From Rose City and M.A.D. Studios comes Hip-Hop producer – DJ KyDD, anime-sampler turned music creator – producing tracks for some of the city’s hottest talent, and even working with artists such as Nessy The Rilla and Detroit rapper, Zay Hilfigerrr. All that producing, however, hasn’t stopped KyDD from releasing his own projects, with the release of his collaborative-EP alongside Danny Green titled ‘Theory Of Evolution,’ making waves around the Rose this last summer.
Since then, KyDD has continued to put Windsor on the map by dropping fuego tracks, from ‘No Luv’ featuring Youngboy Wok and YUNGJUS to ‘Go Mode’ featuring LUM LUM I AM. 2019’s most recent release is Zay Hilfigerrr’s ‘Story Of A Rocker,’ which dropped on New Years Day – but it doesn’t stop there as we’re expecting to hear more music by DJ KyDD coming our way.
Listen to ‘Story Of A Rocker’ by Zay Hilfigerrr, Produced by DJ KyDD:
DJ KyDD talks to XMPL for a second interview since summer 2018 – on producing music, his recent work and what’s in store for 2019 – which has been featured in our first digital issue. Read the full exclusive interview and listen to the ‘Theory Of Evolution’ EP below:
XMPL: You worked on a lot of dope music this last year – which project would you say was personally significant to you in 2018?
DJ KyDD: The list is hard to narrow down to just one. I worked with a lot a many talented artists in the city but if I had to choose one, it would definitely be ‘Theory Of Evolution’. The reason I picked that one is because unlike collaborating on a beat with an artist for a track here and there, I got the chance to work on a full-length project with an artist and a really talented one at that! The craziest thing about it was that it was MY project as well. So with that being said I was fully focused on that project and got to actually put in what I personally felt would be dope and set a vibe for the project.
You’ve collaborated and produced for several artists this past year, from Danny Green to Zay Hilfigerrr. Tell us about some of your experiences from 2018.
It’s crazy because the M.A.D. Team and myself were just talking about working with artists like OHNO, RIT$Y, SELF PROVOKED and Zay Hilfigerrr. But it had to be the Zay collaborative that was the craziest for me. It was just a regular day in the studio like any other day. Everybody was working on their own tasks and I was trying to make beats but I was just in a crazy mood that day and couldn’t produce a single track. Sensei came and updated us that Zay Hilfigerrr was in town and was stopping by the studio and had a beat making session with OVO Composer David Keys that day. He came through, they started cooking, myself still in a mood and can’t make a thing. I was just stumped that day. They ended up taking a break and I decided to update my beat catalogue on the main computer in the studio. I have a hard time naming my beats so I just number them and because I number them and have so many, I’m not too sure what beat is what. So I started playing some. As I’m about to play the first beat Zay comes back in and sits on the other side and I remember it was beat “192” I was about to play. I’m about to press play but I get this anxious feeling overcome me and I have no clue as to why. As soon as the beat starts playing, I see Zay immediately jump up and he starts going in on the beat. He came over to where I was on the computer and tells me run the beat back at least 5-10 times and tells me load up the beat. He freestyle about another 10 times on the beat, I record them, he comes out and says “You got this? Yea you got this. Ima be back down in a bit.” So I go thru the layers of takes and piece together the different takes and BOOM “Story Of A Rocker” was made. He comes back down and falls in love with the track. It was crazy to me because he had so much faith in me to produce a dope track and I forgot he’s so used to working with so many different people in the industry that its just second nature to make tracks like this. It opened up my eyes that I can actually do this and it was definitely a confidence booster for me.
Which
project would you say was the most challenging for you to execute?
To be completely honest with you, a lot of talent
walks in the door, so most of the projects that we get to work on is completely
different for the next. So to narrow it
down to just one project – I feel I’d be lying.
I’m a Composer, Artist, Engineer and a DJ. I’m always thinking from the point of view
from each side. The problem with doing
that is each view clashes with the next.
The DJ is thinking what will bump in the club, while the Artist is
thinking what can catch the people’s attention outside of the club, which might
not bump in the club. With different artists coming to work, some may need the
input from the DJ or might need the creativity of the Composer.
In
our last interview, you had mentioned that you first started out rapping then
producing. Do you see yourself going back to rapping?
I’m not gonna say yes and I’m not gonna say
no. All I’ll say is just wait on it.
Do
you see yourself producing different genres or styles of music?
100% Yes! I’ve once said Danny Green is always pushing
work outside of my comfort zone but this time I decided to try it again on my
own. I’m not gonna get too much into
detail but from working on that specific project, it peeped my interest in
working on more genres of music other than Hip-Hop.
If
given the chance, are there any artists that you’d hope to work with this year?
I’ve said this once and I’ll say it again and
again! Windsor as a City has its own sound and craaaaazy talent from BIG SATURN to PESO BENJIES and we are
constantly overwhelmed by the influences of Toronto as Canadians and Detroit as
a border city! We all know what artists come from each city so when making
music I find some artists are either making music to fit the styles of Toronto
or Detroit. All I want to do is put my
city on and to do that I need the help of every person that wants to do the
same. So to answer this question I plan on working with DVO, JARED ANTHONY,
ZELL CALVIN, BRAAKS, MARSHALL C, CONR, QUELLSZ P, BIG SATURN, 4TWNTY, MEECHI
SAV, FALLON and that’s just to name a few.
I even plan on working with some composers like, STEEZ, ENTON,
KILLAKELL, TNB BEATS, MARTY, RICHY NIX, FRAYTUNE, AVIUS, ANTHONY COSELLA,
180DAZZ, SUPREME KAI and the list goes on.
Looking
back, are there any lessons you’re taking with you in 2019?
It may sound harsh and selfish but, “Expect nothing
from no one”. I say this because when you have expectations of people you will
always get disappointed in one way or the next.
What one can do for you, you can always do for yourself. We live in a time where technology is here
for us to learn how to do anything we want to learn.
Are there currently any projects in the works?
There’s a line up of projects with the team ready to go at any time. Big Saturn is dropping a tape in the next few weeks with production by myself, as well as LAUZY BEATS and 180DAZZ. Danny Green and myself have been working on the follow up to ‘Theory Of Evolution’ so look out for that. Got a project in the clip with RIT$Y ready to go. Plan on working on another project with OHNO and NINEDY2 in the near future as well. Oh and I was blessed to take on the role of a mentor with an Artist known as LumLum I Am so we’ve got something in store. Pretty much a lot of things are coming this year and I’m in the fourth gear and I’m keeping my foot down on the pedal all year.
Do
you have anything in store for 2019?
My main goal for this year is to put my city on the
map with my team at MAD and like the great Jay Rock from TDE says, “WIN, WIN WIN WIN WIN! F*** EVERYTHING ELSE,
WIN WIN WIN WIN!” So expect nothing but greatness coming soooooon time.
