Blahzay

I’ve never been good at giving directions. Every time I’m tasked with serving as a destination guide, I get flustered and lead people astray. So, it’s not surprising that Blahzay ended up on the wrong side of town on his way to meet me. Another causality of navigational ineptness.

The plan was for us to kick it at BierWax and converse over a few beers, but the plan got off to a rough start. “Hey, what’s the address of the place we’re meeting at?” Blahzay asks me this when he calls my cell. It’s a cold, rainy Saturday afternoon. I just pulled up from Philly and I’m sitting in my car because as always, I’m early. I give Blahzay the address, which I later found out I did incorrectly. “Is that in Williamsburg?” I paused and thought for a second. I’ve only been to Brooklyn twice in my entire life. One of those times, I was hanging in Williamsburg. Naturally, I thought that made me an expert on Brooklyn’s boroughs and I said what I assumed to be true. “Yeah, it is,” I tell Blahzay. Wrong answer, kid.

Fast forward 40 minutes and I’m sitting in BierWax. I’ve just come back from making my second round to the front of the bar, looking out for Blahzay. At this point I’m worried that he’s lost. I try to keep cool and distract myself with the latest on Instagram. This is where I first spoke to Blahzay. After I posted a mashup video featuring clips of the music video for the song Danger, Blahzay sent a message, telling me he’s “a beer hip-hop head.” The conversation jumped off from there.

If you know hip-hop, then you know Blahzay is one half of the group Blahzay Blahzay. Hailing from East New York (the inspiration behind Danger), Blahzay and PF Cuttin started making waves in the early 90’s. The group released their debut album, Blah, Blah, Blah in 1996 on Mercury Records. Formerly known as Outloud, Blahzay was putting in work long before he linked up with PF Cuttin. When he was a teenager, Blahzay was hanging with legendary hip-hop producer Paul C (Ultramagnetic MCs, Organized Konfusion, Biz Markie, Queen Latifah, etc.). Paul C liked Blahzay’s voice, so he took him under his wing. From there, Blahzay developed his skills as an MC, in between going on the road with Gang Starr, Master Ace, and Craig G. Blahzay also toured with Mister Cee and childhood friend, Notorious B.I.G. By the time he decided to mix it up with PF Cuttin, Blahzay already had both feet in the game. Blahzay Blahzay would later become tangled in the politics of the music industry and the beef between the East and West, eventually deciding to walk way from Mercury Records when they were asked to compromise their craft and integrity. PF Cuttin and Blahzay haven’t looked back since, continuing to release projects on their terms, together and separately.

Back to me sweating it out in BierWax. I hopped off Instagram and texted Blahzay. “Let me know if you have trouble finding the place.” Send. I got a response back within seconds, telling me that my false sense of direction had indeed caused some trouble. Shit. When Blahzay texted that he was outside, I prepared myself for an off-standish greeting from someone that had just spent a good chunk of time driving all over Brooklyn. What I got was the opposite. Blahzay met me at the door with a smile and a handshake, as if I had led in him the right direction all along. Thankfully, the whole incident was water under the bridge. After formal introductions and a lot of apologies from me, we ordered beers and finally settled in for an in-depth discussion on graffiti, vinyl, legendary studios, and the state of hip-hop.

Blahzay: I see you have the album there, the first [Blahzay Blahzay] project.

BVB: I do. I have to say this album cover is one of my favorites done by Danny Hastings. I love the story behind it. This wasn’t the original cover, right? It was supposed to capture you and PF Cuttin bringing peace between two gangs?

Blahzay: Right, exactly.

BVB: Danny went with this photo instead and he created it by cutting up different pictures and putting them together.

Blahzay: Crazy.

BVB: I saw Danny Hastings speak before and he was one of those people that didn’t let the lack of technology stop his creativity back then. He used what he had and he made it work.

Blahzay: I think a lot of that came from graffiti. The graffiti artists in New York at that time, you know that was the energy. That was the vibe. Even myself today, I like to work with a film director that kinda has the graffiti eye because you just see the world different, you see things differently. And now people are appreciating graffiti writers on a totally different level, but back then, it was really like your eye was just something so different. It’s hard to compare you to anything. Just the way you see the world, the way you see things. So, I think that’s what made Danny so great.

BVB: Do you think technology killed that eye and the craft?

Blahzay: I won’t say [technology] killed it, but I think just like hip-hop like this, it kind of made it smaller, but stronger.

BVB: How so?

Blahzay: Because if you survived that whole era, it made you stronger. And it made me excited to see [artists] that survived that era, like okay, you’re still breathing, whatcha got?

BVB: Artists that were able to evolve.

Blahzay: That was able to evolve or just withstand and stay true to their integrity.

BVB: How did you get into rapping? I know that you were hanging with Paul C at an early age. He showed you the ropes and served as a mentor.

Blahzay: That was by accident.

BVB: Really?

Blahzay: I didn’t know Paul C. I went into the studio, I took my money. I was about fourteen. I took the little money that I had and I went into a studio called 1212. And I just started paying for studio time. Paul C seen it and he really felt my voice. Then he kept saying, “Yo, work with me.” The projects he was working on, he just exposed me to them and how he would mix the songs. And it was really like a blessing. It was really nothing that I knew. I just tried to find a good studio. I found a good studio and there was Paul C.

BVB: Tell me the about vibe and atmosphere of D&D studios. So many classic albums were made there, including yours, and I’m wondering what it was like back then.

Blahzay: D&D was just raw. That’s how 1212 was. The only thing that was different was 1212 was coming out of the 80’s movement with Super Love Cee, Father MC. D&D was more like 90’s. Straight 90’s. I got introduced to D&D by Bobby Konders. He’s a major reggae guy in New York. He was doing house music, but he was mixing his music and stuff at D&D. So we was like boys. He brought me up there, introduced me to it and I was just amazed. From 1212 and me knowing analog sound, I knew D&D was the place to be. Seeing the boards, seeing the setup, seeing the rooms, hearing the sounds, sonically, I knew this was the place to be. But it was the whole point of, when can you afford in work in there? And I was able to afford to work in there for myself. I brought PF up there and I was like, let’s do it, this is where it’s at. This is where we’re going to do our project.

BVB: Do you think being in a studio with a producer, creating a project together in a cohesive way, makes for a better album?

Blahzay: By all means. I would even say I think it’s an important ingredient to a generational album. You can have an album that’s hot because it’s something that’s popular at the time, but in the next generation, are they going to be able to relate to that? Is it still going to be relevant? When you have those elements, you know, mixed well, sounding great, that’s going to make the make the next artist, the next generation, respect it. Even if they don’t know what you’re talking about or they can’t relate to what you’re saying, they know that this thing is put together well.

BVB: It’s interesting because now, with technology, that’s not how albums are made a lot of times. It’s all done remotely.

Blahzay: And I think that’s going to be a big problem. Ten years down the line, I’m not going to get it, I’m not going to understand it. It doesn’t have the best sound. They’re not using high vibrational instruments. It’s just catchy. I don’t think catchy wins the day, generationally.

BVB: Catchy doesn’t last.

Blahzay: Right. It doesn’t last. Because it can be catchy today, but it’s like, what the fuck tomorrow.

BVB: Do you still listen to vinyl?

Blahzay: Yeah. Still listen to vinyl. I’m still creating music, so I’m listening to vinyl for creativity, sound. A year ago, I rereleased [Blah Blah Blah] on an overseas label. And when I was doing shows and stuff and tours overseas, they were people coming with the original vinyl, selling it and exchanging it. There was like a big commerce going on. So, you know, I think that’s where it’s at. If you like music, buy vinyl because it’s going to maintain its value and you’re going to be able to have some commerce with it later on. If you had a Thriller album right now or Off The Wall album, you probably could sell it for $1,500.

BVB: The original, yeah.

Blahzay: The original album and if it’s in great condition. So, imagine that. That’s an investment. Where else in music can you do something like that? You can’t. If you buy something digitally and it’s on your phone, you lose you phone and it’s gone. What’s the worth? What’s the value? I think the new generation, they have to get into vinyl because that’s how you can maintain your investment, your money, something you like.

BVB: I also think the sound quality is better.

Blahzay: Of course.

BVB: Physicals are still really important to me. I think [the digital age] takes a lot of the camaraderie out of coming together and listening to music. Like you just said, you were overseas performing and all these people were interacting, with vinyls, exchanging them. You don’t get that with digital music. It’s so isolating. I think that took away the connectivity that you have with other fans and music lovers. It’s gone now. There’s not really record stores anymore and the people producing vinyl are selling it online.

Blahzay: I mean we gotta figure that out. I think that’s opportunity to figure out. Maybe it’s not into the stores. Maybe it’s a really independent people and independent dealers and people such as yourself that kind of know and have a feel for it. Maybe just thinking different, setting up an independent online exchange and probably creating something big. I think some of that is probably what it is because you know everything is changing. Real estate is just ridiculous. That’s a big problem here in Brooklyn, which is home to a lot of culture. Everything is being changed. It’s hard to house the culture, but we gotta find ways to do it. And I think online is the way to do it.

BVB: Tell me about what you’re working on now.

Blahzay: I’m working on this project with Ill Al Skratch. I’m trying to figure out a title for it, but I really want it to focus on 90’s experience. And it’s hot. It’s hot to death. We’ve been performing it at concerts and it’s been getting great response. I knew Ill Al Skratch from [Mercury Records] but I haven’t seen them in so long. When I got reacquainted with Al, he really wasn’t doing much. And to see him now, he’s just so engaged. Got back into it. We did tours, did shows, and [Al] got carried off stage. You know like, whatcha call that? What’s that thing when they all surround you and carry you?

BVB: A mosh pit?

Blahzay: Mosh pit! He done got into a most pit. And that’s so cool. At first it was [just Al] and now his partner, Big Ill, is seeing it and he’s coming back and he’s doing a lot of work now. And that’s real cool because I know the frustration.

BVB: I imagine the passion is always there, whether you’re doing it or not. Why do you think Ill Al Skratch got out of it? Because they were just done with the game?

Blahzay: I mean that jadedness, how can you avoid it? I don’t think they’re as jaded as other artists from the era. I think they were able to stay away from it a lot, but you know, how can you not be upset at stuff that you put so much time and effort in to be under appreciated? And somebody that’s never put in that time and effort could be doing music for a month and could be getting all kinds of accolades.

BVB: As a fan, that’s hard for me to watch.

Blahzay: I think we gotta back away, look at it with a broader context and then we can kind of understand it.

BVB: And more people should be involved. I think you’re stronger when the unit’s bigger, when more people are invested in keeping the culture alive.

Blahzay: But sometimes you gotta step away. Like I always feel, New York is such a huge, high place. If I just walk around and look at the high buildings, I’ll be overwhelmed. I have to fly over it and look down at the high buildings and see how small it is. And it’s like, this is just a tiny place in comparison to the world, in comparison to everything else. This is like a dot. But if I’m just on the ground looking up, I’mma be overwhelmed. So that experience has to be created just to remind you that it’s huge but it’s nothing.