DJ NIK BEAN
Being a sucessful DJ is far more than a nine to five job, you have to be on top of your game constantly and if anyone knows this first hand it is DJ Nik Bean, a highly succesful Los Angeles DJ bringing more heat and fire to every release than you could ever imagine.
With various projects under way including his own radio spot and the focus to release a mixtape every week throughout the first quater of 2008, it is easy to see why DJ Nik Bean is being heard on a major level. Having put out mixtapes with former Death Row member Crooked I and the West Coast’s finest DJ Felli Fel it is easy to see why DJ Nik Bean is constantly a man in demand for mixtape hosting.
The new album is also currently in production so we are sure to be hit hard with a avalanche of exclusives and raw materail when it drops hopefully later this year. Yo! Raps decided to catch up with the West Coast man himself and get the low down on the new album and what we can expect from the radio spot due to kick off any day now.
For those unfamiliar can you give us a break down of who you are and what you do?
DJ Nik Bean is the mixtape hustler, it ain´t no secret out here. I run the mixtape game out here in the streets of Los Angeles. Last year was a huge year for me. I put out the mixtapes with Hot Dollar and G. Malone when they signed their major deals. It was also their first mixtapes they ever did with a DJ. Not to mention the mixtapes with Jayo Felony and 40 Glocc. I made history because all these artist had never done mixtapes with a DJ before. I get it in out here. Ask around the streets, I'm certified!
How did you get into DJing? Was it something you always wanted to pursue?
DJing was not my first passion. My first love was playing basketball, I played 3 years of college basketball so playing in the NBA was my childhood dream and it was what I was trying to pursue. I had other responsibilities with the birth of my daughter so my basketball career was basically over. To make a long story short I had a lot of run-ins with the police while I was on the street getting money, which forced me to figure out something legit to do. I was always into hip-hop music, especially West Coast hip-hop, so with the lack of mixtape presence out here I knew I could make an impact. I got into the mixtape side of it because I saw a way to eat and not be in fear of getting pulled over and having the police search my whip. Real talk. I actually studied the game for like 6 months before I got my feet wet. It's like if you gonna be a doctor or a lawyer, you better go to school and study that shit or you gonna make a fool out of yourself. Nothings better than hands on experience though but do your research first. It don't matter what type of job it is.
Describe how the mixtape scene changed in comparison to the date before DJ Drama was arrested in a mixtape raid?
The game will never be the same. It's like if your wife cheated on you, the relationship will never be the same. Before the raid everybody was going about their business as usual, and I think it's safe to say that some people in the game took it for granted. After the bust a lot of people got scared, rightfully so, finding mixtapes was like trying to find crack, you could only find them in certain spots. Just the mixtape atmosphere has changed in general, I don't see it changing anytime soon.
Mixtapes have long inhabited a grey area for both record labels and artists. While the CDs are consistently integrated into marketing campaigns for hip-hop projects, labels do not formally condone the use of non-copyrighted music. What is your opinion about that subject and the mixtape game?
Yeah, thats a sticky situation. I think the so called mixtape DJs who put out all the Lil Wayne mixtapes and all the unofficial shit on the internet is the one that´s fucking up the game. I can understand why the record label's might not support mixtapes. There's to much crap getting put out on the net and no regulation. Everybody with a DSL connection and photoshop thinks they can do it now. The consumer is too confused. Plus most of these mixtapes you'll never see physically, they just exist in cyberworld. They are not mixtapes they are what I call "Net Tapes". Do you know how many emails a day I get for a "free download" of a mixtape? I try to listen to as many singles as posible but I don't have time to download, burn a CD and listen to these full length net tapes, but when someone hands me a finished product, I definetely try to give it listen in the whip. I know tons of people in the hood who will never check the internet for new music. Hell some people still don't even have internet access. Mixtapes started in the streetz and will always be dictacted by the streetz. The new people trying to come out come across as backward hustler's, it's like they so hungry for fame or recognition, that no one wants to put in any work in on the street. It's sad. You got to understand that anything that is build from the ground up will survive longer than something that is made in microwave fashion. A lot of the new artist coming out are becoming ringtones rappers and have no foundation or fan base to back them up if their new single is not a hit. Maintaining a strong mixtape presence can help but it's the artist responsiblity to insure their longevity in the industry and not the label's. It's also the same way for mixtape DJs, my career as a mixtape DJ has a foundation in the streetz of L.A., nobody can take that away from me. You could ban me from all the mixtape sites and hip-hop sites on the net and I'll still be able to hold it down out here.
You dropped mixtapes every week during the months of January, February and March, Man your work load was immense!
Definetly. I always like a good challenge. But I kinda feel bad because I'm taking all the work on the block. I think after this I'm gonna try to lay low and concentrate on other things especially on the recording of the debut album "The Hustler's Manual". I think it's time to let the next man eat, but then again the next man might not be ready, so well see.
What reaction have you been getting from your "The Streets of L.A." mixtape series which many consider to be one of the best mixtapes from the West?
Great feedback. The public demand is there but to be honest sometimes I feel no motivation because there's no competition out here with West Coast compilation tapes. No one does them in L.A. So I guess it would be a monopoly and that aint no fun, I enjoy competition. But then again someone's gotta do it because theres a need for it. With WStreetz of L.A. 3W, it was supposed to be a compilation tape hosted by Glasses Malone but it ended up turning into a complete tape. I thought that marked my retirement from the compilation tapes but people always come up to me and tell me what volume is their favorite and why, and ask question about songs. I decided to do another volume, so me and Felli gonna do Volume 4 with DJ Drama. We'll see what happens after that. I ain´t making no promises.
Do you feel artists on the West Coast have to work harder to be heard because the South is really dominating right now?
Right now yes, but we all have to work harder. The DJs, the producers , the managers, the promoters, everybody. I don't wanna hear excuses, that's the easy way out.
You have quite a few shows coming up lately, do you enjoy being on the road?
Yeah, I do. Being home all the time can get boring. I enjoy seeing different places, scenary, and culture because up until a year ago or so I hadnt been able to see the rest of the world
Tell us about this DVD magazine you are working with?
"Street Certified" is the name of the DVD magazine. Basically it started because of the same reason I started doing mixtapes out here. I saw a open lane with lack of representation. The Dvd magazine is big on the East Coast, but out here it doesnt hold much weight right now, so I wanted to be a part of the movement for positive change. I teamed up with some good people and we gonna make it crack. It's also not just a west coast dvd mag, we did interviews with Rick Ross, Ying Yang Twins, Trey Songz, Crooked I, Keak Da Sneak and Mistah FAB. The firsz issue will be out by the time you read this. It's kinda crazy because this whole journalism thing wasn't something that I never planned on doing. It seemed boring to me. With the DVD magazine I have had to play the role of the journalist, and to my suprise I kind of liked it. People have been telling me that I'm a natural [laughs]. Some of the interviews I have done have been questions that I came up with at the sphere of the moment. Now I'm gonna try and be prepared for the next round of interviews and really test myself. We'll see. I also did a interview with Guerilla Black on the spot for my friends at GOE Magazine, check it out in there new issue.
We heard rumors that you have your own radio show too right?
Yes! I got "Streetz Of L.A. Radio" about to crack off. I'm putting the finishing touches on the situation, so be expecting to hear more about it in the near future.
You have plans for an album I hear titled "The Hustler´s Manual", when do you plan to release it? Are there any big names going to be featured?
Yes, "The Hustler´s Manual". I just started recording some material so we in the early stages of it. But mainly right now im focusing on the production side of it and making sure we get the right sound and feel to it. You can expect to hear all your West Coast favorites but I'm also gonna get representation from other regions. You know I can't give up all the details but don't underestimate the power of the hustle. I just might have a trick up my sleeve. Stay tuned...
You have linked up with DJ Felli Fel to release more material, who else do you have lined up?
Yeah, Felli is a good friend of mine. our friendship and conversations extends outside the music, he's good people. That's one lesson I've learned about this game, I won't just fuck wit anybody. I don't care how talented you are, I don't care how much money you got or how many records you sold. If I aint feelin you or I don't think you genuine, I ain´t fucking with you. period! It's just that simple. With Crooked I, I came to him with the concept and theme for the mixtape. He loved it! Somebody tryed to tell me that we were jacking 50 Cent's idea with the "St. Valentine's Day Massacre". But to be honest I wasn't even thinking about 50, I didn't even know what the fuck my friend was talking about. I had to do some research just to figure out what the fuck he was talking about. I knew Felli could help put it over the top. Me and Fel also did this tape with Stat Quo called "Statistically Speaking". I was feeling like I was just only doing West Coast tapes and I never want to limit myself in anything I do, so we reached out to Stat. Then we got a tape we putting together with Roscoe Umali called the "Agenda", he's really buzzing out here big. Then next month we got a tape that everyone's gonna be talking about with this new West Coast artist named Problem, it´s called "Streetz Is Mine". And if you missed it check out the Spider Loc tape "Connected 2" that we released earlier in the year. So yeah we trying to stay busy.
You have had a lot of press coverage over the past months, how do you feel when you open up a magazine and see your own face staring back at you?
It's cool and we did it without a publicist. Some people need press and awards to validate success to themselves. I don't. I just like to show it to my family, my daughter likes seeing stuff like that.
Who for you is making some major noise on the underground scene right now?
As far as West Coast artist, I like Roscoe Umali because he knows how to make records for the radio, but also has a hip-hop side to him, you can catch him on the Wake-Up Show every Sunday freestyling. He has a great understanding of the game and knows how to stay in his lane. I like what Problem is doing, he has a crazy single right now called "I'm Toe Up" and he just signed a new deal with Universal. If he's considered underground, Crooked I is another artist that's making major noise, he started a trend with his Hip-hop Weekly's. He has a ridiculous work ethic, being in the studio with him and watching him work is incredible. He never uses a pen and records everything straight off the head. And of course Glasses Malone and Hot Dollar but they already have major record deals. Glasses has a huge buzz in the city and the "Certified" single with Akon is getting countless spins on the radio plus now the video is getting some burn. Glasses has the ability to become the next superstar from the city. I have heard some really dope cuts from the album, right now we trying to decide what's the next single gonna be. It's between "Go Big" featuring Mack 10 and the "Haters" joint featuring Lil Wayne and Baby. Both records are great cuts so you can't go wrong either way and watch out because the "Beach Cruiser" is scheduled to drop on July 17th. And Hot Dollar is one of the best songwriters in the game. I've seen him come up with hooks like its nothing, like a straight freestyle. His new single "Upside Down" is getting some significant airplay and his album "My Dreams... A Day In The Life" is scheduled to drop this year also.
Who are you feeling right now comming out of the Bay?
I don't get to hear to much Bay Area music, but from what I've heard and seen recently I would say Mistah Fab. He has all the right pieces in place to take it to the next level. A good team around him, relentless hustle, his hometown behind him and great music to back it up. The AllHipHop.com battle really put him on people's radar from outside the West Coast. Check out the interview I did with him for "Street Certified", it was the first video interview after the battle so he speak on Joe Budden, Saigon and Royce Da 5'9.
Which of your releases has been your most successful on a personal level and why?
I try to go all out on every tape but some will have more impact than others. The tapes with Hot Dollar and Glasses Malone will always standout for obvious reason. I'm permanetly attached to their career's forever. The tape with Glasses is still popping in the streets right now and it's been out for almost a year. A lot of people come up to me and tell me that it is a classic tape.
What can we expect from DJ Nik Bean throughout 2008?
You can expect me to make history again.
INTERVIEW ORIGINALLY SHOWN AT:
