Production News - Crate Kings

Cha-Lo’s Role In Producing A-Milli

October 22, 2008

With all the interviews, news, and acclaim surrounding Lil Wayne’s "A-Milli", there’s been little mention of producer Cha-Lo’s role in the creation of the track. However, it seems that with all of the recent attention this may have become somewhat of an issue. Decide for yourself as Raheim touches a little further on the topic, … Read more

Serato + Ableton Form Partnership

October 17, 2008

Serato Scratch Live has long been the standard in the world of digital vinyl, but things have just gotten even more interesting now that the announcement has been made about their creative partnership Ableton. “Ableton and Serato take different approaches to modern musical performance,” says Ableton CEO Gerhard Behles, “But both companies live by the … Read more

DJ Shadow Explains Ditching His MPC + James Brown Collection

October 15, 2008

Many debates have taken place over who the king of drum programming is. Solid arguments will always be put forth for J Dilla, but depending on how you classify music and what genres you include, DJ Shadow is another name that’s sure to arise as a contender. Lucky for us DJ Shadow has returned to his reader Q&A to directly address questions or misconceptions that may plague fans of his work.

Check it out as he talks samples, collecting James Brown artifacts, and reasons for ditching the Akai MPC 60 and MPC 3000 as his main production tools.

88-Keys URB Cover Shoot Video

October 14, 2008

Producer 88-Keys shows us some behind the scenes action action at a photoshoot for URB Magazine. Definitely looking forward to The Death of Adam on November 11th.

Timbland’s Production Roots Explored

October 15, 2008October 14, 2008

Sasha Frere-Jones examines Timbaland’s beginnings as DJ Timmy Tim, his revolutionary impact on R&B, and tendency to do the opposite of popular musical trends. Not a bad way to catch up on a quick history of the Timbaland’s roots along with a bit of analysis of where he his sound is currently headed.

Are DJ’s Becoming Teamsters???

October 2, 2008

For years there’s been much talk of DJ’s somehow banding together, unionizing, and leveraging their power of influence in clubs, radio, and other media. Formed July 2008 to serve as an "advocacy group on a range of public policy and rights issues," the The International Disc Jockey Trade Association (IDJTA) boasts a number of notable … Read more

Further Proof That You Don’t Need A Record Label

September 29, 2008

Loyal readers already know by now that I have strong feelings about the future of the recording industry and importance of artists, especially producers, fully realizing their value. You may have caught this weekends thoughts about the role current and future technology will play in the independence of musicians; here’s a concrete example of the type of ingenuity and independence that I was referring to.

Q-Tip – The Renaissance (Cover + Tracklist)

September 29, 2008

Q-Tip once again shows his loyalty to the Akai MPC 2000XL for the November 4th release of The Renaissance.

StarRoc Label Formed By Jay Z And Stargate

September 18, 2008September 17, 2008

Norwegian production team Stargate (Nas, Beyonce, Rhianna, Ne-Yo, Tre Songz) have teamed up with Jay Z to form a new label named StarRoc. Word has it that the producers have already relocated their studio to Roc The Mic in order to begin work. [via MIC]

Digiwaxx Hacked Now Redirecting To Funkmaster Flex’s Franchise?

September 2, 2008August 25, 2008

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According to the bulletin sent by Digiwaxx Media, one of the largest free online MP3 record pools, their website has been hacked. Again, nothing unusual considering the recent comprising of urban websites, but here’s where it gets really strange… their domain digiwaxx.com now redirects to Funkmaster Flex’s Franchise Record Pool!

Digiwaxx states:
"Many of you may have noticed by now when trying to access www.digiwaxx.com or any of our related sites that you were directed to a different, unaffiliated web page. Please note, this was NOT our doing. OUR SITE WAS MALICIOUSLY COMPROMISED by a person that wishes to do harm to theCompany. (Hi Haters!)"