In this era of Ringtone Raps, It doesn’t take much for beatmakers to produce a “hit”, but making classics require true skills, true talent and true deterimation. Guns-and-Butter’s own J-$crilla posesses all 3 of these qualities and having already worked with big boys like Cassidy, N.O.R.E, J.R. Writer & Tragedy-Khadafi, He is well on his way to stardom.
TheKoalition: How long ago did you produce your first beat and what or who inspired you to give beat making a try?
J-$crilla: I made my first beat by myself – back in 1999. I was inspired by whack DJs and peer pressure from my grandmother (who is the godmother of rap) but ever since 2004 I started taking this shit seriously and all my beats have been co-produced by Jesus so I can’t really take all the credit.
With technology advancing so quickly these days how do you feel about producers who make beats with no real equipment, just software like Fruity Loops?
I think they like dating online and they enjoy thin drum loops they cop off ALC, RZA and JUST BLAZE ebay cds.
Last year you were privileged enough to work on the soundtrack for Biggie’s “Bigger Than Life”, how did it feel working for a legend?
Man, that was dope. I did that back in like 06 I think, and it took a couple years to get it poppin. I stil havent even seen it tho! When it comes to making a hit these days, do you think the beat plays a bigger role than the actual lyrics? JI think it used to… now i see thin ass drums and gay raps gettin ringtone money, so really making a hit is about who has money to market it. period
Do you play or follow video games at all, and if so have they influenced your life or music in any way?
I play Brickbreaker like a mad man on my Blackberry! does that count? but, naw im not frontin on a gamer site. I used to get in heavy with Nintendo and Sega, but I got my playstation 2 stole in 2006. Some crackhead actually broke into my little ass window, and stole just my gaming system, no games. Apparently, my landlord said, he had like a fetish for that shit. But on another note I’ve had a few productions where I’ve loaded up games and sampled the gun noises or crowd applause etc., I’m tryna get some videogame money too. somebody holla at the kid!
That’s hilarious! Back To The Music; Which one of your tracks are you most proud of and why?
Probably “Life Of cRhyme”, that’s about to come out on K-Beta’s LP “Sober”. It’s a dope track. I definitely put my foot in it and we shot a video. Should drop this fall. As far as joints that came out? Prolly the NORE/Nature track “The Grimiest” because the way we made that happen in the studio and such was a fun ass day. Lots of delivery services and liquor got consumed by the liter.
What do you think differentiates yourself from all the other producers out there?
I have my own lane, nobody makes beats like me that i know of. My process is fatherless because nobody taught me. My shit is aggressive, emotional and hard. I usually throw some off the wall shit in that most producers don’t do.
You’ve worked with a lot of underground artist through-out your career, if you could work with one mainstream rapper of your choice who would it be?
Ghostfaced Killah and Nipsey Hussle (are they even main stream tho?) I’d cook up some shit for anybody – just know the beat will be my own shit not that thin drum hybrid house music shit the radio plays on urban stations.
Do you ever aspire to grab the mic and try out rapping for yourself?
Hell yea. I rapped a 16 on my album “Culture Of Honor” dropping Aug 25!
What do you do when you’re not behind the boards making music, how does J-$crilla spend his spare time?
Well, i recently became a father for the first time and i spend a lot of time with my son, changing his pissy diapers and showing him how to dig for records. My kid can outdig all of these 19 yr old e-diggers! haha. I’m just sayin… but for real I like food, I show mad respect to food. I’m a Fantasy Football guru, Holla at me for leagues that play for big money! you kno, I like traveling, football, baseball, climbing “trees” and drinking excessively. Congratulations on successfully bringing another life Into this world.
How serious are you about being a producer, do you see yourself still doing this in 10 years time?
Man. I’m serious as a motherfucker! look into my eyes! You see how serious I am? I do this. I will be involved in music forever. I’m not going anywhere folks.
What can we expect from J-Scrilla and the whole Guns-N-Butter movement in the near future?
My album Culture Of Honor drops Aug 25 on innerlooprecords.com. Shouts to Elekt 1, Overok, K-Beta and the rest of the Loopers. Shouts to Jenny Marie, Stu Bangas, Yan, Bloodsport and free my man CHOP-La-Rok who is 1/3 of Guns-n-Butter, Culture Of Honor features Reef The Lost Cauze, Oddisee, Block McCloud, Cassidy, JR Writer, General Steele, K-Beta, Sketch, Bloodsport, man and about 20 others…
Guns-N-Butter v. Reef the Lost Cauze “Fight Music” drops in the fall on ENEMY SOIL RECORDS, it feautures lots of dope underground hall of famers. I got my album that me and Sketch are working on called “Tommy Gunz” and that shit is gonna change the game. I got my homie K-Beta’s projects. Everything he does I got my 10 toes in it. Me and the homie Chop-La-Rok got a lot of stuff with Bloodsport who bout to drop on Universal. I got Laelo Hood and TEFLON projects. Ankh amen Ra and me are doing a project, my man Kevlaar 7 from the Wisemen, my homie William Cooper from black market militia got an album bout to drop we got some beats on…man there’s a bunch, just keep yer ears open for all guns-n-butter shit! please.
Damn, looks like you’re putting mad work in. Finally, where can our readers check out your music and/or get in contact with you?
Check out my rants on twitter.com/j_scrilla_dmv, go to innerloopuncut.com and download all the free shit we dropped last 2 years and keep up to date with the music, videos, parties we throw etc. and of course cop my album- like buy it- on August 25th, Culture Of Honor, and support a dude who tryna buy diapers and records so I can cook up crack for generations.
I appreciate you taking time out to talk to us, good luck with everything you’re working on, thank you.
THANK YOU!
