DX: What was it like remixing Roy Ayers record?
Waajeed: Amazing and very intimidating. It was intimidating I think that’s the word to be used. I mean that’s Roy Ayers. When you get those parts, I was able to get all those parts. Just to hear him play and see how his mind kinda works just makes you think like man, I really need to get my shit together. My first thought was like man I got a lot of work to do, it’s very humbling.

DX: Everyone enjoys reppin’ where they’re from. After Dwele appeared on Kanye West’s “Flashing Lights” track do you hope or expect it to help give Detroit music more recognition?
Waajeed: Absolutely. I mean we always kinda carry the Detroit banner whether it be consciously or unconsciously. After moving from Detroit and moving to Brooklyn about five years ago I find myself kinda representing my city even more then I did when I lived there. Ya know, it’s like I find myself ever wearing a New York Yankee hat since I been here. I think its just part of the whole thing, I don't know. I used to live in Bedstuy and I would wonder why a lot of the people from Tobago would have their flag up. I used to think like why they reppin’ Tobago so hard, if you love it so much how come you’re not there? But since moving, I find myself doing the same thing now. You just want to represent where you from and ya know, it's home.

DX: The Brooklyn Hip Hop Festival is coming up pretty soon. What are your plans for the festival? Are you going to participate on stage as well as off? Any plans on getting Detroit based acts to fly out here and perform with you?
Waajeed: Yeah, oddly enough I believe we’re gonna be performing at the after, after party and it actually has a Detroit theme. Where I believe Invincible, who worked with us on the last album will be performing and we got DJ House Shoes in there as well. So it will be a Detroit themed after party, oddly enough.

DX: In your music, you tend to put a lot more underground artists on tracks. What is the intention of doing this?
Waajeed: I think that’s what it’s more about. It’s also easy to kinda reach out to people with bigger names and get them on the track and to be honest with you it’s just fuckin’ boring. I think it’s much more exciting to work with new artists and people with a new vision. Just to kind of keep it fresh. I mean how many countless times have you picked up compilations and you just hear the producers fuckin’ with people who are the artists or flavor of the month. I think it’ss kind of corny. It’s much more exciting for me to find out about somebody new, then find out about some old artist who has been doing things for the last ten years and not trying to re-invent themselves.

DX: Do you think it’s harder to have an American base when you put on artists who no one knows of?
Waajeed: I don’t give a fuck really. They kinda get it after a while, it’s just more that you have to be more patient. You just gotta be more consistent and really just gotta put out some fly shit. If you start with the end in mind then you’ll get a lot further.

DX: On your album Triple P you had a lot of appearances from Tiombe Lockheart. Is she a personal favorite of yours? Where did you meet and has the relationship proven to be beneficial and something you plan on continuing to invest in?
Waajeed: Definitely. We met in New York at a Slum Village album listening party. Man, it was some time ago, it had to be five or six years ago. It was some time ago and we took a road trip up here for this listening party. I don't why we drove. That was one of my first opportunities and I had just recently started producing at the time and being with Slum Village, you just get beat in the head with demos. And out of all the CDs I had gotten that weekend there was one particular person who never gave me their CD directly. A friend told me you gotta listen to this CD this girl is really something. She was actually standing there and she was kinda reserved. I remember my father telling me as a kid that some of the most talented people never can speak up for themselves. They let the music speak for them. So when I got the CD I kinda had that thought going on throughout my head and all the way back to Detroit we listened to that CD over and over and over. It just ended up being one of those things that stuck to me. I remember saying to myself whenever I get the opportunity to start an album or be apart of a project, I’m gonna bring this chick in with me. And sure enough when I signed a deal with Ubiquity, Tiombe was the first person I called. The first person I sent a check to. And she is definitely someone I will always continue to work with. Not with PPP, 'cause PPP is a spring board where we try to work with new artists, but, I will definitely work with her more and Tiombe is someone I would go to war for.

DX: Wajeed you are a pretty popular producer, especially after getting the shout out from Pharell on 106 & Park. Do you feel you will explore the realm of Hip Hop more? What direction are you planning to go?
Waajeed: I don't know. I cant say. I won’t say as far away from Hip Hop as possible, but, I plan on exploring it all. I definitely wanna keep exploring options; Rock, Hip Hop, House whatever’s good. Keep it fresh. Let's keep it ADD lets keep it moving. Continued on page 3 »