Pharoahe Monch speaks on J Dilla, Denaun Porter and Black Milk
K-Fresh has a link to Pharoahe Monch interview where he speaks about Detroit producers J Dilla, Denaun Porter and Black Milk.
Visit Rensoul.com for the interview.
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Denaun Porter / Kon Artis
Denaun Porter on beatmaking, D12, Proof and Dilla
Two recent Denaun Porter features: here at Allhiphop and here at The Michigan Citizen.
Allhiphop asks Porter about his difficult 2006.
AllHipHop.com: 2006 was a rough year for Detroit Hiphop. Within two months of each other, both J Dilla and Proof passed away. You worked closely with both of them, how has that affected you personally?
Mr. Porter: You gotta understand, that’s the reason that I got into the game. Proof introduced me to J Dilla. I introduced J Dilla to Dre, and just having that feeling of being able to have Dre, J Dilla, and myself in the same room, both of my teachers, was the greatest feeling on Earth. And plus, this dude [J. Dilla] allowed me to come over his house late night when he was doing sessions with Pete Rock. And Proof, me and Proof, we had the relationship where I didn’t know how proud of me he was until I he was gone. Me and him would fight. We’re one in the same, I feel like, because he taught me so much about just being able to stand on my own, and not wait on one person to do anything. That’s why I’m kind of like out ahead and not waiting on Eminem to do anything, because he told me don’t do that, that’s not the move. He helped create who I am, and J Dilla helped create who I am. I got Guilty Simpson, who me and J Dilla was gon’ do his project together. That was the last artist he planned on working with, as far as his own artists. And now that I have to finish that record, it’s tough, every time I hear a song that J Dilla did. That whole year was the worst year of my life. They’re the reason that I’m in the game, because if Proof never introduced me to Jay Dee, I never would have got that serious about producing.
Porter also reiterates the extent of disintegration in D12 in the Allhiphop interview (see related posts).
T-Baby and Mae Day: Detroit Hip Hop’s females of the future
The Michigan Citizen’s Biba Adams recently interviewed two of Detroit’s more prominent young female hip hop artists. T-Baby and Mae Day are looking to elevate Detroit Hip Hop with their respective Runyon Ave and Sick Notes camps.
T-Baby on working with Denaun Porter:
MC: Denaun Porter is your EP, how is it working with someone so successful? Is it motivating?
TB: Yes. We can go to the studio and work all night. We’ll stay up 2 days in a row, not knowing if it’s light or dark outside. It’s great. He’s like a Dad to me and I’m like his daughter. When we work together it’s like a bomb exploding! It’s phenomenal.
Mae Day on hooking up with Sick Notes Production:
MC: How did you get with Sick Notes?
MD: We actually knew each other from high school and we worked with the same person in a management capacity which didn’t really work out.
Mr. Porter in the Detroit News
The Detroit News features a story on Denaun Porter and his new MrPorterBeats.com website in today’s edition. The story doesn’t cover anything about the site that already hasn’t been said (see related articles below), but it has some interesting D12 and Eminem information along with some future projects.
D12 is’ currently “on hold,” he says. Their forthcoming third album is 70 percent done, by his estimation, but so far boasts no input or content from Eminem, whom Porter says he hasn’t spoken with in some time.
“The last time I talked to him? I don’t even remember. It’s been a couple of months,” he says.
The D12 album will be finished after Eminem’s next album - rumored to be awaiting a holiday release - is finished. In the interim, Porter worked on Pharaohe Monch’s upcoming album, as well as projects by Detroit rapper Guilty Simpson and Detroit/New Jersey duo Nu World Hustle.
But Porter also is keeping his eye on the ‘Net, and plans to unveil a Web site similar to mrporterbeats.com next month, this time with the goal of helping budding producers.
Denaun Porter’s MrPorterBeats.com is open for business
Denaun Porter, also known as Kon Artis of D12 and Mr. Porter at his Runyon Ave label, has launched MrPorterBeats.com and as of today it’s open for business.
On the website’s accompanying promotional writeup is a brief summary of Mr. Porter’s most popular production credits:
- 50 Cent “P.I.M.P” (Shady/Aftermath)
- G-Unit “Stunt 101″ (G-Unit/Interscope)
- Young Buck “Look At Me Now” (G-Unit/Interscope)
- Xzibit “Multiply” (Columbia)
- Game “Around The World” (Interscope)
- Busta Rhymes “They’re Out To Get Me” (Aftermath)
Denaun Porter is officialy a heavyweight in the world of hip hop production… and he’s giving back.
Denaun Porter will be selling beats on his new website
Denaun Porter, (Kon Artis from D12) is in the process of developing a new website where he will sell his beats. Using his Runyon Ave related moniker in the website’s name, MrPorterBeats.com, Mr. Porter will offer free membership to users and the ability to buy beats for rates as low as $50.
According to SOHH.com, licensing as well as the Pro-Tools sessions for exclusive beats will be made available.
Says Denaun, “There are so many people that want to get into this business, but don’t have the right kind of music. It’s just a way for me to give back to people without worrying about the price and making it easier and accessible for them to have.”
The lauch date for MrPorterBeats.com is June 15th.
Denaun Porter coming into his own
Tamara Warren recently interviewed Denaun Porter of D12 for RemixMag.com.
Denaun talks about working with Dr. Dre as well as the slate-full of projects he has underway, including executive producing Pharoahe Monch’s latest effort.
Denaun, also know as Kon Artis and Mr. Porter is asked about recording the latest D12 album without Proof:
While the absence of Proof is marked for D12, Porter is determined not to use this loss in an opportunistic way, and the sensitivity of the material is being approached gingerly by D12’s members — Kuniva, Swifty McVay, Bizarre, Eminem and DJ Salam Wreck. “We ain’t got to that point yet,” he says. Emotional release has come out in sporadic studio sessions, but nothing intended for public consumption. “We recorded some records you’ll never hear because there was a lot of anger going on in the studio.”
He also talks about how the recording for the D12 album has progressed thus far:
Things are steadily moving forward, with five completed tracks slated for release when Eminem signs off on the project, but Porter is guiding the album’s direction. “I applied the Juan Atkins techno thing,” Porter says. “We did a joint called ‘Zoned Out’ that is Detroit all the way.” He describes the song as a “jit” song, a style of music designed for a popular club dance in Detroit. “When I made it, I wanted to do something that Proof would have wanted. We was always talking about doing a jit song.” D12 still uses its signature sardonic humor, exemplified on the tawdry “Bugzshit” and a Swizz Beatz-produced “I Got Me an Ugly Bitch.” “That’s classic D12,” he says. “Battlecat gave me a record that’s got Nate Dogg sounding like a totally new man,” he says about “Out the Box.” “We’ve always been outside of the box, and then people put us on an island of our own.”
He also talks about the future of D12 following this album, and how things aren’t the same anymore:
Despite the pressure to make a record without Proof, Porter is primed. “I’m standing up to every ounce of pressure. Sonically, it’s going to be one of the best D12 records. It’s been Eminem-driven for so long, and I wanted to step away from that. It’s a shame that my label didn’t use me the way I should have been used. In light of my friend passing, I’m not here to try and impress them. I’m not here to sit quiet and let days go by. That’s the Eminem Show; that’s not the Denaun show. He worked hard to get that, but it’s time for me to step outside of that. That they trust me is a great thing. I’ll be glad when it’s over with. After I’m done, there won’t be no more. We friends, but it’s political; it ain’t no fun. I don’t think it’s bad to say — it’s just honest. Even before what happened to Proof, it wasn’t fun.”
