88-Keys
The Boy Holly Wood
CHAMP MAGAZINE
CHAMP: “The Death of Adam” is out and it’s dope, it’s definitely a breath of fresh air for urban music. Now everyone knows the story of Adam and Eve, but what drove that to make it the title of your album?
88-KEYS: Actually the album title came from a joke that was told to me by an old friend of mine DJ Homicide from Sugar Ray. He hit me up one time on instant messenger and asked me how many different words I know that describe the vagina. So I hit him with the seven words that I knew and then his response was like out of all the words and phrases to describe it you picked “the death of Adam”. I have a weird thing about words and how they look. I realized that day that the word “death” looked attractive to me as well as the name Adam. This was two to three years prior to me making a concept or even thinking about making a solo album so when the time came I named it the “Death of Adam”.
CHAMP: I want to get into the album but I definitely want to introduce the North to you and get them familiar with who you are. Let’s start off with the name and the history of the name 88 Keys.
88-KEYS: My name 88 Keys comes from 88 keys on a grand piano but I don’t play any instruments, ‘til when I was a young teen, about 16 years old or so I was working with and for this guy named John Carrero who is one of the largest record dealer Roosevelt Hotel Record Convention out of the east coast at the time, like mid 90’s, so his clients included people like Pete Rock, Q-Tip from a Tribe Called Quest, JuJu from the BeatNutz, BuckWild, basically everyone who was doing it big in the mid 90’s was going to John for their records. I started getting into making beats, John bought a keyboard for me to use but he kept it at his place so I was making beats on there and Q-Tip came over and his homeboy as well who turned out to be Large Professor. So without any introductions or whatever Large Professor walked into the house freestyling off of my beat that I had going on and he did it for about a good 3 minutes straight or so and again because he didn’t know what my name was he called me and said we had 88 keys on a grand piano. After that I said if I were to ever make it in the industry I would call myself 88 Keys because I got it from the great one.
CHAMP: Now you come from a family of medical students who obviously took on medical careers, what was it about music that drew you away from not doing what everyone else was doing?
88-KEYS: I just connected more with music and as far as I was concerned it required way less brain power. I just noticed that I was able to tap into my audio creativity better than anything else that was thrown my way. It came to a point to where music became second nature to me. I realized in my early 20s that I pretty much set my life up so I don’t know how to do anything else besides music. I’m not the dumbest rock in the pile and I didn’t flunk out of school, I was decent and my grades were a little above average and stuff like that. It wasn’t even like I didn’t like school; school just took up too much of my time.
CHAMP: You also started off as an intern at West Hampstead. How was the experience there and what did you take from it?
88-KEYS: I met a lot of great artists who I am still friends with now like Busta Rhymes. A lot of people don’t know this but I was his assistant engineer on the whole project of his debut album. I learned a lot there and I also learned how to use the MPC3000. The co- owner of the Music Palace told me that I better learn how to use that machine and that turned out to be the best advice I ever received.
CHAMP: You eventually started rocking with some key people in the game. Who were some of the first artists you started working with?
88-KEYS: I started working with J-Live. We made the album The Best Part; I have about 3 songs on there. Then I worked with Talib Kweli and Mos Def for the Blackstar album. I wound up tracking about 12 songs for Mos Def’s “Black on Both Sides” album and 3 made the album. Those were “Love”, “Speed Law” and “May- December” which I co-produced with Mos Def, Master Well and Irv G- R.I.P. Then I worked with Consequence on some tracks that people might have not heard when he had his first deal on Electra.
CHAMP: Now did you always write music at first or were you just producing the entire time when you were messing with music?
88-KEYS: I really don’t write music down, as far as lyrics I freestyle all of them except for two tracks on my album; “The Friends Zone” which I co-wrote with The Roots and “Morning Wood” which I co-wrote with Michelle Bell and Electric P. I’m getting into rapping more and more nowadays. I’m definitely a producer first but I’m heading towards becoming an artist as well. I’m having fun with it which is the important part.
CHAMP: Now you’ve also placed production credits on albums like you mentioned before with artists like Blackstar, Beanie Siegel and Macy Gray. Are you very selective of the artists you work with?
88-KEYS: Back then I wasn’t. I would always hope I would be able to work with dope artists but there were times where I would work with artists that I wasn’t really feeling but the check was nice. But now I’m starting to get selective with the way the albums have turned out and me knowing what I can bring to the table.
CHAMP: Going back to the album, we have the huge single “Stay up Viagra” with Kanye West on it. Kanye isn’t just a random feature and the situation isn’t just by luck. What is the situation between you two?
88-KEYS: Kanye is one of my best friends and has been since 2001. We met at Baseline Studios and we just clicked straight off the bat. I have been by his side and have gone through the struggles of breaking into the industry as an artist and vice versa. We have both been there for each other and he is also the godfather of my child.
CHAMP: Being close to Kanye I’m sure a lot of people have asked you why you didn’t join in G.O.O.D Music.
88-KEYS: G.O.O.D music is something that Kanye started a few years ago and he started building his collectors back then. There isn’t any competition between me and him. I would like to be where he is one day. I decided not to be a part of G.O.O.D Music, only because I have my own production company which I’m trying to get off the ground. I have my own company that I would like to build. He is helping me build up as an artist. I have to put a lot of music out there and just do it. I do have to say that being we are best friends, I helped him out when he first started working with Consequence and John Legend. I would refer myself as the cousin of the Grammy Family.
CHAMP: Now on this album is the production 100% 88 Keys or do we have guest producers on it?
88-KEYS: We have 3 co-productions on my album but the rest is me. I didn’t hire anyone to do my beats but I did work with my boy Winston for some keyboard stuff and my boy Leron for the trumpet. The rest is me and my MPC3000.
CHAMP: I also noticed on your Myspace page that there was a band member named Roger Lynn, just wanted to know who that is?
88-KEYS: Roger Lynn is the dude who invented the MPC. That is the last piece of equipment he made after the MPC3000. He also personally signed that.
CHAMP: How was the process like in making this album and what type of message were you trying to send with your work?
88-KEYS: First and foremost would have to be our beat skills are retarded. I wanted people who continue to sleep on me know that. I wanted people to see my work instead of having a beat cd or a regular album. There are also a lot of things behind the story. Basically it was for men and women to wake up and to hear stuff like “nice guys finish last” to a track like the Friends Zone- all those songs have a message. I also wanted to point out the almost non-existence of the traditional family unity. There are a lot of single parent homes out there and a lot of young girls getting pregnant by dudes and they feel that the person that impregnated them will always be there for them which isn’t the case. It baffles me. I’m married and have two children. People ask me is the mother Chinese or whatever cause they have chinky eyes but my wife is white. When people hear that I am married they get very surprised. I just wanted to point that out to people and make better decisions.
CHAMP: What’s the next single you’re working on to give to the people?
88-KEYS: Friends Zone is the next single but I plan on revisiting the “Stay up Viagra”. We are all planning a re-launch of the album. The ratings and reviews that I have received are incredible but they haven’t related to the sales because a lot of people don’t know who I am. We just need a few things to fall into place to do this again. Then I want to work on the second single the Friends Zone.
CHAMP: Last but not least; when can we expect you in Toronto?
88-KEYS: I was out there but that shows the awareness of who I am. I’m not nationwide or global yet. I was just out there late November. I went to some parties out there. My next trip out there I’m not too sure yet but sooner or later. I would love to promote myself out there and show them who I am. I want to have a perfect stage show and they will see my creativity and bring the story to life in a creative way.
STAY UP VIAGRA - 88-KEYS FT. KANYE WEST
