| SSSSSS |
CTDC
NORTH |
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WWS
MAG: What’s crackin’ with you TB? |
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We’re
just in the studio right now cracking out our new compilation
called The Incision. It is dropping this summer 2005. We have
The Arrival in stores now. Go pick it up. I’m just in
the studio right now with Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas. We
just knocked out a couple of hot songs with Clyde Carson from
The Team. We’ve got a couple of joints with San Quinn,
and we’re going to be working on some stuff with Kamikaze
(777) from The Outlawz. We’re also working with Burning
Star, they are a underground hip-hop band out here in L.A. |
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How
is The Arrival doing right now? |
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It’s
doing cool. It’s getting a good buzz. The first album,
especially independently isn’t going to jump off as big
as if you had a major label pushing it and backing you up. It’s
doing well man. We’re not asking to go platinum. We’re
not even asking to go gold. We’re just pushing the name
out. We’ve got to build that respect. You can’t
expect to just jump off right on the first album. |
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For
those who do not know, tell them how CTDC Recordings was first
formulated. |
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CTDC
Records (Cutthroat Dymond Cutz). I was Dymond Cutz by myself,
and my man Tavio was Cutthroat. I started out when I was sixteen
or seventeen years old making beats. I started to get serious
with it. I started putting the label together. The label was
actually formed about three years ago when me and Tavio came
together and merged labels. Me and him were always doing work
with each other’s artists. So we just said f*** it,
lets get something together and make it official. So now here
it is. Cutthroat Dymond Cutz, CTDC in flesh. |
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There
is a northern branch and a southern branch of CTDC Records.
Tavio runs the company in San Francisco and you run it in Hollywood.
Tell me how a normal business day is like for CTDC Records. |
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Me
and Tavio pretty much get at each other almost every day, see
how things are going, what our artists are doing up there and
what’s going down here with our artists in L.A. It just
consists of e-mailing, sending out packages and it’s a
lot of hard work. It’s a real grind man. You’ve
got to hit that iron and keep on working at it. You can’t
sit back and expect something to come to you because it’s
not going to happen. You’ve got to go out there and get
it man. On a day to day basis, we just keep grinding, recording,
keep people in the mix and letting them know that we’re
still here and present. We’ve still got some stuff coming
out. I’ll talk to DJ’s day to day up there in Frisco
and DJ’s down here in L.A. DJ Backside, I talk to a few
people up there at KMEL letting them know what we’ve got
coming. My man Big Body Cisco, my man Damoon, DJ Natural, we’ve
got something coming with him and also DJ Jason Pro. It’s
just about building relationships and contact day to day, that’s
what a business is. Contacting people is a major part of it. |
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The world has already got a taste of the southern division,
but can you tell me who is on the league in San Francisco? |
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CTDC
North consists of Arkane, Rell Derty and my man Screwface who
is our Rasta cat. My man Rell Derty’s little brother Roc
Lee is actually coming up too in the game. He has been spitting
some hot s*** and has been working at it. I’ve been hearing
him for a few years now and he’s stepped up his game a
lot. He’s probably going to be a new part of the team
really soon. It’s not official yet. We’ve also got
my man E-Lo too up there. That is the team up there right now.
Also, we’ve got a mix tape coming out with Screwface so
be aware about that. That is going to be hitting the streets
really soon. Everyone else is also going to be on there like
the CTDC family type deal. |
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You
handle all the production for the company. Who have you produced
for already? |
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Right
now, I’m in the lab with Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas;
I’m also working on some stuff for San Quinn’s new
album. I’m also producing tracks for our next compilation
The Incision that is coming out with Clyde Carson, and I’m
also producing for a few other cats out this way in L.A. that
are more known out this way like Burning Star. I’m also
in the mix working on some stuff with Ice-T man. I know you
haven’t heard from him in a while. I just had a meeting
last night with DJ Evil-E who is his DJ. We’re going to
keep contacting and keep pushing on that, so I might be producing
some stuff for Ice-T. You know Lady of Rage? I’m trying
to get some beats to her too. |
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Tell
me about the next major release on CTDC Records. |
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The
next major release is going to be The Incision. That is our
next compilation. The first compilation, I just wanted CTDC
artists on there only; with no guest appearances so cats would
know who we were. Now we’ve got The Incision along with
a few guest appearances like San Quinn, Clyde Carson of The
Team, Kamikaze or 777 from The Outlawz, Taboo from the Black
Eyed Peas, and we’re still working on other cats here
and there. But right now, that is who we’ve got going.
|
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How
do you feel about the rap game coming from where you come from? |
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It’s
a lot different from up in the city (San Francisco). You’ve
got that Hollywood mixture down here that I’m not really
used to because I’m from the bay. It’s a lot of
Hollywood bull****. That is the only difference to me. Cats
out here are cool. I love working with them. You’ve got
to weed and seed out the right cats to work with. You’ve
just got to learn by experience. Cats are doing it out here.
They are pushing out the underground just like cats in the bay
area. That is pretty much the game down here in L.A. |
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I’ve
heard some secret executive plans on CTDC, but I’m going
to spill it man. You guys are going to go after the Latin market
as well right? What are your plans for the Latin market? |
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We’ve
got my man Arkane. He’s coming out and will be hitting
the Latin market. We’ve also got my man Silence. Silence
is going to be appearing on Taboo’s album. We’ve
got a couple of tracks that we did together. It’s in the
mix right now. |
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What
are your ultimate goals for CTDC Records man? I know you’re
never going to stop grinding, but when can you be satisfied?
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CTDC
Records, we are going to be internationally known, worldwide
known. It’s going to happen. We’ve just got to keep
on grinding. I just want people to feel our music man. Listen
to some good music compared to all the bull**** that is out
there. I want to bring something that people can relate to.
I just want fans to love us. Of course the dollars are nice
and the money is good, but I’m in it first for the love.
We really haven’t made that much money off of it yet,
so we’re still grinding. Cats are going to tell you “oh
yeah I’m making this dough and that dough,” but
they are probably lying to you. Especially off the first album,
you’re not going to make any dough. You’ve actually
got to give your album out. I just want CTDC Records to first
start off regionally, then internationally, and then grow worldwide.
I’m just trying to make it big. I want everybody to love
our music. That’s what’s up. |
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Are
you involved with any films or being in the television industry
at all? |
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It’s
funny you say that because last night we all had a group meeting.
We also had a meeting with that guitar player from The Scorpions
which is an old rock band from the seventies. He does a lot
of scores for movies and I’m going to keep contact with
him and maybe we can work on some movies like that. But at the
moment, I’m not working on any movies right this second.
|
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Are
we going to see any female acts coming out of CTDC? |
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We’re
working at it man. We don’t have anything official, but
we’ve got this chick Milana that we’ve been working
with and she is blazing man. You’re going to hear her
on our next compilation The Incision. She’s got a hot
voice man. We also work with Noelle Scaggs from The Rebirth.
She appeared on The Arrival. Right now we are working with Milana.
I don’t think she wants to be locked down or anything,
but she’s down. If we’ve got some shows, she’ll
come and do them. She’s just trying to make it happen
man. That is what we’re working on as far as female talent. |
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