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| Ann Timmermans 4 da Grazz |
Where does your name come from?
I picked the name because it looked good for taggin’ .changed the double s to z’s cause who wants “ss” in their name .lol
instead of “er” i used “a”,Herby Luv Bug gave me that idea in the 80’s.
How come you got infected with the hip hop virus in 1984?
By watchin “Wildstyle” & “Beat Street” i really got infected badly.
If it wasn’t related to hiphop i didn’t wanna hear about it .
You live, love, breathe hip hop. What exactly do you like about it?
The beats & scratchin’, the lyrics, graffiti, breakdancin’ & poppin’, i love all aspects of this hiphop universe. Also the fact that you can meet people all over the world and don’t really have to explain anything - it’s a universal connection.Also the fact that hiphop keeps innovating and re-inventing itself.
Now here's a tricky one... which aspects of hip hop culture sicken you?
Nothing really sickens me. i might not dig certain aspects of it but it’s all a part of the big picture.You need some Ying with the Yang.
You always have the choice to NOT listen to something but it’s all a part of it.There’s no law in hiphop and i like it that way. Everybody should be free to do whatever he wants, the crowd will decide in the end.
Are you as passionate about the other elements as you are about DJ-ing?
I was a writer & dancer before.Quickly i was more into makin the dancetapes (80’s electro back then) than actual dancin,that’s why i suck on the dancefloor LOL but i love to see poppers & breakers doin their thing.MC’s amaze me with their wordplay & energy.All elements have been perfected over the years and keep elevating to a next level over & over again.Graffiti art is insane right now compared to the 80’s.
Can you tell us more about working together with the love of your life, shiny lady Mo?
I love working with my wife,she’s so talented & amazing at what she does. Her lyrical skills and her knowledge about chords & arranging is phenomenal.She’s also a true performer you know,always keeping the crowd entertained. She’s my hero !
What's the Back to Scratch project based on?
Well basically we went back to 6 dj’s instead of twelve cause it was gettin’ hard findin gigs with such a massive group.But everybody is still involved.Almost all members have their own projects so we switch dj’s depending on agenda’s.Musically we go back to the core of hiphop.Dope beats ,cuts & having fun.Most compositions came out of freestyle jams we recorded.We listen back and use the parts we like and build songs around them.I like the fact that all dj’s have some musical input.So after touching jazz & world music we went back to hiphop cause we felt like it was needed .We are recording Back To Scratch so stay tuned for the upcoming release.
Which music inspires you?
All music can work inspiring .As a beatmaker i dig thru all kinds of records to find bits.so hiphop, jazz, funk, soul, dub, drum&bass, … depends on the mood i’m in i guess.
All time favourite tracks?
Anything by Donny Hathaway, Curtis Mayfield, Ultramagnetic MC’s,..
Favourite soul food?
my wife’s mac & cheese, yam’s ,Collard Greens (which we can’t get here), cornbread, i love italian food
Any last words...
Be on a look out for my new album “Intricate Moves 2” droppin’ on Chess Move Cartel (London) very soon.Stay tuned towww.grazzhoppa.com for more info.there’s a free download taster on the site.Also check out the Mo&Grazz album on there called “Gemini Remixed”, our 2nd album “Gemini” was remixed by various artists and is up for free download so Enjoy!!!
Also peep the True Masterz album “Tree Of Life” .i laced all cuts on there,beats by MighGawd & superb lyricism by JMega.
A new “Solid vs Green” (Smimooz vs Grazzhoppa) album is about to drop soon too.
Also i like to give a Shout out to: Praverb The Wyse, Reef Ali, M-Dot, BurntMD, Kwote1, Creme De La Creme, BLX, Smimooz, Jaba, CMC,
Thank you for this interview ,wish you all the best with the magazine.
STAY TUNED
Intricate Moves 2 - PromoMix
Dj Grazzhoppa - Partyrocka ft: K-Hill (beat by B.B.Z. Darney)
Dj Grazzhoppa - Wanted (beat by Blastah Beatz)
Check him out on:
Many thanks to DJ Grazzhoppa!
