ssamagazine.com

You are here: Home

Interviews

DJ Love

Written by Floyd Stevenson

Saturday, 02 February 2008

When I think about what a DJ is and should be I often think of the cats I came up listening to. Before Serato and all the wonderful advances in DJ equipment and music production software over the past 10 years, it was just a dude with some old dusty records making the crowd move. One of those cats, DJ Love, I had the chance to interview recently. Check out what he said�

SSA: Tell us a little bit about DJ Love for those out of the loop?

DJ Love: My real name is Frank Bernard McCright IV. I was born on August 29th, 1969. That would make me 38 years old now. I am from Oklahoma but, I was an army brat so I lived overseas (namely Germany) and other various places in the US. I eventually ended up back in Oklahoma where I grew up.

SSA: What got you into doing music and who were some of your biggest influences coming up?

DJ Love: I started playing piano when I was 7 and took professional private lesson. When I was nine, I started playing violin. My real dream was drums so I taught myself to play with air drums and ended up with a scholarship to college. I dabbled with guitar and bass but, I just recently (in the last couple of years) really dove into playing rock guitar. As far as influences aside from Back and Mozart, Quincy Jones had a huge influence on me. From his movie scoring to his producing on Michael Jackson's "Off The Wall" and The Brothers Johnson "Light Up The Night" back in the 70's. People really need to listen to those albums. I loved classic R&B growing up. Real soul and real instruments played by true artists. You don't hear that anymore. Seeing a live band play soul now is like a delicacy. Then came hip hop. Soon house. So, where I am at now with breakbeats was a combination of old soul, hip hop, with the dance-feel of house. That's pretty where I came from.

SSA: How long have you been doing your thing?

DJ Love: I started spinning in 1988. I never even owned my own tables intil 1994 but, I had steady DJ gigs from '88 until then. That same year (1994), I got my recording gear and began producing which was what I wanted to do in the first place. DJing was a complete fluke. Apparently, it was a calling.

SSA: Who are some artists you are feeling right now?
In breaks, Jinx In Dub, Stanton Warriors, Superstyle Deluxe, Plaza De Funk, All Good Funk Alliance, Telephunken.

DJ Love: In hip hop, the classics, De La Soul, Gang Starr, The Roots, Jedi Mind Tricks, Masta Ace.

SSA: I remember you rocking countless shows, parties and after parties back when I was a youngin�. You have remained one of Dallas staple DJ�s and have always been rooted in the style elements. What do you think has given you that longevity?

DJ Love: I think it's two things. Consistency and stubbornness. I love the music I play. I have a passion for it. I believe it in. There are records that I drop that I feel so proud to play. And I keep that attitude whenever I spin. I will not play for anyone that is not interested in letting me do my thing. I'm not a walking jukebox with a fast internet connection and a laptop like a lot of DJs today. (Not dissing all Serato users. I just don't share all the same mashups around the city like a lot of "djs" do these days.) So when people come hear me, if they know me, they know what to expect and there's a reason they are there. If they don't know me, they get an earful of new sound that no one else in this city is playing...or playing like I play it. I strive to be an individual. Not necessarily a leader but definitely not a follower. And it shows. People notice and remember.

SSA: Of all the places you have performed in the world, what was your number one, jaw dropping experience?

DJ Love: That's a tough one. I've played some pretty cool places. I'd have to say it's a tie between Soundfactory in London, summer of 2005 and Cargo in London, summer of 2006. Those were two of my best shows.

SSA: Word association. I am going to list some words and phrases and you let us know what words or phrases you think of when you hear them.

SSA: Hilary Clinton.

DJ Love: Courageous.

SSA: Barak Obama.

DJ Love: Cool.

SSA: Dallas Mavericks.

DJ Love: Sweet.

SSA: Dallas Cowboys.

DJ Love: Who?

SSA: Deep Ellum.

DJ Love: Sad.

SSA: Microsoft.

DJ Love: No thank you.

SSA: Hip Hop.

DJ Love: More of the real stuff please.

SSA: Hipsters.

DJ Love: Remember when it was cool? Me neither.

SSA: Good Food.

DJ Love: Another thing I live for.

SSA: Good Websites.

DJ Love: Rare.

SSA: Bad Vibes.

DJ Love: Avoided at all costs.

SSA: What else is in the works right now? Any big plans you want to share for 08�?

DJ Love: Well, currently, I am working on my first album for Air Recordings in London. I will have legendary hip hop artists like Camp Lo, Special Ed, The Jungle Brothers, and tentatively, Monie Love. There were also be new breaks tracks and some new up and coming artists such as local b-boy Leon the Pro. I have also started a hip hop movement site called The Nova Lab Project which will be launching soon.

SSA: Where do you see DJ Love in the next 10 years?

DJ Love: Hopefully happy still making beats and producing other artist as well as getting my film company off of the ground. Oh, did I mention that?

SSA: Any advice for the bedroom DJ�s out there on the come up?

DJ Love: Be you. Don't be someone else. Do it because you love it. Not because you want to be known or popular. Sometimes you do have to give a little. It's okay to cater but, not by sacrificing your beliefs. I would say practice but, that's really up to the individual. I was never one for practicing but, if you feel you need it, do it. Challenge yourself. Just because you walk out of the house with every single song you own on your laptop doesn't mean you should. Every Thursday night I take one bag to my gig. And I fill that ONE bag with random hip hop. So, I am already limited by my selection but, the challenge is to rock the house anyway with what I brought. Technology doesn't make anyone better. It just makes things easier. So if you're already a poorly skilled DJ, you'll just get better at being worse. Does that make sense?

SSA: Any shouts outs?

DJ Love: Instead of trying to fit everyone in here, I'll send shout outs to those I am currently working with: DJ Diverse, Ali B in London, Los Hijos Del Diablo, to my crew The Nova Lab Project, to the Diverse Soulz, The Jive Turkeys, The Lizard Lounge, Zubar, Ten Sports Grill, Minc, to Kat in Toronto, Dan Rice, Farbsie, Superstyle Deluxe, Telephunken, Inzo and crew, Tyrone & Brent, Ivan G, Grafwurks...

Thanks for reading, stay blessed�..

Discuss this article on the forums. (0 posts)

DJ Love "Rub it Right" Mix

DJ Love - Native Tounge Megamix

Photography by Steven Ray