MY WORKPLAYCE: KID DRAGON
Name: Kid Dragon
Location: San Diego, CA
Occupation: DJ
Affiliations: Homegrown Blends, Dojo Soundz, Horsepower Crew, Designated Hittaz,
Beat Swap Meet, L-R-G
Let’s take a look at Kid Dragon’s workspace.
1. Technics 1200
2. Rane TTM56 & Serato
3. Lotsa Vinyl, various genres
4. MPC 1000
5. MPD 32 in conjunction with Ableton Live
6. MPK 49
7. KRK Rockit 5
8. Boss SP-303
9. AKAI S-900
10. Alesis Mixing Board
AWKP: The Technics 1200 have been the original standard in the DJ Game. What do you think makes them so classic?
KD: I think the quality of engineering is what separates the 1200 from the rest. Quartz locked, magnetic motor that generates high torque and consistent rotation. It was probably one of the first decks that offered variable pitch control. Weight adjusted S-shaped tone arm for precise balance. It has a sturdy base and long life. I think this is what makes them standout to this day; it’s just a superior turntable.
AWKP: Since the introduction of Serato back in 1998, it has been the new standard for DJs for all genres. What would you say is the good and the bad with this new technology?
KD: The great thing that Serato offers is creativity, access to more music, and portability. Like J. Rocc said, it turns a good DJ into Superman.
The unfortunate thing about the digital era is that it put allot of mom and pops stores out of business and created a gap between DJ’s pre & post Serato. You have the quote “real” dudes who’ve been grounded the traditional foundations of deejaying (digging, mixing, cutting, juggling, battling, mix tapes, history of music and hip-hop, etc), and you have the folks who just started deejaying in the last decade who’s knowledge and crates (vinyl) is somewhat limited (however you’ll find them deejaying a whole lot). Altogether I think Serato is a good thing, but I feel that as a DJ, the onus is still on me to go out there and Keep Diggin. Everything that is “Real” stays, everything else fades…
AWKP: With the digital age steadily revolutionizing the music game, its always refreshing to see a solid collection of vinyl in a DJs setup. Is vinyl nearing its demise? What do you feel we need to do to keep on the production of vinyl?
KD: I don’t think vinyl is nearing its demise. As seen at various record shows like the Beat Swap Meet, Buena Park, & San Diego Record shows, there still seems to be a market for vinyl, especially select rare groove funky drum break ill boogie disco electro stuff. There has been a decline in the vinyl economy, but I don’t think it will ever be a dead market.
Me personally, I still buy wax because there’s still stuff I can’t find on MP3. I dig tremendously online as well but that’s like instant gratification. I always loved the idea of hitting the record shop or show, not knowing what I was looking for, but knowing that if I spent a few hours digging, reading album covers, giving unfamiliar pieces a listen, that I would leave with a bag full of good music (of various genres). That’s what’s so dope about digging, sometimes I don’t know what I’m going to find, but if I stay open, I’m sure to find some ill tunes. However on the net, I can just think of a song, an album, an artist and just Google it. This has its own perks too, but it’s not the same. I think actively getting out there digging wax, even if it’s occasionally, is doing your part. I can’t remember when that was embedded in me, but I remember that becoming almost central to my understanding as a DJ. The more you know, the more humble it should make you because you realize there’s much more out there than you realized.
AWKP: Out of your entire collection of records, what 5 records would you say are your most prized possessions and why?
KD:: Believe it or not my top 5 records in my collection aren’t the super rare library joints, ill drum breaks, or rare groove…my fave 5, in no particular order, are:
1-4) Any and all of my Malcolm X speeches on wax. To me Malcolm X is one of the great Saints of Islam and America. His story is one of the great stories of America and of the Muslims and for me it really hits home to listen to him. His adopted Muslim name was Al-Hajj Malik Ash-Shabazz (The Royal Falcon) and his chapter on the Pilgrimage to Mecca in his Autobiography really inspired me to also want to make the Pilgrimage back in 2007. For me, Malcolm is a testimony to the human potential, showing the transformative power of the Truth when a person decides to live by it.
5) You’d be surprised, but my other fave piece of vinyl is a 7” record of the Muslim Call to prayer (the adhan) by the late and well-respected Egyptian reciter of the Quran, Shaykh Abdul Basit. For me the call to prayer signifies one of the most revolutionary movements of humanity, a movement that calls humanity to stillness, stillness through prayer and remembrance of God. It’s through that remembrance that hearts find tranquility. The Muslim call to prayer is a tradition that goes back to the time of the Prophet Muhammad (peace be upon him) and to have it on 7” by one of the greatest reciters of our age for me is a something I’m going to pass down to my progeny (God willing).
AWKP: A lot of producers have been using the Ableton software for quite sometime now. Do you feel that it is the new ‘goto’ software for creating beats? What would you say is its best attribute?
KD: For now yes, I’m not as versed in it as others, but I am aware of it’s impact. Everybody and their momma are on it. I think its best attribute is having access to all of those effects and be able to do things on the spot. A good example of this is Freddie Joachim’s ‘just messin’ around videos. Not to sound corny, but from what I understand it just makes making music fun & easy.
AWKP: You mentioned to us that you share your workspace setup with your girl, DJ Raichous. Is it a game of rock, paper, scissors to see who gets to use the equipment first or do you both share and vibe out together?
KD: Sometimes when we have the same gigs, we have to take turns prepping a set. It’ll be on some “Ok it’s my turn now” (usually she’s saying that to me). Sometimes I’ll be cutting it up in the morning and she’ll nudge me off with that “ok it’s my turn” attitude. Most of the time, we just vibe together. She turns me on to all this cool music; I turn her on to all this cool music. We share wax & MP3’s. Between the two of us, I’d say we have a fair amount of good music. We’re mad supportive of each other and are always pushing each other to find more and more new music to add to the arsenal. We just want to help each other become better DJ’s.
AWKP: Would you say there is a bit of friendly competition between the two of you?
KD: Sometimes there is but most of the time its allot of sharing. We’re always sharing music. I used to be hella miserly with my music but I’ve eased up tremendously over the past few years. I think her mixing and selection skills are on point. I’d rather listen to her spin than allot of other DJ’s because I know she plays the good stuff.
AWKP: Where do you see the future of hip-hop and music going in the next couple of years?
KD: The future of Hip-Hop and music really depends on us. For me, I have to remind myself that both are a means and not the ends. It’s a means of expression, trying to reflect the meanings of what’s in our souls and what surrounds us. As long as someone has something to say (which there will be), I think music and Hip-Hop will be around for quite some time.
AWKP: What are your plans for the rest of 2011?
KD: My plans are to come out with a few mixes, give some more time to touching pads, collect more music (wax & digital), build with my crew Homegrown Blends and all the other million crews I’m affiliated with (see shoutouts below), try and gig more (book me if you want to hear good stuff played good), sit with folks like Breakbeat Lou and Danny Dan the Beat Mann and get more Hip-Hop/Diggin/Music knowledge, support others trynna do similar things, and build with folks up-down-left-right.
AWKP: Any final words or shoutouts?
KD: Yes! A big shout out to Yams at AWKP for the workspace love. Big shout out to my mentors Question/Charlie Rock/L-Dula/Danny Dan/J.Rocc/Melo-D/Rhettmatic shout out to my crews & affiliations: Homegrown Blends (HGB), Dojo Soundz, Horsepower Crew, Designated Hittaz, Beat Swap Meet, & LRG (Big ups to Albie & Rob, RIP Jonas Bevacqua), also big ups to the homies Marsellus Wallace & DJ Gargamel.
Much respect & love to my late brother, Henry Laguit Valdez (RIP) aka Intro, I do this to keep his memory alive…
