Talk about what Double K brings to your production and just PUTS as a whole.
It’s a very special thing what he brings. No one else can do what he can do. Double has the casual control, and I’m just a ball of energy and nerves. When we get together, it’s the combination of the two that makes it happen. I don’t really try to do hip-hop by myself. When I’m doing hip-hop, I’m thinking about PUTS and I call Double K.
Let’s talk about a couple classic PUTS tracks. What’d you guys experience in San Francisco that made you write “San Francisco Knights”?
We just had a blast! We were just kids, you know, drinking and smoking and acting stupid in a new city. We made that song in 1996 so we were just feeling the vibe of that whole time, our age, and all that. A lot of exactly what happened is documented in that song.
What about “Acid Raindrops”? People really love that beat.
Well, it started with the beat. It was a pretty good beat but what made it really memorable for everyone was the chorus, which was penned by an emcee named Camel, who is the first one who raps on that track. Shout out to Camel!
As far as the particulars of the beat, I know one of the things that gave it traction was this drone tone that’s running through the low end. It makes it knock. The way the whole song is structured, it kind of chills and then reveals itself at the chorus. So that’s why I think with that right chorus it made it really popular for everyone.
Let’s move from the past. Talk about your recent gigs in China.
That shit was crazy! We had a really good time. We really didn’t know what to expect, but it opened my mind up to touring in what people consider non-existent territories. We have a tour coming up in Africa in November that we are really looking forward to. We don’t want to keep touring the same cities and venues; we’re trying to spread the PUTS all over the world. I hear people complaining about stuff here, and then I go there, and get inspired because I see people holding shit down with all the cards stacked against them.
How’s coming home and hearing your beats on shows like Run’s House and Entourage?
Run’s House had a bunch of beats and Entourage used “People Riddim” from Fun DMC. It’s cool hearing our music on TV. Although, it was an even bigger trip hearing my music in a 5.1 theatre on the Street Dreams score. You never really get used to this shit, or at least I don’t. I was geeked!
Because of all the tours, the new album, and the DVD, there’s been a lot of PUTS chatter. What’s the reaction to the new album been like?
Well, the fans seem to like it, so that’s all that matters. I do think it’s awesome that some people are pretty much forced to acknowledge our existence at this point, and that feels good. A lot of dudes in LA and other places who just couldn’t help but front on us for so many years are now either gone or can’t front on the accomplishments.
It’s like when that boy DJ Vadim sent a letter to OM saying that they had made a mistake when they signed us in 1999. He said we were wack and that we wouldn’t be around in a year. That’s the type of shit that’s kept me going.
What the next move for PUTS? What’s the next move for you as a producer?
I am trying to organize a double vinyl direct disk live recording retrospective of our songs to release in conjunction with the Blu-Ray DVD of the 10-year anniversary show. Other than that, more music, more albums. I see no point in stopping now.
Cheers to David Ma and glad to see PUTS still holding it down for the real rap fans. They still remain the most under rated group in Hip Hop/Rap ten years on. Yo stop frontin’ and use your head! I look forward to hearing the newness.
[...] PUTS’ new album, Carried Away, came out recently so I contacted Thes to see how well their career has developed and what else has gone down since a couple years (and albums) ago. You can read my interview with Thes at URB’s newly relaunched site. [...]