HYDROSONICS:Nick Cicero “We Got The Jazz”
April 24, 2008
Name: Nick CiceroContact: Myspace
I started making beats 3 years ago. I had always been fascinated by the instrumental only tracks of hip-hop songs. I had tapes and cds of them that I would just play over and over. I started out composing a lot of jazz songs and classical compositions, and discovered through an experimental jazz phase that I could use my Apple iBook and Garageband to make beats. I know it sounds weak and all, but that’s what I happened to have available at the time. From there I moved on to my current setup, a MacbookPro with Logic 8 and Reason 4, MIDI keyboards, Numark Turntables, and the Akai MPD16.
Do you play any instruments? Any formal music training?
Yeah I’ve been playing jazz trumpet since I was seven, and been in music allmy life. Right now I’m a Music major at Nazareth College in Rochester NY. There are so many great teachers here that have taught me so much, and I’ve tried to take that knowledge and parlay it into my music production.
I think that the bigger mistake facing sample-based producing these days is the lack of digging that’s going on. The Internet is a great tool, and there are a lot of albums goingaround different forums and things, but for me I need to get dusty in the crates. That’s the essence of hip-hop. It was real cool when I “discovered” sampling. I have been collecting old jazz and soul records for years because I loved the music, so when I figured out that I was sitting on a goldmine, it was on. In fact I still haven’t made a dent in the records…and I’ve got a few crazy discs that I’m waiting for the right time to sample.
I see you have some TV deals in the works. How is producing for TV
different than for songs?
Well TV calls upon knowledge in a variety of music genres. I’ve written simple
doo-wop jingles, and I’ve also done large cinematic numbers for independent films. The important thing in composing for video is that you need to realize that people aren’t going to be watching and listening for the music first. If you can put your pride on the backburner you can really have fun decorating the action.
9th Wonder: One Producer is The Right “Formula”
April 24, 2008
On April 29th Buckshot and 9th Wonder are releasing The Formula, the follow-up to their 2005 collab, Chemistry. In recent years the trend in hip-hop has been towards multiple producers contributing to one project, making the pairing of one producer and one MC unique. For his part 9th is trying to bring that practice back through projects with Jean Grae, Murs and of course Buckshot.
“This is the rule we established a long time ago,” he says. “I’m all for music evolving but we gotta keep some type of standard and continuum. When you throw a lot of producers in a pot and one producer doesn’t oversee it like what Dr. Dre did with The Game record…every producer is shooting for the single so it sounds like a big mess sometimes. Dr. Dre knew what order to put certain songs and what sounds like the last record of the album. All the great hip-hop records understand sequence.”
In addition to his work with Buck, last year 9th did his version of “Crooklyn Dodgers” with Mos Def, Memphis Bleek and Jean Grae. Buckshot appeared on the original in 1994 with Masta Ace and Special Ed which was produced by Q-Tip of A Tribe Called Quest.
“I think it was a blessing to hear 9th do it over,” says Buck. “Anytime you make some kind of impression on anybody it’s a blessing.”
As for Chemistry, 9th and Buck hope the album will continue to build on the movement they’ve coined Adult Contemporary Hip-Hop.
“I’m 33 years old so this is for every 28 plus year old that grew up in a time period when Hip-Hop spoke to them,” says 9th. “We are trying to pave a way, a lane for our own music and radio stations. Because I don’t want to hear the little kids stuff all day and I don’t want to hear the O Jay’s on the radio all day either. Our generation understands the balance.”