Black Wallstreet’s head producer sits down with us to let us know who too look out for from the label, as well as his newer projects, and his thoughts on the internet..Enter Nu Jerzey Devil.
illRoots.com: First off thank you for the time of the day I know everybody is busy these days.
Nu Jerzey Devil: Yea man, no problem. I’m in New York City so you know the city never sleeps, I’ve been on the move since I got here.
illRoots.com: Exactly, What do you have coming out new that everyone needs to look out for?
NJD: I got the mixtape coming out March 3rd, called ‘Art of the Devil’. Its a crazy joint I went in on it like it was an album even though I used some industry beats on there I had to put my little NJ twist on it. I got Lil Wayne, Young Buck and a couple other treats on there for everybody.
iR: Right now it seems like everyone is fighting, we’ve got beefs that make no sense, this that and the third. I personally would like to see 50 and Rick just duke it out in a ring.
NJD: [Laughs]
iR: What your take on all the stuff that has transpired in this year thus far?
NJD: At the end of the day its all entertainment, no shots were fired, and Hip-Hop is a battle type of event anyway. Its entertainment, as long as no takes it seriously then all is cool. I would personally rather see just the rap battles stay on the songs but we all know how stuff gets taken out of content. Watching the Lil Bow-wow/ Soulja Boy beef, thats a good beef, I would to be in competition with someone else over a Lambo. Thats the beef I want to be into, but as far as the Rick Ross / 50 situation: they both know what they did in the past and you just have to man up to what you did. If I ever did anything stupid or fucked up in my past I would man up to it I wouldn’t deny it.
iR: We haven’t heard much from Black Wallstreet as of late, and you being the head producer in the camp whats some of the names that we should be looking for this year?
NJD: I think Clyde Carson is going to coming out and do his numbers, I’ve been listening to alot of his stuff real closely and he’s probably one of the most gifted ones or one of the best that perfected his craft in making songs. I would probably look out for Clyde Carson.
iR: If you could be president of any nation in the world which one and why?
NJD: Any nation? I would say the United States. I’d take it over, this is where the money is at even though alot of people don’t know what to do with it and messed up the economy and everything I would still take the United States. Besides somebody has to make things right, and prosperous for everybody.
iR: Right now the internet is the biggest promotional tool, but what do you think the next thing is in the evolution of music and how it is promoted and distributed?
NJD: Besides the internet man? I don’t think there is anything else you can do. I don’t think street teams are really effective at all anymore. Your online presence has to be strong you have to hit up the myspaces, facebooks, all that stuff counts. Alot of people took that stuff for granted back in the day and now they are kicking themselves. If you just now starting you have to really play catch up. I’m definitely all for the internet thing because Youtube is like the new BET and MTV.
iR: You think that online buzz correlates into a physical actual buzz within the streets?
NJD: I do think that it is a different type of buzz. When you do your mixtapes and you release them in the streets its a different type of buzz, your getting the hood buzz and the street love. The internet is a different type of crowd, your getting your kids and your suburb kids and eventually those will be the people who will also buy your records. You have to do everything, you can’t just focus on one.
iR: I think that the main conflict alot of times is separating the commerce from the art or meshing the two.
NJD: Me personally man, I think the business part of the game is what pushes records. Its so many talented artists out there that don’t go anywhere, they just stay underground and they don’t make it because their business isn’t right. I’m all for the art, I love a dope DJ that can really go in and the craft very well but in this day and age man the kids don’t know what the real music is they just buy what they like and if they see you the most the odds are that they will like you that’s why some of these dudes are winning right now.
iR: Going off of that what DJs do you look up to that are the “real” DJs?
NJD: I like the old school DJs like the Kid Capri, DJ Clue’s, the Doowops, the Ju-Ice’s. Those are the dudes that I came up and that made me want to become a DJ. Its easy nowadays anybody can be a DJ, you get the Serato and its just easy. I don’t knock it because it’s a new day and age and technology is the thing and I’m not going to say I’m a fake DJ but technology is both a gift and curse in certain aspects.
iR: Obviously you deal with production and behind the boards, what is your one piece of equipment that you have to have in the studio right now?
NJD: As long as you have Pro Tools man you can make anything happen.
iR: Is there any projects coming up that we should look forward to your production on?
NJD: Right now I just fell back from other people’s stuff and focused on my project. I don’t want to take away from my craft but right now I just want to take away from my craft, but right now I just want to work on my stuff and then I’ll get back to other people.
iR: What should I take away from your project after listening to it?
NJD: When your gonna hear Jerz your gonna hear the street side and the club side, right now I’m reaping the benefits of my hustle so your going to hear alot of the club music and just me and my life. I still can’t get away from where I came from so I’m going to have the dark side and the gangsta shit. Its like gumbo, your going to get everything you want in there, and its a great project.
iR: What do you want to be remembered for?
NJD: I just want to influence the kids out there that always try and me coming from nothing that anybody can do it.
