|
Pulse of the Twin Cities Login |
|
If you do not have an account yet
Create One.
|
|
|
Twin Town High (vol. 8) |
|
|
|
|
Ant on a Log
Wednesday 21 January @ 14:12:09 |
 by special guest columnist Todd Harrison
Editor’s Note: Kandis’ regularly scheduled column will not be available this week due to technical difficulties. Never fear though, Kandis Knight’s local Hip-Hop profiles will return in next week’s “Verb.”
Local Hip-Hop record label Rhymesayers had a banner year in 2003. Amongst all of its well-regarded releases, two albums in particular catapulted this indie-label out of the underground into mainstream.
Brother Ali's Shadows on the Sun got nothing but glowing reviews from the underground Hip-Hop community, and it was also featured in mainstream press magazines such as Spin. Atmosphere's Seven's Travels blew up in a big way, landing emcee Slug on the cover of Urb, as well as garnering the attention of both Spin and Rolling Stone, and not to mention the video for "Trying to Find a Balance," which charted at number 2 for MTV2' s most played videos.
While Brother Ali and Slug may get all of the media attention and thousands of adoring fans, their records would not be the same if it weren't for the production wizard behind the curtain, Anthony Davis, aka Ant.
Production Wizard Anthony Davis, aka Ant
Ant has produced and created the beats on all of Atmosphere's albums, as well as Brother Ali's work on Rhymesayers, and also for Musab (Formerly Beyond), amongst others. I recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Ant in his South Minneapolis home, and we chatted about his past, his present success, and his hopes for the future. This is what he had to say.
Pulse: How did you first get into Hip-Hop? What was your earliest experience with Hip-Hop?
Ant: Probably like when I was 11 or 12, I was really impressionable. That was like '81. Afrika Bambaata's "Planet Rock" came out and, I don't know, it kind of sparked me. My dad actually used to play it. He was a DJ in the army. That's what he did on the side. He messed around with DJ-ing and stuff, discos and shit, and officer's clubs. So "Planet Rock" was probably the one that intrigued me. It just sounded all outerspacey and Star Warsy. That and Jonzun Crew's "Pack Jam." There was a trend at school where people would (starts banging out a rhythm on a tabletop), I don't know, what the hell. It was just some little trend you know, like when you're a kid beating on the table thing, but it was the "Planet Rock" beat. So anyway I just fell into it like that, and then breaking, obviously, and all of that shit.
Then I slowly gravitated to the DJ-ing part, because it was like my dad, you know? So I started buying records at 12 years old, in '82 or '83.
Pulse: So you started out in breakdancing?
Ant: I would say so, but along with exploring the DJ area because it was accessible to me. Where most people probably couldn't explore that at that age. I had stuff, right? Even though it was my dad's, I would sneak down there when he was at work and fuck around and shit. He would know what was going on, so after a few birthdays and Christmases I'd accumulated some fucked-up turntables and a cheap mixer, and I'd steal my dad's records. I'd take all of his Earth, Wind, and Fire records. As a matter of fact, I've probably got about 12 of his crates.
Pulse: What was the first Hip-Hop show you ever went to?
Ant: The first one was a breakdance competition at First Ave. actually, even though I was just visiting here at the time. I was like 13. It was a breakdance competition at First Ave. and I think Soulsonic Force was playing. And so, I can't remember who else. I think Mellie Mel or something. It was pretty crazy.
Pulse: So, you're not from here originally?
Ant: Like I said, growing up in the military you move every two or three years. So, actually my first experience with Hip-Hop was on an Army base in Germany. People from New York would move there, as well as people from all over the world. We stopped here (Minnesota) for like six months, in like '83-'84. That's when I saw the First Avenue show. So it's funny that one of my first big shows, or first show period, happened to be at First Ave, and now we're part of the bigger shows there. It's fresh.
Pulse: When did you first decide to settle down in Minneapolis?
Ant: I moved here in like '91. I was like 21 then.
Pulse: What attracted you to Minnesota?
Ant: My mother lived here and I was just getting away from all of the trouble of my teenage years. I was living in Colorado at that time. So, that's pretty much why I came here.
Pulse: How did you first get involved with the Rhymesayers crew?
Ant: I had met Musab actually in like '93. So it was a couple of years after I'd moved here, and I was trying to get back in the music swing, production-wise, because the DJ-ing thing had pretty much moved me to the production side. So when I met Musab in '93, or maybe it was in early '94, I can't remember for sure, we started working for a year or so. He knew all of those guys. He knew Sean (Slug), and Slug knew Siddiq, so that pretty much is how I came to be involved with all those guys. That was probably in '95-'96.
Pulse: When you first started out with the first Rhymesayer's CDs, such as Atmosphere's Overcast!, Beyond's Beyond Comparison, and The Dynospectrum you had a very minimal soundscape. Within the first few seconds of a song it was really easy to tell that Ant had created that beat. Beginning a couple of years ago, starting with Atmosphere's Lucy Ford and really coming to fruition with Shadows on the Sun, your music has become much more dense and complex. How did your current sound evolve from your stark early work?
Ant: I think it was just a change. Like the first records, that was the sound I wanted to do. I wanted darker stuff. Maybe it was part of who I was at the time. It was more of a difficult time, I guess. I just generally liked, at that time, dark stuff. And I still do, it's just not easy to do anymore. I'm too fucking happy now. I think a lot of it had to do with my mood. At that time too, I liked a lot more simpler stuff. I liked a lot of room, and I didn't give a damn. I would've just did straight drums if I would've gotten away with it. Now people are doing it!(chuckles).
But yeah, that was my thing. Yeah, it's just funny. I can see it too. When I listen to, especially like Beyond Comparison or Dynospectrum, it's so dark to me. And then I listen to Seven's Travels and it's like, party! It's like wow man, I can totally see my life evolve in just a few years, so that's fresh.
Pulse: How do you collaborate with other artists? Does Slug or Ali give you their lyrics and you try to create a beat around that or what?
Ant: I tell them to shut the fuck up and do what I say. No, it's basically like they pretty much come by and pick out what they like. I usually have specific things for almost everybody I work with. Whether or not they agree with my selection is a whole other story. Generally, they pick out the stuff, and then if I really encourage them to use something because I think they'll do good on it they'll usually give it a shot. From there we just go through a trial and error thing at the house and just have fun and have no expectations of the song whatsoever. I don't want anybody attached to anything either. We just do whatever we want, and if its worth doing or hearing we'll take it to the studio and do that. But, I try to keep it as '85 as possible in this basement, and that means fun only. You can't stress anything. We're not gonna say, "Oh, we need this song." "Oh we have to make this for this fan." "We need to get new fans." Fuck everything, let's just make each other laugh and shit. I try to keep it very laid back.
Pulse: It seems that you prefer to remain relatively anonymous. Atmosphere is a really hot commodity right now. Slug's picture is all over national magazines, yet very few people probably know what you look like, much less who you are. At the same time, you are one-half of this phenomenon. Why do you prefer to stay in the background?
Ant: Because you can't compete with those guys. The best way to compete with them is to stay out of their way. It's kinda like, you're not gonna fuck with it, and it's in the best interest for all of us for me not to be heard. (laughing) Seriously, I've got some fucked-up views. (laughs)
Pulse: Does all of the attention they receive ever bother you? Do you ever get jealous?
Ant: No, but if I was to be totally honest, right now I'm very content with everything. But, there have been times where I would specifically feel like some people that would criticize our records would aim it at me because they have no idea of who the fuck I am. Like, a lot of this is politics, I know it is. I know it has to do with going around meeting and talking to people and shit like that. They're not gonna write bad about you if they've met you, generally. You know what I mean? And that's just my feeling. I don't even know if that's true. That's just how I feel. I felt that that was the only time I've felt like, "Damn! People are constantly trying to fuck with me." I accept it for what it is, and that's fine.
Pulse: You don't ever miss just jumping in the van and hitting the road with all of those guys?
Ant: No, no, no. It doesn't sound like it fits my personality.
Pulse: Rhymesayers seems to thrive on being independent, and they wear that label like a badge of honor. Do you share that feeling with the other artists? Or would you not mind making the switch to a major label?
Ant: Man, it's hard to say because I'm enjoying everything right now so much, that it's hard to even look at anything else. As long as I have the power to do what the fuck I want, that's all that matters. So if I have that with a major, then whatever. Right now I'm not hurting necessarily and I have the freedom to do whatever I want, so that's all I'm really interested in.
Pulse: Obviously, Seven's Travels is huge, and Shadows on the Sun has gotten a lot of good press. These records are known nationally, as well as internationally. Where would you like to see it go from here?
Ant: Platinum baby! (laughs) What am I supposed to say? I don't know. I just want to continue doing what the hell I want. Hopefully things go good and we get to make another record. That would be my best answer. The power to make another record, and I've got that. I don't know what the next one's gonna do. I don't know what will be done after the next one, but I know I'm allowed to make one more. (laughs)
Pulse: Are there any particular record or thrift stores that you know you can always score some good records for samples?
Ant: My basement. (laughs) They're all pretty much equal now. For the most part I feel that they're all equal. You just have to consistently go. You can't go once a month. You have to make it weekly, if not every other day, or whatever you can afford basically. But they're all pretty equal, it's just a matter of timing. So I'm always on it.
Pulse: You mentioned earlier that "Planet Rock" influenced you. Is there anything else that was a particular inspiration for the work that you do?
Ant: As far as rap songs and shit?
Pulse: Yeah, or rap artists or whatever.
Ant: I guess there really isn't. I mean, I have my standard that I always throw out, and I've done it with every interview I've had. I don't know if its ever been published or anything like that as far as the name dropping, but just for the record everyday it changes. It's a different person, a different record, or different people that make me wanna do what I wanna do. It's always different. If I really have to name drop, which I always do, it's Marley Marl. I can't get past what he did with the Juice Crew. The people he's worked with, how many records he's put out, and how classic a lot of them are. It's amazing to me. When I'm looking at the artists he had to work with and how good he did, and how bad they did after they were done with him. That's intriguing to me.
Pulse: Do you have any plans to make a solo record? I know Melodies and Memories came out a few years ago, but that was more of a mixtape than something you've crafted on your own.
Ant: I have a new one coming out that's kind of like that (Melodies and Memories). It's like an '85-'89 era. I feel that that's for a specific type of people. It's not like the traditional Atmosphere fans are gonna enjoy that. So I want them to understand that that's just part of me that some other people are gonna like. I strictly do that shit for fun. I don't make a lot of money off that at all. It's just for fun, but it's very hard work actually. It's almost as hard as making an album, to me. It's just something I do. So anyway I did that in my spare time and have a new one coming out. Other than that I've been debating about whether or not to even attempt any kind of a solo record as far as guest rappers on it, because everybody does that. It would feel like showboating. It wouldn't be theme oriented either. It's already been done to perfection by Prince Paul. So if you're not gonna beat that, then you can't do a theme record.
I'm not gonna do a theme record because it's like what's the point? I'm thinking if I did one, every song I did on it it'd be like two different emcees on the song where you wouldn't normally hear them together type of thing. Maybe splash it with a couple of instrumentals, quick ones, with musicians on them and stuff like that. Maybe even get ballsy and get a singer of some sort. Something weird and something out of the norm. I've definitely thought about it, and I've thought about it for a while, but I'm not in a rush to do it.
Pulse: What can we expect to see from you in the coming year? Any new projects?
Ant: I'm sketching out something with I Self Divine from the Micranots. We're just at the beginning stages so I don't even know where it's gonna go. Right now it's just two guys having fun. I'm just trying to keep it like that and see what happens. Besides that, I'm sure some Musab stuff, and some other Ali stuff besides his upcoming EP. We're in the process of starting his new album, but we're just at the beginning stages. And to be honest with you as far as Atmosphere goes, we probably got two albums ready to go, but who knows what'll happen with that. We still got a year until we're allowed to release anything.
Pulse: It sounds like you're very prolific.
Ant: Yeah. It's decreased lately just 'cause I've done so much and maybe I'm re-evaluating where I wanna go next or something. I hope that's the reason. But yeah, I usually knock stuff out pretty quick. Usually daily. A good one comes maybe once a week now. It used to be I felt every day. Now I'm really picky, that's a good thing, though.
Pulse: Are you successful enough that you no longer have to hold a day job?
Ant: I could quit my day job, but I have one. I don't know what that is. Having a job still makes me feel like I'm not "there," you know? I don't ever wanna feel like I'm "there," 'cause honestly we're not. I mean, the perception is that we are, but it's really not quite like that. To make any real money in this music game I think you either have to sell platinum, a lot of records, or you gonna have to go out like Slug does and tour and jump in the van. I'm not willing to do that. I'd rather have a job. (laughs)
|
|
 |
|
|
Comments -
Post Comment |
|
The comments are owned by the poster. We are not responsible for its content.
NO comments yet! Be the first!
|
|
|
