DJ Jazzy Jeff Reflects on Hip-Hop Grammy Tribute: ‘Biggest Family Reunion I’ve Ever Seen’ (Exclusive)

Hip-hop’s past, present and future came together in glorious celebration on Feb. 5, when the 65th annual Grammy Awards honored 50 years of hip-hop and dj jazz jeff had one of the best seats in the house for it. The iconic DJ, who won hip-hop’s first Grammy never in 1989 – participated in the Recording Academy Tribute, a collection of performances highlighting the pioneering talent of the past half-century who helped make rap and hip-hop the dominant music genre it is today. “It was the biggest hip-hop family gathering I’ve ever been to,” Jazz says. hollywood life when discussing her new show Command Central: Making Beats with CafeMedia and her upcoming homage. “And I tell people: be in the rehearsal room with RunDMC, LL Cool J, Public enemy, salt-n-pepper, raquim, and we’re all talking. We never did!”

“We’ve never been in the same room,” continues Jazz. “Neither of us have ever been in the same room together, so you needed something like this to bring us all together. I’ve known all of these people for over 30 years, but being in the same room together was amazing. And have these conversations? Everyone has children and lives and so on. i was touring with eric b. and Rakim, Salt-N-Pep e Public enemy in 1987! And it’s like, talking about where we are right now… it’s been amazing.”

“There were a million people I wished would have joined us on that stage,” adds Jazz. “I understand and I applaud questlove so much for trying his best to fit 50 years of hip-hop into 15 minutes. Immediately after the greeting, questlove (the segment’s producer and musical director) revealed Variety That Will Smith he was initially part of the celebration, but had to pull out to film bad boys 4. Will and Jazz – like DJ Jazzy Jeff and the Fresh Prince – won the inaugural Grammy Award for Best Rap Performance for “Parents Don’t Understand” at the 32nd Annual Grammy Awards. It was the first time the Recording Academy had presented an award for hip-hop, but the show refused to include the category in its 1989 broadcast, prompting a boycott.

At the time, the Grammys said they didn’t have enough time to spotlight all of the categories, which Questlove and the rest of hip-hop’s been in greeting about who to include in the celebration. “You knew he would piss some people off,” Jazz says of any unintentional deletions. “It was nothing personal. There’s a plan to do a show on a much larger scale and bring in a lot of people so we can celebrate hip-hop.

“But it was also one of those things that, and voicing Questlove and him addressing some people, I told him he should make it clear that none of us are going to be there for the 100th anniversary and nobody really cares. over 51, so this is really something we should be a part of,” Jazz added of the old school stars who got a chance to shine on stage at the Crypto.com arena. “People need to understand that you have Run-DMC, you’ve got Salt-N-Pepa, you’ve got Rakim to come to California for eight lines. They didn’t come alone. They came for the culture.”

It is generally accepted that hip-hop was born on August 11, 1973 at a party DJ Kool Herc and his sister in the recreation room at 1520 Sedgwick Avenue. While Jazz, who turned 58 on Jan. 22, 1965, says she won’t be there for the centennial, she’s making sure the genre is, thanks in part to her show Command Central: Making Beats with CafeMedia.

The six-week online course provides students with the resources to develop key skills critical to music production. Lessons range from drums, melody, arrangement, mixing and sampling. Those who subscribe to the interactive version will have access to live sessions with Jeff. You’ll also connect with some legendary friends and provide one-on-one commentary throughout the show.

Starting April 17, DJ Jazzy Jeff will be holding a raffle for his students. Anyone who signs up for the On Demand or Interactive tier will automatically be in the running for one of those teams that Jeff uses to produce. He is giving a MASCHINE+ (a separate drum machine and sampler for production and performance), a pair of HEDD Type 05 MK 2 monitors, five Artist Tier Studio One licenses (digital audio workstation), one Studio One Professional Tier license, and ten three-month subscriptions to Mag Mob VIP, Jazzy Jeff’s online streaming platform.

“I do it, not for the public, but I’ve been doing it since I started,” says Jazz. Does not know on his role as a mentor. “I’ve always been someone that whenever I learn something, I can’t wait to show it to someone else.”

“I’m a techie at heart,” he continues. “I love technology, but I’m also a purist. So I love the balance of how I can get the purest music using the technology we have today. I have a group of friends that I talk to on the phone and talk about new plugins, new programs, new equipment, and new techniques. And I’ve had production companies and studios for nearly 30 years; Every new person that came in, I was the one teaching them how to use the equipment and teaching them how to use it and how to treat the studio.

Jazz explains how her course with CafeMedia focuses on building a strong foundation in music production. Anyone interested in making music but intimidated by taking the first step will find this course is for them. “I launched a DJ class about a year and a half ago that did really, really well, and it was pretty much the same premise,” Jazz says. “I feel like a lot of the courses I’ve seen start at level five and work their way up, and I’m like, ‘So does anyone teach time signatures and rhythms and structures and stuff?'”

“So when I took the DJ course, I told them I wanted to start over and move on [level] five. My goal is to find out if you have the ability to do that, but you have to start somewhere,” she says. “A lot of people come into the studio and are blown away by all the equipment and, ‘Oh my god, do you know how to use all of this?’ And trying to show them it’s not as scary as they think. Let me show you what each of these things does. And once you break it down, everyone’s like, ‘Oh, I get it. That’s 40 of these “unique things.” that are scary”.

“I want to show people, ‘Here’s how drums are programmed.’ “This is how you quantize your drums when you arrange them.” This is how melodies are created. That’s how you do all these things to at least get an idea in your head, and then you can decide if I want to pursue this career or if I want to pursue this as a hobby,” she says.

“You can go to Home Depot and buy every tool in the world. If you don’t know how to use it, it doesn’t matter,” she says with a smile. “You only have the tools. So that’s it.

Jazz’s enthusiasm for embracing innovative technology and willingness to pass on its wisdom comes from when people had to work to create the sounds they heard within their sound. “I entered an era where you basically had to get a job and save money to pay for study time to try and get your ideas out in two or three hours,” he recalls. “And now you can go to the Apple Store and buy a laptop, and you basically have a built-in photo studio, video studio, and music studio.”

“I love that you can teach people in your class how to do this, because trying to teach someone 25 or 30 years ago was almost unheard of. You almost had to go to college to try and learn how to do these things.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by DJ Jazzy Jeff (@djjazzyjeff)

While some producers would be very protective of their skills and knowledge, Jazz says Does not know who never “looked” [music production] from a competitive point of view. He was never one to hoard knowledge, while some of his colleagues may have been a little more careful with their techniques. “Hip-hop was born out of competition, but the competition was a brotherhood. When we were digging for records in those early days, you’d soak them in the bath to remove the labels so no one could see what you were really playing.

“But I think I’ve always considered this: we all have the same tools as Picasso. It doesn’t mean you will be Picasso. So it’s like we all have the same tools. Share the knowledge that you can give, and you can give a hundred people the same drum sounds, the same musical composition, and they’ll come back with a hundred different ideas,” he adds.

“And that’s what I love about producing,” Jazz says. “What you really want is for everyone to put their own personality into the music. That’s why I think I appreciate people more who initiate this in their bedroom, because it’s right You. I want to see You ha, not what the industry tells you, not what society tells you. I want to see what you have.

Jazz also knows that for beginners, watching someone make music their entire life “can be daunting at times,” as they perform complicated techniques while you’re still working on the fundamentals. “So I’m trying to make it fun,” he says.

At the end of the day, Command Central is not just a passion project, but a passion project. For those who want to be the next great producer, or someone who likes to create sonic beats just for themselves, DJ Jazzy Jeff’s course is designed to explore that dedication, drive and love.

“I don’t know any DJ who started playing for money. I don’t know of any producer who necessarily started producing for money,” he says. “I want to go back to the joy of why you are doing this. This is a little different than a nine to five job in the office building. This is creative work. When people come up to me and ask, “So what do you see yourself doing in the next 20 years?” I’m like, ‘Same shit I’ve been doing for the last 30 years.’”

“That’s it. I feel like I’ve reached my destination of joy, of what my purpose is,” she says. It doesn’t matter what else you try to do, but I’m glad I have something I’ll give you blood. sweat and tears for what I absolutely love.”

Go to commandcentral.djjazzyjeff.com now to sign up for the Command Central: Making Beats with DJ Jazzy Jeff program. A new On Demand episode every Monday starting April 17 with interactive episodes followed by a live chat with DJ Jazzy Jeff and guests every Thursday.

Click to sign up for our free daily HollywoodLife newsletter for the hottest celebrity news.