Barak Records was one of the essential elements that placed Detroit on the hip-hop map. Some people may think of Eminem when they think of Detroit, but underground / independent hip-hop lovers think of Slum Village and Barak Records. The Motor City has produced artists like Phat Kat, Ta'Raach (Lacks), Jay Dee (J Dilla), Lawless Element, and Athletic Mic League. With the exception of a few labels or artists, Barak Records has been the epicenter of Detroit’s underground hip-hop scene. Not only did the label play a major role in the creation of Motown’s hip-hop sound, Barak Records is also Detroit’s most well-known hip-hop label.

The “Detroit sound” was created by the signature mood inside the unique production. Thick handclaps and booming bass hits are woven into a stylish, ghetto fabulous groove. One of the most respected producers in hip-hop, J Dilla (Jay Dee) is the Godfather of the Motor City hip-hop sound. He created beats for The Pharcyde, A Tribe Called Quest, Madlib, Busta Rhymes, and Common. Originally the primary producer / emcee for Slum Village, J Dilla led the group as they laid the bricks in the house of Barak. Dilla’s production overshadowed everything else on “Fantastic Vol.1” LP and the “Fantastic Vol. 2” LP. Many people purchased the albums just for Dilla’s production. After J Dilla left the group, Slum Village and Barak Records were forced to evolve. This incident began the continuing cycle of change for the group and the label.

Born into Barak Records, Young RJ has been carrying the torch for Detroit’s underground hip-hop sound. He is the son of RJ ‘The Wiz’ Rice (former leader of RJ's Latest Arrival and head-honcho of Barak Records). Nepotism may have opened the door for the budding producer, but Young RJ had to fill Jay Dee’s legendary shoes. When J Dilla left Slum Village, Young RJ stepped in for the making of “Trinity: Past, Present, & Future” (Capitol Records / Barak Records). Simultaneously, Young RJ formed the production duo named B.R. Gunna with fellow producer, Black Milk. As a team, B.R. Gunna produced a handful of the tracks on the “Dirty District Vol. 1” LP (Sequence / Barak). Labeled as a Slum Village release, “Dirty District Vol. 1” was actually mix-tape that introduced the world to Detroit’s finest underground producers and emcees.

Slum Village and Barak Records experienced another major change. Due to a tragic case of schizophrenia, Baatin and Slum Village went their separate ways. Baatin (the one with the turban) claims he got kicked out of the group. This major change increased the pressure for Young RJ, as well as T-3 & Elzhi.

B.R. Gunna became the primary production force for Slum Village. They handled the majority of the production on the “Detroit Deli” LP (Capitol Records / Barak). Even though Kanye West took the spotlight the single, “Selfish”, B.R. Gunna was responsible for the rest of the album. Finally, fans began to appreciate the musical and lyrical maturity. Although many fans compared him to Jay Dee, Young RJ remained a prolific artist who created his own sound. In 2004, B.R. Gunna released “Dirty District Vol. 2” (Barak Records) under their own name. Completely independent, “Dirty District Vol. 2” showcased B.R. Gunna on every song. Guests included J Dilla, Mu, Elzhi, Phat Kat, Fat Ray, MC Breed, Que D, Guilty, and The Dramatics.

2005 marked the complete independence of Slum Village and solidified Young RJ’s bond with the group. Without the assistance of a major label, Slum Village released their self-titled (“Slum Village”) LP on Barak Records. As a producer, Young RJ’s star shined bright on the album’s various songs. Although the SV were offered beats by a myriad of other producers, Slum Village employed Black Milk & Young RJ to produce 92% of the album (12 out of the 13 songs). With more grit and energy than “Detroit Deli”, the “Slum Village” LP displays the soul of Barak Records and Young RJ’s production. Some songs are produced by Black Milk & Young RJ as B.R. Gunna, while others are produced only by Young RJ. The album’s opening cut, “Giant” grabs the listener with a thick, boom-bap sound. With live instrumentation, the song “05” displays the musical chemistry between the emcees and Young RJ. On “Def Do Us”, RJ provides a bubbling background for T3 & Elzhi to express their loyalty for each other. As B.R. Gunna, Black Milk & Young RJ created magnificent Detroit beats for Slum Village. “Can I Be Me” has a thick rhythm and addictive melody. The first single, “EZ Up” is a magnificent up-tempo track that keeps the listener’s head nodding. Alone or with Black Milk, Young RJ is bringing Slum Village into their next chapter of independence.

As one of Detroit’s youngest and most prolific producers, Young RJ has already earned his place in Detroit’s hip-hop hall of fame. Alongside J Dilla, Karriem Riggins, Wajeed, and Lacks (aka Ta'Raach), the duo of B.R. Gunna are taking Detroit’s signature hip-hop sound into a new dimension.

T.JONES: "What goes on?"

YOUNG RJ: “Nothing much. I’m in the studio, working on the new B.R. Gunna album.”

T.JONES: “Your last B.R. Gunna album, “Dirty District Vol.2” was released on Barak Records. Tell us about the album.”

YOUNG RJ: “We did this album to display the talent in Detroit. It was a way for us to get out some ideas we had and also, display some of our tracks.”

T.JONES: “You and Black Milk formed the production duo called B.R. Gunna. What is the meaning behind the name B.R. Gunna?”

YOUNG RJ: “Black and RJ and were gunning for the top of the charts.”

T.JONES: “How did you and Black Milk meet and eventually form the group?”

YOUNG RJ: “We met through a mutual friend who was trying to get signed. He was rapping over Black’s tracks. I told him, ‘I can’t really help you, but I can help the dude who did the tracks.’ The track that I heard was, ‘What Is This’ from the ‘Trinity’ album (Slum Village). Then, we moved on to the ‘Detroit Deli’ album. We were doing most of the production. We said that we should just form a production team. That's how we came to be B.R. Gunna.”

T.JONES: “Do you have a favorite song on ‘Dirty District Vol.2’?”

YOUNG RJ: “My favorite track was ‘Stix’ because it was so grimy.”

T.JONES: “What song took the longest to complete on ‘Dirty District Vol.2’? Why?”

YOUNG RJ: “None of them took a long time. We only took 20 minutes to do each track. That's all it took. We didn’t even separate the tracks. We two-tracked everything straight from the MP.”

T.JONES: “You are also doing production work for Proof of D-12? How many songs? How is working with him different than other artists?”

YOUNG RJ: “I did two songs. It was cool. I dropped off the CD. When he was listening to the beats, he already had the hook to them. So, he called us back at three o’clock in the morning to dump the beats. He finished both songs that night, flew out the next morning, and mixed. The average emcee takes 5 days to complete a song. That was the difference.”

T.JONES: “Who are some of the other artists who you recently produced songs for?”

YOUNG RJ: “J. Issac, who's signed to Universal. He also sang the hook to Slum Village's new single ‘EZ Up’. So, look out for that.”

T.JONES: “Some songs you produce alone, while others you produce with Black Milk. How are sharing production duties different in as a duo?”

YOUNG RJ: “There isn't much of a difference. We are both self-contained producers, but we work well together. Sometimes, he may hear things that I don’t and vice versa. That s the only difference.”

T.JONES: “How did you hook up with Slum Village?”

YOUNG RJ: “I hooked up with Slum Village through my dad, who Slum is signed to. But, that didn’t make it easy for me. The first couple beats I played, when I first started producing, they (Slum Village) laughed at my beats. But, two months later, I recorded two songs with Kurupt. Then, three months after that, I was mixing on ‘Fantastic Vol. 2’. Seven months after that, I was working on ‘Dirty District Vol. 1’. After that, ‘Trinity’, and so on and so forth.”

T.JONES: “What did you think about Baatin leaving Slum Village? I actually interviewed him right after he left. Actually, Elzhi rhymed about my interview in ‘Reunion’. Have you seen Baatin lately? How is he doing?”

YOUNG RJ: “I mean, it's still family so, you know. I wish him the best. I saw him about 2 months ago. He's doing okay. He’s still dealing with health issues.”

T.JONES: “Baatin told me that he will never do business with Barak Records again. Why do you think that is? Has the relationship with Baatin and Barak Records changed?”

YOUNG RJ: “I don't know because he was just up here 2 months ago. But you know, whatever works for him. It's been the same since he left the group. There are no hard feelings on this end. Once again, he is still family.”

T.JONES: “You and Black Milk have been handling more and more of the production for Slum Village. Why? How did this happen?”

YOUNG RJ: “Because we work good together. After doing so many albums, our chemistry just increased.”

T.JONES: “How is working with Slum Village different than other artists?”

YOUNG RJ: “With Slum, it's definitely more of a family atmosphere, a more relaxed scene.”

T.JONES: “You have been working with Slum Village from the start. They have changed members, labels, and even styles. Through the years, how has the chemistry and creative process changed?”

YOUNG RJ: “Well, after Baatin left, we had to find chemistry between the two guys, instead of it being three. That's the only difference.”

T.JONES: “You were basically were involved with the entire production of Slum Village’s self-titled 2005 album released only on Barak Records. How were these sessions different than past Slum Village sessions?”

YOUNG RJ: “It was easy because we just went back to the basics, the classic Slum Village sound.”

T.JONES: “Was producing the entire album “Slum Village” LP by Slum Village intentional?”

YOUNG RJ: “No, it wasn’t. People were sending tracks in, but I was just coming with that heat. Slum picked the best of what everyone had to offer.”

T.JONES: “What song are you most proud of from the self-titled Slum Village album?”

YOUNG RJ: “All of them! Everything is hot to me.”

T.JONES: “For the song, ‘O5’ from the new Slum Village album, you use live instrumentation. How difficult or different was it working with live musicians as opposed to your usual creative process?”

YOUNG RJ: “There wasn’t really a difference. I already did the track for ‘05’. We just replayed it over with live musicians. The musicians were DJ Dez, myself, and Carl B. So, it wasn't like I was working with a live band. It was more like working with family.”

T.JONES: “You worked with other Detroit artists like Phat Kat, Mu, and MC Breed. Do you have a different approach for every artist?”

YOUNG RJ: “My approach is to give each artist their own sound and still make it sweet.”

T.JONES: “You are the son of RJ ‘The Wiz’ Rice. He is the former leader of RJ's Latest Arrival and operator of the Barak Records. What is it like working with your father in the music business? What problems do you encounter?”

YOUNG RJ: “It's not like I'm working with my father, because he treats me like he treats everyone else. Business is business. The only problem I run into is if I don’t get the album on time.”

T.JONES: “You worked with The Dramatics on the song, ‘Something Good’ from ‘Dirty District Vol. 2’. How did this collaboration happen? What were they like? What this song recorded together in the studio?”

YOUNG RJ: “We had already had the beat done for ‘Something Good’. The Dramatics are good friends with my father. He called them. They came up and jumped right on the song. We put the rhymes down and the song was done.”

T.JONES: “When creating a track, do you have a set theme or idea, or the music first?”

YOUNG RJ: “We have the music first, usually.”

T.JONES: “J Dilla (formerly known as Jay Dee) is an exceptional producer. How would you say his production style and creative process is different than yours?”

YOUNG RJ: “That's what makes us both dope producers. We got different styles and different creative processes.”

T.JONES: “Favorite drum machine / sampler?”

YOUNG RJ: “MPC 3000 and an Akia S950.”

T.JONES: “Take us through your creative process. Where do you do pre-production? How long does it usually take to finish a beat?”

YOUNG RJ: “I do my pre-production in the studio, on the spot. It usually only takes 20 to 30 minutes.”

T.JONES: “On the song ‘Money, Power & Influence’ from Guru’s ‘The Street Scriptures’ album, Talib Kweli mentions that Pro-Tools made producers lazy. Do you agree?”

YOUNG RJ: “Yeah, I do agree. When I started off producing and engineering, we were going straight through the 2 inch tape. There weren’t any Pro-Tools. We had to fly the hook by hand.”

T.JONES: “What was it like growing up in Detroit?”

YOUNG RJ: “If you can make it here, then you can make it anywhere.”

T.JONES: “What advice would you give for someone who is just starting in the music industry?”

YOUNG RJ: “Work hard and perfect your craft.”

T.JONES: “Which artists or musicians would you like to collaborate with in the future?”

YOUNG RJ: “I would like to collaborate with 50, Jay-Z, Nas, Dre, Beyonce, Tierra Marie. Especially, Tierra Marie.”

T.JONES: “What LPs have you been listening to lately?”

YOUNG RJ: “The ‘Get Rich Or Die Trying’ Soundtrack, ‘Illmatic’ (Nas), Three 6 Mafia, Stereolive, Beanie Sigel’s ‘Public Enemy #1’ mix-tape.”

T.JONES: “What is your favorite part of your live show?”

YOUNG RJ: “The whole show. Just watching the response of the whole crowd.”

T.JONES: “How has your live show evolved?”

YOUNG RJ: “After you do so many, you just perfect it.”

T.JONES: “Where were you during September 11th 2001? How did you handle it?”

YOUNG RJ: “I was in school. I was in Math Class. My pops was in the airport. I called him on my cell phone. I handled it like everybody else.”

T.JONES: “Do you think that success and credibility are mutually exclusive?”

YOUNG RJ: “No, I don’t think that they are mutually exclusive. People are successful without having credibility. People have credibility but they aren't successful.”

T.JONES: “Word association. When I say the name, you say the first word that pops into your head. So, if I said, ‘Flava Flav’, you may say ‘Clock’ or ‘Crack’. Okay?”

YOUNG RJ: “Okay.”

T.JONES: “Baatin.”

YOUNG RJ: “Creative.”

T.JONES: “Little Brother.”

YOUNG RJ: “Soulful.”

T.JONES: “Slum Village.”

YOUNG RJ: “Creators of Neo-Soul.”

T.JONES: “Lacks.”

YOUNG RJ: “Cool.”

T.JONES: “Phife Dawg.”

YOUNG RJ: “Legend.”

T.JONES: “Organized Konfusion.”

YOUNG RJ: “Originators.”

T.JONES: “M.O.P.”

YOUNG RJ: “Adrenaline.”

T.JONES: “Atmosphere.”

YOUNG RJ: “Important.”

T.JONES: “DMX.”

YOUNG RJ: “Speaks truth.”

T.JONES: “Eminem.”

YOUNG RJ: “Great rapper.”

T.JONES: “Wu-Tang Clan.”

YOUNG RJ: “Ain't nothing to fuck wit.”

T.JONES: “Curtis Mayfield.”

YOUNG RJ: “Classic.”

T.JONES: “George Bush.”

YOUNG RJ: “The president.”

T.JONES: “What are some major misconceptions do you think people have of you?”

YOUNG RJ: “Everything was handed to me because of who my father is.” 

T.JONES: “What are some future collaborations fans should look out for?”

YOUNG RJ: “Future collabos? J. Issac, the new Proof album, Swift of D-12 mix-tape, and Bishop Lamont. He just got signed to Aftermath.”

Thank you Young RJ!!!

Interview by Todd E. Jones aka New Jeru Poet

toddejones@yahoo.com

NOTICE: This interview is property of Todd E. Jones and cannot be duplicated or posted without written permission.

Official Websites:  Barak Records: http://www.barakentertainment.com/

VIDEO:

"Something Good" - B.R. GUNNA (f/ The Dramatics)

Real video- http://www.barakentertainment.com/main.php?page=video01ram

Windows media - http://www.barakentertainment.com/main.php?page=video01asx

AUDIO:

"Something Good" - B.R. GUNNA (f/ The Dramatics)

http://www.barakrecords.com/audio/brgunna_somethingood(clean).mp3

"EZ Up" - SLUM VILLAGE (produced by B.R. GUNNA)

http://www.barakrecords.com/audio/slumvillage_ezup.ram