FatBeats: Behind The Counter Podcast Episode 6

On Episode 6 of FatBeats: Behind The Counter Podcast, DJ Eclipse connects with Lord Finesse and Diamond D to talk about their legacy and continued influence on Hip Hop. 

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Transcript

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SPEAKER_03 0:04

What's up, everyone? DJ Clips right here. This is Fat Beats Behind the Counter Podcast. And today we are being joined by none other than Digging in the Crates own Diamond Z and Lord Finesse. What's up, gentlemen? What's good? What's good, Clips? Yeah, good to have y'all here. Good to see y'all. We uh we have a lot to talk about, both old and new. Um, cover some history, talk about new projects. There's some there is new stuff coming from both of y'all this year. So uh let's just get right into it. And uh let's bring it back. Um D, I know um your early beginnings, uh, you were kind of underneath uh coming up underneath uh Jazzy J. Right. Zulu Nation, you know what I'm saying? So uh can you give us some background exactly on how that kind of came together?

SPEAKER_01 0:45

Yeah, Jay was um, he was talking to a uh to a young lady in my projects at the time, and um my MC, uh Rob at the time, he's actually the one who actually met him first. Uh we wound up going to the studio, and eventually Jay signed us. Um and we recorded a few demos, and out of them demos came the song I'm not playing. Yeah. Um the group was in ult was the group was the ultimate for us. I was the DJ, Rob was the MC. This is around the time when Graham Pooba was in a group called Masters of Ceremonies, and uh everything just kind of just snowballed from there.

SPEAKER_03 1:18

Right. Yeah, and now just to clarify, uh Rob that was the MC in your crew wasn't the same Master Rob that was from the same Master Rob as um Fantastic Five Man. Right, okay. Did you know Ness at that time yet? Or of course. Okay, of course. So Ness, what about you you know first getting your foot in the door?

SPEAKER_00 1:40

I mean, it's around the same time. Really, I mean Diamond and and Rob was like the first out the projects to to make the record. Right. Um, but around I was around them at that time. Sure. You know, so yeah, I did my first show with Diamond, like, yeah, 371 in the Bronx. Yeah. So nah, me and me and Diamond go like way, way back. So when you when you hear us talk about each other, it's not like it was just a music thing. No. He well it was always music because he had me cutting cutting school going to his crib and watch him make tapes. He was cutting 45s then.

SPEAKER_03 2:23

Right, you know, right. So he was the first one out doing stuff. What was your your break?

SPEAKER_00 2:28

I was with my brother Mike Smooth. Right. So it was Laura Finesse and Mike Smooth, but I always known Diamond and Show did music just as well. Zakia Records is where I first got signed. That's what people don't know. And they went under.

SPEAKER_03 2:42

Right.

SPEAKER_00 2:42

And therefore I went and shot the wild pitch and it was heard by Guru. Guru is the one that brought my demo to Stu.

SPEAKER_03 2:50

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 2:51

And also played it for Premier.

SPEAKER_03 2:53

Right.

SPEAKER_00 2:53

So that was kind of my start. But like like D said, still mentor of Jazzy J's, definitely. Because the the young lady he was seeing lived in my building. And her brother was one of my best friends at the time, you know. So that's how I met Jay and was he was taking me to dance interior, like when he was, you know, so that's like my history, but I think, you know, with Jay, Jay is uh uh definitely an intricate part of DITC. Sure.

SPEAKER_03 3:27

And and at what point did DITC become an official entity with because all y'all were already already grown up around each other. So when did y'all actually make it official that like DITC was the name of the organization? You remember that moment?

SPEAKER_00 3:41

I just remember the record. The record was digging in the crates. And I I swear, I always say I wish I had. Where's Dre? Yes, I think it was over there, what, the Headhunters?

SPEAKER_01 3:59

I don't remember. It was a long time. Boom to Boom.

SPEAKER_00 4:02

Yeah, it was crazy, though. It was crazy.

SPEAKER_01 4:04

Dre was late for a session or something.

SPEAKER_00 4:05

And that's how they came up with that song. Awesome.

SPEAKER_03 4:09

And then also while you was at Wild Pitch, you kind of found Premier through going through demos over there, right?

unknown 4:15

No.

SPEAKER_00 4:16

Premier found him. Premier found me. Guru and Premier was a group, and Stu Fine asked Premier if, you know, when I signed finesse, would you like to work with him? Right. So at the time, Premier, he heard the demos, but I think his first time seeing me alive was doing a new music seminar 1989.

SPEAKER_03 4:38

Right.

SPEAKER_00 4:39

And like right after that, we were we were watching.

SPEAKER_01 4:42

I remember Trek was doing the thing with you too, right?

SPEAKER_00 4:44

The next year. Yeah. Tretch was the next year. I was a I was uh I think I was a judge the next year.

SPEAKER_03 4:50

Yeah. Right, right. And then Ultimate Force talked about that, dropped the single. Right. Uh, that was Strong City, and then how did that transition from dropping the single to then getting your your solo deal?

SPEAKER_01 5:02

Uh well, in between that, uh Finesse, you know, as you know, he had his deal with Wild Pitch. So me premiering Showbiz um did the production on that album. And uh once finesse got his feet wet, um I think I started doing uh I started producing some stuff for um Showbiz and AG. And out of that came Can I Get a Soul Clap. So I'm making a little, you know, I'm making a little bit of buzz in the Bronx and in the city. I was producing this guy named Joe Control. He was he was actually signed to um to the label that signed me, Chemistry Records. But I was just doing his demos. Uh-huh. It happened to ROM on one of his joints, and he took it down there, then they wanted to talk to me. So I go down there thinking that we, you know, we we talking up, we're gonna be talking about some production, and they they wanted to sign me. Um so that was ironic, but yeah, I wasn't going to, I wasn't going, you know, I wasn't gonna turn it down. Sure. You know, especially if if something falls in your lap like that. So that's how I came to record Stunts Blunt and Hip Hop. Okay. The A N at the time, Brian Chin, he had just came from Profile Records. Um, Brian told the artist joke control, bring your producer down here. So I'm thinking I'm going down here, you know, to talk about, you know, how much they're gonna give me for these beats. And Brian was like, well, actually, we want to sign you. Wow. You know, so yeah, that's how that came about. Crazy.

SPEAKER_03 6:26

True story, though. Absolutely. And and you recently, you know, had an anniversary for stunts, blush, and hip-hop and hatred, passions, and fidelity as well as like, I mean, all these classic records, Ness, same thing with you. Um, Funky Technician, which actually bringing it back to now, you have anniversary editions getting ready to drop with uh also with some remixes.

SPEAKER_00 6:49

What we did was we went back in, my my team down in VA, me, Sprags, Bo, and I redid the album. Like, not redid it, but went back in and took everything and reenhanced everything. So the quality is is like when you hear this album, you're gonna throw the old one away. Not saying the old one is trash, it's just that I think with today's technology and everything you can do, right? You know, you can make the quality that much better. And uh, the first album was very 808 heavy. Right. Where you got more 808 than you got the music. So this comes at you like in surround sound. Right. Yeah, right. So it it feels real good. Right. I can't wait for it to come out and people to hear it and tell me what they think. You know, I'm very, I'm very sonically tuned these days.

SPEAKER_01 7:45

Right. Right, right. There was no pro to's back then. Great two-inch reels, right? And analog, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 7:51

So the, you know, and we was using like what, a lot of compression and isolation of the vocals to get the hiss out. So to get it as clean as I got it, and you hearing everything just like right in your face with no extra hiss. And you know, it's a it's a whole different, it's different feel. I know I listened to it for about a good couple of months because I couldn't believe how good it sounds.

SPEAKER_03 8:18

Sure. And then in addition to to that, the cleaning up of it, there's also like actual remixes. Like you got the Boss Pro remix, the Premiere remixes.

SPEAKER_00 8:27

Yes, they've they've done remixes and kind of kept it in the same tune. I ain't want to modernize it out and mess up the feel of the record. So, you know, Lodge and Premier, hey, that's hip hop.

SPEAKER_03 8:40

Absolutely. Absolutely. It's an extension of uh of digging in the crates, you know, same, same uh mind frame. Uh and then D, with you, you have the um the Dying Peace series, which uh over the last couple of years you've been uh spreading out the volume three. Yeah. Uh and there's one part left of that, right?

SPEAKER_01 8:58

Yeah, one part left of that. And um, that should drop uh maybe September. Okay. I mean, you know, me and you, we we we work a lot, clips. And uh, you know, you you already told me, as you tell many artists, you know, if you want to drop vinyl when your album is released, you know, it's at least a three to four month period. Right. So, yeah, you know, um knowing that I'm looking at probably like September.

SPEAKER_03 9:22

Gotcha. Yeah, got you. Um and and uh for this series, you know, you've been um mostly producing everything on there, a lot of uh guest features on there, although you do appear on on some stuff as well. And uh do you do you prefer producing for other people or producing for yourself more?

SPEAKER_01 9:42

Both equally. I mean, you know, I'm a producer at heart, you know, first and foremost, but um yeah, I like producing for myself and and other artists equally. Um just on this Dime Piece series, I just want to just get back, get back to the music, get back to beats, sure, just get back to focusing on producing. After after the Dime Piece one, the Dime Piece two, Tria, Duo. The last one is called, I'm sorry, it was Initium, Initium and Duo. The last album is called Tria. Right. And that's the one that's coming out in September this year. Um, I actually have a have like an album listening event this evening where actually you know clips. I got like 25 songs, but only 15 can make it. Yeah. So more than that, hopefully you'll be there and help help me um help me narrow it down to that 15. Everybody can make it, you know.

SPEAKER_03 10:34

But um hey, uh man.

SPEAKER_01 10:36

That's why I'm having this session. I don't want I don't want to, you know, I don't like having a lot of yes men around you know, if if if if it's strong, if it's strong enough to make the cut, it's gonna make the cut. Right. If not, you know, I can uh you know I always can look forward to the next project or whatever I do.

SPEAKER_03 10:50

Uh Ness, are you working on anything new?

SPEAKER_00 10:54

Um getting ready to.

SPEAKER_03 10:56

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 10:56

A couple of ideas that I that I have in mind. For me, it's just uh it's just a feel. It was making it's making music fun again. Right. Right? I don't I don't want to look at it as a business. What I've learned with with the music game, if I feel like it's a job, I don't want to do it. Because what you love shouldn't feel like a job.

SPEAKER_03 11:16

Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 11:17

So I think working on uh Motown State of Mind and meeting a lot of people along my journey, whether it's tall black guy or Stro Elliott or or Adrian Young, you know, watching they work, they work ethics. It's like, wow, you know it it's fun. Sure. You know, I work with tall black guy a lot.

SPEAKER_03 11:40

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 11:40

So it's it's fun and I'm ready to step back in. But more for on a on a music standpoint and making it a vision. I don't like to just put something out because I can.

SPEAKER_03 11:55

Of course.

SPEAKER_00 11:55

Especially when when you got a legacy of things you've done already, the last thing you want to do is just throw something out and it doesn't compete with what you've done before. So I think I could top what I've done before. So I'm I'm looking excited to I'm feeling excited about doing that.

SPEAKER_03 12:13

Right. Okay. And then and along with that, you know, you've also been sampled uh enough to allow you to not even have to put out music as like a profession. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, you've you have income coming from other means.

SPEAKER_00 12:31

Oh, yeah, for from a lot of production I've done. Yeah, you're right. Um but that's that's the the best way about it is that I have options nowadays versus before. Right. And like I said, my my my perception of music and how I look at it is from a whole different standpoint now. And I'm looking at really having fun and doing things that I don't think people gonna expect.

SPEAKER_03 12:57

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 12:58

And not in a bad way. Because like I always say, I tell people, let your artists grow. You know, if you keep telling them to do the same thing, oh, give me another album like this or give me another album like that. Like if you if you did that to Michael Jackson and you kept telling him to do ABCs, you would have never got thriller off the wall. Sure. So I think, you know, when you have artists that love what they do, that's the the the key word love. Right. You know, I I think you can't go wrong with however it comes out.

SPEAKER_03 13:30

Yeah, and I think D, with with the music that you make now, I can hear the difference between like the older stuff and the new stuff, you know, just in terms of updating, you know, and and you know, the the production sounds different than it does, than it did then. It's it's a continuation, modernized, you know, stuff like that. So uh and you you work um mostly out of Atlanta now when you record?

SPEAKER_01 13:53

Yeah, I got a studio down here.

SPEAKER_03 13:55

Yeah, yeah, yeah. So like what what's the setup look like down there, like as far as what you're working with, like uh when you're making beats? No, typical home setup.

SPEAKER_01 14:03

Okay, you know, um got the MPCX, you know, I also work on the grid on Pro 2s, got the um the Mo the Yamaha Motif, XF8, the MPC61. Okay. Um so you know, I'm I'm still a Kai-based. Gotcha. And of course I'm still sample based.

SPEAKER_03 14:21

Right, right.

SPEAKER_01 14:22

Um but you know, I also use a lot more live instrumentation now.

SPEAKER_03 14:25

Yeah, yeah, I was about to say you can hear that in the music as well. It's a little bit of a cleaner sound, you know what I mean? Now, for both of you guys, with with sampling, obviously coming from where you guys come from, um how does that how has that affected how you produce nowadays, you know, being that everything now is like being under a microscope as far as what you sample and and and it's kind of hard to get away with not clearing anything these days. So, like, do you guys still go as hard with like the samples, or you do like you mentioned, like incorporating like you know, new music, do you focus more now on just kind of like playing stuff rather than sampling?

SPEAKER_00 15:04

For me, it's it's both. I still sample, and I think people get a misconception of sampling because there's different layers to sampling. There's looping, right? There's chopping, there's taking fragments. Right. You know, so when I look at sampling, I'm always gonna sample. It's just what you take and how you use it. Because I hate when people say, ah, I don't have to sample because you don't know how to sample. Right. You know, when you know how to sample and you know how to chop, and we is filtering baselines and time stretching. There's a whole entire stratosphere of how to approach it. Right. And nowadays you got uh STEM, STEM isolation, you have AI. What you could do is just like beyond control. Right. You know, especially it's all a mindset to me. It's not the machines, it's never the machines. Right. It's the mindset. And we we're from a world, I say all the time, of limitation. So we had to create so many things with limitation. Right, right. So you had to use your mind to create to get around, less sampling time. So now imagine if you use that mindset with today's technology, whether it's Ableton, whether it's whatever drum machines, it could be the 12, what I got the Renaissance, the 12, the 4000, uh950, the MPC One, you know, all these different programs. Like, that's why it's the challenge of what I'm gonna do with my mindset and knowledge versus technology. That's what I get excited about because it's the mindset, it's never the machine. Right. Because you can have the best machines, and music is not really evolving. Yeah, maybe it's evolving for the way they look at it, but not from the era around we come from.

SPEAKER_03 17:09

Absolutely. Yeah, yeah.

SPEAKER_01 17:10

It's never the equipment, it's always the person behind the course. You just can't buy a um a sampler, uh a drum machine or a keyboard and go in the studio and make magic. It's always the person programming the equipment. Absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 17:25

But they just make it too simple. They devalue it because they're stopping people from really digging and using their mind. It's more like you too could be a producer with this machine and this, these drum kits and this library, and we'll give you samples like come on, man. Like, you know, I hear people I e-dig. Well, you're only as good as what the next person uploads.

SPEAKER_02 17:50

Exactly.

SPEAKER_00 17:50

They don't upload nothing flat and you trash.

SPEAKER_02 17:53

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 17:53

So that's where I think coming up around Diamond and and Show and Premiere and Lodge, it's constantly sampling, looking for rare things, looking for the rarest kicks and snares. It was it was scientific to us. And that's what made the music sound so extraordinary.

SPEAKER_03 18:15

No, absolutely. I mean, it it it it uh on on a multiple level, it brought attention to the artists that you guys were sampling, you know, like our whole generation now knows of those artists because you guys sample them. So it brought, you know, it's like now it's like we'll go digging and we're looking out for those those same names, you know what I'm saying? So it's like it's so it turned them on, you know, to a whole new fan base. Um and at the same time, it's like you said, it's like about being creative with what you're finding and how you're actually flipping it and and creating it to something totally new. And I think that's what when when you know that '95, '96 era kind of came about when you had like Bad Boy and that and that whole movement. It was for us, we kind of started looking down on that because what they were doing was so simplistic in terms of they were just jacking big loops and like putting it out. And it was like it was, it wasn't what the art of digging was about. It was about looking for obscure stuff, it was about shopping, changing things up, creating something new out of it. And so that's why, you know, you guys as a crew, DITC, will always be phenomenal and le and and and legends for what you've done and continue to do because of how you guys did that. So absolutely. Um staying in that era for a second, big L. Uh, you actually are the one that that met L, right?

SPEAKER_00 19:44

Yeah, I met L doing uh autograph signing. And uh, like, you know, he sent this boy over. Like I always tell you, he was too cool. He's like, I don't, I'm not gonna put myself out there. I'm gonna send my boy over. So he sent his boy over and it's like, yo, my man over there, he's nice. He wanna rhyme for that. And I look over and I'm like, yeah, well, you know, I'm gonna, because at that time, so many people was walking up on me wanting to rhyme, and it wasn't what I was looking for. It was like, yeah, yeah, I, you know. So he he basically told his man, his man's like, yo, fuck that. He said he rhyme for you. If you don't like him, he'll never fuck with you again. He won't bother you. So I'm like, well, fuck it. You know, and we was in a record store rocking wheels on 125th Street, and they had a setup in the back, and they was cutting brakes, and he was rhyming, and this dude, he was advanced for his age, where I was looking like, damn, man, he he is nice, right? You know. And I walked away with getting getting his information, his numbers, and you know, I just remember always putting them on the phone three-way, putting them on the phone with the crew and letting them listen to him rhyme, like, yo, this dude is nice. And coming from me at that time, it was like, get out of here. You know, he's nice, like, really, you know, but when they heard him, you know, nobody could deny how nice he was. It it took a while because everybody always compared him to me. He sounded just like you, but I'm looking like, nah, nah, I wasn't that nice at that age. I was just trying to find my way at that age. He, this dude is he's he's he's uh well well polished. Sure. And um, yeah, and we just kept trying to get him a deal. And uh showed Devil's Son, and Devil's Sun is the song that got him into the door.

SPEAKER_03 21:46

Well, that was definitely from from his you know his his solo career, but then the Yes You May remix was definitely the one that like made everybody's people pay attention. Yeah, you can't forget about that one. That one was.

SPEAKER_00 22:03

Yeah, man. You know, just like I said, just his opening line. I mean, I can I know the verse everywhere that I go. Brothers know my fucking name. I'm Florin niggas, and the only way a buck can change. I gave a lot of black guys in my storting days.

SPEAKER_03 22:19

Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:20

Fucking with me. A lot of niggas was sporting shades. Like the delivery and his imagination was fucking. I'm sitting there like, God damn, you know?

SPEAKER_03 22:31

Yeah. Very visual. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 22:33

Yeah, like he was very and and hilarious.

SPEAKER_03 22:37

Sure, sure.

SPEAKER_00 22:38

So a lot of that goes into his character and style.

SPEAKER_03 22:41

Right.

SPEAKER_00 22:42

You know, like so. If you was around him and he ain't know you, you're not gonna know that. He's gonna be quiet. But the minute that he goes into his zone, this dude is the funniest person. Even even when he's upset, he was funny.

SPEAKER_03 22:57

And and and with that record in particular, uh, another digger, T-Ray, uh actually produced that and the the remix on the other side. How did you connect with T-Ray?

SPEAKER_00 23:08

I think through um maybe Artifacts, Percy P. Right. I think Percy P though. You know, because me and Percy was hanging tough around that time and he was telling me about T-Ray. Right. And um, yeah, and I just remembered I needed a remix for party over here, and it was like up temple. I ain't know who to go to. Right. So I was, you know, you you you take a stab at it. Sure. You know, and he came up with the remix, but I always, always thought about during that time, unreleased B-sides. That's what made the 12-inch fly, because it was either this incredible remix or it was a song that wasn't on an album that made you buy the 12-inch. Right. And that was yes, you may. Yeah. So when people heard that, it was like, yo, who was this? The beat was fire. It was crazy. Everything was it was a it was a dope record. It it definitely rang a lot of bells.

SPEAKER_03 24:08

No, for sure. I mean, it helped set up Big L at the same time, you know, also helped set up T-Ray. You know what I'm saying? Like, you know, he was starting to bubble that time. Uh, and obviously you already had, you know, your name, so it was just a it was a it was a great record all all the way around. Right. Yeah. Definite. Absolutely. Uh now production for other people. You guys have both produced for a ton of other artists. Um, you know, I guess some of the bigger ones would be NAS for you, um, Dr. Dre, Biggie, Diamond, uh, Fuji's, Outcast, you know. I can only imagine what those checks look like. You know what I'm saying? Coming in. I mean, it's gotta be, I think going back to what I was saying about like, you know, having done that work and getting those residuals allows you to like, you know, kind of work at your patient and your professional.

SPEAKER_00 25:04

So I think that, and I think um that's why I say legacy is important. And I think going forth, you should look at your legacy because these are the things that help you get where you at. So why stop it if you really love it? Right. And you only do only thing you're doing is you're adding to your catalog. But the difference is now is you have complete ownership versus before it had to go through a label. Now, when you create these albums, when Diamond creates these Dime Piece albums, these are his own, he owns it.

SPEAKER_02 25:39

Yes.

SPEAKER_00 25:39

So when people come to him now, you're not just getting the publishing half, you're getting the master half. Right. And people really don't understand that part of it. They just think, oh, I'm throwing, but what's a catalog if it's not good? You know, so many people throw these these projects out and they're not good. Right. So you got, yeah, you got a lot of songs out there, but do you got anything worth remembering?

SPEAKER_03 26:05

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 26:06

And yeah, that's where I feel like when it comes to production, yeah, do it. Do it if you love it. Keep keep going. It shouldn't be no expiration to what you love.

SPEAKER_02 26:16

Right. Mm-hmm.

SPEAKER_03 26:17

Absolutely. No, definitely. And no age limit, no, you know, it's just as long as the music keeps coming out, you just keep going. Yeah. For sure. Uh Diamond, what about uh working with uh new artists? I know you uh met last time you had you on the show, you were you were talking about some new artists you were working with that you were.

SPEAKER_01 26:35

Yeah, as a producer, that's important. Whether you're doing whether you're doing a project of your own or just expanding your brand. It's always nice to work with new artists. Um my man Shorty Shah. You know, I work with him a lot. Um my man static the prodigy. I got a drink with Lil D. Little D, Little D got a little, you know, he got a nice buzz out here in the streets right now. Um, you know, but yeah, that's what it's about. You know, just staying busy. And um, like I said, you know, expanding your brand. There's nothing wrong with working with the legends. I love working with the legends. You know what I mean? They're that they're certified. Right. But it's also um so special to help break a new artist. Sure. And that um, as you know, that that'll help continue your legacy as a producer.

SPEAKER_03 27:23

And I I mean that's something you guys have always done too, you know, like we're just talking about with L, like you know, how you kind of took him under the wing and and you know, and and uh, you know, even with uh mentioning Guru and Preem and how everyone just kind of like is meeting each other, helping each other out. It's all about building and growing together.

SPEAKER_01 27:41

And so, you know, him and big L similar to me and Fat Joe. Right, absolutely, definitely, absolutely, definitely, definitely. So, you know, that's what it's about, continuing your legacy. Remember, Fat Joe said on one of my skits, um, no fat Joe, no big pun, right, no Remy Ma, no TS Squad, no DJ Khaled, you know, um just everybody who came behind him. Yep, for sure. You know, just as um no Jazzy J, no Diamond D, no D I T C. Right, right. Um so you know, it's it's just it's all about looking back at the legacy and um, you know, just the tree. Yeah, so to say.

SPEAKER_03 28:21

Of course, absolutely the tree. Do the branches off that tree, and it's just you know, goes on and on forever. It stretches, like you said, like there's stuff that people might not even realize connects, right? But it does, you know what I'm saying? Like now, mentioning Fat Joe, how did Joe come into the fold originally?

SPEAKER_01 28:38

Well, we are, you know, we we already knew each other, you know, from the Jets. We knew each other, and one day Joe approached me. He was like, yo, you know, I've been writing some wrongs. I you know, I want to I want to get into the music shit. So I said, okay, well, if you're serious, pay for your, you know, just pay for your sessions. I'll do the music. Right. So we went in there, we cut a few demos, and from those demos, he um he had a song. We recorded a song called He's a Big Shot. And Joe went on to win the Apollo Theater, I think either three or four times. I'm not sure. Definitely three. And anyway, out of those same, out of those same demos came um You Gotta Flow Joe. And everything just kind of just snowballed from there with Fat Joe.

SPEAKER_03 29:21

Yeah. Yeah. That definitely was the was the one that during that time. Right. That was a huge single. Um, all you heard on the radio. And around that time too, 45 King, you know what I'm saying? But thinking about radio and promos, he was all over that with Red and all that stuff. Uh, and I know you worked with 45 King as well. Yeah, he did the best kept secret remix. Yep, absolutely. Among other things. Yeah. Rest in peace to Mark the 45 King. He uh touched a lot of people with his music. Yeah. And then what was like, how did you uh connect with him, with 45 King?

SPEAKER_01 29:53

We had a show at Hunter College. It was Queen Latifah, Lakim Shabash, and I believe I believe De La Soul was on the build, and Ultimate Force was on the build. Okay. And actually Mark, Mark played, he played a um, he played a break beat that only a few people even know about, even to this day. So I said, yo, let me go to let me go up to the DJ booth and see who's you know who's cutting up this joint. Right. You know, it was the Melvin, um, the Melvin Sparks joint. But anyway, so he was up there doing his thing, and I and I said, yo, what you know about that break beat? I hadn't heard it in a minute, but you but I knew of it. Um and then we just started talking from there. So actually, that's how me and him became cool. Had nothing to do with any MCs or nothing. It was all about him the records he was playing. Sure. And I just felt it was odd for me to be at Hunter College, and this shit comes over the speakers. Right. But um, yeah, that's how me and Mark connected initially. Then he went on to give me the record um that became Check One Two on Um Stunts Bloods and Hip Hop. Okay. So shouts out to the 45 Kings.

SPEAKER_03 31:04

Absolutely, absolutely. And and and both you guys, MC, produce, and DJ. Um, I know D, you've been going on the road, touring a lot, uh doing 45 sets and stuff like that. Right. Um, all over. Uh, is there any other upcoming plans for another another DJ set tour?

SPEAKER_01 31:22

I'm in Connecticut next month. Okay. Um, then I'll be out in Columbus, Ohio. I'll be in Miami in July, back at Dante's High Five. You know, um, just keeping it moving. Right. You know, I also got a couple of um a couple of shows of me performing. I want to get back to performing on the mic, too. Gotcha. You know, um the 45, you know, that's that's like where I come from. Yeah. You know, um, but you know, it's it's nice to be well rounded. Sure, of course. You know what I mean? So um, yeah. I know finesse was on a tour, was it last year? You went to Europe?

SPEAKER_00 31:59

Yeah, I was last year, around September. Right. You know, Europe. It was good to be back out. I wasn't out in a while, you know. Yeah, that was nice.

SPEAKER_03 32:08

Your tour is usually in your bedroom when when you're doing your uh Twitch, your worldwide Twitch.

SPEAKER_00 32:14

Yeah, you can catch me on Twitch, Lord F T C. We do Saturday brunch every Saturday. That's right. And um what I found it to be is is is it's it it makes me happy. Sure. To be able to play whatever I want to play. It's no set playlist. I could play yacht rock, I could play some breaks, I could play 80s, 90s, 70s, wherever you want to go with it. Right. And it keeps you sharp, and it just always brings about that appreciation, like, this still sounds good. This still this still feels good. So it keeps you sharp, especially when I do DJ sets, whether it's on Twitch or I gotta do an open format set. My vision and perspective is different. Because I think as a DJ, you're supposed to come and bring your vibe.

SPEAKER_03 33:06

Sure.

SPEAKER_00 33:07

Not what everybody else is doing. So it it helps me bring my vibe. And I like to play them joints that you done forgot about and go, oh wow, he went there with it. You know, so nah, I love DJing and um definitely love performing and you know, production, still do production, but the last project, what was that? Motown State of Mind was the last project I did. And that gave me a lot of insight to do some of the newer stuff I'm about to do.

SPEAKER_03 33:37

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 33:38

Um, like you you got uh Funky Technician reissue album, which uh The Rights Reverted Back. Um next year, Return of the Funky Man, the rights will revert back. Um I have a project called From the Crates to the Fowls. Y'all originally released the first version, came back and reworked that. It got some other new stuff or stuff people never heard of is on there. And always looking to keep my catalog going. But I'm looking to do a new project. I've been talking to John about that. And um Yeah, somewhat to what Diamond is doing with um Dime Peace, but um it'll have artists, it'll have singers, musicians, you know, uh, because I was talking to Ray Parker Jr. Okay. And he loved what I did with um Motown State of Mind. And he's like, look, the next project, your next, you gotta catch me while I'm alive, man. So um shouts out to Ray Parker. Ray Parker, man. Shout out to Ray Parker, and there's so many other people that I um I'm inspired by, and I look at what I'm I'm looking at doing is a lot of collab work, right? Like I look at it like how Quincy Jones did Off the Wall and Thriller. He could have produced everything single-handedly, right? But the collaborations was massive. So I'm looking at producing an album with me and my team, but the collaborations is gonna be different. It's not gonna be like something you could predict.

SPEAKER_03 35:24

Gotcha.

SPEAKER_00 35:25

So that's that's what that's gonna be.

SPEAKER_03 35:27

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:27

I haven't came with a title yet.

SPEAKER_03 35:29

Right.

SPEAKER_00 35:30

You know, I got I got one title in mind, but I think that's for like the last album. I just look at it like I got one more album that I wanna do. Okay, but I wanna I wanna um pair it with a documentary. I wanna pair it with uh I've been working on the docuseries.

SPEAKER_02 35:51

Okay.

SPEAKER_00 35:52

Um, and that's coming along well. That's that's it's gonna be different because uh it's not a podcast, it's more like, you know, I need a film crew, like, you know. Right. But that's that's coming along. I like I I keep a lot of things in myself until they're ready to come out because when they don't come out, it's like, yo, you said you was gonna do this, or or automatically somebody come with the same I I had the same idea. Like so, you know, I just keep everything quiet.

SPEAKER_03 36:22

Yeah, for sure. And one thing that you just mentioned, which is a a great point, is that in the history of Fat Beats, um, I mean you guys as a crew were probably the first people that we worked with that came from a major label background, you know, and and together we put out your independent releases early on. So so that was that was great for both of us, you know. Yeah, because win-win.

SPEAKER_00 36:47

When I hear people talk about independence, like it just started, right? Ugh, I'm independent. And I'm like, man, we we've been independent. We talking about the 90s, we talk about selling like twenty to thirty, forty thousand singles, you know. So it's a it's a different world now with streaming, and you know, I think with streaming, I think streaming allows people to be irresponsible with music, right? Now I'll tell you why. Right? When music came out, you know, and during our era, right? Let's say you had five albums came out, but you could only afford two. Right. Now you had to make a wise decision. Sure. You was listening to the music more, you was looking at the credits, you was asking people opinion, yeah, and you knew that this music had to last until I can buy some more music. So you were smart with it.

SPEAKER_03 37:48

Sure. Yeah.

SPEAKER_00 37:49

You know, you like, yo, you know, what you think of this album? Oh, that album is okay, but only got one cut. Everybody's, you know, you had to really read the credits and and you was responsible because you know why? It was your money. Right. Yeah. It was your money. Yeah. Now with streaming, it allows you to be irresponsible because you getting all this music for damn near nothing. And now you're running through albums. Yeah, I heard that.

SPEAKER_03 38:15

Right.

SPEAKER_00 38:16

But if it was your money, you wouldn't be as loose with it. Sure. And that's how I look at streaming. It's like, yeah, it's out there and it's it's a part of technology, but it's not having people value music, and you're not going home with a piece of vinyl or something that's that's going. I mean, when you look at if you got, let's say you got a uh a mint copy of Stunts Blunts and Hip Hop right now, you know what that record will be worth? Of course. You know, so when I look at digging and streaming, digging is like stocks and bonds to me. Because we buy rare records, but if you buy a mint record from back in the days that's out of print, the value only goes up.

SPEAKER_03 39:01

Yep.

SPEAKER_00 39:02

So 10 years from now, it's worth so much more than you actually paid. And I I think people don't understand that about digging. It's like, okay, I use the record, we could get rid of it now. You know, nah. If it's a mint record, the value is only gonna go up. Sure.

SPEAKER_03 39:19

Music and records is always gonna be an essential part of the culture. Stunts, blunts, and hip-hop, because that always has been an expensive record on the secondhand market. Yeah, and it's also, you know, along those thoughts is uh during the eras that we came up in, you know, everything was focused. You know, when you had a release, everyone knew that release was coming out, and everyone that was what you were kind of listening to at that particular time. Now there's so much music and there's so much, so many different avenues of how to hear music, right? It's just all over the place. And there's no, there's no fo I might be listening to something different than what you're listening to and then what you're listening to. Whereas, you know, back then, if if Diamond's album dropped that that Tuesday, we were all listening to that album that Tuesday. You know what I mean? Like it was, it was just like, you know, you'd see the video, that would be what the was being promoted to radio. That would be, you know, so it's like it was just it was just more focus on on stuff that came out back then.

SPEAKER_00 40:16

It gave the DJs more power to break a record.

SPEAKER_03 40:19

Yes, absolutely.

SPEAKER_00 40:20

So you might hear something that go, yo, this is incredible when you play it, and personally go, yo, what's that? Right. But now it's a controlled playlist. It doesn't, and they tell you all the time, well, it's great music out there, you just gotta find it. So why we gotta search for the gyms and be overwhelmed with the trash. Exactly. So that I miss that. I miss being hip to music by DJs, whether it was Kid Capri or whoever was on the radio. You know, they played great music and it wasn't something you knew, and radio allowed that. Right. And they always say, if you want to hear your record, call up. They don't even ask you to call up no more. You're gonna just listen to this right here, you know?

SPEAKER_03 41:05

Yeah, yeah. Absolutely. Yeah, and I think that y'all's DJ background is probably also a part of why you always want to put somebody on and look for something new, is because that's what we always always did as DJs, about trying to break something new and give something, give people something that they weren't familiar with.

SPEAKER_00 41:22

Yeah, that's that's what it's about. It's about evolving in that sense. You know, um, but I I still dig for music. It doesn't stop. It's always it's a lifestyle for me. It's not a hobby. It's like if I hear, I ain't gonna front. If I hear something I never heard before, yeah, I'll shazam it. But you know what I'm gonna look? I'm gonna look for the record. I want the record.

SPEAKER_03 41:45

Right.

SPEAKER_00 41:45

I heard it, but I want the record. Absolutely. You know, I want, you know, I want the physical copy. Yep. And that's that's the difference. But it is great music out there, and it's it's still a lot of music we've never heard before. Of course. You know, whether it's Polish or Prague or it's so much stuff out there. So it's times I go in a record store. If I buy two records, I'm happy. Right. Compared to the collections we have.

SPEAKER_03 42:15

Yeah, exactly.

SPEAKER_00 42:15

You know, to find two things that I don't have, right? Oh man, I'm ecstatic.

SPEAKER_03 42:23

D, with uh with the artist that uh you're working with from your own stable, um, is there projects that you're currently in the middle of producing for albums?

SPEAKER_01 42:35

Right now, just um just the last the last part of this dime piece, trio, the trio album. Um got a new drink from Fat Joe, um Method Man is on there, uh Freeways, Smith and Wesson. Um I got a nice drink with the Bush Babies. Yeah, I got a nice drink with Slumberville. You know, some of these joints, you know, you'll he tonight if you're able to make it right there. You know. Um so yeah, just just staying busy doing what I do, clips.

SPEAKER_03 43:05

Absolutely, absolutely. Yeah. Well, I mean, it's been a pleasure having you guys here to talk about stuff. Um if people actually want to find out more information to catch you on socials, what how do they catch you?

SPEAKER_01 43:17

Um on Instagram, Diamond D-IT C. One word, Diamond D I T C. Uh for the older heads, you can catch me on Facebook. Diamond D or Diamond D I T C. Um, same thing with um with X, even though I'm not I don't I don't really rock with X too tough, but I'm still on the Diamond D I T C.

SPEAKER_00 43:41

Right. Uh for me, catch me on Instagram. I don't post as much. You might want to catch my stories, but that's Lawfiness D I T C. Uh also on Twitch, if you want you want to experience on Saturday, you know, that's uh Saturday brunch, Law Finesse D I T C. Uh we have an incredible show coming up this summer called The Bronx Tale is a theme with me, Diamond Sadat, Pooba, Peter Guns, nice and smooth. We did it in LA in February. It was bananas. Yeah, yeah. You know, so yeah, I'm looking forward to that show, you know, and um looking forward to going in the studio and get back to work.

SPEAKER_03 44:29

No doubt. That's what it is. D I T T, Lord Finesse, Diamond D. Hope you enjoyed the show. We'll talk to your next episode right here on Fat Beats Behind the Counter Podcast. Peace. Peace, peace. Peace.

SPEAKER_01 44:43

The fat beats well to fat beats. The fat beats, they play well with the fat beats.