Hip Hop Roll Call talks to DJ Rhettmatic about longevity in hip hop, DJing in 2013 & The Solution Showcase…

Shouts to our friend Rachel Chesbrough over at Hip Hop Roll Call for the dope interview with Rhettmatic, check it:

The Solution Showcase #14 rolls around Wednesday April 24th, and this time we’ll be graced by sounds from the legendary DJ Rhettmatic, of Beat Junkies and Visionaries fame. We caught up with him to talk about how the DJ game has changed, what that means for his generation and ours, and how he’s stayed relevant throughout it all. Check out everything he has in the works, including how we can expect to get down at Beauty Bar tonight.

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HipHopRollCall (Rachel Chesbrough): You’ve been a prominent name on the DJ scene since the 90s; how did you maintain that kind of longevity in the fast-moving hip hop/nightlife business?

A lot of it has to do with sticking to your guns, but at the same time you have to reinvent yourself. You gotta be on top of things. A guy from my generation, you have to learn how to have balance in terms of remaining true to yourself, but at the same time you have to learn how to adapt to what’s goin’ on out there. Figure out what you really wanna do, ‘cause at the end of the day, this is your job. This is my passion but this is also my job. I do it for the love of course, I always tell people that if you’re gonna do this, do it ‘cause you love to do it. ‘Cause this is not no walk in the park. You really gotta love what you’re doin’. As you get older, you know, you’re not the same person as you are when you start off. I’m still a hip-hop head, I try to listen to who’s hot out there…there might be stuff I don’t like but I’m not gonna bash it. But at the same time you gotta be on top of that. I still buy records but then I also use technology to my advantage. It’s up to you as an individual what you wanna do. So, you gotta keep working, you can’t just stop and come back thinkin’ it’s gonna be ok. No. Especially now, things change in the blink of an eye. I guess to put it in the simplest terms, you gotta just stick to your guns and reinvent yourself at the same time, stay on top of your game. That’s it. [Question courtesy of DJ Low Key]

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Turntablism is alive and well, but like everything it’s shifted over time, much of it away from hip-hop. Are you comfortable with the direction DJing is headed?

I might have my personal opinions, but everything has its time and place. I do wish there was more hip hop in the basis of it, but in my humble opinion (not everyone might agree with me on this) technology is a gift and a curse. READ WHY & THE REST OF THE INTERVIEW AT HIPHOPROLLCALL.COM…

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Wednesday, April 24th, 2013 Guests, The Solution Showcase
 

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