Diamond D Coming with Huge Hefner Chronicles on Babygrande

Legendary Producer/MC/DJ Diamond D, constituent of the seminal
collective D.I.T.C. (also included Fat Joe, Big L. & more), has signed
a multi-album deal with renowned indie Babygrande Records. His
inaugural release with the label will be October 14th’s The Huge
Hefner Chronicles, Diamond’s third official release and first
offering in 3+ years.

A classic and respected talent, Diamond D got his start as a member
of D.I.T.C., but soon parlayed this success into a thriving solo
career, which included the release of the widely regarded classic
Stunts Blunts & Hip-Hop in 1992. His second solo offering, 1997’s
Hatred, Passions & Infidelity,”featured appearances from such A-list
luminaries as Busta Rhymes, Phife Dawg, Pete Rock & more.

Over the years, aside from independently releasing his subsequent two
LP’s, Diamond has remained an active participant behind the boards,
having contributed his trademark style to some of the most iconic
records in hip-hop history including The Fugees’ The Score, A
Tribe Called Quest’s The Low End Theory, as well as releases by Mos
Def, Pharoahe Monch & many more.

With The Huge Hefner Chronicles,”Diamond returns to form, with a
record that recalls the nostalgic stylings of the “golden age,” while
maintaining a contemporary sensibility accessible to the modern day
hip-hop head.

This duality of form is on full display on the first single from the
forthcoming LP, entitled “D-I-A-M-O-N-D.” A vicious head-nodder, the
track instantly explodes into a “golden-age” inflected beat,
produced by none other than the infamous beat maestro Nottz
(Notorious B.I.G., Busta Rhymes, Method Man, Scarface, J Dilla,
Snoop Dogg & more). Diamond answers with the lyrical fluidity that
only a vet of his stature can offer. “D-I-A-M-O-N-D” is the
feel-good back-to-school jam that hits the sweet spot for both
purists and modern day heads alike. Listen right here!

Hydrosonics: Guilty J

Name: Guilty J

Age:17

Repping:The United Kingdom

Contact: Myspace.com/GuiltyJ

Nodfactor: Your mixtape resume looks pretty nice. Which songs did you produce for Papoose, LOTUG, etc.?
Guilty J: I did some work on one of my boys DJ Flipcyide’s mixtapes which featured tracks from Papoose, LOTUG, Fat Joe etc. I don’t actually remember the name of the tape it was quite a long time ago, it was one of the first mixtapes i was involved with.
Nodfactor ok. I read that you got started in production with the help of a local DJ. Who was that and what equipment did he let you use?
Guilty J: Yeah that was actually my sister’s boyfriend who got me started with music, he does a lot of DJing in my hometown and also in cities like London and Cambridge. He got into making beats and gave me a copy of Reason to play around with and I got hooked. This was about 5 years ago.
Nodfactor: Interesting. so you were like 12?
Guilty J: Yeah 12 or 13, def got an early start. I was running studio sessions and sending out contracts by the time i was 15.
Nodfactor: What did you like about the Reason program that made you so good with it?
Guilty J: Well at the time i started i didn’t really know anything else existed, i didn’t know anything about music. So i just learned to work with Reason and became really comfortable with it. My set up has expanded and matured a lot over the years but i still use Reason a lot, it’s a beast. Although it has its limitations such as no audio recording and no VST support, it’s a great all-in-one machine and you can do a lot with it if you know what you’re doing.
Nodfactor: For real. What have you added to your set-up since then?
Guilty J: I’m a bit of a gear slut so i’ve been through a lot of equipment over the years(laughs). In my studio right now though i got a Roland MV-8000, an Akai S950, a Numark turntable, an Edirol midi controller, Adobe Audition 3.0 and then obviously Reason 4.0. I do a lot of recording as well so i got a Rode NT1A mic which i love, i run that through a Yamaha console which has great pre-amps for the price. And then i mix on a pair of Fostex monitors which i’ve had for a long time, i’m looking to upgrade soon. I think that covers everything.
Nodfactor: That is a nice set up. How did you get people to trust your production and mixing abilities at such a relatively young age?
Guilty J: That’s a good question. I’m just myself ya know, i’m serious about what i do and i guess people see and respect that. I also have a lot of confidence in what i do and the way i work so when people see me in the studio and they see i know what i’m doing, the age thing is irrelevant. And of course having a good end result always helps.
Nodfactor: Do you have you had any formal training with mixing and mastering?
Guilty J: I actually picked up most of what i know myself through reading books and websites and trial and error. I went to college to do Music Technology when i was 16 but i dropped out before i finished the course, the facilities were great but the things they were teaching i either already knew or didn’t apply to me, so i felt like i was wasting time being there when i could be out there grinding and getting my career started.
Nodfactor: Have you participated in any beat battles in the UK?
Guily J: I’ve actually never entered or even been to a beat battle. It’s something i would definetly wanna do in the future though. I’ve seen videos of these battles they have and it looks crazy, just a bunch of dudes havin fun with their music, that’s what it’s all about!
Nodfactor: Definitely. what are you working on these days? are you in the studio with anyone we know?
Guilty J: Right now my main focus is finishing up Arkatak’s album, he’s a pretty well known artist down in El Paso, TX. I’ve produced the whole thing, we got about 13 finished tracks ready to go, we’re just working on a couple more cuts to finish it off. The album is called “Easier Done Than Said” and we’ll have a release date soon. The tracks we’ve leaked so far have been well received so we’re really happy about that. I’m also working on shit for Big Lou’s new mixtape, my boy City Haze, an artist from Boston called DC, Sha Stimuli, Kool G Rap and a few others. Shit’s kinda hectic right now tryina keep on top of everything.
Nodfactor: Oh wow, Kool G Rap? How did you link up with him?
Guilty J: I hooked up with G through Domingo. Domingo’s cool peoples, not to mention a dope producer. Nothing is confirmed yet, i haven’t heard any of the songs back, but a placement with Kool G Rap would def be a huge milestone for me, i mean that guy is a legend.
Nodfactor: Domingo is definitely a friend of the site. How did you meet him?
Guilty J: Yeah i actually got in contact with Domingo by tryina holla at Rass Kass. I sent him some beats forgetting he was incarcerated and Domingo was holding down his business while he’s inside. We chopped it up for a minute and he told me to send some beats through for for G’s album.
Nodfactor: the stuff you did for the mixtapes, did you make beats for acapellas or did they record to your beats?
Guilty J:I’ve done both. I defintely prefer working with an artist and creating something together. But remixing can be fun too so if i have an opportunity to do that then i’m all over it, especially if i can improve on the original song.
Nodfactor: What is your favorite beat so far and how did u make it?
Guilty J: Wow that’s a tough question, I’ve never really thought about it. I think my favourite song i’ve produced is a track I’m working on right now with Big Lou. It’s pretty simple, I looped up a creepy sounding piano sample i found and added some hard drums and a bassline which make up the verses, then I brought in some synths and strings and brass for the hook and chopped up an old Jadakiss vocal. It’s not my most impressive beat by any means but it has something about it I like. Plus with Big Lou on it? It’s a wrap.

Video Interview: Pharoahe Monch

In this Nodfactor.com exclusive Pharoahe Monch speaks about his own production techniques and the influence of other producers like Large Professor, Denaun Porter and the late Paul C. And did he really pass on the “Time’s Up” beat? Click to find out!

[Read more]

DJ Revolution, King of The Decks In Stores Tomorrow

Yup, I’m grinding today. But that doesn’t mean I don’t have time to spread some good news. DJ Revolution’s King of The Decks hits stores tomorrow so make sure you got out and support! Check this clip of him at his home studio courtesy of Hard Knock TV.