The Interview: Madbass Studios

How did it happen?

How did I find myself, one sunny Sunday, somewhere in New Jersey.. with a pen and pad in my lap, one eye on the road and a cell phone attached to my ear? I was talking to Tisha Carter, manager for Dini (an r&b singer) and Het Heru (one half of a hip hop group called Seeds of Anu.) I’m not that familiar with New Jersey so she was giving me directions to Madbass studios, where I was going to meet her for an interview.

But that question.. how did I get there. and why didn’t I have any questions for the interview? Tisha had contacted me and inquiried about doing an interview on her artists. I prefer to select the people that I interview for this site on my own, but she did everything real professional like and the music that I heard was good too. So after a few weeks of cancellations, due to the 76ers trampling teams during the Eastern Conference playoffs, we finally set a date. After all that time though, I still didn’t have any questions. My brain just refused to give up the goods.. so I was stuck. I ended up winging it, did everything off the top of the dome.

At the studio, I met Kasim Samad - he does some of the production for them. But upon entering the studio, I felt that this group of people had more of a familial vibe going on.. So Kasim was interviewed as well.

What does that mean for you? You get the trifecta: three interviews in one.

Take a minute and enter Madbass studios…

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If you were on stage at the Grammys, giving your acceptance speech for R&B artist of the year, how long would that speech be?
(ha, ha) I like to keep things short and sweet but I do have a lot of people to thank.. but my speech wouldn’t be that long because everybody that’s worked with me and who is important to me, they know who they are.

I’m sure that in your speech you would give thanks to some of the people that have influenced you. Who would they be?
Teena Marie. Teena Marie was my girl. I loved her.. Denice Williams, El Debarge, I loved all of their voices.

What are some of the songs that you really liked from Teena Marie?
Teena Marie.. I would say, “If I Were A Bell,” which is a cover tune that I actually perform now. That’s probaly my favorite song by her.

When did you first start singing?
I guess, I must have been in Junior High School. I wasn’t like, little, when I first started singing. I wasn’t a little girl, four years old, singing in church. I started doing music when I was in the fourth grade. I learned how to play the violin. That’s what I did first, then I started singing and playing the piano.

Violin and the Piano!?... How did you get into that?
When I was in elementary school, I wanted to play a wind instrument in the band; like the trumpet or something like that, but I had asthma. (laughs) I still have asthma. So the doctor recommended that I not play a band instrument, so that’s how I came to play a string instrument.. I don’t know how I choose the violin, but the decision to play that over a band instrument was basically the doctor’s recommendation.

And then you went from the violin, to actually getting in front of the mic and singing…
I started singing in choirs. I was a long time student of Settlement Music School, which is in Philly.. I’m from that area. I’m from South Jersey… and they had a children’s choir and that’s really how I first started singing. Then I started taking voice lessons and as I got older I participated in a lot of groups and choruses in school.

Did you start doing talent shows and things like that?
I didn’t do actual talent shows. But I did perform a lot between the various groups that I was in because I’d be in orchestra, I’d be in chorus.. then in high school, I played the piano in the jazz band. So I was pretty active.

How did you get hooked up with Madbass Studios?
It’s really weird. Online. The guy that owns the studio Kasim Samad, used to be a partner with this guy named Manuel Parada, and I met Manuel online.. in one of the chat rooms. I guess he must of thought I was somebody else, because I had the nickname Pecan. So he sent me a message and some how we just started talking and I found out that he was managing a group and that they had a studio. That’s how I found my way up here through that.

That’s a big change with the internet.. you can meet people from all over and connect real easy.
Yes. It’s a beautiful thing.

So it’s a good thing that you had.
Good thing for the internet! Cause I don’t know where I’d be right now (laughs) Like I said, it’s weird, because I don’t think that I would have met these people had it not been for that initial connection.

What are you working on, now that your in the studio?
Right now we’re working on.. well, we’re putting out the album independently. So we’re just trying to go back in, touch up things, get them mixed down very well and push it.

What kind of music do enjoy singing.. ballads, uptempo?
I would say, definitely, ballads… then uptempo. I like to dance, so I do enjoy uptempo music but there’s nothing like singing a ballad.

A lot of heartfelt emotions, you can really get into it…
Yeaaaah.

Any idea of what you want to call your album?
It probably would be centered around my real name, Dionne Nicole, but a lot of people call me Dini. So probably something stating what Dini stands for because Dini comes from Dionne Nicole but I think people kinda figured that out… (laughs) sometimes they don’t figure it out until they actually see it.

Since this is the web, I’m sure people would like to hear a sample of what you can do.
(laughs…. clears throat) Okay, I guess I’ll sing to this track.

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I like the setup that you have here. How long have you been in operation?
About seven and a half to eight years.

How did you get into producing?
I think I had to do it. Years ago, I started as a manager and went in search for production and the studio became my way of life. I got the group a deal eventually and they were gone, but I had to keep working, so I became a producer.

You had the feeling that you had to keep doing music?
Yeah, I had to keep going. The end result of the group getting their situation didn’t turn out great, but I had to continue to move forward.

Do you play any instruments?
Yeah. I can play the guitar, I can play the bass and the keyboard. I play enough to get a song done.

I see you have a lot of old records in the hallway. Do you do any sampling?
Depending on what the sample is. I don’t like to just take someone else’s creation and say it’s mine. If I can take it and flip it, then I’m doing me. A sound or two, yeah. But it’s good to have on hand though because the music today.. where do you think it comes from?

What artists from the past do you really feel?
I like a lot of music man…Blue Magic, Michael Franks, Barry White. As far my inspiration in music, as it relates to business? Berry Gordy. I read about him a lot. It’s a beautiful thing to be able to come from the past and to do something like this, it’s wonderful, man.

So is Madbass more than a studio?
Madbass started out as a family thing. When I work with somebody, I treat them like family and I want them to treat me like family.. and we just move forward and try to make this thing work. Like I said, that Berry Gordy story, man.. I’m feeling that, he took Motown to another level.

So the independent thing that Dini was talking about, you are a part of that?
Yeah, the independent thing. We’re gonna put the album out, it may go under Cotone and Cruz records or something else that we may create.

What do you look for in an artist that you choose to work with?
Someone to put forth effort. We have a lot of talented people out here, that can really do it, but their not willing to put forth that effort. I would rather deal with someone with less talent, that’s willing to put in that effort than someone who isn’t. You have to be willing and able to just work hard, because one day your gonna get it.

It takes persistence.
Yeah, persistence. It pays off.

When you do a track, what do you use for inspiration?
It’s a vibe thing. I’ll tell you a story. Before my studio moved to this new location, I was in a basement. I’m pretty sure you’ve heard of Kenny Whitehead, the Whitehead Brothers. So Kenny Whitehead was in my basement and I was making a track and I said “Yo, dog. What you think about this?” and he said “It ain’t what I think about it. What do you think about it?” I said “I don’t know that’s why I’m asking you.” He said “Nah, don’t make nothing that you can’t dance to.” So he helped me develop this thing, that if I can’t move to it, it ain’t worth making. You know what I’m saying.. you have to feel it.

So the vibe to me, whether it’s a fast song, hip hop song, or r&b slow joint.. you should be able to move to it all.

You know what’s funny? I can see that. When you were playing the songs earlier you were moving to it like you really loved it. Like… “this is me!”
(laughs) Yeah, it’s a feeling, for real. It ‘s the energy. So whether I can dance to it or somebody else can dance to it, is not important. What’s important is how I feel when I’m making it. That’s why I like to keep a lot of positive people around me, so when I’m producing they help to continue to push you forward. As opposed to somebody saying, I don’t like this and I don’t like that… keep the negative opinions to yourself and let’s get the job done.

Do you do all the production by yourself?
No. I have a couple of other brothers who come through. Black Fluid, Mike Mike, Nu Nitty, Dionne Nicole.. she’s a producer too - songwriter extraordinaire. We have a lot of people who stop through and work. The stuff your listening too now.. this is Tae Campbell.. Tisha Campbell’s brother. We produced that. They came through and we knocked it out. So we’re definitely maintaining.

Alright.. there are a lot of good things happening here. Kasim Samad… nice talking to you.
You too, man. Peace out.

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You’re part of a group called Seeds of Anu. What does that name mean?
Anu has a few meanings. Anu was the name that was given for the creator, god. The Anu are also a people, a civilization, they are believed to be the people who gave birth to the ancient Egyptian civilization. So essentially, Anu means, seeds of god or seeds of the first people.

Is it a group or is it just you?
We’re a group, but my partner Heru, who couldn’t be here unfortunately.. we’re solo artists as well. We do our own individual solo thing but Seeds of Anu is the foundation. That’s the family right there.

How did you get into MCing?
I came out the womb, just as a lyricist. I was always a writer. I do short stories, poetry…and hip hop was just inevitable. It evolved into that, you know, it was just the natural flow of things.

It doesn’t sound like you’ll be doing any Lil Kim type songs. Why do you choose the subjects that you use, instead of going mainstream?
Ultimately, it wasn’t really a choice. It was really something that choose me. I’m not one to be out their exploiting my people, exploiting myself.. you know, I can’t knock Lil Kim, she does what she does, for whatever reason she does it. But my purpose here is to uplift my people and bring a positive message, to my people.

When you create a song what do you try to get across to the listeners?
Many things. It depends on the song. The foundation is just self-love - you know, loving yourself, loving the way that the creator made you, loving your African self, holistically. There are a lot of people out there, a lot of schools and philosophies, that have got us thinking that we aren’t good enough. They say we gotta alter ourselves, our way of talking, our way of being, and the way we look, to fit in. That’s not at all the case.

So our music is basically letting African people, people in general, know that the way the creator made you is perfect. That’s perfection right there. You don’t need to try to fit into any box and any stereotype. Just be proud of how you are and what you are.

A lot of people that do positive things, find it hard to get inspiration from outside because there are a lot of negative influences. Where do you find your inspiration, to continue to do what you do?
Without a doubt my inspiration comes straight from the divine, from the creator. Everything I do stems from that. I must always give reverence to that. I know without that energy, without that force, I wouldn’t be here and everything I do is in accordance with that, with the one, with the divine. It also comes from other artists doing similar music like myself. Our ancestors, our master teachers, priests and priestess, just a whole host of different places.

What other artists do you listen to?
I don’t listen to too many artists that are on the radio or on videos. A lot of stuff I like is underground. I listen to a lot of the artists that are down with A-Wall… which is like a foundation of underground revolutionary artists. I listen to a lot of artists who are under them: Black For Real, Lost Children of Babylon, Seeds of Wisdom, KRS One, Dead Prez… the list goes on.

What about artists from the past?
I didn’t really listen to too much old school hip hop, to be honest. A lot of music that I listen to that’s older is like soul music. I’m big into jazz. I love Nina Simone, Billie Holiday. I listen to blues. I listen to funk. I listen to everything.

Are you vegetarian?
I’m a vegan. Yes. I eat no animal products, no animal by-products, no dairy products.

No dairy? I’m trying to go vegan myself, but recently I’ve been slipping and eating a little cheese, a little ice cream.. stuff like that and I feel it in my chest. Can you remind me of the unhealthy qualities of milk?
You can’t come down hard on yourself, because it’s a process, it’s not gonna just happen overnight. It’s something that takes time. We all slip up but as long as you come back to it, that’s the best you can do. But dairy?... it causes mucus in your system, it causes a lot of blockages in your system, it’s just not natural.. human beings weren’t made to consume dairy products… especially dairy products from cows and things of that nature.

Thank you for that. We are online, so why don’t you give the people a taste of what you were born with?
natures blessing

Het Heru.. good talking to you.,
You too. I want to say peace and blessings, much love… to the world!

copyright - whudat.com - July 2001