HipHopHavoc interviews Rich Kidd (interviewed by Omar)

1. What's poppin in the T.O.?

Everything poppin!!!! Good and bad. Ladies are back out in skirts but now we have a garbage strike. Hip hop wise though, everythings alright.

2. How was your 4th of July?

It was alright I guess, I had to speak at a urban music conference. Remember, we don't celebrate the 4th, ours is on the 1st, and on the 1st I hosted this hip hop show downtown, went back to this fit chicks crib and made fireworks.

3. What made you start producing?

I spit. Didn't want to spit on industry instros so my boy gave me fruity loops version 3. And ever since then its been natural. People were diggin the sound so i decided to share...for a small fee.

4. What was the first song you produced?

The first notable one would be Frank-n-Dank, "the get right song" off of their album extended play 3.13. They were signed up here at the time so it got medium rotation. They said my name at the end of the track too so when I would go back to school, girls were on my young jock.

5. Do you enjoy producing more than rapping?

I enjoy both equally. You can catch me cyphering anywhere and when i'm on the beats, it flows like water.

6. What are you some of your favorite beats that you produced?

Presentation for drake. 2999 for Saukrates. I Wish I Knew Natalie Portman for k-os, Saukrates and Nelly Furtado. believe for Aristo and Sizzla Kalonji. There's a few more but those are the ones that come to mind.

7. Did you think Drake would blow up?

Blow up, yeah. Blow up like this? No. What he's doing ain't been seen since Maestro Fresh Wes days. But I always figured that he'd get further than other cats cause he was always out there making those connects.

8. How did you meet Drake?

Met him in the club district while I was gallivanting around. My manager introduced me to him and we didn't think much of each other because none of us had heard what the other man was dealing with. This rapper, Aristo made a diss joint to Drake on my beat. Drake heard it and hollered at me, said he never knew I went hard on the beats like that. So we linked and started doing up tracks. I was like the arms dealer, fuelin both sides of the war.

9. What are some of the misconceptions people who have about artists from Canada?

That they're wack? That maybe we dont have anything to talk about? I don't know. So few artists can relate to a wide audience, in canada or states. For every shit canadian artist I can find 33 shit american ones but that's just a population thing.

10. Was "Audacity of Hope" inspired by Obama?

Yes. King Reign wrote the song back in 2008 during the Obama campaign trail stuff. Wanted to shoot the video at the inauguration but didn't happen that way. I still went though, it was crazy. D.C. Is something else.


11. Are you choosy when it comes to working with artists?

To be real, more locally than international, I am choosy. That's cause I see how niggas live out here so if your fronting in any way to the public on my music, that don't reflect well on me. As for anybody over seas or cross the border....well nah, if they sound like ass I don't wanna sponsor it. I'm passed that, keep your money.

12. How do you prepare a beat for an emcee?

I could build something in front of them or go thru some pre made shit and sequence it. I make on average maybe 1.7 beats a day so i make em for myself really. I'm greedy still.

13. How did you feel about rhyming with the legendary KRS-One?

Felt nice. I love his energy with spitting off the top, its on the same wave as mine. He was lovin the beats too.

14. Why did you get involved with the Gavin Sheppard Story?

I was part of "the remix project" which is a free youth program that takes under privileged kids and offers them tools and mentor ship for pursuing careers in music, creative arts or self made businesses. Gavin created the program and has been helping me bring out my creative energies so when Marc Ecko hollered at him for the campaign, he hollered at me for the theme music. Marceckotime.ca is where you can check out the beats and the commercial for the campaign.


15. Any new projects your working on?

Drizzys shit, Saukrates shit, Kardi's shit. When Billy Danze from MOP gets off the rock the bells tour we gonna finish some shit up. I got some Krs One joints on smash. Immortal tech got one. I'm also working on some short films with this production company about city life, getting into directing and cinematography and all that.

16. What happened to Choclair? He was doing his thing for a minute in the mid to late 90's.

Hahah I don't know. He still doing shows out here opening for states acts and shit but I think the label that signed him folded and decided they didn't wanna put money in the canadian rap game no more.

17. Shout Outs?

Yea shouts to everybody I mentioned and didn't mention in this interview. That covers all bases. And nuff love to people south of the border that are listening to the music I'm creating. Once I get my passport back I'm coming down there to seduce your women.

To Check Out More Info On Rich Kidd hit him @ www.myspace.com/richkiddbeats