KP: The 20th Anniversary of Ready to Die recently occurred and you had a hand in so many big Hip-Hop moments from that time. Where you ever aware that you were helping to shape, as much as anyone, the direction of music for the next 20 years?
Chucky Thompson: Nahhh, I didn’t have no idea of that. I knew that the [inaudible] that we were building was something monumental. But, to like single out and individual situation and to think that it would be as big as it is now? No. (Laughter) But, I mean like I said it was just, uh, a lot of young people coming together and it was that energy that was the magic of it all. Just young people coming together, determined.
KP: Now was that a situation that you sought out? Or something that you fell into?
CT: Oh, no. I really sought it out. I had two management contracts on the table at that time. One from Hiriam Hicks and one from Sean Combs. But Sean could get me Mary. My whole push was to work with Mary. So that was definitely the situation that brought me there. So yeah that was sought out.
KP: Now was there someone who you knew was going to be great? Like they were the one?
CT: You know what? At that time even with B.I.G.; his first record was “Party & Bullsh*t.” I felt like he had something special. I didn’t know that it would go to the lengths that it went. But, you know, me working with him you could feel what was happening, and it was early on. And then he came into his own. You know it was like B.I.G. evolved as an artist. And that’s when we all knew that it was gonna be something different or something that hadn’t been seen before or felt before. Just him coming from Brooklyn and having a sense of Compton and the whole LA scene. It was different just from that perspective alone.
KP: Looking past the Bad Boy days is there anyone you worked with that you felt could take the torch and run with it?
CT: You know I had a feeling about pretty much everyone that I worked with. Whether you’re talking about Mary with her sophomore album, which was the My Life, album. I knew from the first album that she didn’t meet her full potential. So a lot of my vision was to see her where she is now back then. And, the same for Nas. Nas at one point was considered one of the dopest rappers but it’s like I don’t think he’s met his full potential. Like when we crafted out the One Mic record to me my vision for him was to make a big record. Like he was going through stuff with the whole Jay-Z, that beef and that battle, and that was still kinda like overpowering his talent. And, I was like that’s going to be over with regardless. So let’s do something that will show that talent. I mean I thought about it on that level.
KP: What do you see your role in the record making process as? Do you want to help shape their vision or do you prefer to guide them?
CT: I want to help shape their vision. I’ve sat and talked to a lot of artists about what inspired them to do what they do. So I try and find that thing that connects them [to the music] and find that thing has been seen yet or heard yet. We’ll build on that. I just like to make it personal, you understand?
KP: Is there one project or artist that stands out as your proudest moment? The one accomplishment that thirty years from now you’re going to hang your hat on?
CT: The one artist that stands out? [Laughs] It would be, actually, at the time I did his album it was a first for me. It would be Frankie. I actually only worked on his album for three months but for the acclaim that his album gets from a lot of fans that listened to it I never expected that. It way past my expectations.
KP: Are there any upcoming projects that you can share with us that you’d like talk to about?
CT: Right now? Right now I’m working with a lot of artists. Just got finished doing some stuff with Ne-Yo and just finished up with Faith [Evans] her [album] is out right now. And I’ve got my own artist that I’m working with her name is Adriana. She’s more of like a Jazz situation. Recently I’ve been working on my own.
KP: So you have a solo project coming out?
CT: Yeah, I’m going to be stepping out here as an artist. But, I’m not an artist like that I’m basically going to be putting together music. I’m more of a musician. And then my relationships are going to have some features. I‘ve got Lalah Hathaway locked in. I’ve got a couple people locked in.
KP: Can we expect any go-go feel to it at any point?
CT: Yeah, I mean its going to be me! Anything that I feel has been a part of my life and a part of my success. That has got me to this point. People know my name and have come to expect certain things of me.
KP: Chuck Brown obviously played a huge role in Go-Go and I know you produced for him in the past. Do you think enough has been done to bring his legacy to a national stage?
CT: Not Really. Not really. I still feel like it’s still a mystery to them. What Go-Go really is and the magnitude that its really reached. To me it’s world music like reggae is. You can do any record or any song in a go-go sound. It’s about a genre. It has definitely made its strides but we still have a long way to go. It’s crazy the people who take a chance using Go-Go are winning. Look at Beyonce’, that record (2003’s Crazy in Love) having those pieces in there. That record is one of her biggest records to date. Look at Jill Scott. That record (2000’s Its Love) is one of the things that got her noticed as an artist. So I mean that’s the part I’m seeing. People know of it and they have a feel for it but its not a household thing yet.
KP: When talking about Go-Go I always equate it to New Orleans’ Second Line or Reggae music. It’s the same thing. Its DC’s voice. People like you and to a certain extent Rich Harrison really tried to push that forward.
CT: Most Definitely. Even Polow [da Don]; even Cee-Lo [Green] they’ve had records that had those Go-Go influences in them. If nothing else it has made them different types of producers and artists. It’s still kind of a mystery. There have been documentaries and different things to help put it [Go-Go] out there and push it forward. But you’re never going to truly understand it until you’re in a room seeing it live. That’s just one of those things you have to experience. I’ll invite any of those people that wonder what it is to take a trip to D.C. and see it live. That’s one of the platforms I’m trying to work on. Having a stage where you can see and I’m taking it out of a club setting and have it more on a stage where you can see and buy a ticket and experience it.
KP: Do you feel like maybe Go-Go’s best days are behind it?
CT: No, but see things have to change. You can’t keep doing the same things and thinking it’s going to have the same effect. Keep doing the same thing it’s going to be the same thing happening. These kids are different. It’s almost like a couple different types of Go-Go now. You have the Classic. You have the Bounce Beat. Got all these different ones and to me they just need a stage. Just a platform where people can feel like, “I’m just coming to see the music.” Or coming to enjoy their selves but it’s in a situation where they’re able to take something from in a more creative light. It’s not so local and so personal.
KP: Has radio done a disservice to Go-Go as its faded it out over the last five to ten years?
CT: Anytime you have a platform for it that’s a good thing. I just feel like people haven’t been making records. It’s just been Go-Go snippets from shows. But, at least you can hear it. I would say that the radio has helped keep it on people’s mind. It’s just that people, the musicians and the artists, just have to focus more on the song. That’s the problem.
I’ve been overseas with Chuck. I’ve been to Japan with him. And, these people don’t really understand the lyrics of what he’s saying, but its music and it’s in a structure they can get with it. And that’s why he’s been able to work overseas. And that’s was one of his things. He wished that more of the young people would pay attention to song structure, and write the songs. Then you can do all the crankin.
The way Go-Go was even introduced was through the Top 40. Chuck used to be a Top 40 band, and then DJ’s came with the crossfader. [Before] it was either hire a DJ or hire a band. Then here comes the crossfader and they don’t even have to take a record off the table. They can just go from one record to the next to the next and keep more people on the dance floor.
So his idea was, “Now I gotta compete with that I’ll put a percussion break in between the songs. And, I’ll just put a percussion break between the songs.” So we would play a song and then put a percussion break in between the songs. And then it would be call-and-response. “Are y’all tired yet? Ready to go?” Saying little things like that to get a response from the crowd. The thing was the younger bands were seeing that and would emulate it. But the only thing was they would focus more on the percussion [break]. So the song became obsolete. But, now its back to you can’t just have a groove and be chanting stuff. You have to a song with a chorus and, that’s what’s gonna keep it going is more songs. Because the beats are always going to stay innovative and stay moving.
I remember I had a conversation with Rico Wade from Organized Noize way back in ’96. He was like, “Man DC people are so cold man!” And, I was trying to figure out what he was talking about. And he said, “When I’m in Brooklyn and I try to talk to the street people there it’s some level of conversation I can get out of them. But when I’m in DC man its cold! But you know what’s the illest thing Chucky? Out of that coldness whoever’s the coldest? Guess what he can play an instrument. That nigga know how to play the congos or a cowbell or something.”
So that’s the part that’s unique about this area. We’ve been embedded in that pocket. But all of that came from Chuck though. All of that came from Chuck. My job is to push that envelope as far as I can push it. And, not just to people from here because when people can get it and understand what it is, now they can take the torch and run with it.
End of Part one...Check back for part two with Chucky Thompson!
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