I first met Martel Ruffin aka M.D. born in Dayton, Ohio and resident of Charlotte, North Carolina on Facebook last year and I found him to be a very knowledgable young kid (not just in Hip Hop but Soul and Funk as well) funny (and a constant Facebook name changer, that it got confusing haha) and a dope beatmaker (musician).
M.D. sent me a couple of his mixtapes (including a dope version of the "God's Son" (Nas) album which he named "God's Nephews" and I was more than impressed.
I have been meaning to do an interview with
M.D. for a while now...but as they say party people, better late than never.
CRDS: Peace M.D. please give readers some information on your background, how were you introduced to Hip Hop?
M.D. I Was introduced to hip hop ever since EVER ,(laughs) Ever Since I Was A Lil Man Just listening to whatever my mom played.
CRDS: What was the first record or album you heard?
M.D. Im Not REALLY Sure , But it Was Eric B & Rakim's "Chinese Arithmetic" Soon As I Heard That Beat I Was Like , Yo , Imma Play This Over Til My Ears Fuckin' Fall Off ." And My Moms Said , I Used To Play The HELL Outta That Song .
CRDS: How did you get into production?
M.D. Well , I Really Started Producing Around 2007 , I Was On This Program Called "Hammerhead" , And One Day , I Told My Moms One Thing I Would NEVER Forget , " Momma , I Wanna Be A Music Producer . . . And From This Day On , Im Not Gonna Stop Give Up Doing It. " And Walked Out . So , After That I Used To Always Want To Make Those Old-School Bomb Sqaud Tracks , But I Was More Of The MC-Type . . . And When I Made The Beat , My Friends Would Always Complain That It Was TOO Long . Like , I Would Make The Beat And I Would Have To Rhyme For 6 Fuckin' Minutes (Laughs) ! But , The More I Produced Or The Years , The More I Seen My Production Evole .
CRDS: What producers inspire you the most? Marley Marl , And Christoper "Wax Master Cee" Martin , Better Known To Yall As D--D-DJ Premier ! But , Contemporary Would Inspired Me To Have A Imagine Producing Was The Late J Dilla , Cause When I Heard "Donuts" I Was Like , "Damn , I Never Hear Of Some Shit Like This . ! " , Metaphorically Speaking , He Didnt Care About How The Fuck He Sound , He Did It His Way . Patrick Is Another One , (Better Known As 9th Wonder) I Never Met The Man , But I'm Really Is Like His Protege .
M.D. What MC's inspire you the most?
Chuck D . He's My Favorite Rapper EVER ! I Swear He's Like The Paul Mooney Of Hip Hop ; He Says The TRUTH , NOTHING But The Truth . ! Nas , And Lastly Mr . Kamaal , Ill Say Im Him In His Prime . . .
CRDS: What artists would you like to hear on your beats?
M.D. Supergroup Of 11' : Ehzhi , Royce Da' 5'9" , Joell Ortiz , Phonte , Jean Grae , Common , Nas , Talib Kweli , And Jay Z . Now Ill have My iPod On Repeat For The Rest Of My Life .
CRDS: What is your process for making beats, do you choose the sample first and go from there?
M.D. (Chuck D's Voice) Well . . . . . *bang* At , First Ill Think Of A Combonation Of Samples And Then Ill Put Them Together , Then The Drums Come In , But If I Have A Drum Beat Ready , Ill Slip The Sample On It And See What It Sounds Like . . .
CRDS: Do you also mix and master your own productions and if so how did you learn to do that?
M.D. Yeah , I Engineer My Beats When I Have Vocals On Them . Like , God's Son , I First Detect A BPM , Then I Make The Beat , Then I Mix The Vocals In The Beat . But , If Its Just A Beat I Dont Master The Track Until , I Feel Its A Final Track.
CRDS: Being that you are a young kid in today's Hip Pop climate, how do you feel about Hip Pop and what changes would you make if you could?
M.D. (Laughs @ Hip Pop) Well , I Feel Like We're Living In A Period Of Time , Where Being Yourself Is Going Outta Style . And I Wanna Change The Fact That Its Just Soooo Fake Now . I Would Go Back To What Hip HOP REALLY MEANS : MCing DJing , B-boying , b-girling , And LASTLY Graffiti . Also , I Feel We Need Another "Illmatic" Album In The Hip Hop Game But , Somebody's Gotta Make A Change . . .
CRDS: What does Hip Hop mean to you, how do you see Hip Hop?
M.D. Hip Hop Means Having Your Own Style And Having To Tell Your Own Story , Everybody Has A Voice But By The Tracks You Put Out Is Gonna Effect Your Audience , And Your Character ; So Thats Important .
And I See Hip Hop Changing For Better And Worse . . . .Day By Day.
CRDS: Please list what albums and mixtapes you have done and where can CRDS readers obtain them?
M.D. "I Will Work For Hip Hop" (A Complication Of Unofficial Remix Songs That Features My Production)
"God's Nephew" ( a Unofficial Remix Album of Nas's God Son)
Eargasm ( Unreleased Beats Produced By M.D.)
And Many More . . . .
CRDS: What upcoming projects do you have in the works?
M.D. Me & My Boy Byron " Lost Angel " Gilliam , Another Young Wize Hip Hop Head Is Gonna Make A Tape Called " Blakkboizcanrawktew" (Black Boys Can Rock Too)
As Some Of My Friends , And Fans Know I Got "1994" In The Kitchen , Im Cooking It Up . And Those That Dont Know , "1994" A Collection Of Hip Hop Beats That Has That Vintage Sounds From The Early and Mid 1990's . It Starts From The East Coast , To The West Coast , Then To Mid-West , And Finally The South Coast .
And As For Myself , Im Working On , "Freshman" Its Like Another Illmatic Because We Need Another Album Like That . . .
CRDS: Please list your top 10 albums of time?
M.D.
CRDS: Anything you would like to add...any shout outs?
M.D. Yeah , My Very First Speacial Thanks And Love To Some Of The Most Special People Who Cared, Surrported And Gave Way Beyond The Call Of Duty Things First I Would Love To Give Thanks To The G.O.D. for Giving Me Strength , Moms And Pops (Kimberly Parks & Marquis Ruffin) , My Lovely Sister , Sierra Moore , For Taking Care Of Me. Mark Durham "Dretti" Thanks For Being My Music Buddy Over The Years Thanks !!! My Brodha From A Other Mother : Malcolm "Yung Shawney" Wallace Always Been My Rhyme Partner , Destiny Shackelford, My Lover Forever Lexus Mcilwain My Homegirl, Quran Lee" The Fresh Asshole ." My Niece Lacodah Moore, Mr 239 (For Putting Me On!!!). Concord High, West Charlotte, Dayton OH and People In It..... Class of 12' and 13' Street Shoutouts : Kianna Ford (Wife) , Stephanie , Alina , Imani Jones , Mark Greene, Ryan Macon, Shakayla Pendergrass, Trevor Truesdale (Eat A Click, hahahaaha), John Rosello, Tyler Lane. Kaylen Haygood, Mr. Jaz Ford, Jason Cleminson, Stelly Merlen, The Boom Bap, Kourtney Peterson, Jahlisa Misenheimer, Brea Kiser, Ja ' Quarius Baker, TyQuez Blackmon, and Jasmine Webster
J Dilla, 9th Wonder, Pete Rock, DJ Premier, Dr. Dre, Marley Marl, The Ummah, RZA, Trackmasters, Buckwild, Large Professor, Eazy Mo Bee, Diamond D, The Beatnuts, Eric B., DJ Muggs, Prince Paul, Erick Sermon , Rock/And The What Records .
(And If I Have Over Looked Anyone , PLEASE Accept My Apologies, Cause I Didnt Over Looked You In My Heart . ! And R.I.P. Guru . !
PEACE.
Peep some of M.D.'s dope beats here...
I Will Work For The Real Hip Hop
Eargasm
Uncle Rays Boom Boom Room (Song MP3)
Highway Jazz (Song MP3)
Niggas VS The Police (Song MP3)
http://www.box.net/shared/184t1bpzl5
