to Long Beach to Inglewood to Korea Town before moving out to New York last year.

What was your first exposure to hiphop?
My first exposure was actually MC Hammer around the Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em era. That was my very first tape, as soon as I popped that into the walkmen I fell in love with it. Always listened to it from front to back, when the tape snapped ended up getting my second tape which turned out to be Please Hammer Don’t Hurt Em. My third tape turned out to be Ready to Die and that’s when everything changed though.

So it was the East coast shit that flipped it for you?
Yeah, cause I had never heard anything like that before. First off it was my first dirty album. I wasn’t used to, you know MC Hammer is very clean. Then I got Ready to Die it was cuss word this cuss word that, first I was like I didn’t even know they could do that. To be honest I hated it when I first heard it because it’s too much cussing but after awhile I started enjoy it and it started me to look more into East coast sounds. It’s werid because I was born and raised in Los Angeles but I spent so much time focusing on New York music from like the Illmatic’s, to Only Built 4 Cuban LInx to 36 Chambers and everything in between. I felll in love with New York before I even had a chance to go see New York for the first time. Like I knew as early as my 10th gade year I wanted to live in New York just off the strength of their music scene.

You eating it up being out there now?
It’s not what I thought. I used to always go out there and visit for like a week or so cause I have family and it was basically the tourist thing. But when I moved out there and had to live it was totally different from what I was used to in Los Angeles because Los Angeles is very laid back, slow and has a very chill nature. New York is just hustle and bustle, I wasn’t used to that, public transportation, wasn’t used to the weather, wasn’t used to the people. I wasn’t used to anything out there. Literally for the first six months I hated it and wanted to move back home until I went back to Los Angeles for the holidays and realized oh it’s not as bad as I thought because the same reasons that I left Los Angeles are still there. So now at the moment I can dig it., I don’t like the weather but who does?

When did you first start writing?
I started writing around High School, I just really liked to write. Prior to that I used to draw, it was never very good some people liked my drawing skills back in the day. I always knew there was something different with me from my family cause all of my sibilings, I have four sisters I was the only male in the house. All of my sisters are into law and medicine, became lawyers and doctors and I’m here drawing and writing. I started writing probably around the ninth grade but I didn’t take it professionally until I got out of college and I started freelancing for a local magazine out in Los Angeles and started writing for hiphopDX but because of my job, previously I was a production assistant and an entertainment production company, I didn’t write for two years until I got bored and started picking it up again. I’d say on and off for six or seven years but straight threw for four.

When you and Shake sat down did you ever envision 2DopeBoyz becoming what it is today?
It’s actually funny, we never really sat down. It was because I was writing for hiphopDX that I ended up meeting Shake through that. We ended up meeting for the first time physically at a Rock the Bells in 07. HiphopDX came with the idea of essentially making a Nah Right competitor and put the two of us in there. They were gonna start the whole thing but a couple months passed and nothing happened. In the writers strike a lot of people lost their jobs, I was one of those peoples. After I lost my job I asked Shake when are they gonna start this site, he said we will just start it ourselves and roughly two weeks after I lost my job 2DopeBoyz was born.

Recently On Smash and Splash’s sites got shut down by ICE, what has been your guys reaction to that?
I haven’t really said much because that issue is very touchy and I have to pick and choose my words carefully around it. I was just as shocked and scared as everybody else. We could of been on that list. In my opinion both Splash and On Smash were both wrongfully chosen. Because of it we are just really on our toes now, just being really careful about what content goes on the site. We don’t want to be next on that list. It’s like a witch hunt now. Nobody who is in our field of work knows who is going to be next. We are all just trying to be very careful. We are all hoping this type of shit won’t continue. It’s really a damn shame how it happened cause they got their sites pulled but then the bill to pull it got approved the day after. There is so much wrong, I’m just trying to keep quite. We were pretty much shocked, it was Thanksgiving. Some of those folks, those were their jobs and I feel they are being wrongly profiled and now they don’t have a job because of that. It’s a lot. I’m just trying to stay quite and work.

Out of the artists you guys have broken who are some of your favorites?
I have a couple favorites. Pac Div, TiRon. There is an artist out of Compton named H.O.P.E. - really really dope, of course Kendrick Lamar. It’s funny I started really liking West coast music when I left. In terms of New York there is Tanya Morgan and the Lessondary crew. It’s a lot, I can’t pinpoint just one particular artist.

What is your favorite album of 2010?
There is one thing, it’s not like what everyone’s favorites is. I’ll see TiRon’s MUSTRD is the first thing that comes to mind. Von Pea of Tanya Morgan Pea’s Gotta Have It, Dom Kennedy From The Westside With Love is really dope. Kendrick Lamar’s OD is really dope. Those are the four I can think of right now, I’m freezing cold [laughter breaks out between us].

Ok you are about to go rock Seattle, what’s on your mind?
Thank you. Seriously that’s all I can think of. Thank you to everyone who has shown support in anyway shape or form because if it weren’t for you I wouldn’t be here period. I don’t even think I’d be in New York. I’m just very humbled by everything that has been happening to Shake and I and it’s because of the people. Thank you.

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Thanks to Meka for sitting outside and answering my questions thoughtfully!

An #Almost Famous Conversation w/ DJ Platurn

This weekend we have DJ Platurn of the Oakland Faders joining us at HG Lodge for Almost Famous. The Faders are one of the most respected DJ crews on the left coast and Platurn is well known for his killer party rocking blends and pushing the limits with his creative live sets. I will be joining him on the tables for the opening set so expect nothing but the best jams on party mountain.

For booth and guestlist reservations hit us at: membersonly206 [at] gmail [dot] com

Had to bring this back to the top as I chatted with Platurn this week and wanted to give y'all fence sitters that added push to realization that Platurn is not to be thought about lightly. Come out tonight! Get a booth and go ham to a soundtrack you won't find playing at another club in the town.

Have you played Seattle before? If so do you remember where, who with, any details?
I have, a few times. Mostly at The War Room but some other joints with the homie Marc Sense. Always a blast up there and the food and digs are excellent.

Do you make time to dig for vinyl when you hit new towns? Do you go out when you are home looking for vinyl?
Always. #1 priority - i've been collecting records for 15 years so at this point it's not a daily occurrence like it used to be but I still try to go almost every week, usually to the flea markets around the Bay or to Amoeba Records.

Do you ever play vinyl sets these days?
Most definitely. Pretty frequently actually. I also throw an all 7" monthly called "The 45 Sessions" at The Layover in Oakland. Amazing party and we've had everyone from Kon & Amir to Shortkut come rock it. The 1-Year anniversary is next month and i'm very proud of its success.

You are originally from Iceland, when did you come to the states? Was you exposure to Hip Hop and DJin something that happened when you made the move? Does Iceland have a hip hop scene?
Came to the States for the first time back in '83 and officially in '88. Def exposed to Hip-Hop on a real level when I moved but the culture has existed in Iceland since the mid 80s. Interesting to keep in mind that Iceland is one of the first inhabited countries just out of NY when crossing the Atlantic so a lot of the trends and music landed there before it even hit mainland Europe. They have a thick scene nowadays too.

Who were the first DJs to inspire you and make you get behind the tables?
JAM.....MASTER.....JAY!!! Then Jazzy Jeff, Aladdin, DJ Scratch and so on...

How did you and DJ Spair join forces? Are you guys still collaborating?
I've known the homie Spair since '95 and we started the Faders in 2000. We are still holding down the collective and have some things in the works but he's killin' shit in Vegas these days so it's not always as easy to collab when you're states apart.

Tell me about the Scion mixtape and what that did for you guys?
Got us a lot of exposure for sure. Good amount of press and half a million copies of the CD we made helped get the name out there quite a bit.

What will be playing in your ears on your trip to Seattle?
I actually don't listen to music much when traveling - not the car either. Not sure why that is - prolly cuz i'm around music constantly because it's my work/life that I take little opportunities like that to get some peace. If you're asking what i've been listening to as of late, well i'm loving these "Back To Peru" comps, Moses Hightower from back home and a bunch of random Steel Drum joints i've gotten my hands on.

What can the crowd expect from a Platurn set in 2010?
Hard to say - I'm all over the place these days. I tend to lean towards the obscure but energetic and funky remixes, edits and blends but it really has to do with the crowd and the vibe -- classic Hip-Hop and samples, etc. I played a bunch of house in SF the other day - haven't done that in hella long.

Are you excited by modern music? Do you find yourself more inspired by tunes that are older?
I like a lot of the stuff coming out but it is and always has been the music that pays homage to and recognizes the past that I dig the most, even the newer Electro stuff. I love a bunch of the new funk and any Rap or new Disco with a sample in it is gonna perk my ears up rather than something that doesn't. It all depends - there's good and interesting music from every genre and time period. I guess if it sounds genuine and soulful then i'm widdit -- a nice funky breakbeat always helps too.

Last words? Advice? Shout outs? Rants?
Big ups to the Members Only crew for having me out and to the homies Marc Sense, Zac J. and Mike May for taking care of a brother when I roll to town. Oh, and be sure to check out djplaturn.com & oaklandfaders.com on the regular for all things funky. Peace and all that!

#AlmostFamous w/ DJ Babu

The second edition of #AlmostFamous goes down tonight at HG Lodge and we aren't holding back one bit! We have the world famous DJ Babu of Dilated Peoples and the Beat Junkies coming through to play nothing but that good shit you probably won't be hearing at any other "clubs" around Seattle.

We are bringing it back to the basics and letting the DJ do what the DJ should do...read the crowd and play his shit! No b.s. just a good ol' fashioned dance party.

Come get wild and who knows, you might get your 15 minutes in before the end of the night!

ALMOST FAMOUS kicks off this Saturday 10/9

They sleep. We grind.

This Saturday October 9th is the big kickoff for our new weekly party at HG Lodge, ALMOST FAMOUS. We are planning on starting this new event with a large explosion of awesome, in the form of world famous dj and co-founder of the Invisibl Skratch Picklz, DJ Apollo. Joining him will be our Members Only brother in arms DJ Swervewon.

So in short, get your ass down there. No need to be afraid to go out on a Saturday night anymore. We're bringing it back to the basics and keeping it all about good music and good people.

As for the rest of the month...get excited:

Almost Famous

Curious? I bet. Follow @almostfamous206 for deets.