MUSIC
The Duke of production
Seth Saltzman
Click here to listen to a track produced by Duke
How long have you been producing for?
Duke: I’ve been producing since around November 97 when I bought the Akai MPC2000…a few years ago I moved over to the MPC2000XL. It’s basically the same machine with a few extra functions.
How did you get into producing?
Duke: I started out deejaying in 1993. I was doing mixtapes and a few club gigs. My last club gig was with DJ Skribble at a club called The Hangar in North NJ. Over the years my record collection got enormous. At that time, there wasn’t a better feeling than coming back home with bags of new vinyl. I was a fiend for beats…I had to get my fix! So I knew that in time I would move on to trying to create my own stuff. The only problem was that I couldn’t afford to buy any equipment, until one day I was like “Fuck it!” and maxed out the credit card!
Have you ever tried going into other mediums other than producing such as rapping?
Duke: I wrote some hooks for a few of Off Da Wall’s album tracks, and I’ve freestyled with some of the emcees I work with for fun. But rapping isn’t really my strong point. I’ll always be more into the beats than anything else. But besides producing, I also do the mixing and mastering of most of my own stuff. I like to make sure that the sound comes out the way I intend it to.
Who have you produced for/worked with?
Duke: The first emcee I produced for was NJ rap artist Off Da Wall. At that time I also was working with a few other NJ rap artists such as Blohzay, Unique (now known as Surface), Buddah Bandit, etc. I recently completed Off Da Wall’s album “Out Of the Dark”, which features production by myself and Woo (www.thewoosmusic.com), a sick hip-hop/R&B producer out of England. Blohzay and I also just completed his album as well called “Jawz of Life” featuring production by myself, Bluntz-N-Beatz, C-4, Beat Tech, and Blohzay himself. Both of these CDs will be available on the website (www.dukeent.com) in short time. I’ve worked with Rob Scholast, an ill emcee out of Lawrence, Mass. His album, “Scholastic Curriculum”, is available on the website right now, so check that out. Ive worked with Jade Foxx, a rap artist/singer out of South Florida (www.jade-foxx.com), TK Shabazz, an R&B artist out of NJ (www.tkshabazz.com), Minus P, a rap artist out of NJ (www.minusp.com), Krumbz, an ill emcee out of NJ (www.krumbz.com), Jaxn, a rap artist on Get-A-Life Ent out of Framingham, Mass, R Hyphin a.k.a. R’sonall, a rap artist out of NJ, and others. A few months back I worked with Tone E Atlas, a producer out of Queens, on the “NaS…I Am…Presented by Tone E Atlas feat. Duke” remix album. It’s available for FREE download at my website. You could also check out Tone E Atlas at www.hiphopgame.com. A few years ago I did a remix of “Slam Harder” for rap group Onyx which is available for download at their official website (www.onyxdomain.com), and I also did a track with Guru around the same time entitled “All Real”, which featured Bless, Black Jesus, and Kreem.Com. That track was supposed to be on an Avirex mixtape that DJ Infinite (of Onyx) was supposed to do, but that fell through so the track was never released. I’m in talks with a couple artists right now for possible collaborations, but I don’t want to mention any names until I’m sure something is going to happen.
What kind of recognition have you obtained for your work?
Duke: I get emails from fans telling me how much they like what we’re doing, and I get love on a lot of internet and college radio stations. The best recognition is someone you don’t know telling you your work is tight. Your crew will tell you all day your shit is dope, but someone you don’t know will tell you straight up if you’re whack! So, I appreciate feedback from the listeners.
What do you bring to the table that is different from other producers?
Duke: I don’t focus on what I hear on the radio and try to duplicate that. I listen to all types of music, and I produce based on what I feel is hot. One of the comments I get on some of my beats is that they’re different. But if someone says to me “that beat sounds like a DJ Premier beat”, I take it as a compliment. Really though I don’t want to imitate anyone else’s sound. If you hear my whole catalog you’ll see that my beats definitely don’t follow one style.
What are your short term goals with producing?
Duke: Right now I’m trying to get my name out there. I’m also trying to get the names of the artists I work with out there.
What are your long term goals with producing?
Duke: Once I get my name out I want to keep doing what I’m doing now, just on a broader scale.
How did you come up with the name Duke Entertainment for your record label?
Duke: Duke is a nickname I got while in high school that kind of just stuck with me. When I started deejaying, I went by DJ Duke. Then I started doing beats, and I dropped off the “DJ” and left it as “Duke”. Duke Entertainment came to me when I was looking to start a website to showcase my work. Simple and to the point, basically.
Who are the artists that you have on the label?
Duke: The artists I work with are not under contract. They are free to go with any label or record with anyone they want to. For the most part I’d say the main artists that are affiliated with Duke Ent are Off Da Wall, Blohzay, R Hyphin and Rob Scholast. Of course there are other artists that are part of the extended family. It’s a good group of artists because we all help each other out.
What kind of success have you had with the label so far?
Duke: The success as of late has been better since the release of Rob Scholast’s album. So far the response has been great, and we’ve pushed a lot of units. Also, the NaS remix album has made a lot more heads aware of Duke Entertainment and what we bring to the table. Things are definitely looking up. Next thing we are looking to do is get Off Da Wall and Blohzay’s albums pressed.
What motivates you to keep doing what you do everyday?
Duke: I always remember where I used to be, and where I am now musically. Then, I always keep in mind where I still want to go with music. I also look at people who inspire me, like Woo for example. Here is a producer I used to work with out of his studio in NJ (before he moved back to his native England), and now I see where he’s taken his game. He’s a great guy in general, and a huge inspiration for me. He’s living proof that hard work and dedication will bring results.
Any last word or comments?
Duke: Yeah, of course first I have to thank you for this opportunity. Shout to everybody mentioned above, as well as other members of the team. Opus, Essential, Kupiart (www.kupiart.com), Dr Fr3sh (www.sunshineofficial.com), Paul from www.onyxdomain.com, Matteo Getz of Get-A-Life Ent (www.myspace.com/havokhouse), CeeCee and the fam at www.mastaace.com, C-4 Da Beatsmith, etc, etc. And don’t forget to cop Rob Scholast’s album “Scholastic Curriculum” at www.dukeent.com!
