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J. Hen (Front), Dow Jones (Back)
LL Cool J - Girl If (Ft. Trey Songz)
Kicking off our westcoast week on the features section of the website, I got you that exclusive with longtime mixtape DJ, Dow Jones and production partner J. Hen. Making up one of the most prominent production duo's of the year with a string of singles underneath their belt, its hard not to notice the work and dedication that they've put in. Dow Jones has been doing mixtapes since he was 14. Besides all this, they have a dope ass blog and have been supplying that fresh production for the longest.illRoots: First off, thank you both for sitting down with me today, I must say that you guys have really put in some work.
Dow Jones: No problem.
J. Hen: Thank you.
illRoots.com: So, what's one track that could summarize each of your lives?
Dow Jones: Me Against the World by Tupac.
J. Hen: Kanye West, The Goodlife.
illRoots.com: Everything out now that I see is people coming to producers and not for what they do but for a club beat or for a street beat and not just for a song.
J. Hen: One of the main problems that I see is that right now, and probably for the last 5 to 7 years, since the internet, we lost all connection between the producer and the artist.
illRoots.com: It's impersonal.
J. Hen: Exactly, and you have all these producers that have a certain type of energy that they put into each track. Usually they have some idea on how it should sound, and when you don't have any type of input on that. You turn out with these cats that try to make the music but don't have any idea of the energy that you put out to make the tracks. So the fact that there is no connection there allows for there to be a watered down product and the tracks aren't getting there full value. Right now we are trying to get it back down to where we understand what the artist is about so we can give them something that will stand out. Thats really the only way your going to win. The industry right now is not building itself to have a fan base. They are building it like a straight drive through service. You are just going to have keep putting new artists out because they aren't going to keep artists to build fanbases.
50 Cent - Follow My Lead (Prod. Tha Bizness)
Dow Jones: This all builds off of your first question. These silly cats call and ask for that street or that club shit. So off the top we already know that these motherfuckers don't know what they want. Instead of following the blind we will do a little research on the artist whether we know them or not and find out a little bit more about the artist. To find out what was there best tracks and come with something we feel they should come with more than what they feel they should come with. The rest of the you could give them that crack but if they don't know its crack then it could pass them by.
illRoots.com: The analogy I pose of all the time is the Denver Bronco's analogy we got a hell of a machine, and even some decent runningbacks but after one or two good years they are unheard of. We've got Tatum Bell emcees.
Dow Jones: Right shit its like Hip-Hop is the team that plays against the Globetrotters everytime they play and they loose everytime. People know they are there and know they are playing but nobody cares and yea they beat the Globetrotters once or twice a year but no one gives a shit.
illRoots.com: It seems that hip-hop is always last to find shit out to.
Dow Jones: Who's to say we aren't the last to embrace the internet, and for awhile people were indenial about ringtones and downloads until it bit them in the ass.Now everybody is trying to get on.
illRoots.com: Ringtones were a way for a corporation to get smart dumb cats could come out here and run shit and get plays basically becoming pawns, how much talent does it take to make 30 seconds.
Dow Jones: For real.
illRoots.com: What new projects are you working production wise?
Dow Jones: I know coming up we have the G-Unit album we got a joint on there called "The Piano Man", then we have two on Ice Cube's upcoming album. We have a single from the Black Eyed Peas camp with Apl de Ap featuring Fergie. Then they also got us place in the new Street Fighter II Movie that Taboo from the Black Eyed Peas is going to be in [he's cast as Vega]. We just got word that Jeezy just finished one for his album, so we are going to check out the final mix of that today. Of course the R.Kelly stuff as well, we did the 1st single "Hairbraider" and we have another joint on the album called "Come at the Same Time". I'm guessing this will be his last album, since it will be the last one fullfil his contract with Jive.



R. Kelly - Hairbraider (Prod. Tha Bizness)
illRoots.com: How was it working in the studio with R.Kelly?
Dow Jones: We actually didn't get a chance to go out there while he was doing it because between his schedule and our schedule it was real hectic. We just did the communication over the phone.
illRoots.com: Where do you see yourself going in the next say 20 years?
J. Hen: Really just focusing on production from the standpoint of how old record producers used to really get it in and not worry about age, not worry about your shot at the moment. You just go in and try to make the best records you can. As well as coming out with artists of our own. Also just to continue to bridge the between real musicianship and the technology that is constantly being developed. Pretty much never letting either really fall apart, we feel that is what music is lacking that combination of great musicianship that coincides with the upcoming technology.
illRoots.com: How do you feel about T-Pain's emergence with Melodyne?
J. Hen: I think its a creative form of expression. Right now its just the it thing to do. I'm not really knocking him for being creative and trying something and I mean its just fun for artists to use. I think even on the R.Kelly record, they are criticizing him for trying it after knowing that he is a talented vocalist anyway. To us we look at it as a double-edged sword because its something fun to do for an artist but for someone who makes a career out of it is hard to emulate on the stage. You know that most of your fan base is created through shows. The difference between Teddy Riley and T-Pain is whatever he did he would be able to emulate in a show. With the talk box, with the talking in the vocoder and playing the piano all of this could be redone in the studio and on the stage.
Dow Jones: Don't get it fucked up, T-Pain can actually sing and at the same time everyone gets shit confused. Everyone is biting him because he's using it, but if you look at history that happens with everything from Roger Troutman to even just the sound of a beat. When Dre came in with 2001 with the pianos and everything being real big then for the four years that is what you heard, the same being for Timbaland in the past few years. Its funny they are quick to criticize when everybody is dick riding the hot shit anyway. When Snoop came with his goofy ass slang everybody was using it. I believe he got some of it published in the dictionary. If its a new technology its okay to embrace it, then if somebody does something great with it, then everyone else will end up using it. Thats the same way with all these tools like Pro Tools and Logic, people started using them and they worked and so others started to use them and build on what the first person did.
illRoots.com: If you can't adapt your pretty much thrown to the way side.
Dow Jones: Exactly.
illRoots.com: What projects are you looking forward to?
J. Hen: I definitely always am looking for new Common material, he truly loves what he does. I hope that by the fall we can here from Outkast though. Andre 3000 and Big Boi always seem to push the envelope on music in general so I think that would be a great look for the upcoming fall.
illRoots.com: Thanks to Dow Jones and J. Hen and look for unreleased pieces of this interview in our Production Section of our Forums, so go sign up and get locked. As well look out for Tha Bizness they are are amazing production duo and they have a great blog.