We Interview: Nphared, Seattle DJ Maestro
DJ Nphared spins for Sportn' Life artists, including D. Black and Fatal Lucciauno, and he also DJs for Grynch. Seattlest enjoyed his mixes at the Parker Brothaz show on Monday, so we set out to learn more about this guy's ethos.
What two records, more than any other records, influenced your adolescence?
The first album I remember listening to religiously was Geto Boys' Till Death Do Us Part. I thought they were the illest, and when I got older and listened to the albums with Willie D, it blew my mind. But without a doubt the album that has stuck with me for years has to be Reasonable Doubt. Anybody that knows me knows I am a die-hard Jay fan, and the reason is because I grew up from a kid to a man listening to Jay the entire way. Rappers have come and gone, but Jay really is the common denominator as far as music for the past 12 years of my life and I think he's the greatest to ever touch a mic.
American Gangster, the record: were you satisfied? Disappointed? Ecstatic? Comments, please.
I think American Gangster is the best album to come out in 2007, alongside Little Brother's Getback. I was actually a fan of Kingdom Come, even with its faults, and I think Jay-Z redeemed himself with AG. At 39, he's still capable of making music as good or better than the generation he birthed, which is the problem with hip-hop music today. This is the first generation whose mainstream acts are less talented than the one before it.
Photo by Ryan Lewis via MySpace
What are you passionate about these days?
I stay in touch with politics and current events, keeping an eye on how messed up the world around me is. But my main passion is just sitting at home and making beats. I have hermit-like tendencies but I always have the desire to make music, listen to music or just DJ for myself for like 2 hours straight.
Where did you grow up? How does this impact your work?
I was born in Washington Heights, New York City, and lived there until I was 6, then my family moved out here and I was raised on the Eastside (in Redmond). I often get told there are many aspects of my personality that embody influence from the places I've lived. I feel almost as if I have an advantage having experienced "both sides of the tracks."
What do you think of the "206"/rep your area code movement? How does locality impact your sense of self and/or your music?
I like the idea of repping your area, but at the same time, people forget that we were all 206 until '97, so when you hear people say "you're not from the 206, you're from the 425 or 253," I kinda give them that "look." I'm the type of person that thinks, "It ain't where you from, its where you're at." I consider myself 206, its where I hang out and run around, it's where I made my name, and it's what I consider home.
Excluding groups you're directly involved with, what are your picks for most exciting local hiphop acts?
I of course believe in Grynch, who is one of my favorite artists period, and my whole Sportn' Life crew: D.Black, Fatal, Joe King & Spaceman (Kingzmen) and SK. As far as "non-affiliated," at the moment I'm into Cancer Rising. I think their latest EP is bananas. To me, GMK is a superstar in the making right now. Macklemore keeps coming with fire guest features that are getting me pretty excited for his future work.
How's Sportn' Life treating you? What's it like producing for so many artists??
I think Sportn' Life is truly one of those movements that is destined to leave a mark on the world and I feel blessed that D.Black and Devon welcomed me into the situation. I automatically get a certain level of respect, just based on telling people I DJ for D.Black, Fatal Lucciauno and the rest of The Life. When you add DJing for Grynch into the mix, my name becomes synonymous with Seattle's "new generation," which could never be anything but advantageous. The roster The Life has is, in my opinion, the most talented collective of artists and producers in the town, and having the opportunity to work with them in song or performance is something any person would want to be down with.
Why hip-hop? What attracts you to it?
Hip-hop has helped shape and define who I am. It spoke to me in a way that no other form of expression could. A lot of kids have a period where they aren't sure what they want in their life; hip-hop culture made it where I never had to doubt who or what I am.
What do you look for in determining what beats will get a crowd moving??
When I'm DJing a show, I try to imagine what state of mind I'd be in if I was in the crowd, and then I basically DJ for myself and spin specific to the mode I'm in. If the crowd is into it and nodding along, I've done my job. If I notice them just staring at me, I adjust and try to find the music they're looking for. A pet peeve of mine is when I go to a show and the DJ is basically in club mode, spinning their rehearsed set, and isn't really trying to get the crowd in the mood for the main act. I used to pre-plan what I would spin, but I eventually realized that a great set goes off instinct and your gut. Great DJs know what people want to hear before they hear it, and they don't do that by forcing something on them, but just by reading the crowd and seeing what works.
What's your drink?
A white russian is the drink you most likely find in my hand; shout out to "The Dude."
What does SOYGNH (Stay On Your Grind, No Hate) mean to YOU?
Haha, shout out to 206proof.com. SOYGNH is basically the biggest problem we have in our scene. People are so afraid of criticism, and anything not of praise is viewed as blatant hate--which is not the case most of the time. There is A LOT of garbage music out there, and if we aren't allowed to call it out, and we just continue to pat them on the back and "respect their grind and their hustle," it's going to make it THAT much harder for us to get respect in our own town, let alone on a national stage. If it wasn't a problem, we wouldn't have a colloquial term for it.
Thank you, DJ Nphared!
