“I probably should’ve picked a different name…”
For a man who dubbed himself DJ Drama, and has seen more than his fair share of it, that probably would’ve been a good idea. But Drama’s penchant for, well, … drama only enhanced his reputation as one of hip-hop’s most talked about DJs. He returns with his sophomore set. “My first album felt like the accumulation of everything that I had accomplished in my career and whatnot,” he explains. “I felt as though I had a good solid first album, but I had more to prove as a DJ, as an artist, as somebody who loves hip-hop; I wanted to keep the momentum and the music going.” On a rainy night in Georgia at the Atlantic Records offices downtown, Drama and a few friends celebrated the release of Gangsta Grillz: The Album Vol. 2 with some food, drink and plenty of conversation.
How was your career affected by the Web revolution?
A lot of my mixtape career came up during the Internet age; whether it’s mixtape Web sites, or downloads or just in general. I was able to get to the fans and to the people in vast ways because of the internet and because of technology. Twitter is a technological advance — I [can stay] in contact directly with people that I wouldn’t see every day. It’s a mass e-mail whenever you want.
What is the DJ’s role in getting music to the people?
[I] keep them in tune with what’s going on with me, it’s great. That’s really what the mixtape game is about — it’s about getting the music to the people and getting it to them first. It’s always about what’s hot, what’s fresh, what’s new.
How do you envision Gangsta Grillz as a brand?
A lot of artists [are] coming out and I love artists albums and everything, but you know, Gangsta Grillz is like the street Now series; what Now is to the mainstream world Gangsta Grillz is to the streets and I think Gangsta Grillz as a brand is necessary to hip-hop. –todd williams
