Metal Lungies

The legendary Brooklyn producer Easy Mo Bee, whose production credits most notably include a series of classics with The Notorious B.I.G. and the rest of the old Bad Boy Records camp, gives a great interview where he touches on moments from his long and storied career and talks about rap music today.

A wise and humble master of his craft, Mo Bee always makes for a great interview. His deep, friendly voice is the kind that makes you want to curl up with the last of your matzah and listen to him tell stories for half an hour. And the giant gap in his teeth makes him all the more charming.

Some highlights:

• Bought his first turntable and mixer off the $62.51 he made every week from working at a health food store
• Got his start producing for Big Daddy Kane on It’s a Big Daddy Thing
• Diddy was “like a slave driver”, calling him at two in the morning when working on Ready to Die
• Went to NYC Tech for one year and quit after getting a job at Con Edison; to this day he wishes he had gotten at least an associate’s degree: “College never ever hurts”
• Almost went to Kingsborough Community College to train to become a radio announcer
• Made Flava In Ya Ear in his underwear
• Says there’s less emphasis on the DJ today
• Has a Razr
• Misses being in the studio with artists as opposed to emailing tracks; interaction in the studio means better records
• Greatest strength is in God, greatest weakness is women
• Biggest achievement is working with Miles Davis
• Current state of hip hop: “It’s OK”
• Interview takes place in Unique Studios, where Biggie and Tupac recorded Runnin’ (From tha Police) together; ever since they died, it hasn’t been the same
• Currently: “You could say I’m going the independent route”

You can hear Old Man Easy tell more stories in the Notorious B.I.G. Bigger Than Life documentary. He recently co-produced the best song by far on 8 Diagrams.

Download: Wu-Tang Clan – Take it Back

via Crate Kings