Most of the interviews on this site are usually with artists/producers either in the biz or coming up in the biz. This one here is a little bit different, but equally entertaining. For the past few months, myself, Thomas, Ivan, Goon, John Q, Bulldog, and others have been digging for samples used in our favorite hip hop albums online. Although, not exactly “crate diggers”, we still dig.  This is not a new phenomenon. Music lovers world-wide have been diggin’ for years.

According to Wikipedia, crate digging is a slang term used by DJs to refer to the activity of checking record stores for old, rare or unusual music on the vinyl format, which can be used by DJs, turntablists, or be sampled.

I had the opportunity to sit down with crate digger Greg Korbas last week to talk about the “art of digging”. Greg was featured last summer in an issue of Scratch magazine for his extensive collection of vinyl. He contacted me through this site a while back and I thought it’d be a great idea to get his views on digging, tips on collecting, and hear some stories based from his record buying experiences. If you love the sample sets we’ve been pushing out here on the site, I think you’ll really find this interview a good read.

As a bonus, Greg threw together a personal compilation for all of us here to download. Check the link at the end of the interview.

Kevin: Hey, what’s up Greg? Thanks for taking the time to talk with us. We, over at This Is Hip Hop, have been steadily “Internet digging” for quite a few months now, and it’s a pleasure and a real honor to be able to speak with a real crate digger such as yourself. In the July/August 2007 issue of Scratch magazine where you had a feature, you listed your record collection at 6,000. What’s that number up to now?

Greg: First off, I just want to say thanks to you Kevin for taking the time to talk to me. I’ve been a fan of the site for some time now, and I’m truly excited to be featured on it. Since the article came out, I’ve probably bought another 500-600 records. I’ve had amazing luck finding a lot of solid records in the past 10 months or so.

Kevin: When did you buy your first record and what was it? What was the most you have spent on a record?

Greg: I believe the first “sampled” record I bought was Bruce Hornsby and the Range’s “The Way It Is”. It’s been several years and a couple thousand records since then so I can’t be sure, but I’ve always made the claim that that was the first song that really opened my eyes to hip hop sampling older music. I started DJing hip hop in high school before I got into digging for samples, so the first record I ever bought in my life was actually Q-Tip’s “Vivrant Thing (Remix)”. Looking back at everything and knowing what I know now, it’s funny, and even a little embarrassing, that both of those are “first” records for me, but everybody has to start somewhere.
The most I’ve spent on a record was around $180 for an OG copy of Gloria Scott’s “What Am I Gonna Do” LP. I had been looking for the record for a little while and started getting impatient so I decided to fall back to eBay when a mint copy popped up. I wish I had waited longer because I just picked up a second copy from one of the local record stores I go to for $75.

Kevin: How often do you dig for records? How many records would you say you purchase in a month?

Greg: I go to two record stores (Looney Tunes and Cheapo’s Records) once a week pretty religiously. After that, it depends on what else is going on. Fortunately for me, there are a handful of record stores in Boston and its outskirts, so some weekends I’ll visit a few I don’t regularly go to. Other weekends, maybe there will be a record show going on, although the shows in MA aren’t as good as they used to be. And then there is my favorite digging time of the year; summer. I generally dig a lot more frequently for records in the summer because of yard sales and flea markets. Most of them have junk, but I’ve actually found a lot of really good or interesting records at flea markets. To answer the question, all things considered, I try to go out and physically dig for records 2-3 times a week. If you want to consider e-digging, I try to keep my eye on eBay and a few other sites fairly regularly so that I cover all the bases, so I guess I dig in one way or another just about every day of the week.
The quantity of records I buy in a month goes up and down, largely due to how successful I am in finding good records I don’t already have, but I’d say about 20-30 new records is pretty normal for any given month. With that said, the flea markets I go to are opening up soon, so that number will be higher in the coming months.

Kevin: What’s the one record in your collection that you treasure the most?

Greg: Off the top of my head, I’d have to say I treasure Gregg Jackson’s “One For The Road” more than any other record. I was at a flea market when I came across it. The cover drew me in, but after listening to it briefly on my portable turntable, it didn’t do much for me. I’ve never really been a big fan of modern soul. I was about ready to put it back when I saw that the record was on a private label from Rhode Island, and being from Massachusetts, that was kind of cool and interesting to me. After further inspection, I found that it also had a personal message signed by Gregg Jackson to one of his friends on the back cover. Finding out that the record was only $4, I decided I was going to buy it just for the hell of it. I brought it home, and it sat lost in a pile of other records for a couple months. It wasn’t until one day when I was looking at some records from a seller on eBay that I realized what I had. The same record I had bought a few months back for only $4 sold for $560, and my signed copy was sitting at home like it was some worthless random record. Needless to say, it has been relocated from the random pile to a prime location for display. That has been my ultimate flea market find so far, and it happened by chance.

Kevin: Wow, talk about a great deal! How far have you gone looking for a particular record? Are there any records on your list now that you have yet to find?

Greg: Being a huge fan of the Stones Throw label, I became slightly obsessed with turkish psych music as a result of Oh No’s “Dr. No’s Oxperiment”. While I know most of the original samples, tracking them down on vinyl has been somewhat difficult to do. Most of the records are rare, and it’s even more difficult to find copies of those records here in America. While I haven’t traveled to Turkey (yet), I’ve done the next best thing I could think of. I have a friend I met who lives in Turkey, and he’s been going to the markets in Istanbul for me with a list of the records I am looking for. We’ll see how many records he has found for me by the end of the summer before I decide if it’s necessary for me to take the trip there myself.
I also had my aunt and uncle do some record shopping for me when they went to Amsterdam recently. They are big into music like I am, and they are friendly with one of the shop owners over there, so they brought me back a couple nice foreign records for my collection. Foreign music and library records aren’t as easy to come by for me, so I jump at any opportunity to bulk up the parts of my collection that aren’t as deep as I’d like them to be.
There are always records on my list that I am looking for, and there are always new records I learn about that get added to the list. For me, I never worry too much about finding them. With the success I’ve had digging, the people I’ve become friendly with, and the popularity of eBay, there isn’t much that doesn’t eventually pop up. It’s more of an issue of whether or not I’m willing to pay the price for a record when it does show up, and if it’s something I think I “need”, I don’t have too hard of a time justifying paying good money for it.

Kevin: Is there anything that attracts you to a particular record?

Greg: There are a number of things that attract me to records when I’m digging. If it’s not a record I am looking for or already familiar with, the cover is usually the first thing that sells me. If it looks like a dope record, I’m going to throw it on the portable turntable and give it a chance. I usually always travel with my Vestax Handytrax when I know I am going to be digging. I’ve been burned too many times by records that look good but are complete garbage to go without it when I can. Plus, when you buy as many records as I do, saving $10 here and there by putting back records that don’t vibe well is definitely nice.
If a record has an interesting cover, but doesn’t quite sell me instantly, the next thing I do is look at who is on the record and when it is from. There are a handful of producers and musicians that I have found to be pretty reliable. For example, David T. Walker is one of my favorite musicians, so if I see his name listed as a guitar player when I read the back of the record, I am definitely going to give that record a chance. There are also certain periods of time that are more reliable than others for different genres. For me, anything between 1970 and 1975 is best for soul records. This time period isn’t perfect, and I could make the argument myself that that time gap should be extended by a couple years on either end, but for the most part, finding soul records that fall within those dates is a promising sign to me. After that, the last thing that attracts me to a record is simply the feeling I have about it. It’s hard to explain, but basically there are records that don’t look very interesting or have any noteworthy musicians on them, yet there is still something about the record that just feels like it is going to be good.

Kevin: What do you think of “Internet diggers”, people like myself and others who search out sample listings for our favorite albums and their work and posting them on the net? Is there a hidden digger’s code about releasing the names of samples used by artists; is it considered taboo?

Greg: The concept of people searching for samples used by their favorite artists is nothing new, and it will always exist. For every producer sampling a record, there is at least one person somewhere trying to find that same record and share it with others. Furthermore, since most producers dig for their records, I know there is some overlap in the sides. As someone who falls into both categories, I will put it like this.
I love hearing songs that have been sampled. It exposes me to new artists I would never know about otherwise, and it even highlights the skill (or lack of skill) of the producer when comparing songs. Sample compilations are a great and easy way to learn about these new artists. The people who put together these compilations are just like mixtape DJs, in my opinion. It doesn’t really matter if they are using records or mp3s because the overall idea is to let people hear good music. The biggest issue I have is with the people who download these compilations and then turn around and claim that they dig. Downloading (or buying) a compilation of sampled material is NOT digging. As long as you aren’t claiming to be something you are not, I see no problem.
From a producer’s perspective, I can understand why people get upset with sample compilations. If a sample isn’t cleared, a posted sample ID could essentially cost the artist money in legal issues. With that said, sampling is more or less illegal (whether I agree with that or not), so a producer really doesn’t have the right to force somebody to refrain from posting an original song recorded by somebody else. The fact that it was sampled doesn’t transfer the rights of the original song to the new artist. My opinion might change one day when I am the producer of a song and I get burned by a sample compilation, but for the time being that is my stance.
I don’t necessarily think there is a hidden digger’s code about releasing the names of samples used by artists, but more of a personal choice from digger to digger. Out of respect for certain artists, I would definitely choose to keep some samples secret or acknowledge the request to not post a sample compilation. There are also records I know that I don’t want to share because I plan on sampling them myself and don’t want somebody to beat me to the punch. Keeping songs that have breaks secret is also a way to earn credibility with rare groove mixtapes (check out Kon & Amir, Soulman, DJ Muro, etc.), as it allows you to flex your crates and essentially brag about the records you have.
That’s my less-than-perfect, easily arguable answer. I’ll let people agree or tear it apart in the comments, but everybody’s opinion is different.

Kevin: Excellent perspective… I think I can agree with that. Now do you primarily dig for vinyl or dig for CDs or online in mp3 format?

Greg: I’m strictly a vinyl guy. I have no problem with hearing, and even owning, a song on CD or digging online and finding it in an mp3 format, and I’ve even ripped some of my records to mp3s and CDs because they are nice to have for listening pleasure, but I won’t be happy until I own the album or single I want on vinyl.

Kevin: I figured you’d say that. What makes vinyl so different and special for you, in comparison to other music formats?

Greg: I guess the biggest thing is the vintage sound. A vinyl veteran can notice the difference in sound quality between a record and a CD, and I prefer that vinyl sound. For me, it’s also the concept of putting the needle to a groove, and sometimes it’s even the slight imperfections. It’s hard to completely explain, but I know there are people out there that understand.

Kevin: When out shopping for records do you have a preset list of records you’re looking for? Do you listen to them in the store before you buy? How do you determine what you buy and what you leave in the store? Do you set up a weekly budget?

Greg: I don’t really have a physical list I carry around with me, but usually I’ll have a handful of records in my mind to keep an eye out for. Other than that, usually I’m looking to discover new artists I’ve never heard of before. As I mentioned earlier, if the record looks interesting, I’ll give it a chance. I try to take my Vestax Handytrax with me whenever I go digging, so I’ll usually set a record aside when it looks interesting and when I’m done looking, I take the pile of records I’ve accumulated and head to an empty area and listen to everything. I don’t spend too much time listening to each individual record in the store, just enough to know if I should buy the record. If something catches my ear, it goes into a pile of records for me to buy. If the record doesn’t do anything for me, it goes into a pile of records for me to put back when I’m done. There is also a third pile of records for when I can’t decide based on first listen. I usually look at the prices of those records, give them a second listen, and decide accordingly. I don’t set a weekly budget because I don’t want to limit myself, but I’m definitely aware of how much I spend. The worst I’ve ever been was at a record store (Last Vestige) in Albany when I took a trip to visit my brother. I spent close to $500 that day.

Kevin: Where’s the best place to shop for records, if that place exists?

Greg: My perfect place to shop for records would be a store that has every record I’m looking for in mint condition for a low price. For obvious reasons, that’s not realistic. So with that said, the closest thing to my perfect place is Cheapo’s Records. It gets new records in on a consistent basis, the prices are very reasonable, and the owners of the store are very knowledgeable. I’ve been introduced to more new artists there than any other place. Looney Tunes is a close second, but their lack of consistency in bringing in new records for me to dig through has set it back over the past year or so.

Kevin: Is there a “club” or “sub-culture” of vinyl diggers?

Greg: I would say not so much a “sub-culture”, but vinyl diggers are linked with hip hop culture because of the roots they have in the foundation of hip hop and the vital role they play in sample-based music. Most vinyl diggers are either DJs or producers (or both), so it only makes sense that they are considered part of the culture. There’s not really any kind of “club” either (or at least I haven’t been formally invited to one), but I think there is a common respect among diggers for each other for doing what we do. There aren’t too many young people who have taken an interest in the music of the past and continue to go out and dig up hidden gems.

Kevin: In the Scratch article from the July/August 2007 issue you mention Pete Rock signed your David T. Walker “Plum Happy” record. What other celebrities (or album diggers) have you met along the way?

Greg: I’ve met a lot of interesting people over the years. Most of the people I’ve met while digging have been extremely friendly, and I always try to have a conversation with them to see if I can learn anything. One guy I met at a flea market near me was actually from California and used to be a judge for the DMC competitions back in the day. He went on to tell me that he was friends with a lot of the notable DJs in California, including DJ Babu, Cut Chemist, and Mixmaster Mike. We talked for a while, he commented on some of the records I had found, suggested a few artists I should check out, and then left. As far as stories and knowledge gained, he was one of the coolest guys I’ve ever met, although not a celebrity.
Celebrity wise, Thes One was a really cool dude. I met him about a year ago. I talked to him for a little while and he actually put me on to an Earth Disciples record that he had sampled for one of his songs. I also got a chance to meet Evidence when he was in Boston touring with Little Brother. As far as MCs that are genuine and down to earth, Evidence is as real as you can get. I’ve met a handful of other artists too, including the guys of Time Machine, Edo G., and even Paul Wall, but Thes One and Evidence were definitely the two that stood out most to me.

Kevin: What’s the craziest experience you have had searching for records?

Greg: I don’t know if it’s crazy, but it’s definitely one of my favorite digging experiences. One of my friends put me in touch with this kid who was moving to England in literally like 4 days and wanted to unload some of his records. When I got there, I found out pretty quickly that almost everything he had was dance singles. I started doubting the trip, but I had nothing else to do that day, so I stuck around. After searching through about 23 cubes of records, I was having my doubts, but I decided I might as well look through the last cube to humor myself. To my amazement, this last cube was fulll of the kind of records I was hoping to find. I ended up leaving with a dozen or so records, including “Bootsy? Player of the Year” by Bootsy’s Rubber Band and most notably, a mint copy of Harlem River Drive’s self-titled album. Best of all, each record was only $3. I happily gave the kid my money, he mad a comment about the Harlem River Drive LP’s cover being really cool, and I left knowing I had just taken advantage of the kid for not knowing anything about the records he had.

Kevin: LOL, great story! If I wanted to seriously start collecting vinyl, where and how do I begin? What are your recommendations?

Greg: If I were just starting to collect vinyl, there are a number of sites online that are a great place to start learning information pretty quickly. Most notably are the forums on the-breaks.com. It’s a great site for both beginners and veterans, and most people are pretty helpful. After that, you just need to learn through experience. The natural progression is to get your feet wet by finding common and well-known records before moving on to more “advanced records”. I was in the same position at one point, and I thought records by Bruce Hornsby, Herb Alpert, and Michael McDonald were the greatest thing in the world. Really the only way to continue to learn is through experience. Artists that would have been foreign to me 5 years ago are now some of my favorite. As you find records you like, pay attention to the record label, the producers, the musicians, and the year of the record, and as you accumulate more records, you should be able to develop your own list of reliable artists, labels, producers, musicians, years, etc. to look for when you dig. That should be a good start, and if you have any questions, you can find me (username: idralt) on the-breaks forums. I’ll be more than happy to try and answer any questions.

Kevin: Greg, thanks again for taking time out to talk with us. It was a pleasure.

As a bonus, Greg put together a sample compilation of some really nice gems for all of us here. Make sure you check that out below.  Extra credit goes to those who can name what hip hop songs sample some of the tracks in the compilation!

Download Crate Flexing 2