OneTwoOneTwo.com catches up with “long resume” producer Domingo on set filming videos and on the grind. His new album The Most Underrated was released through a joint effort with up and coming label Latch Key. Some Hip Hop fans may think of him just as one of the in house producers for the baby blue QN5 label but they’d be oh so wrong. Check the resume new jacks and we’ll learn ya something.
So, sounds like you out and about
DOMINGO: Yea man I’m out filming some videos and stuff and promoting the album
Yea that’s what’s up. Yea just get into it from there. So you said you’re doing videos for the album?
DOMINGO: Yea Yea. We go a video shot already for the next dose song “Rugged Intellect” featuring Rap Cast. I’m just out doing promo videos for the album with some people in the streets. And letting them know about the album. I’m up in Spanish Harlem right now. We was down in the lower east side early. And we’re just running around New York City.
That’s what’s up. Ok no doubt. And where will cats be able to check out the video?
DOMINGO: My myspace page: myspace.com/domingomusic
O.k. so you up on the myspace like everyone else?
DOMINGO: That’s right man.
So the album, “The Most Underrated”, do you feel like that sometimes?
DOMINGO: Do I feel most underrated sometimes? Yea sometimes I do. But I don’t sit back and cry about it. You know I know what I did in the game and it can’t be taken back. Can’t be taken back in time or taken away. But, a lot of people tell me when I meet them that “yo, you are one of the most underrated cats in the game”, and actually the album title got a lot of things that fit with the album. Like I feel like a lot of people and a lot of the artist on the album are underrated and they don’t get the props they should be getting. You know what I’m saying?
Ok. No doubt. Like what artist on the album are you talking about that you got?
DOMINGO: I got Big Daddy Kane, Kool G Rap, Non Fiction, Rugged Intellect Rap, my man Terminology. Lets see who else do I have on the album: give me a sec (laughing). I got Cannabis on the album, Born Unique, Brotha Ali, The Beatnuts
You just pretty much covered the whole spectrum of ….
DOMINGO: Oh Yea I have Immortal Technique, you know what I’m saying? I got Joel Ortiz, Guru…shoot man.
Now that cat Joel Ortiz is nice man.
DOMINGO: Joel Ortiz is nasty man. He’s definitely one of those next cats to blow.
That’s for sure. I can agree with that. Now I know the album did run into some problems with the bootleggers. We actually spoke on that before. Like I guess you had to go back in and change some things?
DOMINGO: Yea I went back in and revamped a good portion of the album. I had a song that was on the bootleg version, but is not on this version. And there’s different music on some of the songs. But there’s more songs than before and it is what it is. I come out March 13 which is next Tuesday. And it’s definitely different. As a matter of fact, back to what you said, I covered spectrums, you know the whole spectrum. But I’m gone be real with you, coming from the West coast to the Midwest, North, South, and back East, I even covered gospel hip hop with my man “Precise”. So I covered, I don’t want to say covered all the aspects of hip hop, but I’m giving you Immortal Technique, Political, Precise (is gospel hip hop). You got your gangsta hip hop, back packer hip hop, and underground hip hop. So I covered it all. Right. That’s definitely what’s up. Sounds like definitely something that has everybody’s taste on it.
DOMINGO: Yea definitely 100% got something for everyone. And like I said, if you like gospel hip hop, you’ll like my man Precise. If you like gangasta rap, Whoozy Rap’s the godfather of gangasta rap. If you like slug, got something for you on that and the back packer or underground level: Tone def, underground, Rap Cast west coast.
So, the album pretty much reflects your discography, cause you’ve got like….
DOMINGO: Yea this album reflects it and brings it on, which is a beautiful thing.
Yea cause cats that may not know you, definitely heard your sound.
DOMINGO: Man and it’s cool. That’s why I’m cool with it. You don’t really gotta know me personally, but I guarantee you that you’ve heard something that I’ve done. I mean I’ll tell you like this, you’ve heard something I’ve done, you’ve watched something on TV where there was music playing and I did the music. I go beyond hip hop. You know a lot of people don’t know, I did the pilot music for Bernie Macs first episode for his show. So a lot of that music you hear playing in the scenes I did. And right now I have the Three6Mafia’s show that’s coming out “Adventures in Hollyhood” coming out on MTV. I got music in every episode. So I’m doing things like that. I mean, I love hip hop, but sometimes you gotta move out the area.
Exactly and being an artist, producer, artist, it’s pretty much like being the same thing. You know there’s artistry in the craft that you do. Like you want to branch out and explore other avenues as well. So what kind of advice would you give to cats trying to come up in the production game and to have that longevity and maximize those other opportunities?
DOMINGO: Well I mean, for cats that’s coming into the game, I don’t mean to sound fucked up towards them but you know man, go be a doctor. Cause a lot of people that are coming up in the game now are just buying lap tops and thinking that because they can put a beat together that they’re a producer. There’s a lot that comes with the aspect of being a producer man. It’s not just taking samples and that’s just the basics of producing. You gotta be able to get in there and create a song and create something out of that song for that artist. And if you can’t do that at the end of the day, then you’re just a beat maker. So you know, for the kid that’s coming up in the game, you gotta be really serious about it man. And don’t think cause you made one beat that you’re the hottest thing on the planet. Cause you not! But go to college and get a degree along with it.
No doubt. A lot of cats are just like d.js and grab a lot of records and call themselves DJ’s.
DOMINGO:Yea Yea they just putting records together. It aint fucking rocket science (laughing).
Yea so, you on Latch Key recordings your own label?
DOMINGO: Yea well Latch Key is partly with me putting out the album. I’m not necessarily and artist on the album, but it was a 50 joint venture with me and Latch Key. I’m happy with them and I’m happy with the way we did it. We got a lot of things planned coming on down the line. Like when the album comes out, there’s going to be a download version of the album that you can only get from the Latchkey website. And the thousandth buyer of the album, if you’re an artist, Imma producer EP for you and recording, mixing all taken care of. So if you want to spread the word about that, me and Latchkey agreed on. And you know they got my back and I got theirs.
That’s what’s up. So I know that back in the day, you also used to grip the mike. So, are you spitting on the album?
DOMINGO: Nah man. I ain’t done no rapping since back in 89’ when I met Marly Marl. It was like back then I was into the rapping thing, but I did most of my own beats, so I gave that up when marly kept saying “yo the beats is hot”. But he never said nothing about rapping, so I was like “whatever”. I kept it to that and like Marly, I helped with a few things coming up and I’m always grateful to Marly Marl for discovering me.
No doubt. What I want to know is what was on that tape you gave him that made him bug out like that?
DOMINGO:Well there was a song I did called “untouchable”, where I chopped up (yes chopped up) a James Brown record. Actually I chopped up “Mama fell good”. That’s the name of the record. And I made a beat out of it and did my little rap over it. And it was called the untouchable and it was cool how I did the beat, cause Marly back then was into up tempo music and so was I.
O.K have you ever released that joint? Or let people hear the beat?
DOMINGO:Only a few.
Ahh I think you need to let people hear it.
DOMINGO: Nah people aint gone hear that homey (laughing). Aint nobody gone hear that one there.
True that. Anything you got planned other than the videos to promote the albums? Like shows set up with some of the artists or anything?
DOMINGO: Yea we trying to do that, so if there’s any promoters out there across the states that want to get at me about bringing the album to life or stage, then I can definitely make it happen with a few artist on the album. Definitely I can have headline Rap Cast and we can definitely do it. We can bring it across the country and as long as the promotion is right and straight up the money’s right and it’s planned well.
Ok. No doubt. Is there anything you want to say to round things up?
DOMINGO: Yea man go cop “most underrated” March 13, 2007. Everybody that contributed to the album they know I’m grateful to them. And hopefully the people that buy it enjoy it. And look for more stuff. Look for my man Kool G Raps release of this year. Look for Rugged Intellects album, The Renaissance, Look for Raf Casts new joint called “The Diary of John Austin”. And I’m involved in all those projects. So it’s like you still going to hear my name and I’m still there. Make sure when you watch “Adventures in Hollyhood” that when you hear the music you’re like “Oh shit, Domingo did that”. So just keep looking for me everywhere. I’m all over the place.
That’s what’s up. And the distribution, where is it gone be at, so they can pick up the album?
DOMINGO: Oh you can download in on March 13th at Latchkey.com or LatchKeyRecords.com. And it’s hopefully be in the stores nationwide if no one drops the ball up there.
Aight just as long 50 don’t call and stop the records.
DOMINGO: Nah, 50 won’t stop it. I mean I’m way below 50’s radar man. I ain’t selling records like him. But if you don’t want to cop it, go download and if you’re the thousandth person then yo, I’m gone produce that EP for you. As long as you an artist. If you not an artist, don’t worry about it, we’ll work it out.
Word up. No doubt. Appreciate the time man.
DOMINGO:No doubt. I appreciate that man
*Transcribed by April Hennington
Leave a Reply