Mixtape DJ of the Year: Mick Boogie

We will be announcing our 2008 year end lists next week, but I just had to get this feature up early. Mixtape DJs are a dime a dozen. You got your veterans like DJ Clue, DJ Green Lantern, and DJ Jazzy Jeff… then you got your up and comers like DJ Chong Wizard, DJ Concept, and Hevehitta. But every now and then there’s that someone who just stands out from the crowd and creates those projects that know one saw coming. This year that someone was Mick Boogie. 2008 was the year of Mick Boogie, with releases such as Viva la Hova, The Honor Roll, Talib Kweli’s MCEO Mixtape, and his latest Adele: 1988. Mick has been on his grind for a while now, but this year he definitely stood out from the crowd. I had the pleasure of cuttin’ it up with Mick over the weekend. Dude is a very down to earth guy. Here’s what went down…

Kevin: Sup Mick, thanks for talkin’ with us! No introductions needed… if cats don’t know who you are then they shouldn’t be reading my blog. So let’s cut right to the chase…. the new mixtape, Adele 88, how did that idea come about? I’ve personally never heard of Adele, but the idea of mixing pop & rock into the hip-hop world is ingenious. Tell us about the project.

Mick: I am an Adele fan… and obviously, so are the fine people at Sony. It came up that they were looking for a project like this to help expand Adele’s fan base… and they loved the work we did on “Viva La Hova” so it just made sense. It’s a short album… an EP basically… It’s just Adele singing over a classic breakbeat with elements of her song punched in behind her vocals… but it sounds amazing… like an 2008 Portishead feel.

Kevin: Your name has been on just about every single hot mixtape released this year (Viva la Hova, The Honor Roll, and Unbelievable to name a few). How do you do it? How do you find the time to put out project after project? Do you see out each project from conceptualization to release? How long does it take to put one of these mixtapes together?

Mick: I don’t sleep and I work with great people… great producers, great deejays, and a great PATIENT wife. The time varies on the projects… Viva La Hova took a few days to do the blends after we A&R’d all the beats… Honor Roll took a day to piece together…but a month to find the producers, reproduce the classics, and find the guest emcees. Everything all depends on the situation.

Kevin: Yeah, sleep is something that can be hard to come by. Speaking of producers, lately I’ve seen a trend as far as certain producers gracing your mixtapes with their remixes/productions (6th Sense and Remot, in particular). Is there a special relationship or certain chemistry that you have with these two dope producers that makes you call on them for your projects. Any plans to create some sort of super group with these two?

Mick: I love working with producers… especially ones who listen to my ideas and enhance them. And don’t mind me micromanaging…lol. Right now… my team is 6th and Remot, as you said, as well as Garbs and nVME, and of course, The Kickdrums who have been down from Day One. These guys are my Hitmen, a la Puff.

Kevin: That’s one hell of a production team! How did you get started in the mixtape game? Who helped you get your start and what was your first major breakthrough tape?

Mick: The biggest help I had early on was a few good friends at labels… who got me hosting drops from artists when I was doing street, non conceptual tapes… people like 50 Cent, Common, and Ghostface were a big deal when it was an unknown DJ from Ohio dropping tapes with them. And from there… it was developing the brand and staying consistent. Breakthough tapes have been a few… the 50 Cent one got me noticed, Jay/Nas: God’s Gift made people appreciate my creativity… Viva La Hova made people see my diversity… my career has changed a lot over the years, and the mixtapes reflect that.

Kevin: Very true. Most mixtapes these days are a dime a dozen. In your opinion, what is the essence of a GOOD mixtape? Is song placement important, who’s on the tape, etc?

Mick: Yes and yes… both of those. Plus creativity. Marketing. Covers… in today’s world… Jpegs…lol. You gotta do something NO one else is doing, and do it better than the next guy who might try to do it.

Kevin: So what role does the Mixtape DJ have in today’s hip hop world?

Mick: I don’t know… cause blogs are the new mixtapes. Nahright is the new Clue. OnSmash is the new WhooKid. But Kevin Nottingham is the new Mick Boogie! LOL.

Kevin: LOL… I can’t take that crown just yet… but I’m working on it! lol Ok, this is old news, but I wanted to get your take on Lil Wayne’s comments about mixtape DJ’s leaking his music and his comments about DJ Drama when the Fed’s raided his office’s in Atlanta. Granted for a period, mixtape DJ’s were giving Wayne mad love…and to a degree helped advance his career to rock star type status. Can you comment on that?

Mick: I mean, i think it was taken out of context. Really, I put out a tape years ago leaking Wayne and Juelz whole project, and Wayne has never been nothing but cool to me. Great guy. I’m glad Drama is all good now, too.

Kevin: Has any artist ever been pissed the fuck off at you for putting one of their unreleased songs on one of your CD’s?

Mick: Not to my knowledge…

Kevin: You’ve put out a ton of great mixtapes, from Little Brother’s And Justus For All, Busta & Dilla’s Dillagence, Ghostface’s Broiled Salmon, Kanye’s the Graduate, Common’s UnCommon…. the list goes on. How many have you put out over the years and which one is your favorite?

Mick: No idea… LOL. I have so many…. The Graduate for sure. Unbelievable. Definitely the Little Brother. I think Viva La Hova and the Adele joint are album-quality material for 2008. I think a slept on one is the Nas/AZ: Executive Decisions… basically a make-believe Nas/AZ album. I loved that mix.

Kevin: What other DJ’s do you have mad respect for?

Mick: Man… so many. I love hella deejays. Flex, Kid Capri. Jazzy Jeff (who inspired me to DJ). Green Lantern. Clue. Stretch Armstrong. Neil Armstrong. Louis Armstrong… Lol.

Kevin: Now, you spend a lot of time traveling? How do you find time to do your radio show in Cleveland, live in NYC, travel the country, do a Sirius show, run a blog, and be a husband?

Mick: Yeah… I’m gone somewhere almost every week or more. I love travelling. Bring me to your city!! But…I have a great team! My station in Cleveland is very supportive of my schedule. My man Christopher Truth does a great job holding down the blog. My partner Terry Urban does a heck of job helping coordinate the mixtape stuff and he runs the Sirius show. My wife is the best woman in the entire world! You’re only as strong as the people you surround yourself with.

Kevin: I hear you. I definitely know the benefits of a great support staff.  So, now that you’re becoming big time, do labels come searching you out to help promote their artists? Do you work side by side with the artists when working on their mixtapes? How much creative control do you have over the final product?

Mick: Now they do, yes. I try to… if it’s something serious and a big deal, I definitely try to get the artist input. I have 100% creative control when I want to… some things, I just let them be.

Kevin: If you could pick one artist to put out a mixtape for who would it be? How would you make that mixtape dope?

Mick: Jay. Man… if I could use my creativity to come up with a real, all-new mixtape with Hov… I promise you, it would be amazing. One day maybe! I can dream!

Kevin: Ah, I hope that dream comes true.. that would be classic. What one artist should we look out for in 2009? Who’s on the comeup?

Mick: Lots… listen to The Honor Roll and those guys are picks!

Kevin: What’s in store for you in 2009? I know you got some ideas lined up already. Can you fill us in?

Mick: Nope. Stay tuned… LOL. More traveling and touring definitely. And lots more cool stuff….

Kevin: Ok, last question…. greatest hip hop album of all time. What’s yours?

Mick: Stakes Is High… De La Soul. It’s still first-day-fresh 12 years later.

Kevin: Excellent choice. I don’t think anyone I’ve interviewed mentioned De La.  Thanks again for chatting with us Mick. Any closing words?

Mick: Thank you for asking me to do this. I download all your original samples ALL THE TIME. Your blog is invaluable. I’m download some Tribe samples RIGHT NOW as I’m typing this. Thanks for having me.

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