Red Café & DJ Envy Interview Transcription:
DJ Booth: What’s goin’ on, y’all? It’s your boy ‘Z,’ doin’ it real big, and joining me inside the DJ Booth are two men who have come together to create the ultimate co-op. On the paper trail to get the dolla-dolla bills, y’all, please welcome Red Café and mix tape guru and radio host, DJ Envy. Guys, how you doin’?
DJ Envy: What up?
Red Café: What’s happenin’?
DJ Booth: What’s happenin’ is your collaborative project, “The Co-Op,” comin’ out oh-so-soon. How did you guys come together?
Red Café: Two guys saw the hustlin’ in each other –we had a lot to talk about as far as on the records. DJ Envy saw my grind out there on the streets, he said, “Listen, dog, I think we need to get together and make this thing come to life.” We did a mix tape together and the demand was so crazy that we said, “You know what? Let’s just go on and do it, man, and put, “The Co-op,” out there. And we got the name, “Co-op,” from, of course, you know what a cooperative entity is two, or three, or four, or five different crews comin’ together, or businesses comin’ together to create one big entity. That’s how we figured that name would be perfect for us, what we’re tryin’ to do here. And show people that, the East Coast could come together and do special things as well.
DJ Booth: The term, “co-op,” has several definitions, one of which you just named, along with, “a training program that is an integral part of an established curriculum.” So who’s the teacher, and who’s the student in this match made in heaven?
Red Café: I see you did your homework, Z!
DJ Booth: Oh, yeah.
DJ Envy: [laughter] Well, I think it’s a little bit of both, when it comes to what we doin’, and that’s what I think makes this project so great. In certain aspects I’m the teacher and Red is the student; in certain aspects, he’s the teacher and I’m the student. When it comes to the record industry, and learning about publishing and records, I would have to say Red is the teacher and I’m the student, and in certain situations when it comes to just learning radio and making records, I mean – it’s like it’s two different hats, and that’s what I think’s what makes this project so perfect, ‘cause we’re able to kind of fall back on each other.
DJ Booth: Something that you also both have in common is an unfortunate track record for disastrous dealings with major labels. Now-
DJ Envy: Aw, you did do your homework!
DJ Booth: I know you guys – Envy, obviously you had an unfortunately unsuccessful album release at Sony, and Red, you had a long and unproductive signing to Capitol. Have you guys talked about your frustrations from the past, and used that as motivation for the future?
DJ Envy: I did 150,000 units, right now I’d be God, but, I think lookin’ at that I told myself I would never do another album because of what Sony did to me, and I was pretty much hurt – you put your life into an album and a project, and then to have the label eff it up like pissed me off. Red sat me down and was like, “We can’t look at it like that; we have to look at it from a positive point of view, and what it did for you, and now we know our mistakes, and now we’ll make sure that it never happens again.” And we were able to knock this one out.
DJ Booth: With promotional marketing dollars sittin’ in the pockets of these rich, major-label record executives, is there any real incentive for artists to sign anywhere but a place like a Koch, Asylum, or TVT?
Red Café: When you’re signed to a major company, mainly, it’s really like, to promote yourself. They’re just gonna promote you big – it’s like the creator of big, big billboards. You’re sellin’ all these record and whatever, and you’re just, you’re able to go on big talk shows, and go all across the country, ‘cause you did a big number and stuff like that – that’s mainly what it is. It’s just to raise your profile. For the most part, of course it’s going to be better for you to do a deal with, like, a Koch – you get more for what you’re workin’ for, money-wise. You’re supposed to take your money then and invest in a publicist, so you can get the same publicity that you would get on a major. That’s just you takin’ the initiative to do the things necessary get your career to the next level. Me personally, I love the Koch decision—that was a decision that we made, that wasn’t a last option, you know what I mean? We could walk in any building we wanted to.
DJ Booth: The idea of DJs and MCs getting together to produce street albums is an old concept that is either done with no fanfare, or with critical acclaim. And among the countless collaborative efforts of all time, we’ve got Fresh Prince and Jazzy Jeff, Guru and DJ Premiere – where does Red Red Café and the DJ Envy combination rank?
DJ Envy: If you’re gonna ask us that, I say the best. Flat out lyrically, nobody messing with Red Cafe, and that’s either live or passed away– that’s just how I feel personally, so somebody can argue me but that’s how I feel and how I ride out. And I think I’m one of the best that ever touched the turntables, so, if we had to rank, when you gotta put a ‘10’ artist with a ‘10’ DJ, you get a ‘10’ – I think number one.
DJ Booth: Red, I know Envy’s gonna want to jump in on this question but I’m gonna give you the driver’s seat to answer first. In your years as an MC, constantly on the grind to make it, do you feel most established DJs help or hurt the up-and-coming artist?
Red Café: To me, just for my grind – especially in the New York area, you really really gotta work. You gotta create some hype behind yourself; you gotta let them see you. Let’s just say there’s a new artist brewin’ right now, from Queens. He has to get in line with all the guys that has already been brewin’. He can’t skip that line. And that goes for, the DJs as well – before the DJs jump on board with this guy, he has to wait in line or he has to create so much of a stink on the streets that the demand is crazy and they have no option. Most of the bigger DJs move off of the seniority level, until you create that hype behind yourself, or until they’re convinced. A lot of the artists are just doin’ it because they feel like it’s the thing to do. They’re not doin’ it because they got any real talent, they’re just like – you know what? A lot of people are not fans any more. They just want to be competitive, “I could do that better than him, so f*ck it. I’m gonna get into it, and I’m gonna try to outdo him.” So, the DJs gotta take these guys serious and the artists gotta show that they’re serious about it.
DJ Booth: Okay, that’s a fair answer. Envy, do you feel the same way?
DJ Envy: I feel a little bit of both. A lot of times, DJs jeopardize their craft because of money or because of favors, and I think that does jeopardize different artists – you only have a certain amount of saved slots to play an artist, and sometimes those slots are taken up by artists that are trash, but a lot of DJs do it because of favors or even because of money. I feel like that can hurt those up-and-coming artists that are really really good and really really need that shot, and really really need that break. And I feel like it can help, ‘cause you look at so many artists that have been broken by DJs, like Papoose, Uncle Murda, Jadakiss and Beanie Sigel. If it wasn’t for the DJ, those artists wouldn’t be broken, because record labels haven’t been able to break those artists.
DJ Booth: Envy, you have responsibilities to both Hot 97 and Sirius Satellite Radio as an on-air personality. How did you go about prioritizing your time to make sure that you and Red had this album done, completed, and out?
DJ Envy: Even Red would tell you – I don’t sleep.
Red Café: He ain’t lyin!
DJ Envy: The grind is constantly on – I mean, it is no sleep. Most of the time I sleep when I’m driving or in between breaks – if I get a ten-minute commercial break and a song, I’m knocked out sleepin’ at the station. I try to make it so I can’t sleep. In this industry you’re only hot for so long, and while we are movin’, I’d like to take full advantage of it, and I’d like to work myself to death and work Red to death, until we’re at a position where we can sit back and drink piña coladas on the beach somewhere. But until we get to that point-
Red Café: Hey Z, listen – I could only work with a guy like Envy man, ‘cause I don’t stop workin’. When I pick up the phone and I’m callin’ one of my coworkers, they need to be workin’. If I’m up workin’, you’d better be workin’! And that goes for anybody that I do business with. Envy, he’s been up since 6 A.M., he’s up on the radio. Now he’s takin’ care of this. I’m runnin’ around and I’m doin’ what I do and I’m mobile on the cell phone and we connected to do this. I’m gonna make a couple pit stops and then I’m gonna be up in the office, doin’ what we gotta do in there – we don’t sleep. And then I’m off to the studio, Envy’s off to the club, and then Friday starts, same routine.
DJ Booth: I think all the artists in the industry who focus their material on the terms “hustlin’” and “grindin’,” make people believe that that’s what they’re doing with all their time. But an answer like that truly sheds light on the fact that you guys are truly always on the grind.
Red Café: Oh yeah, you ain’t never lied, man. I can’t stop, because I’m a Virgo, Envy’s a Virgo – we just celebrated our birthdays – but I cannot stand still. I need to know that I gave it my all. Once I gave it my all, I succeeded.
DJ Booth: Just to let you guys know, in advance sales you already have one that’s my purchase, which is a late happy birthday present to both of you. No worries.
DJ Envy: We both turned 21, so, you know, bein’ able to finally be able to go to a strip club and drink is amazing to us.
Red Café: Dolla-dolla bill, y’all.
DJ Envy: [laughter]
DJ Booth: Very well said. Let’s actually talk about the other single for a second: “Things You Do,” featuring Nina Sky – what makes the ladies keep ridin’ to each of you?
DJ Envy: I don’t wanna sound conceited or nothing, but, look at me and Red! When we come in the building, we stop everything that goes down. We stop the party. We don’t care who’s in that club – when me and Red come in that party, that’s just how we are. That’s our personalities. We’re not assh*les, we’re not conceited, I mean we sit there, and this is the type of music we do. And with that song, “Things You Do,” I mean, that song was just a beautiful song. Red came up with the idea to put Nina Sky on it; Nina Sky sounds great, took it to another level, and that’s basically what we do.
Red Café: Every artist should do what they do. I don’t think you should ever compromise yourself and make records that are not you. We party in the Hampton’s, you know, we do South Beach, we do the Jersey Shore. I think the song represents a certain sexy, you know what I mean? We could get back to the streets and we could do what we do to make us get to that level.
DJ Booth: Well, the song definitely has an appeal, both to people who like to get their grown and sexy on, and roll in the ‘hood – it doesn’t categorize just one or the other. Guys, I wish you nothing but the best of luck on this collaborative co-op project. Give a website or a Myspace address so people can find out more about it.
Red Café: myspace.com/redcafe
DJ Envy: And myspace.com/djenvy
DJ Booth: Real simple – I like that. You guys didn’t add any cutesy names or numbers.
DJ Envy: The album, October 9th – 10/9, 10/9, 10/9!
DJ Booth: Guys, I appreciate you time and I wish you nothing but the best of luck.
DJ Envy: Thanks a lot, man, really appreciate you.
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