DJ L feat. Junior Reid, Harlems Cash, Sheek Louch, Cassidy, & Joell Ortiz - "Take It to the Top"
DJ L recently dropped this really dope track, and the great people at illRoots had to get this to our family asap. We talk, independents, major, 106 & Park, modeling and overall get to know the man behind the tables that brings the number one countdown show on TV to life. Enter DJ L......illRoots.com: Whom can we expect on your album production wise and features?
DJ L: Right now, I am not doing an album..really...[laughs]... I'm just putting songs together with artists whom I havea relationship with, on my producers beats, with concepts and ideas of mine. This is all done to brand my "A Beautful Mind" Movement, my artist Harlem's Cash, and myself.As well to show that I don't just do many mixtapes, and I don't just do all the hottest clubs in the U.S. and the world, but I can also make music and show that I'm a boss.When the album does come out it'll be called "I'm In Love Again", since my 1st love was and always will be basketball, and music is my 2nd love.
illRoots.com: The most important part of your day to day life as a DJ?
The most important part of my day life as a DJ is to never give up, no matter what "BS" or craziness happens to me or no matter what hate comes my way. It's to remind myself that this is my mission, this is what I was put on this earth to do. It is what I love, and I shall never give up when it comes to that and my dreams. Business wise it's to get all the priorities and the business aspects out of the way first...then the small things.
illRoots.com: Over the years you have contributed quite a good number of mixtapes to the game. Being such a prominent force (Justo Rookie of the Year 05') in the mixtape game where do you feel the game is going and why?
DJ L: Well the game has changed tremendously...now you don't have to chase music anymore, it comes directly to you (Laughs)...or you can go online or to people's blog pages and download it immediately. So the competition is much more and to be honest, today, there's no such thing as an exclusive, unless your making your own music, which is what I'm doing. Before, I remember how hard I had to work and wait outside of studios to get just one freestyle or an exclusive. I was all over the city, but many people still do mixtapes. However, the game is still alive but because of all the pressure that the Government and other officials are putting on it, its much more underground now. You have to go to sources to find mixtapes now more so than before. I used to do 2 to 3 tapes every two weeks, now I only do it every 3 weeks since I travel so much DJing and branding my company and doing 106 & Park every day takes so much of my time.
illRoots.com: Harlem's Cash, The Government, both extremely dope, What separates them from any other production team and artists out right now?
DJ L and Swizz Beatz
DJ L: Harlem's Cash is to me the 1st harlem artist/rapper, to come out of there and sound like no harlem rapper has ever sounded. Yes he has crazy lyrics, and metaphors, and all that New York swag, but we make music. We utilize our beautiful mind, which was god-given, and we think hard, incorporate our hearts, and make music that makes the people feel something. That's our goal, because its our passion and by doing what we love, instantly, that's what comes out. To me Harlem's a mixture of Kanye and Lupe, with his own style and swagger. If you look at him, just like me, we are very into the arts including Fashion and Painting. I'm European, and I love history and the Arts. Now for the Government, they are two guys who were rock influenced. Actually, one guy, Dan, He was in a group and he sings also. So already, here's a difference, and similarly to everyone in this movement of ours, they do what they do out of the love. Just the Love, and nothing else. By the way, all their beats are made by playing everything. Not that we have a problem against sampling, but they don't sample. I also want to shout my man Dre Knight though, because he's someone I also work alot with and he produced my 1st song ever as a DJ " Take it to the Top" featuring Junior Reid, Sheek Louch, Cassidy, Harlem's Cash, and Joell Ortiz.
illRoots.com: DJ L aka Mr. Everything...[Laughs]..you seem to have like 5 to 6 alias' what is the craziest "aka" you've ever heard?
DJ L: I heard someone say one day, you have more AK's than the US army [Laughs]. I was rolling...yea man, I have many different parts of me man. People who know me know that I have ADHD, High ADHD [Laughs], I'm a hyperactive to the fullest and I do many things. For instance, I went to college full-time, took 24 Credits, for which you need approval from the Dean, interned at Def Jam, and did 2 mixtapes every 10 Days and still graduated with a 4.0GPA, because I can do many things at the same time. So DJ L is the Master Key, He is the Universal Weapon (I'm from Indian Origin from India, But Born and Raised in Europe, and Live in U.S.), and I look like the Spanish T.I. many people say, Which I really don't see [Laughs]. He is a legend in the making if you look at his history, he is the european kid (look at how he dresses and acts sometimes,HE IS MR. 4.0GPA, AND HE IS THE COOLIE MAAN ( IN THE CARRIBEAN/REGGAE WORLD) SINCE HE'S A COOLIE/AN INDIAN.
illRoots.com: Growing up in so many areas and putting out such a variety of music. How do you feel your background manifests in your music?
DJ L: Awww man...its what has benefited me the most in my musical career. My mother played Classical music at home...Beethoven, Mozart, Chopin...etc. Many people here don't even know half of those names. My father played Indian Music at home, when he was around [Laughs], like Villayat Khan, and Shankar. I grew up on house, hip-hop, and pop, and R&B. When I started DJing I loved to play Reggae in parties and now I do my urban thing, at 106 & Park, everyday and at clubs I do the biggest commercial/white clubs in the world where I play mainly House, Rock, and the 80's.
illRoots.com: So you've been a staple on 106 & Park for sometime now, Where do you feel BET needs improvement at? and what areas do they succeed at, in your opinion?
DJ L: I can't criticize BET because they've helped me soo much. Shout out to everyone out there, especially my man Terrence Clayton and Earl Jordan. BET is really the prime supporter for Urban Music and Hip-Hop man, for real. As far as where they succeed, well look at 106 & Park. It's the No. 1 Countdown Show on TV, Period.
illRoots.com: Why the name DJ L?
DJ L: Well L stands for my 1st name, Lohrasp, and it stands for the two Biggest words in my opinion. Life and Love. The two things that keep me going everyday. I love life, and I love myself, and I love what I do. So DJ L , and it stands for the saying I live my Life by "Life is what you make it".
illRoots.com: The track that we are world premiering here has some crazy names on it, What was the process like putting all these cats on one song and over the course of your career give us an example of a time that was the most trying for you?
DJ L: It took me six months, Sheek was the 1st to do it just because he believes in me, my work ethic, and what I do. That's my man, back in the days I used to chase them mostly for exclusives so he knows my discipline. But after a while, he was hitting me up like whats up with that. Did I do it for Nothing, [Laughs]. But then my man DJ Thoro helped me to get Cassidy's verse, then Junior Reid made sure Junior Reid would do the hook so he did it from Jamaica. I was on the phone with him giving him the breakdown of the hook, and the concept of the record. Finally, Jim Jones was taking a little too long, because he has his album coming out, so I told my artist, Harlem's Cash, finish the song, do the last verse. He did that in three days, that was the easy part [Laughs]. Then I just got an idea, and since I like that dude, Joell Ortiz, I called him up and he did it in 3 days. The entire song took 6 months though, because everyone looked out for me. There was no business involved, I don't have a deal. Originally it was supposed to be Sheek Louch, Busta Rhymes, and LL Cool J though and Junior Reid on the hook. I wanted to keep it with artist I loved and grew up on in the 90s.
DJL LIVE @ HIGHLINE BALLROOM, NYC JULY 2008
illRoots.com: Independent or Major and why?
DJ L: Not thinking about that to be honest, doing what I love now and trying to make some $ is what is on my mind. And oh yea, I just signed a modeling deal, For Commercial Print Work, with one of the big agencies here in NYC. So I'm a celebrity model DJ now.
illRoots.com: DJ L is ____________. DJ L: DJ L IS AN INTENSE, DEEP, PASSIONATE, HARD WORKING, DISCIPLINED, EXPERIENCED, CARING, INDIAN, EUROPEAN, VERY FASHION ORIENTED, AND MUCH MORE PERSON LOL. AND PASSION AND LOVE DIRECTS MY LIFE AS FAR AS WHY I DO WHAT I DO. SHOUT OUT TO THE MOST IMPORTANT PERSON IN MY LIFE, MY MOTHER. SHOUT OUT TO MY FATHER JACKIE KNOWLES, FOR MAKING ME THE MAN I AM TODAY, AND SHOUT OUT TO MY ENTIRE TEAM "A BEAUTIFUL MIND" FOR BELIEVING IN ME, AND SUPPORTING ME, AND TO EVERYONE OUT THERE FOR SUPPORTING ME MAN FOR REAL. SHOUT OUT TO ILLROOTS.COM OF COURSE FOR SUPPORTING ME AND HARLEM'S CASH, AND MY MANAGER HUNTER.
PLS CHECK OUT MY MYSPACE, MYSPACE.COM/DJLMASTERKEY.
Thanks alot, and try not to work too hard.
