DRE: IT'S AN EPIDEMIC

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24: What inspired you to be a producer?
Dre: Outkast’s first album. I’ve always wanted to make music. There wasn’t much shit I could relate too. The only shit I could relate too growing up in Miami was Luke and the Poison Clan and a lot of R&B and what I saw on MTV. I liked all that shit. When I heard that ‘Southernplayaisticadillacmuzik’ I was like yeah, this is what I’m gonna do.

24: Who was the first artist to rhyme on your beat?
Dre: Well the first cat that rhymed on a Cool-N-Dre beat was Slykat, a nigga who came up with us. Me and Cool never really thought about becoming producers. We just wanted our own click. Goodie Mob and Outkast only had their set and they only fucked with people in their set. Me and Cool had Joe Hound and Slykat and we just wanted to put out our own niggas. When the shit wasn’t working, Me and Cool need to make money, so we started selling beats to people locally.

24: What was the first song you produced that got big?
Dre: One of our first big records that hit out everywhere was ‘Told Y’all’ featuring Rick Ross. It was a Trina record. It’s just dope to see where Rick Ross has come, to see where Cool-N-Dre has come. It’s a good feeling. Rick Ross is a friend. We did ‘Told Y’all’ and that’s the first video he ever did. That was Cool-N-Dre’s first video ever. To see where we’ve come from 1999 is dope.

24: How do get your music out to other artists?
Dre: The great thing about where me and Cool are at is that we make music with who we want to make music with. It’s not even about getting beats out there. That was the hustle. That was the grind. It’s still a grind. Bills have to get paid. We make music with people. We worked with Game on his album. We worked with Mary J. Blige on her album. It’s about making music together. It’s like playing basketball. Two niggas go to the court and play. It’s for the love of it. We love making music.

24: When making music, do you play the instruments yourself?
Dre: Yea. I play keyboard and me and Cool program everything in the MPC.

24: What is some of the equipment you use?
Dre: We use the Motif ES8, The Phantom, Supernova.

24: Who are some of your influences producer wise?
Dre: Organized Noize. Dr. Dre and Timbaland. Those are the 3 that we look up too. We’re inspired by what Pharell does. By what Swizz Beats does. I’m inspired by Kanye. By our peers. I’m inspired by Scott Storch. Those are guys that make you go into the studio and work. Not do what they do or take what they do, but go in and create something hot.

24: When did you start Epidemic?
Dre: We started Epidemic in 2002. Dirtbag was the first artist signed and we had a situation with Jive records. It’s really up and down with those guys because they’re really trying to find their way in this rap shit. They are known for R&B. I will say that 2007 will be the year that we release 2 ablums under Epidemic. Maybe 3.

24: Going back to Dirtbag, he had such a major buzz. What happened with that?
Dre: Hopefully the third release this year will be Dirtbag. Dirtbag was that nigga. He still is that nigga. We’re in a situation where we’re on fucking Jive records. I don’t want to place all the blame on Jive. There were probably a couple things me and Cool could have done better. We had a hit record with Timbaland and we couldn’t get a video shot. That was Cool and I very first experience at running a situation. Now looking back, there are a few things I would have done different but thankfully we have a second chance to do that and we’re going to do that this year.

24: Who else do you have signed to Epidemic?
Dre: Right now it’s Joe Hound. We just closed a deal with Imperial. We just shot a video for his first single ‘My Chopper.’ The name of his album is ‘Misery Loves Company.’ Of course there is Dirtbag and we have C-Ride. I’m excited about C-Ride. I feel like C-Ride could be one of the best and he’s very talented and very young. I’m hoping this is the year for him. He has a dope mixtape out right now.

24: I know you have been working on you’re album as well. When can we see that?
Dre: We’re looking to drop my album later this year. The album is called ‘Trunk.’ I’m going to wait for the right time.

24: How long have you been down with Terror Squad?
Dre: We’ve been down since 2000. Shout out to Fat Joe. Fat Joe introduced us to this whole rap game. Cool-N-Dre made their splash with Fat Joe. Fat Joe would treat us like the best producers ever. He would present us as the best producers ever. He was giving us that before we accomplished anything. He took a chance on us. I owe a lot of my success to him. I look up to that dude.

24: Out of everyone you worked with, who are some of your favorite artist to get in the studio with?
Dre: Of course Joe Crack. Rick Ross, DJ Khaled. Look I’m calling him an artist. Young Jeezy, The Game, Ja Rule, Christina Milian, Eve, Dirtbag, Yung Joc was cool. Shout out to Block, Jody Breeze. Yo niggas have been blessed. Mary J. Blige was a great experience. You’re working with someone I look up too. Listen, I’m just a dirt bucket from North Miami. I’m a scum bucket dirtbag that grew up on 6th ave my whole fucking life. To be able to be in the studio period and to have these crackers pay me and Cool these outrageous numbers to do something we love, we bump the system. We from North Miami, Dade County. Niggas don’t understand it ain’t what it is now. Now is a different day. We got Pitbull, Rick Ross, DJ Khaled, Smitty, C-Ride, Dirtbag, Joe Hound, Brisco. We got so many niggas out from the crib and you have a Miami that is accepting it and wanting to hear something from Miami. The whole country is looking at Miami. The hotbed of music. Timbaland, Bigg D, Scott Storch, Jim Jonsin, Cool-N-Dre. Right there I’m listening to the biggest names in the business. When me and Cool came out in 2000, that was not going on down here. Niggas was working, don’t get it twisted, Bigg D was working, Jim Jonsin was working. Timbaland wasn’t here yet. Scott Storch wasn’t here. He’s from here, but he was back and forth to L.A. Me and Cool was coming from a city where if it wasn’t for Trick [Daddy], we wouldn’t really be known. They didn’t think Miami had things to offer musically. All of a sudden, New York niggas was like, they can do that down there. It’s crazy, me and Cool came out at a time where niggas wasn’t trying to hear us and then we turned around and made a fucking anthem for that city, New York, New York. That shit fucks my head up. Niggas from the crib wrote the hook and made the beat. It’s crazy.

24: Being a producer, what made you want to be an artist?
Dre: Me and Cool were part of a group and that was in my blood. When we started making beats, we were making beats for our group as well. We just fell in love with producing. We started producing and I loved it because I can live out my dream as an artist through the artist that we worked with.

24: As far as production on your album, are you going to do it or are you going out to get producers?
Dre: Yea I worked with Danga, Timbaland, Scott Storch, DJ Khaled who made ‘Be Somebody.’ Me and Cool did the rest of it. I got Anthony Hamilton, Keyshia Cole, Christina Milian on the album. Of course Rick Ross. Me and Ross are also thinking about doing something together, prolly in another year or so.

24: Anything you want to promote?
Dre: I’m going to drop my first mixtape. I noticed that I haven’t put out records that show motherfuckers that I can really go in. I’m going to drop that mixtape with Khaled. That’s going to fuck everybody’s head up. We’re looking to drop Joe Hound ‘Misery Loves Company’ in April. The Trunk later this year. C-Ride coming soon. Shout out to everyone from the 305. It’s our time. It’s Dade County’s time. Support local talent. If you support local talent everybody will get rich.

Interview by: Ryan 305DJs