If you missed Pt. 1 CLICK HERE
BFochs: We meet again Mr. Splash, how goes it? Has Splashville changed any since the last time we chopped it up or is it still business as usual?
Splash: What's up homie. Um, no big changes. Just a few more threats from the suits up at Universal Records. I made # 11 on Vibe Magazine’s top 50 hip hop sites (if that means anything to anyone). I'm cool with it though. My whole team (the six of us all made the list) Other than that, just continuing to post on the site whenever I can & representing New Music Cartel to my best ability. I know that I was suppose to have done this interview a long time ago but I get sidetracked all the time so I apologize sir.
No one knows what I do daily for my wife, kids & other things to make money that are both musical & non-musical. Its a recession out here & the hustle is ten times harder & no one believes in 9-5 shifts. Everyone is tryna make money being their own boss. Shit, I lost 47 pounds & its about to be Summertime so I don't know how the next few months are gonna be for me. I feel better about life.
BFochs: Big props on losing that weight, that's no easy task, good to see the things are runnin' smoothly. No need for another introduction, so we can get straight to the nitty gritty. Dajaz1.com is still going hard, you did it big in '08, what kind of things do you have planned for your site and just life in general in the new year?
Splash: Same shit. I guess I did ok in 08. I think I put out a decent amount of music before anyone else had it. I think having new music at all times on your site is important for your daily viewers but having it FIRST is a plus. I plan to do the same & try & take it a lil more seriously. Since I came into this blog world from mixtapes, I wasn't into a lot of underground artists. The underground artists at the time most likely made it to mainstream because of their team or their label in my opinion. Because of the blogs, I was introduced to people like Mickey Factz, Wale, Crooked I, Skyzoo, Wiz Khalifa, etc. I still don't post them as much as I possibly could but there's room for change. I came from mixtapes & DJ's ain't play underground artists because they couldn't waste room on their tapes for people that weren't known. Its the truth.
I've just been real to myself & don't wanna be a follower like the other fuckery blogs out there that post just about anything just because its on NMC sites. I also don't wanna be forced into posting something. Don't email me three to four times about the same song. Don't tell me that the other NMC websites have it up so "I need to". That does nothing for me. We're all different which is why we work & we dominate everything. Without checking I believe I'm the lowest ranking site in NMC but I'm cool with it.
I know that I don't post a lot of underground videos, news & interviews. Like I said, we're all different. Shit, I post pop music. What I do know is that the other blog sites check us at least seven to ten times a day to see what we have. How bout this shit... an exclusive isn't exclusive anymore for more than five minutes. Once its up, its downloaded & re-uploaded onto another site in minutes & then they do a blast like they had it first (shots at whoever wants it). Shit is wack now. I've lost the mood to do this a few times but my love of music keeps me around. I think that at least 60% of the new comers that have a blog do this "to be a part of something" (& I'm being generous on how low that % is).
They don't really love music. They may like listening to music, watching a few videos & award shows but nothing more than that. I do this for the love of music. Shit, I explained that in my last interview. I recently got a tattoo of headphones on my forearm that I feel expresses my love for music. I don't get money from my website. Shit, I buy singles on iTunes for $.99 or $1.29 each & post the single cover with the mp3 to promote that artist. I don't make money from the label yet I spend my own money, every week. Ehh, whatever man.
BFochs: Your willingness to invest into songs for the site is proof you mean business, much respect for doing it for the music. I'm just going to cut to the chase and get this one out the way, you mentioned back in the day when you Clue and Duro were partyin' at your folks house that's how you got your nickname. You know how it goes, when someone says "don't" people do the opposite haha, so that leads me with this question, how exactly did the name 'Splash' come about? At least give us a solid clue how that came about.
Splash: Um, fuck it, I'll be real. Hopefully my kids don't find this interview because they've been asking me for a while now. When I was younger, more than 50% of the chicks I used to knock down, I was going raw like condoms didn't exist. So at the cut party that day, I was heading for a room with this chick & Clue said, "he's gonna go raw dog again & splash all in her with no cares, niggas should call you Splash." The name stuck since then. Thankfully I wised up & started wearing condoms with everyone except for when my kids were conceived & with luck & prayers, I'm disease free.
Ahh man those were the days. I wouldn't change anything. Well, maybe. I did knockdown a few I'd wanna exchange lol. There were a couple one-nighters I had to knock down because my peoples had the friend so I had to entertain these beasts. Getting head from a chick who was double my weight was not the move but we were in Syracuse so what the hell. 3-4 hours from home gets me the pass.
BFochs: And there we have it folks, the mystery is revealed! Those must have been craaaaaaaazy times lol. Last time, I asked if you could bust out a war story about the tape game out of the archives, and you said it would take too long, well now that we got the critical ish out the way with interview part one, we can get into this type of stuff, let loose man, give us a hot story lol.
Splash: No idea which story to tell. When I talk to people they talk about different things & it usually goes into a crazy story. I was always told that I talk too much so I don't wanna talk for no reason. I think I talked enough last interview with getting shot at & other things. Um, I'll be non musical today. Well then again, two DJ's were there. Still funny story in my eyes & I'll never do it again. Well, not at that spot. Anyway, a few years ago, DJ Big Mike told me & DJ Keyz to come through with him to a spot in Connecticut where it goes down. The chicks strip but they also take care of you for a small fee.
Ehh, sounds like a disease fest, but my dumb ass chose to go anyway. So we get to the spot. Crazy chicks walking around half dressed & taking people in the back room. So the three of us look around & I spot this dope chick. Body dope, face dope, etc. So I'm watching her for the next 30 min that we in there as Big Mike & DJ Keyz scope out other chicks. Keyz finds who he wants so he goes in, minutes later he comes out happy as fuck. I couldn't find the chick I wanted & I'm picky (yea I know, picky on a house full of whores) so me & Mike played a game of pool (mind you this isn't the average strip club, its a huge spot like a nightclub with a bar & a lot of open space).
So when I see who I want, I grab her & tell her I want her in the back, she told me to give her a few minutes. 3 minutes later she returns & takes me to the back where I walk past 4-5 other stalls where niggas is getting taken cared of. Some are fucking & some are getting head. So I go to the last stall & sit down. Hand over the currency, shorty pulls down pants, pulls out the condom & puts it on me & gets busy. I'm so anxious because she's dope & I'm nervous because I watch way too much tv that a few minutes later I'm into it & touching her that I bust (no excuses, real shit).
The second that I started to bust, the lights come on. She looks up at me & we stare for 1/2 a second & I said, what the fuck, does that mean the cops are here? She said, "yea, how'd you know"? I got up pulled my pants up & walk out fast til I got to the door. As I get to the door I turn the corner & try to post against the wall as cops run past me. One cop sees that I just came out & told me not to move. I look at Keyz & Mike & they look sick like what the fuck. They line me & the other 4-5 guys up against the wall & all the chicks were on the other side. So I'm standing against the wall meanwhile, I just finished nutting so now that I'm standing, the condom is still on me filled with cum. I'm like, I hope they don't ask me to pull down my pants to check me or I'm done.
I also was hoping that since I got soft that standing wouldn't make the condom slide off me. So the cops check my license & I was let go 15 minutes later. As I'm walking towards the door, I look at the chick who gave me head & she gave me the most fucked up look I ever got from a female after sex. I think that she thought I was a cop since I guessed what happened when the lights came on. When I got outside Mike & Keyz drove up to me as I told them to get me to a bathroom so I could take the condom off. He drives to Dunkin Donuts as I ended up blaming Big Mike for the next month saying I'm never going back out there.
That was the worst strip club experience I ever had. Then again, my bachelor party night was messed up also but you gotta wait for pt. 3 if you want that info. All I'm gonna say is that the stripper violated me & should've been punched in her face.... Shit, there's also another time when Envy & my man Coke left me for dead in The Meadowlands when the Bloods were about to beat the shit out of us meanwhile I'm so into the show watching 702 singing "Where My Girls At" lol & now that I think about it, I hate them bitches, well the light skinned bitch because I kicked it to her in front of Universal/Motown Records & she shut me down quick but still took a mixtape from me. Ain't that some shit. I think that broads name was Irish. Good for her, that's why they ain't make it far. Yeah I'm hating. So!
BFochs: Wowzers lol, that's insane lol,that response was nuts, it's safe to say you've lived a little in your life lol. You and the DJ's you've worked with have broke many records in your careers, out of all the songs you've broke on the mixtape scene, which one was the biggest? Besides the Jay-Z album leak fiasco, who has caught feelings the most or been the most mad at you for leaking their stuff?
Splash: A lot of people caught feelings but there's nothing I would've done different if I wanted to succeed in the game. I've gotten threatened by artists before to pay money for leaking a song on a mixtape but fuck em. One asked for $2,000, one asked for $1,500. Foxy Brown also threatened me to tell me not to make up anymore copies of a mixtape because Envy & I played "Hot Spot" months before it was supposed to come out. The main person I'd say that caught feelings was Irv Gotti. We did a mixtape called "Dead or Alive" & me and Envy put our faces on the cover as a Wanted poster (shouts to Nojo for the artwork).
We played "Dogs For Life" (Nas, DMX, etc) which was the 1st single off Belly soundtrack (which was renamed as "Grand Finale" & I'd like to think that us leaking it made him change the title). It wasn't mastered & it was on Envy's mixtape 4 days after it was recorded. The day the tape came out, he was calling our phones & emailing us on our Skytel 2way pagers lol (worldcom). So we finally called him on three way & he was like, "Yo, y'all picked a good name for the tape because y'all niggas are wanted, wait til I see y'all". He said, "How did you get the song & don't tell me that you got it in the mail like you've told me in the past".
Haha that was our excuse to everyone who questioned where we got music from. So everytime we went up to Def Jam (back on Varick St) for the next month, we tried hard to avoid him. We needed music so we dealt with going up there. We came out the elevator one day & when we were about to go through the door we noticed a grey Range Rover. We immediately stopped & noticed that it was Jay Z parked in front of the building. So as we started getting closer, we noticed that Irv is in the Range with him. We immediately went the other way lol. We later cleared up the situation with no altercation. Shit, I even got Irv to buy Envy's first track for the Murderers album.
BFochs: That Belly OST song is dope as hell, thank you for leaking it and having the name changed because the 2nd name is better. Who do you think is the most respected DJ in the game? Do you think the mixtape has lost permanent value due to the easiness of making them or are they still just as important as they were back when the game wasn't so oversaturated?
Splash: Not sure who's the most respected. Clue is respected crazy to when I'm in the streets with him, people come up to us & ask him for his autograph but then again people hate on him crazy. There's always Flex who gets respect & then turns around to talk wreckless for no reason about an artist, DJ or radio station. So I don't really have a clear answer. As far as mixtapes, it's wack now. Blogs have made it so easy for more people to do a mixtape. Being real about it though is once you made it, how far does it go. You just started so you lack distro & there's not as much open spots as there was ten years ago. So with the game like it is, after you pay for covers & blanks, what's the result with your weak effort? Seriously?
I can't talk too much on it otherwise I'd be killing myself & others in my immediate circle so I'm done. I just know that I look at, at least 80 % of the mixtapes & know that 90% of their music comes from the internet. There's only a handful of DJ's who actually get music on their own before it hits the internet that makes a difference on their cds. I laugh so much when I see mix cd lists & say to myself, "We leaked that, that came from us, etc". No one goes to labels anymore. No one goes to studios anymore. They check their emails, they check websites & forums, then put a list together & call their artwork guy. Shits weak.
BFochs: The internet definitely messed the tape game up and all the wack people piggybacking off music they find online is not helping either. When all is said and done and it's time to leave the earth for good, what do you want to be remembered for the most?
Splash: Good question. I don't know how to put it in words. I know that people are gonna know that I'm loyal as fuck. I'm so worried about what someone thinks that I make sure not to cross anyone & piss them off. That's probably why I'm still involved with so many DJ's because I've never done anything wrong to anyone. I do know that I'm quiet as fuck & if I was more outgoing, I would be further in life but that's my own fault as I watch people I started with become big pause with money & fame knowing I was there from the gate (ie: Clue, Envy, Whoo Kid, Big Mike, etc) That's my big fuck up. What's a nigga to do.
I guess me having "my own" website is me finally becoming my own person instead of trying to make sure my peoples are good. I used to host mixtapes & distribute mixtapes all over & nothing was ever mine but they all treated me fair financially for the most part. I kinda feel like I'm Envy's Bleek pause. Like how people say that Bleek doesn't have to record anything to make money because he's done enough that Jay Z will take care of him for life, I feel Envy would do the same for me. At least its been like that since the mid 90's. Lemme knock on wood pause. I used to get so many songs on cds & that's from studios & offices that I had no business having.
BFochs: Loyalty is so so important, people are really spineless nowadays, good to know your hella loyal bro. In convos of the past you've mentioned shit got hectic on the streets with bootleggers and such. Care to shine any light on any instance where the bootlegger's shenanigans got extra thick?
Splash: Um, I only got into one fight with a bootlegger. His name was Abraham & I think he's still on Jamaica Ave. He took product & didn't do what he was suppose to do for 2-3 weeks (follow me people incase RIAA is reading) so I swung on him & landed because I was aggravated. I'm no tough guy & back then I couldn't have been more than 120 lbs wet, but I felt disrespected & by a bootlegger made me feel worse about the situation especially when I was told from other DJ's that their situation was clear. Understand? That's all.
BFochs: A person can only take so much, you did what you had to do. This is a pretty cliche question, but since you are well versed with this industry shit so your opinion holds a little more weight than an outsider looking in, do you think hip hop is dead? Do you think the mixtape game will ever die?
Splash: Nah, hip hop isn't dead to me. Its just not what it used to be. I'm older so I can appreciate the hell out of old school hip hop from the 80's & 90's. Speed limit is 50 on the highway but I don't overdue it, so I'll do 60-65 but when I hear Mister Cee's "Old School At Noon" or another DJ playing old school music by I have no problem pushing it to 85-90. I get to where I have to go so much faster when I listen to something that I don't hear 3-4 times a day, everyday.
Seriously, being in the car just to drop my kids to school, to pick them up & to drive home, I hear Drake's "Best I Ever Had" at least 3-4 times on Hot 97 & Power 105.1. They overkill the fuck out of that song. There's no reason that I shouldn't know 85%-95% of the words to it. Speaking only for myself, I know that we had a good run in the 90's with Jay Z, Biggie, Nas, Wu-Tang, Fugees, etc but I feel like there can never be a better hip hop time zone than the era of the late 80's to early 90's where we had god music. People from MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Slick Rick, Fat Boys, Special Ed, Kool G Rap, KRS-One, LL Cool J, EPMD, Roxanne Shante, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Salt N Pepa, etc. to Public Enemy, Brand Nubian, Gangstarr, Nice N Smooth, A Tribe Called Quest, Onyx, Naughty By Nature, Black Moon, etc. & I didn't even talk about West Coast artists yet from that time frame. See how excited I get about that era. Shit was dope. Nothing like it is now.
The mixtape game won't die although DJ's have been saying it for the longest. The main DJ's from the 90's just don't give a fuck about it as much & I don't blame them. They moved onto bigger & better things for the most part. Doing radio & 4-7 parties a week makes more sense then pissing off the RIAA. Look at who used to drop heavy. If they drop now, they don't put that much effort into it because of how the game is. I guess if you really wanna go far then mixtapes are a step on the ladder up but most of these new fucks are doing it to get a name in their neighborhood or believe they can make a quick buck.
Trust me, its so much more of a worthless chance that they're taking that it was back then. Its not even nickel & diming. Its penny & barely nickeling if you understand. I'd say just leave it alone if you're not established already. I know people that been in it for a few years & are still having problems getting their stuff distributed all over. They ask me for help but nah I'm good. If your shit don't move, you're not gonna fuck up my name with these mom & pops spots. I pass. Especially if you have shit a 7-10 days after the main dj's dropped. What's the point. The internet runs mixtapes. Shit, if anyone pays attention, the internet music is the new radio minus the commercials. 90% of the videos come out before BET & MTV premiere them. If someone cares enough to record it, it'll be on you tube right after it aired on tv. Shits crazy nowadays.
BFochs: Hip hop in the 90's was crazy compared to now, to each his own. I agree, it's not dead, nor do I think it will ever die. If you could link up with Clue and Duro to make a restaraunt what kind of restaurant would it be, what would the name be and what would the slogan for it be?
Splash: Ha. Where do you come up with these questions? I'm guessing you asked that because last interview I told you that the three of us worked at a fast food spot. Well I'm no good with names at all. Everyone who has worked with me knows that. I just ended a business with someone last summer because he wasn't focused enough & he fucked up our money bad to where money came between our friendship & it was the easiest thing in the world. A real fucking easy money maker but he wasn't doing his end pause so it ended up being time to hang it up once it finally started to get back on track for our own reasons.
I just started a business with someone but I'm so silent in it that I didn't have much say in the title, only the direction of where it should go & how decent its been in the past six months but it has nothing to do with music at all so I don't promote it on the site. I'm not sure of doing a business with more than two people as the owners. Everyone has an opinion on how they want things so I wouldn't even look forward to that.
BFochs: It would indeed be a sticky situation, hard to run a business nowadays especially with the wack economy. Out of all your time in the music industry, what has been the most important thing you have learned? What advice do you have for anyone that is trying to get in the music business nowadays?
Splash: Um, learned, I'd say that everyone is shady. Really. People use you until they get what they need. Once people become in a higher position, the phone calls slow down & they become distant unless they realize that they need you for something that benefits them. I'd say at least 95% of the people that I've come across that have moved forward for the better are like that. It happens. People don't plan on it but it has happened to me as well as I've witnessed it happen to other people. Shit sucks. Even the people who become distant & foul to others didn't think they'd become that way but you can't really control it I think.
There's different reasons in why people do it. Put it like this, I didn't become distant to people I grew up with because I have more money than them, that's not the case. I became distant because I live music & entertainment daily so there's so much less to converse about & have in common when the other person has no clue of what you're talkin about. The conversations last but so long and you can't force someone to be into the same thing to keep the friendship going. Life altogether is just a fucked up thing.
As far as advice, I have none. I'd say good luck & that's it. The business is so fucked up, especially just coming into it & as much as I've learned & seen (& its not even that much because I hardly went anywhere & I wasn't that outgoing) but I wouldn't get into it now. I'd tell someone to look into something else, not to even bother.
BFochs: The music industry is OUTRAGEOUS, people are evil as all hell, you're right, getting in the game right now is hard, make sure you have a back up plan if you are trying to get into the game, always good to have a plan B. If you could get a date with Christina Milian in return for your site would you make that trade?
Splash: Fuck no. Like I said, the site is mine. No one else is a part of it. I love having something that's my own. If you got more specific in your question, I may think a little but you didn't say if I was guaranteed head, intercourse, hand job, tossing my salad lol anything. She's now with Dream, she was with Dre before & Nick, its just too many people right after the other. No breathing room in between mates. I like pureness or close to being pure. I broke my wife's virginity at 14. I'm not for someone who has multiple partners unless I was just knocking em down but my infatuation with Milian was making me want to wife her up & splash in her on purpose if I had the chance. Yea I know, a nigga can dream......and when the dreams were wet, damn right it involved me knocking her down or Sanaa Lathan or Lisa Raye. I'm picky.
BFochs: That's true, she's been around the block, a little too much, lol. I think you built up more hype for your long-awaited book with this one sir, publishers get your checkbooks, Splash is taking offers! Lol. That's all I got my man, it's that time for the shouts and what have you, go at it dude.
Splash: Thank you homie for the opportunity to speak. I know I have my own site but I don't talk that much on it. I guess something has to spark me to talk & as shown, I can't stop fucking talking once I start. I have problems in that area.
Shouts to my whole New Music Cartel family. Shouts to you & your viewers who took the time out to read this interview as well as part one. I appreciate it. I don't do Twitter, haven't touched my myspace for a while. Think I had someone go there just to accept friends for me & I don't use Facebook. I'm good with my website, my blackberry, my sidekick & my emails. That's all I need for communication.
BFochs: When you tell crazy stories you have to talk a lot, it's just part of the protocol, no worries lol. Thanks once again for blessin' my spot with your words of wisdom sir, as always, I wish you and yours continued success in anything ya'll do, take it easy man!
Splash: What's up homie. Um, no big changes. Just a few more threats from the suits up at Universal Records. I made # 11 on Vibe Magazine’s top 50 hip hop sites (if that means anything to anyone). I'm cool with it though. My whole team (the six of us all made the list) Other than that, just continuing to post on the site whenever I can & representing New Music Cartel to my best ability. I know that I was suppose to have done this interview a long time ago but I get sidetracked all the time so I apologize sir.
No one knows what I do daily for my wife, kids & other things to make money that are both musical & non-musical. Its a recession out here & the hustle is ten times harder & no one believes in 9-5 shifts. Everyone is tryna make money being their own boss. Shit, I lost 47 pounds & its about to be Summertime so I don't know how the next few months are gonna be for me. I feel better about life.
BFochs: Big props on losing that weight, that's no easy task, good to see the things are runnin' smoothly. No need for another introduction, so we can get straight to the nitty gritty. Dajaz1.com is still going hard, you did it big in '08, what kind of things do you have planned for your site and just life in general in the new year?
Splash: Same shit. I guess I did ok in 08. I think I put out a decent amount of music before anyone else had it. I think having new music at all times on your site is important for your daily viewers but having it FIRST is a plus. I plan to do the same & try & take it a lil more seriously. Since I came into this blog world from mixtapes, I wasn't into a lot of underground artists. The underground artists at the time most likely made it to mainstream because of their team or their label in my opinion. Because of the blogs, I was introduced to people like Mickey Factz, Wale, Crooked I, Skyzoo, Wiz Khalifa, etc. I still don't post them as much as I possibly could but there's room for change. I came from mixtapes & DJ's ain't play underground artists because they couldn't waste room on their tapes for people that weren't known. Its the truth.
I've just been real to myself & don't wanna be a follower like the other fuckery blogs out there that post just about anything just because its on NMC sites. I also don't wanna be forced into posting something. Don't email me three to four times about the same song. Don't tell me that the other NMC websites have it up so "I need to". That does nothing for me. We're all different which is why we work & we dominate everything. Without checking I believe I'm the lowest ranking site in NMC but I'm cool with it.
I know that I don't post a lot of underground videos, news & interviews. Like I said, we're all different. Shit, I post pop music. What I do know is that the other blog sites check us at least seven to ten times a day to see what we have. How bout this shit... an exclusive isn't exclusive anymore for more than five minutes. Once its up, its downloaded & re-uploaded onto another site in minutes & then they do a blast like they had it first (shots at whoever wants it). Shit is wack now. I've lost the mood to do this a few times but my love of music keeps me around. I think that at least 60% of the new comers that have a blog do this "to be a part of something" (& I'm being generous on how low that % is).
They don't really love music. They may like listening to music, watching a few videos & award shows but nothing more than that. I do this for the love of music. Shit, I explained that in my last interview. I recently got a tattoo of headphones on my forearm that I feel expresses my love for music. I don't get money from my website. Shit, I buy singles on iTunes for $.99 or $1.29 each & post the single cover with the mp3 to promote that artist. I don't make money from the label yet I spend my own money, every week. Ehh, whatever man.
BFochs: Your willingness to invest into songs for the site is proof you mean business, much respect for doing it for the music. I'm just going to cut to the chase and get this one out the way, you mentioned back in the day when you Clue and Duro were partyin' at your folks house that's how you got your nickname. You know how it goes, when someone says "don't" people do the opposite haha, so that leads me with this question, how exactly did the name 'Splash' come about? At least give us a solid clue how that came about.
Splash: Um, fuck it, I'll be real. Hopefully my kids don't find this interview because they've been asking me for a while now. When I was younger, more than 50% of the chicks I used to knock down, I was going raw like condoms didn't exist. So at the cut party that day, I was heading for a room with this chick & Clue said, "he's gonna go raw dog again & splash all in her with no cares, niggas should call you Splash." The name stuck since then. Thankfully I wised up & started wearing condoms with everyone except for when my kids were conceived & with luck & prayers, I'm disease free.
Ahh man those were the days. I wouldn't change anything. Well, maybe. I did knockdown a few I'd wanna exchange lol. There were a couple one-nighters I had to knock down because my peoples had the friend so I had to entertain these beasts. Getting head from a chick who was double my weight was not the move but we were in Syracuse so what the hell. 3-4 hours from home gets me the pass.
BFochs: And there we have it folks, the mystery is revealed! Those must have been craaaaaaaazy times lol. Last time, I asked if you could bust out a war story about the tape game out of the archives, and you said it would take too long, well now that we got the critical ish out the way with interview part one, we can get into this type of stuff, let loose man, give us a hot story lol.
Splash: No idea which story to tell. When I talk to people they talk about different things & it usually goes into a crazy story. I was always told that I talk too much so I don't wanna talk for no reason. I think I talked enough last interview with getting shot at & other things. Um, I'll be non musical today. Well then again, two DJ's were there. Still funny story in my eyes & I'll never do it again. Well, not at that spot. Anyway, a few years ago, DJ Big Mike told me & DJ Keyz to come through with him to a spot in Connecticut where it goes down. The chicks strip but they also take care of you for a small fee.
Ehh, sounds like a disease fest, but my dumb ass chose to go anyway. So we get to the spot. Crazy chicks walking around half dressed & taking people in the back room. So the three of us look around & I spot this dope chick. Body dope, face dope, etc. So I'm watching her for the next 30 min that we in there as Big Mike & DJ Keyz scope out other chicks. Keyz finds who he wants so he goes in, minutes later he comes out happy as fuck. I couldn't find the chick I wanted & I'm picky (yea I know, picky on a house full of whores) so me & Mike played a game of pool (mind you this isn't the average strip club, its a huge spot like a nightclub with a bar & a lot of open space).
So when I see who I want, I grab her & tell her I want her in the back, she told me to give her a few minutes. 3 minutes later she returns & takes me to the back where I walk past 4-5 other stalls where niggas is getting taken cared of. Some are fucking & some are getting head. So I go to the last stall & sit down. Hand over the currency, shorty pulls down pants, pulls out the condom & puts it on me & gets busy. I'm so anxious because she's dope & I'm nervous because I watch way too much tv that a few minutes later I'm into it & touching her that I bust (no excuses, real shit).
The second that I started to bust, the lights come on. She looks up at me & we stare for 1/2 a second & I said, what the fuck, does that mean the cops are here? She said, "yea, how'd you know"? I got up pulled my pants up & walk out fast til I got to the door. As I get to the door I turn the corner & try to post against the wall as cops run past me. One cop sees that I just came out & told me not to move. I look at Keyz & Mike & they look sick like what the fuck. They line me & the other 4-5 guys up against the wall & all the chicks were on the other side. So I'm standing against the wall meanwhile, I just finished nutting so now that I'm standing, the condom is still on me filled with cum. I'm like, I hope they don't ask me to pull down my pants to check me or I'm done.
I also was hoping that since I got soft that standing wouldn't make the condom slide off me. So the cops check my license & I was let go 15 minutes later. As I'm walking towards the door, I look at the chick who gave me head & she gave me the most fucked up look I ever got from a female after sex. I think that she thought I was a cop since I guessed what happened when the lights came on. When I got outside Mike & Keyz drove up to me as I told them to get me to a bathroom so I could take the condom off. He drives to Dunkin Donuts as I ended up blaming Big Mike for the next month saying I'm never going back out there.
That was the worst strip club experience I ever had. Then again, my bachelor party night was messed up also but you gotta wait for pt. 3 if you want that info. All I'm gonna say is that the stripper violated me & should've been punched in her face.... Shit, there's also another time when Envy & my man Coke left me for dead in The Meadowlands when the Bloods were about to beat the shit out of us meanwhile I'm so into the show watching 702 singing "Where My Girls At" lol & now that I think about it, I hate them bitches, well the light skinned bitch because I kicked it to her in front of Universal/Motown Records & she shut me down quick but still took a mixtape from me. Ain't that some shit. I think that broads name was Irish. Good for her, that's why they ain't make it far. Yeah I'm hating. So!
BFochs: Wowzers lol, that's insane lol,that response was nuts, it's safe to say you've lived a little in your life lol. You and the DJ's you've worked with have broke many records in your careers, out of all the songs you've broke on the mixtape scene, which one was the biggest? Besides the Jay-Z album leak fiasco, who has caught feelings the most or been the most mad at you for leaking their stuff?
Splash: A lot of people caught feelings but there's nothing I would've done different if I wanted to succeed in the game. I've gotten threatened by artists before to pay money for leaking a song on a mixtape but fuck em. One asked for $2,000, one asked for $1,500. Foxy Brown also threatened me to tell me not to make up anymore copies of a mixtape because Envy & I played "Hot Spot" months before it was supposed to come out. The main person I'd say that caught feelings was Irv Gotti. We did a mixtape called "Dead or Alive" & me and Envy put our faces on the cover as a Wanted poster (shouts to Nojo for the artwork).
We played "Dogs For Life" (Nas, DMX, etc) which was the 1st single off Belly soundtrack (which was renamed as "Grand Finale" & I'd like to think that us leaking it made him change the title). It wasn't mastered & it was on Envy's mixtape 4 days after it was recorded. The day the tape came out, he was calling our phones & emailing us on our Skytel 2way pagers lol (worldcom). So we finally called him on three way & he was like, "Yo, y'all picked a good name for the tape because y'all niggas are wanted, wait til I see y'all". He said, "How did you get the song & don't tell me that you got it in the mail like you've told me in the past".
Haha that was our excuse to everyone who questioned where we got music from. So everytime we went up to Def Jam (back on Varick St) for the next month, we tried hard to avoid him. We needed music so we dealt with going up there. We came out the elevator one day & when we were about to go through the door we noticed a grey Range Rover. We immediately stopped & noticed that it was Jay Z parked in front of the building. So as we started getting closer, we noticed that Irv is in the Range with him. We immediately went the other way lol. We later cleared up the situation with no altercation. Shit, I even got Irv to buy Envy's first track for the Murderers album.
BFochs: That Belly OST song is dope as hell, thank you for leaking it and having the name changed because the 2nd name is better. Who do you think is the most respected DJ in the game? Do you think the mixtape has lost permanent value due to the easiness of making them or are they still just as important as they were back when the game wasn't so oversaturated?
Splash: Not sure who's the most respected. Clue is respected crazy to when I'm in the streets with him, people come up to us & ask him for his autograph but then again people hate on him crazy. There's always Flex who gets respect & then turns around to talk wreckless for no reason about an artist, DJ or radio station. So I don't really have a clear answer. As far as mixtapes, it's wack now. Blogs have made it so easy for more people to do a mixtape. Being real about it though is once you made it, how far does it go. You just started so you lack distro & there's not as much open spots as there was ten years ago. So with the game like it is, after you pay for covers & blanks, what's the result with your weak effort? Seriously?
I can't talk too much on it otherwise I'd be killing myself & others in my immediate circle so I'm done. I just know that I look at, at least 80 % of the mixtapes & know that 90% of their music comes from the internet. There's only a handful of DJ's who actually get music on their own before it hits the internet that makes a difference on their cds. I laugh so much when I see mix cd lists & say to myself, "We leaked that, that came from us, etc". No one goes to labels anymore. No one goes to studios anymore. They check their emails, they check websites & forums, then put a list together & call their artwork guy. Shits weak.
BFochs: The internet definitely messed the tape game up and all the wack people piggybacking off music they find online is not helping either. When all is said and done and it's time to leave the earth for good, what do you want to be remembered for the most?
Splash: Good question. I don't know how to put it in words. I know that people are gonna know that I'm loyal as fuck. I'm so worried about what someone thinks that I make sure not to cross anyone & piss them off. That's probably why I'm still involved with so many DJ's because I've never done anything wrong to anyone. I do know that I'm quiet as fuck & if I was more outgoing, I would be further in life but that's my own fault as I watch people I started with become big pause with money & fame knowing I was there from the gate (ie: Clue, Envy, Whoo Kid, Big Mike, etc) That's my big fuck up. What's a nigga to do.
I guess me having "my own" website is me finally becoming my own person instead of trying to make sure my peoples are good. I used to host mixtapes & distribute mixtapes all over & nothing was ever mine but they all treated me fair financially for the most part. I kinda feel like I'm Envy's Bleek pause. Like how people say that Bleek doesn't have to record anything to make money because he's done enough that Jay Z will take care of him for life, I feel Envy would do the same for me. At least its been like that since the mid 90's. Lemme knock on wood pause. I used to get so many songs on cds & that's from studios & offices that I had no business having.
BFochs: Loyalty is so so important, people are really spineless nowadays, good to know your hella loyal bro. In convos of the past you've mentioned shit got hectic on the streets with bootleggers and such. Care to shine any light on any instance where the bootlegger's shenanigans got extra thick?
Splash: Um, I only got into one fight with a bootlegger. His name was Abraham & I think he's still on Jamaica Ave. He took product & didn't do what he was suppose to do for 2-3 weeks (follow me people incase RIAA is reading) so I swung on him & landed because I was aggravated. I'm no tough guy & back then I couldn't have been more than 120 lbs wet, but I felt disrespected & by a bootlegger made me feel worse about the situation especially when I was told from other DJ's that their situation was clear. Understand? That's all.
BFochs: A person can only take so much, you did what you had to do. This is a pretty cliche question, but since you are well versed with this industry shit so your opinion holds a little more weight than an outsider looking in, do you think hip hop is dead? Do you think the mixtape game will ever die?
Splash: Nah, hip hop isn't dead to me. Its just not what it used to be. I'm older so I can appreciate the hell out of old school hip hop from the 80's & 90's. Speed limit is 50 on the highway but I don't overdue it, so I'll do 60-65 but when I hear Mister Cee's "Old School At Noon" or another DJ playing old school music by I have no problem pushing it to 85-90. I get to where I have to go so much faster when I listen to something that I don't hear 3-4 times a day, everyday.
Seriously, being in the car just to drop my kids to school, to pick them up & to drive home, I hear Drake's "Best I Ever Had" at least 3-4 times on Hot 97 & Power 105.1. They overkill the fuck out of that song. There's no reason that I shouldn't know 85%-95% of the words to it. Speaking only for myself, I know that we had a good run in the 90's with Jay Z, Biggie, Nas, Wu-Tang, Fugees, etc but I feel like there can never be a better hip hop time zone than the era of the late 80's to early 90's where we had god music. People from MC Lyte, Big Daddy Kane, Rakim, Slick Rick, Fat Boys, Special Ed, Kool G Rap, KRS-One, LL Cool J, EPMD, Roxanne Shante, De La Soul, Beastie Boys, Salt N Pepa, etc. to Public Enemy, Brand Nubian, Gangstarr, Nice N Smooth, A Tribe Called Quest, Onyx, Naughty By Nature, Black Moon, etc. & I didn't even talk about West Coast artists yet from that time frame. See how excited I get about that era. Shit was dope. Nothing like it is now.
The mixtape game won't die although DJ's have been saying it for the longest. The main DJ's from the 90's just don't give a fuck about it as much & I don't blame them. They moved onto bigger & better things for the most part. Doing radio & 4-7 parties a week makes more sense then pissing off the RIAA. Look at who used to drop heavy. If they drop now, they don't put that much effort into it because of how the game is. I guess if you really wanna go far then mixtapes are a step on the ladder up but most of these new fucks are doing it to get a name in their neighborhood or believe they can make a quick buck.
Trust me, its so much more of a worthless chance that they're taking that it was back then. Its not even nickel & diming. Its penny & barely nickeling if you understand. I'd say just leave it alone if you're not established already. I know people that been in it for a few years & are still having problems getting their stuff distributed all over. They ask me for help but nah I'm good. If your shit don't move, you're not gonna fuck up my name with these mom & pops spots. I pass. Especially if you have shit a 7-10 days after the main dj's dropped. What's the point. The internet runs mixtapes. Shit, if anyone pays attention, the internet music is the new radio minus the commercials. 90% of the videos come out before BET & MTV premiere them. If someone cares enough to record it, it'll be on you tube right after it aired on tv. Shits crazy nowadays.
BFochs: Hip hop in the 90's was crazy compared to now, to each his own. I agree, it's not dead, nor do I think it will ever die. If you could link up with Clue and Duro to make a restaraunt what kind of restaurant would it be, what would the name be and what would the slogan for it be?
Splash: Ha. Where do you come up with these questions? I'm guessing you asked that because last interview I told you that the three of us worked at a fast food spot. Well I'm no good with names at all. Everyone who has worked with me knows that. I just ended a business with someone last summer because he wasn't focused enough & he fucked up our money bad to where money came between our friendship & it was the easiest thing in the world. A real fucking easy money maker but he wasn't doing his end pause so it ended up being time to hang it up once it finally started to get back on track for our own reasons.
I just started a business with someone but I'm so silent in it that I didn't have much say in the title, only the direction of where it should go & how decent its been in the past six months but it has nothing to do with music at all so I don't promote it on the site. I'm not sure of doing a business with more than two people as the owners. Everyone has an opinion on how they want things so I wouldn't even look forward to that.
BFochs: It would indeed be a sticky situation, hard to run a business nowadays especially with the wack economy. Out of all your time in the music industry, what has been the most important thing you have learned? What advice do you have for anyone that is trying to get in the music business nowadays?
Splash: Um, learned, I'd say that everyone is shady. Really. People use you until they get what they need. Once people become in a higher position, the phone calls slow down & they become distant unless they realize that they need you for something that benefits them. I'd say at least 95% of the people that I've come across that have moved forward for the better are like that. It happens. People don't plan on it but it has happened to me as well as I've witnessed it happen to other people. Shit sucks. Even the people who become distant & foul to others didn't think they'd become that way but you can't really control it I think.
There's different reasons in why people do it. Put it like this, I didn't become distant to people I grew up with because I have more money than them, that's not the case. I became distant because I live music & entertainment daily so there's so much less to converse about & have in common when the other person has no clue of what you're talkin about. The conversations last but so long and you can't force someone to be into the same thing to keep the friendship going. Life altogether is just a fucked up thing.
As far as advice, I have none. I'd say good luck & that's it. The business is so fucked up, especially just coming into it & as much as I've learned & seen (& its not even that much because I hardly went anywhere & I wasn't that outgoing) but I wouldn't get into it now. I'd tell someone to look into something else, not to even bother.
BFochs: The music industry is OUTRAGEOUS, people are evil as all hell, you're right, getting in the game right now is hard, make sure you have a back up plan if you are trying to get into the game, always good to have a plan B. If you could get a date with Christina Milian in return for your site would you make that trade?
Splash: Fuck no. Like I said, the site is mine. No one else is a part of it. I love having something that's my own. If you got more specific in your question, I may think a little but you didn't say if I was guaranteed head, intercourse, hand job, tossing my salad lol anything. She's now with Dream, she was with Dre before & Nick, its just too many people right after the other. No breathing room in between mates. I like pureness or close to being pure. I broke my wife's virginity at 14. I'm not for someone who has multiple partners unless I was just knocking em down but my infatuation with Milian was making me want to wife her up & splash in her on purpose if I had the chance. Yea I know, a nigga can dream......and when the dreams were wet, damn right it involved me knocking her down or Sanaa Lathan or Lisa Raye. I'm picky.
BFochs: That's true, she's been around the block, a little too much, lol. I think you built up more hype for your long-awaited book with this one sir, publishers get your checkbooks, Splash is taking offers! Lol. That's all I got my man, it's that time for the shouts and what have you, go at it dude.
Splash: Thank you homie for the opportunity to speak. I know I have my own site but I don't talk that much on it. I guess something has to spark me to talk & as shown, I can't stop fucking talking once I start. I have problems in that area.
Shouts to my whole New Music Cartel family. Shouts to you & your viewers who took the time out to read this interview as well as part one. I appreciate it. I don't do Twitter, haven't touched my myspace for a while. Think I had someone go there just to accept friends for me & I don't use Facebook. I'm good with my website, my blackberry, my sidekick & my emails. That's all I need for communication.
BFochs: When you tell crazy stories you have to talk a lot, it's just part of the protocol, no worries lol. Thanks once again for blessin' my spot with your words of wisdom sir, as always, I wish you and yours continued success in anything ya'll do, take it easy man!
BBB@BFochs.com
dope interview :-) Its great to get a little of a legends perspective
ReplyDeleteSPLASH! great read....great interview. damn Splash, you lived the fast life huh? shit is crazy...
ReplyDeletedope!
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