“Tonight it’s Transmissions, and Dibia$e got a gig tonight. You should meet us up there, come through its going to be dope.” I’m being invited to Grand Star Jazz Club in Chinatown by man himself. I just ran into the famed multi-hyphenate (producer/dj/emcee) the night before in the Arts District. The front entrance isn’t packed like it is on the weekends, and the food trucks and vendors are nowhere to been seen. It’s still one of the rare examples of amazing venues in Los Angeles.
I’ve had the opportunity to come with friends up here for drinks and catch the occasional appearances of headliners. Kool Herc, Black Milk, Large Professor, Breezy Love Joy, Ta’Raach, Dj Rhettmatic and Buff1, Nocando, the list goes on. Thinking back on previous sets I don’t see the people I’m looking for anywhere but the music is as good as always.
“Listen, I just made it before you came, I think it might be too smooth for the battle though. This isn’t going on my new project or whatever.” before playing a fresh instrumental from the makeshift beat laboratory in the living room. The beat drops, and I’m told the change in sonic scenery is the new LP. I’m in the workspace of P.U.D.G.E, on a sunny day in West LA, a few blocks from my old middle school. There’s a nice breeze coming from the patio screen door.
So last night you told me about the new album. How many tracks is it?
“It’s 12 joints on there. It was inspired by a period last year where I got laid off & end up making beats all day & watching daytime TV. Talk shows, Judge shows, everything, it’s so bad for you. Let me show you the cover they designed overseas… This is the second version they came up with.” It’s like it was back in the days. I prefer to make for cohesive albums. As long as it’s done for the right reason, music can change your life. Not just to take advantage of the other artist’s fans or go on the road.
You did Europe last year. When is the next time you go on tour?
In the fall, predominately as a DJ for my home girl (Voice). She got an album coming out which has some of my production work on it. The label actually set up a show for me in London where I got to meet up with some of the other cats on the label. Tokimonsta, she was out there as a performer & producer she had me remix some of her stuff. Sent me fragments of her tracks and I chopped them up, so that was that. But hopefully soon I’ll be able to travel in support of the new album
And is this on All City records as well?
Ramp Recordings gets to have that honor. This is my first official joint by myself. They actually contacted me online. (Tom Kerridge) He had heard my stuff popping up in mixes, hearing that I knew certain people in the scene or whatever. I think he just hit me up on AIM or something one day like, “would you like to put out some stuff with us?” From there, the other stuff started popping up afterwards, the Dibia$e team up (Producer 10” series). Then I found out he was working with Computer Jay, Ras G, Tokimonsta all these people that I know, so it’s exciting it’s all happening around the same time. The label is based in London.
Speaking of All City, how did the record with Dibia$e come about? Did you expect it to take off right away? I know they sold out of all the 10″ at Fat beats the first day!
Supposedly yeah, everywhere is sold out. I know they didn’t really setup it to be widely available, they only pressed up a limited amount and it’s built up excitement for both our new projects. I know marketing wise they didn’t expect it to sell out so fast. I had a couple, and they were gone fast. Cats were really trying to get their hands on it. D and I have been working on stuff for awhile. This record got put in motion before our collaboration but that one came out first. I have this project and Dibia$e has a new album coming out on Alpha Pup soon.
I keep hearing that name. Alpha Pup Records, what do you think of their success?
Its dope. The homeboy Take is on there. He’s actually one of the first cats that heard my stuff and was inquiring as to who I was. A few years ago he put some of my tracks on two of his mix-tapes. Supposedly he asked Ras G “Yo who is this pudgy cat?” You mean P.U.D.G.E? (Laughs) So we knew some of the same cats. I was a little more chubby in my pre-LA days. Now my name has so many different meanings, which suits me because I make different type of music for different crowds. Low End Theory, I got a real good response, from the crowd and the residents when I rocked with them. My project drops the last Saturday in June? I’d love to get in there for that. That reminds me I need to get in touch with Daddy Kev. This album is really something that’s for the headphones you know? There’s a lot going on in the background that you won’t pay as much attention to it blasting it at the party or whatever.
What sort of stuff are you blasting on the stereo, these days?
Quadron is dope. Andrew from Plug research put me on to them, another great label. I hadn’t heard of them until about a month or two ago, but Quadron’s buzz is dope. Everywhere, doing big summer shows, little clubs, their whole shit is nice man. Erykah Badu? They never did a video for “Healer”, “Solider” none of that. But the new one is dope. Believe it or not I just saw a new naughty by nature video. I was expecting it to have an outdated sound or whatever they call “classic”. It was actually dope. I don’t get a lot of opportunities to watch videos these days and when I do, most of the time it’s like “really why did I just do that?”
What are you thinking about next?
Leimert Park Art Walk this sunday after the beat battle. Any and all festivals! I still love to DJ, that’s a good way to put out the beat sets, and there are a few artists I would like to get down with. The link is there, to do something with them. I’ve had conversations with the cats outside Boombox. If like their production, we ultimately seem to meet somewhere. But there’s different ways to reach out to people. Before I moved out to LA I knew my roommate before he was doing the promo shit. Seeing the work that goes in to marketing new artist and how many people need personal contact before doing something. Having a mailing list, the video, presence in the press, everybody with this certain demographic they have down, but you need to establish that and grow your audience/fan base. It’s a lot of talk, but once it’s all done it’s so worth it. Working on a “Mel Glover” it’s actually a short EP, straight to the point. Dramatic you know? Been in the studio working on that one, some old Lethal Weapon references. It’s very LA-based. I saw it recently and looking in the background like “I know where that’s at!”
Breezy Love Joy and his band, I’ve been going out to their lab in Inglewood for a few weeks. I really like their stuff so being asked to work with them is a nice honor. I’ve got my Milky Way band also, we rehearse downtown as much as possible. As far as me rapping on tracks, and putting that album, I’ve been planning since 2000? I feel like there’s a level I want to be at before I move forward in that direction. I’ve done some great stuff here already , the constant elevation art gallery downtown. Far Bar last night, I have some favorite LA spots, the Verdugo bar. Kutmah’s my dude so you know there’s a lot of people getting together lately to celebrate.
He apologizes the next day I run into him, saying I didn’t go. Dibia$e was out of town for something last minute. Then again, since I saw him win the Red Bull Big Tune in LA he’s been all over the place. I’ve pocket dialed you easily a half a dozen times when you were back in New York. “Yeah, I was like is he calling me again?” P.U.D.G.E’s new LP “Idiot Box” is available now on Ramp Recordings.
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