Up next in 10
DJ Drama On Funk Flex & DJ Khaled Rivalry, Tupac & 'Juice' References and New Music (Full Interview)
Mar 31, 2023
DJ Drama has announced the release of his brand new album, I'm Really Like That, which is set to drop on March 31st. With the resurgence of Gangsta Grillz mixtapes in the past two years, Drama is taking advantage of the hype and releasing his long-awaited project. He shared the cover art and has been hinting at the release for a while now. Drama recently stopped by Sway in the Morning to discuss the new album, alongside topics such as the Funk Flex/DJ Khaled rivalry and his admiration for the late Nipsey Hussle.
Drama spoke about how excited he is for the release of his upcoming album, and how the process was different from his previous projects. He mentioned how he took his time with this album and was able to put his all into it. Drama also revealed that the theme of the album is all about being confident and being true to oneself. He wanted to make an album that people could vibe with and relate to, and that's exactly what he accomplished.
During the interview, Drama also talked about some of the challenges he faced throughout his career, including the struggles of being a DJ in the music industry. He mentioned how he's seen EDM DJ's cheat the industry, and how he dislikes the way they manipulatively make music. Drama speaks about how he doesn't want to follow in that same direction and how he wants to make music the right way.
Drama also touched upon the Funk Flex and DJ Khaled rivalry, where he stated that they are all able to coexist and put out their own unique styles of music. He mentioned how there is no need for beef or drama, because everyone can thrive in this industry. Drama showed love to Dj Kid Capri and how he inspired him to become a DJ in the first place.
Throughout the interview, Drama also paid tribute to the late Nipsey Hussle.
DJ Drama's new album, I'm Really Like That, is set to release on March 31st, and it's clear that the project is something that has been carefully thought out and crafted with love. Drama's recent interview with Sway in the Morning showed his true passion for music and how he strives to put out quality music for his fans. The music industry is always changing, and it's refreshing to see that DJ Drama is staying true to what he believes in – making music the right way.
Subscribe Here! http://bit.ly/SubscribeSU
Watch the Best of Sway In The Morning! http://bit.ly/BestOfSITM
Check out More From Sway's Universe
http://swaysuniverse.com
http://twitter.com/swaysuniverse
http://instagram.com/swaysuniverse
Show More Show Less View Video Transcript
0:00
Grammy Award winning
0:01
ladies and gentlemen come on I say icon
0:05
walking b-e-t hip-hop award winning DJ
0:08
of the year I say icon walking yeah one
0:11
of the most successful careers we've
0:12
seen in the past two decades I say icon
0:15
walking wow you don't believe me acts
0:18
fabulous ask Jeezy ask Gucci ask Lil
0:21
Wayne I said icon walking ask him
0:25
two of the biggest artists in the game
0:27
right now Uzi vert and our co-star and
0:29
our Super Bowl commercials
0:32
[Music]
0:34
[Applause]
0:35
it's not a facade
0:38
he's not being pretentious he's not
0:41
being facetious no sir he's not a
0:44
fabricator uh-huh
0:46
that's not what he does he's really like
0:48
that you say
0:53
[Music]
1:00
[Applause]
1:08
[Music]
1:09
[Applause]
1:14
every day
1:16
I am the culture this can't be
1:19
duplicated on one of one 101. I am the
1:23
culture you find it necessary to say
1:25
that why
1:27
you know
1:28
I just need people to understand that I
1:31
live
1:32
breathe eat hip hop like when you look
1:36
at my career you look at the Legacy you
1:39
look at the the gamut of of the people
1:43
and artists that I've touched from all
1:47
parts of the culture from all parts of
1:50
the genre like you know
1:53
when I say like I'm really like that
1:56
it's like what I have given to hip-hop
1:58
what I have continuously given to
2:00
hip-hop you know the creativeness the
2:03
consistency like
2:05
projects we like if we sat here and
2:08
really talked about you know what
2:10
gangster girls means to hip-hop be real
2:13
about it tip to Jeezy to Wayne to to
2:16
Gucci to Fab to meet to Childish Gambino
2:19
to Rhapsody to Dead Prez to Yo Gotti to
2:23
Kevin Gates to NBA young boy to Snoop to
2:27
dreamville like we really could be here
2:30
for an hour just talking about that
2:32
alone it's the most important mixtape
2:36
series of all time
2:38
there's no debate about that and and you
2:42
know for what for what I represent when
2:44
it comes to hip-hop it's like you know
2:46
the Legacy that again that I have you
2:49
know generation now we've accomplished
2:51
with Lil Uzi vert and Jack Harlow shout
2:54
out to my brothers Don Cannon and Lake
2:55
Show like what about Willie Joe from the
2:57
back shout the Willy Joe from the bay
3:00
my man
3:04
what up what's up Brody like I'm really
3:07
like that like you know I mean it's just
3:10
fun to remind the people but just in
3:12
case they they aren't familiar well
3:14
people get confused you know and Tracy
3:17
was asking a question earlier about when
3:19
you see these DJ compilations or
3:21
mixtapes or albums yeah
3:24
um what's the difference and how what's
3:26
the difference between what what I'm
3:28
really like that is compared to a DJ
3:30
Khaled or a Funk Master Flex I mean it's
3:33
Dj drama you know my Approach is my
3:36
Approach and I think that you know the
3:39
way that I attack the game and what
3:41
people know me for a lot of times is
3:43
like my work with you know some of the
3:46
biggest in the game but also introducing
3:48
new voices you know what I'm saying
3:50
being a part of movements early on you
3:53
know so I I like to have you know a
3:56
little baby and uh uh
4:00
um a Jeezy you know a Tyler the Creator
4:02
a Simba a little Russell you know what
4:05
I'm saying
4:06
um you know so really package it all
4:09
together and just how I was explaining
4:10
on what I represent when it comes to the
4:12
culture when it comes to hip-hop you
4:14
know like I'm I'm In My Own Lane when it
4:16
comes to my albums because you know my
4:18
Approach is like you know I want to have
4:20
voices that you know
4:22
really show how diverse our culture is
4:25
and you know shout out to college shout
4:28
out to flex like one thing about all of
4:30
us is when we put these projects
4:32
together and we come with these collab
4:34
collaborative projects like this [ __ ]
4:37
ain't easy not at all for nobody you
4:39
know what I'm saying like it's not a
4:41
walk in the park like it's a lot of work
4:43
it's a lot of dedication it is not an
4:46
easy thing to do so for any for people
4:48
listening who can who questions any of
4:51
us like you know it takes a lot it's a
4:54
it's an amazing skill to be in this
4:57
position to be able to put albums out
4:59
like this and consistently you know what
5:01
I'm saying yeah you know those the three
5:04
of us that you mentioned like we have
5:05
multiple albums under our belts not even
5:07
like this is one this is this is my
5:10
sixth album outside of mixtape outside
5:14
of the 250 mixtapes that I've done you
5:17
know what I mean like so it's a lot of
5:18
hard work and a lot of dedication this
5:20
is hip-hop though
5:22
yeah this is a cup this is a competitive
5:25
sport very competitive sport you gotta
5:27
love it talk about the Rivalry is there
5:29
a rivalry with you in Khalid you and
5:31
flex nah there's no rivalry I think I
5:34
mean first off flex is you know
5:36
is somebody that I grew up
5:39
um inspired by you know uh looking up to
5:43
you know really somewhat of the
5:45
blueprint you know I'm saying in so many
5:47
aspects of like you know he he was on
5:51
the radio he was on television you know
5:53
you couldn't open up a magazine without
5:55
seeing an endorsement with him he was
5:57
putting out albums like you know when
6:00
now the flexors appear and a friend of
6:03
mine like you know that that's one of
6:04
those things to me it's like wow if I
6:06
would have told the young 13 14 year old
6:09
kid who was you know aspiring to be a DJ
6:12
that like one day I'd be standing side
6:14
by side with flex and you know on the
6:17
radio talking our [ __ ] and you know
6:19
playing my records and him dropping
6:21
bombs I wouldn't have believed it and
6:22
then when it comes to Khaled I think
6:24
that the the Gen if there was a
6:27
generation that was dominated by clue
6:30
and flex then me and Khaled came along
6:32
and it was like we were the two big
6:35
figures in hip-hop when it came to DJs
6:37
you know so
6:39
um I think there's room for everybody to
6:40
prosper and to you know to do their
6:44
thing and absolutely hip-hop is a very
6:47
competitive sport but it's like you know
6:49
it's like going to the league you know
6:50
I'm saying we're gonna get on that court
6:51
and at the at that moment I'm ready to
6:54
bust anybody ass but like you know with
6:56
all aspects we're all incredible at what
6:58
we do you know what I'm saying in so
7:00
many ways and um yeah you know it's like
7:04
as DJs you know I pay homage to
7:06
everybody but you know I'm I'm here I'm
7:09
one of the greatest to ever do it and
7:11
that's what it is okay so when you say
7:13
lyrics like I don't care
7:15
how many times I got to prove myself
7:18
they not built like us there's only so
7:21
many people on your level so I just
7:23
thought you was talking about them
7:26
about
7:30
okay it's not directed to anybody in
7:32
particular okay yeah
7:36
it's talking my [ __ ] you know if
7:38
somebody feels the type of way or you
7:40
know if the shoe fits but you know I
7:43
mean those are two brothers that you
7:45
know show love you know I'm saying
7:47
specifically but you know yeah it's not
7:50
for anybody at all it's just it's just
7:52
me being in my competitive bag like you
7:55
know that's that's what I do when I come
7:56
on mixtapes like you know I talk that
7:58
talk and I'm gonna put myself in in that
8:01
space and you know just the type of type
8:03
of energy the record gave at that at
8:06
that moment that's how I was feeling
8:07
I want to talk about Kid Capri because
8:10
while we're talking about DJs and albums
8:13
this man has um I don't think the gang
8:16
get knows maybe don't give him enough
8:19
because all the things you talk about
8:21
Flex has done yep so has Kid Capri I put
8:24
out an amazing album called the love
8:26
that he produced rapping right yeah did
8:30
the whole thing yeah shout out to Kid
8:31
Capri talk about his impact on the game
8:33
and how it impacted you I mean it's
8:35
crazy we was in the Sprinter last night
8:36
talking about this and like Kid Capri
8:38
was is probably literally one of the
8:40
earliest uh inspiring DJs like you know
8:45
just off uh Def Comedy Jam alone like
8:48
literally seeing him on television every
8:50
Friday night right and watching him do
8:52
his thing and you know early on in
8:54
hip-hop like he was a he was a very huge
8:57
figurine as a DJ and that was also seen
9:01
in the light of an artist in the sense
9:04
of like you know just just bigger than
9:06
life you know for first DJ to ever have
9:09
his own tour bus like you know he would
9:11
he would he would go across the country
9:13
doing events everywhere like when even
9:17
the stock there's a style of DJing as
9:19
far as like how DJs play records fast
9:22
yeah and like you know drop 20 seconds
9:24
of a record and then go on to another
9:26
record or just a style of of Mike game
9:29
in the club like a lot we all took from
9:32
Kid Capri like none of us would be here
9:35
if it wasn't for Kid Capri like he he
9:37
really set the blueprint you know what I
9:39
mean for all of us to to be in this
9:42
position
9:43
um so you know we we there's never a
9:46
moment when you cannot give somebody
9:47
like get completed flowers and then even
9:49
in the mixtape game like Kid Capri was
9:52
the mixtape King before so many people
9:54
came at that like you know he tells it
9:57
he retired like because he was he had
10:00
made millions of dollars already just
10:02
off his mixtape hustle and went on to do
10:04
other things so you know me as a mixtape
10:06
DJ like you know I remember the first
10:09
time I was acknowledged by Kid Capri I
10:11
remember I was DJing for TI
10:14
um on the Jay-Z and Friends tour when it
10:16
became the Jay-Z and Friends tour and I
10:18
think Kid Capri was on that tour and he
10:21
he walked up and somebody said this DJ
10:24
Drama and he was like oh your drama and
10:27
I was just blown away to the fact that
10:29
he even knew who I was you know what I'm
10:32
saying so yeah you know I mean it's
10:34
crazy like the the as much as I've
10:37
accomplished and like as as elevated in
10:41
the game and and the success that I've
10:42
had I still so many times sway where
10:45
like I remind myself about that young
10:47
kid who went to go see juice and wanted
10:50
to be a DJ and when I have these moments
10:52
it's like man like if I would have went
10:55
if I could go back in time and tell that
10:57
kid like yo one day you'll do ABC like I
11:02
don't know how to be like get out of
11:03
here
11:05
go back in your time machine man yeah
11:07
let's go back in that time machine okay
11:10
let's see what we can do with that
11:12
way like that yo what's your problem man
11:17
you my [ __ ] problem man you let
11:20
everybody in a rap game sweater so you
11:21
don't even give a [ __ ]
11:24
I think you're exaggerating that's
11:27
[ __ ] man we want from everybody in
11:29
the record industry we run from artists
11:31
we run from radio stations we run from a
11:34
RS we're offer [ __ ] directors with
11:37
nut ass treatments and [ __ ] Scripts
11:39
all we do is [ __ ] run
11:42
like a goddamn track team
11:44
[Laughter]
11:46
serious
11:49
what's the matter Raheem
11:51
nothing to say
11:55
it's because you know I'm right
11:57
in your heart you know I'm right a big
12:00
man if you want to really be like that
12:02
you got to earn it
12:04
you goddamn right you got to be ready to
12:07
throw down stand up and take over the
12:09
game like can if you want to be like
12:11
that Canon
12:13
Canon ain't been rocking nothing
12:16
that's cause we wasn't there to back
12:17
them up if we was dead if we was dead it
12:20
would have been five bad record deals
12:21
instead of one
12:22
[Music]
12:29
from juice Tupac so so I never got the
12:33
opportunity to meet pot
12:35
would he have been proud absolutely I
12:39
used to you know I used to sit in pox
12:40
living room and who he was as Bishop is
12:44
who he was as Tupac Shakur like that
12:46
that didn't have those stories yeah we
12:48
had those stories and you mastered so
12:49
well and I was hitting drama last night
12:51
you said you see my Clips right yeah
12:52
yeah shout out to the fact that you
12:55
brought back the original cast too oh my
12:57
God it wasn't just Omar Epps you had
12:58
literally steel you had like everybody
13:00
in there that played the original parts
13:02
yeah I had still I had Raheem I had
13:04
Queen Latifah I mean what did they say
13:07
when you approached them like if they
13:09
understood what you were trying to do
13:10
yes they did
13:13
um it started as an idea you know
13:16
um from my staff uh shout out to TC
13:19
Royce Willie Joe and they would you know
13:21
I've always talked about you know just
13:23
being an inspiration for me to become a
13:25
DJ so you know it started as a small
13:28
idea like
13:30
um about you know using the concept as
13:32
promo for my album and I had just
13:34
actually run into oh
13:36
um in New York
13:38
um maybe like a couple weeks before the
13:40
idea presented itself and I you know I
13:42
I just you know how my brain works I was
13:44
like you know what if we could really
13:46
get Omar Epps to be in it so I called
13:49
him you know he's been up here
13:51
um working on his show and he he thought
13:54
the idea was dope but he was like yo my
13:56
schedule is crazy so when's your album
13:59
dropping like we let's try to figure it
14:01
out and then from there I hit uh Khalil
14:05
who plays Raheem on Instagram ran an
14:08
idea by him he he got me in contact with
14:11
uh Jermaine who plays um steel and then
14:14
you know I was like damn what if we
14:15
could get Queen Latifah like that [ __ ]
14:17
would be crazy and you know on the whim
14:20
I hit shot Kim shot the uh shot Kim from
14:22
Flavor Unit and then you know he ran the
14:26
idea
14:27
um by law and then we I performed at the
14:30
Grammys for the 50th uh hip-hop
14:32
celebration congratulations thank you
14:35
very much
14:36
and while we were at rehearsals I ran up
14:38
to Latifah and I was like yo shock him
14:41
tell you about my idea and she was like
14:42
yeah so explain it to me again I was
14:44
like you know I told it to her and we
14:46
literally shot her part like two days
14:48
later after the Grammys while we were in
14:50
New York and it was like again like to
14:53
think that I'm I'm reliving my childhood
14:56
dreams and at the same time like being
15:00
this inspiration and like doing this
15:02
dope [ __ ] like the feedback has been so
15:05
incredible you know to use juices to
15:07
roll out and to recreate these scenes
15:09
and I had to really get into my acting
15:11
bag like you did your thing
15:13
like I had to you know I I had to learn
15:16
some lines you know I re I helped
15:18
rewrite the script to incorporate the
15:20
concept of an album I'm really like that
15:22
and like little you know my my I we shot
15:26
it in like February in a month where we
15:28
were doing
15:30
um Grammys All-Star Super Bowl so I
15:32
hadn't been home for no days so
15:34
literally like I learned my lines the
15:36
day of like right before every scene I
15:39
would like go through my lines and you
15:42
know like just you know play it out in
15:43
my head and and figure it out so I might
15:45
have caught the acting bug I think you
15:47
got it I see it happening get that man a
15:49
round of applause it looked good it's
15:50
very uh convincing go on his Instagram
15:52
too DJ Drama
15:56
um drama glad you're here
15:58
um always good to see you of course and
16:00
um I am a big fan of Simba like oh yeah
16:04
so fire I mean everybody I love but I'm
16:07
just he's somebody who just has my ear
16:09
in my eye right now what was it like do
16:11
you still get excited too like
16:13
absolutely
16:14
super excited and then you know Simba is
16:18
one of the few artists like normally
16:20
when I do my tapes my gangster girls
16:22
tapes and me for those listening to me
16:24
and Simba did it against girls last year
16:26
call results take time he's also on my
16:29
album but when we did that tape like my
16:32
process is normally like I work on the
16:34
music with the artist we get it to a
16:36
certain point and then I'll go into my
16:38
own Zone and like literally you know do
16:41
my parts when it comes to the tapes but
16:43
with Simba
16:44
um we flew into New York you know I went
16:46
to the studio with him and he literally
16:48
got to watch me in my process like do do
16:51
his tape and you know a lot of times the
16:54
artists are in awe and how I you know
16:55
how I come up with what I come up with
16:57
and you know my creative process and you
17:00
know he was the [ __ ] was like [ __ ] is
17:03
fire like results take time is a very
17:06
put together you know and like
17:09
incredible creative project you know I
17:11
mean and Simba you know lyrically he's
17:13
he's a monster you know uh his songs are
17:19
you know like
17:21
um complete you know what I'm saying and
17:23
incredible features and it was just it
17:25
was a dope project to do you know and
17:27
like I I do get excited like that's
17:30
really what excites me so much like
17:32
being a part of the artist's career at
17:35
that level in the game yeah so you know
17:37
even for for them when it's like you
17:40
know that sometimes that's the first
17:41
time people hear them on a gangster
17:42
girls platform or something I mean like
17:44
and and we have those early moments so
17:48
you know when we look back at Simba is
17:49
one of those guys and I can say yeah I
17:52
was there when we did I did his first
17:53
mixtape that's what I always say to sway
17:55
about you like when we see Uzi I'm like
17:58
yo do you remember when we was in drama
18:00
studio and he bought about like yo sway
18:03
Heather like I'm like let's go that was
18:06
the same guy my niece still has that
18:09
picture like I remember Jack Harlow when
18:12
you was like yo everybody and I'm like
18:14
how the hell does drama keep doing that
18:16
you know so I'm just I'm excited for
18:19
symbol like I am and I just I know he's
18:21
one of those he's honorary Generation
18:23
Now shout out to my guy Dallas Martin
18:24
too yeah you got a lot of Bay Area see
18:27
the Russell's on the prize
18:30
from Vallejo absolutely
18:33
generation now yeah shout out to rap too
18:36
my man rap um culture no culture no
18:39
vultures you know uh you know bay area
18:42
is is one of my one of my second homes
18:44
[Music]
18:47
I spend a lot of time in the bay
18:51
um got a lot of peoples out there you
18:52
know what I'm saying shot my guy PK okay
18:55
shot the Fab rest in peace to jack up
18:58
um yeah like the base is one of my
19:00
favorite places on Earth so you got to
19:02
do no vultures podcasts with rap okay oh
19:04
yeah I do okay oh yeah matter of fact
19:06
last time when I was at uh Mr Fab's
19:09
birthday party me and him talked about
19:11
that so I'm I'm definitely going through
19:12
it bro that's your cousin oh yeah yeah
19:15
yeah oh for sure
19:20
[Music]
19:21
no drama I love that you have so much
19:24
Clarity around your achievements I think
19:27
for a lot of folks it can be difficult
19:29
to really sit in your greatness because
19:32
a lot of us have worthiness as a wound
19:34
yeah and so we have all these
19:36
conversations around imposter syndrome
19:38
and that's why it's so crazy that there
19:41
was a big chunk of your career where you
19:43
felt like an underdog even though all of
19:45
us were like drama you live in the sky
19:47
like what the hell are we talking about
19:49
right so I'm wondering like what were
19:51
the opinions you used to care about that
19:54
now you don't give a [ __ ] about
19:56
um you know I've always had like thick
19:58
skin so and I think I think it come it
20:01
came from a point of like being a early
20:04
blogger like double XL very early on had
20:07
me do this blog for them and this was
20:10
like around the Myspace days you know
20:12
Myspace would have you thinking
20:13
everybody loves you and then and then I
20:16
started doing this blog for double XL
20:18
shout out to Elliot Wilson and then I
20:20
started like there was all this hate
20:22
like in the comments when I would do my
20:25
little write-ups and I was like wait
20:26
everybody doesn't love me like hold on
20:30
so it literally prepared me for what was
20:34
to come with social media and like you
20:36
know
20:37
um like comments that you would say that
20:39
I care about I think the only the only
20:41
thing that the thing that probably did
20:44
get under my skin somewhat is like maybe
20:46
around like 20
20:48
maybe between like I don't know like
20:50
maybe
20:51
2017 and 2019 or something like there
20:55
was a time when I would see comments and
20:57
be like damn whatever happened to DJ
20:59
Drama he used to be you know he used to
21:01
be on fire or he was doing his thing and
21:03
I'd be like wait what are y'all talking
21:05
about like I'm running one of the most
21:07
successful labels in the game I have two
21:09
of the hottest artists under my belt
21:11
like what do you mean where have I been
21:12
like why did that bother you
21:15
um because because I don't think people
21:18
were familiar with the fact of what I
21:20
was doing at the time because I may have
21:22
taken a uh a behind the scenes role
21:25
right right and as as being a label
21:28
owner and as you know running the the
21:30
company you know and being behind the
21:32
success of these artists you know
21:35
um I think there was a period when
21:37
people weren't that familiar with the
21:40
little Uzi and Jack being signed to
21:42
generation now or us making sure people
21:44
knew the brand generation now you know
21:47
and we we definitely waved the flag as
21:49
much as we could so I think in in a
21:51
sense that might have gotten to me
21:53
because you know like I've still been
21:55
doing so much dope [ __ ] so for people to
21:57
wonder like as if I'm not I'm not still
22:00
still out here I was like no no no no no
22:02
no no no no I'm here you know what I'm
22:04
saying but it was so crazy is that
22:07
just recently like this run that I've
22:09
been on you know ever since Tyler the
22:11
Creator when he did call me if you get
22:12
lost I got that Grammy got that Grammy
22:14
baby come on man don't just say that
22:16
he's a Grammy award-winning because you
22:19
are listening to man listen I I had I
22:21
hit you last night the first text I sent
22:24
you last night was Tyler yeah got some
22:26
Tyler bringing bars on that legendary
22:29
listen Tyler is a like when we when we
22:33
talk about
22:34
um like in a sense maybe
22:35
underappreciated or you know somebody
22:38
who who doesn't get talked about in that
22:42
sense like first of all when it comes to
22:44
the West Coast when it comes to La there
22:46
should never be a conversation about the
22:49
greatest to ever do it without Talent of
22:51
creation
22:52
I'm in that energy right now like like
22:55
what Tyler has accomplished in the last
22:58
decade and or the last like 13 14 years
23:01
like even when we talk about the greats
23:03
and we talk about the round Mount
23:04
Rushmore and and we talk about the Drake
23:07
the coals the Kendricks the nickies the
23:10
Futures like Tyler needs to be there
23:12
with them as well Tyler the Creator I
23:14
agree and yeah and and by the way not
23:17
only am I dropping my album tonight at
23:20
midnight I'm also part of Tyler the
23:22
Creator call me if you get lost deluxe
23:24
edition the estate sale so I literally
23:27
have two albums coming out tonight is
23:29
that a stunt right there this is this is
23:31
a this is an unprecedented run that I'm
23:33
all right now like it's been it's been
23:36
top you know there's been times when
23:37
I've been on fire but this might be the
23:39
most on fire I've ever been and he's
23:41
relaxed talk
23:47
first of all I want to thank you for
23:49
this lovely Generation Now hoodie that's
23:51
uh beautiful we got some new ones too I
23:53
got a new one for you all right you see
23:55
what I did there people
23:57
um we were having a discussion before
23:59
you came in about the revenue and the
24:02
earnings of the EDM DJs Community versus
24:05
the hip-hop DJ Community can you maybe
24:08
shed some light break it down and why is
24:10
it that the EDM guys are always on the
24:12
top of the Forbes list but you never see
24:13
Premiere you never see uh Kid Capri you
24:16
know yeah you know the originals
24:18
bro I mean and you rarely see women if
24:23
you if you see me right now I'm shaking
24:24
my head yeah like and I you know
24:27
kudos to everybody who has a passion and
24:30
love for music and you know does starts
24:32
this with a dream and and makes it and
24:34
you know I'm I'm not here to count
24:36
anybody's Pockets but like I've been to
24:39
the club and watched some of these DJs
24:42
performing DJ and I'm like yo these
24:44
[ __ ] is cheating like thank you
24:47
they're getting away with murder like
24:49
they're not doing what we doing you know
24:51
what I'm saying what's the difference
24:54
a lot of lights and smoke and fire
24:57
pyrotechnics and a crowd and a crowd
25:00
that is not
25:02
you can play whatever the [ __ ] you want
25:05
and they're gonna just pump their fists
25:07
to the beat like it's like it's like
25:10
it's like they're like tribal in a way
25:13
and it's just like you like you know a
25:15
hip-hop crowd and what we do in a sense
25:18
like you know they come to here where we
25:20
like how we want to play and what we
25:22
rock and like you know if you're a DJ on
25:24
a certain level you definitely can break
25:25
new music but if you go to a certain
25:27
type of club like the type of clubs I go
25:30
to and I just drop some [ __ ] that
25:32
nobody's ever heard like they gonna look
25:34
at you like yo what like the bottle
25:37
poppers are leaving and the women are
25:39
not they don't know the women are not
25:41
dancing they don't notice so it's just
25:42
it's just different you know what I'm
25:44
saying and you know
25:46
um unfortunately like it's somewhat
25:48
unfair like I I hate to say it like that
25:51
you know what I mean and like especially
25:54
in a sense where as hip-hop DJs we put
25:57
in so much work and so much grind and
25:59
you know
26:01
um and are the the forefathers of this
26:04
culture and even going into that world
26:07
because a lot of the EDM world you know
26:09
when when their music in the dance music
26:12
kind of started getting cold they
26:13
started transitioning over into hip-hop
26:15
you know what I'm saying and still
26:17
getting them same numbers so you know
26:19
it's it's an unfair scale for sure like
26:22
I'm not afraid to say it by no means
26:24
okay so certain Prejudice uh it's a
26:26
cultural Prejudice in it you know let's
26:28
call it what it is yeah you know a lot
26:29
of those EDM DJs don't even DJ they do
26:33
pre-recorded that's 45 minute mixes and
26:35
they pushing us
26:39
and I think that's the cheating job yeah
26:42
that's cheating that's the cheat not all
26:44
of them but I'm just saying some of them
26:45
and then we would uh saying rest in
26:47
peace today DJ am today is his 50 what
26:50
if his 50th birthday oh wow the rest of
26:52
pizza DJ did you meet him I did I knew
26:54
am yeah I knew am am was a great guy he
26:57
was somebody that was was it was pretty
27:00
much ahead of the curve on what was to
27:02
come for a lot of those DJs in a sense
27:04
but am was somebody that
27:07
um I feel like you know you know was
27:10
part of us like and part of our culture
27:13
and respect to hip-hop and you know
27:15
definitely like
27:17
um
27:18
he was a dope ass DJ like 100 he was a
27:20
dope ass DJ I want to talk about I'm
27:22
really like that before our time runs
27:24
out because you got some really special
27:26
songs on this album you know hold for Me
27:29
featuring Lil Baby and a boogie winner
27:31
hoodie yep it's the first collaboration
27:35
you know it feels like they might have
27:37
or should have worked together dude so
27:39
you did that intentionally putting them
27:41
together yeah the first collaboration
27:42
you know I wanted to put you know two
27:44
guys that never been on the song
27:45
Together uh what did they think about
27:48
that when you told them who was going to
27:49
be featured on it it was all for it yeah
27:51
yeah it was it was like let's let's run
27:53
it you know
27:54
um I you know me and baby I did one of
27:57
baby's earliest mixtapes hard and hard
27:58
so you know again somebody that I was
28:01
there very early on in the Forefront of
28:03
his career and um a book He's my guy he
28:07
worked in Mean Street Studios you know
28:09
day in day out so did you had him
28:11
sweeping you had a boogie sweeping up
28:13
the studio bro
28:15
and I say he worked it yeah he
28:19
oh my God
28:21
not getting coffee hey boogie with the
28:24
broom
28:25
so yeah
28:26
you know he spent a lot of time in Mean
28:29
Street Studios so you know I've been
28:31
able to watch his come up and and I'm
28:33
super proud of that guy you got another
28:35
song called raise different I listened
28:37
to it five times man with nipsy hustle
28:40
featured on it right yes rest in peace
28:43
the marathon continues okay blast is on
28:45
it and um yeah and Jeezy is going easy
28:48
nipsy hustle man it sounded like he
28:50
wrote that verse yesterday it's crazy to
28:53
think too right yeah how did you get the
28:54
verse
28:55
um Nipsey another person you know a very
28:58
dear friend of mine
29:00
um somebody that I made history with
29:01
with the Crenshaw mix team and when
29:05
Nipsey would come to Atlanta he would
29:06
also record a lot of Mean Street Studios
29:08
so that was a verse that we had in the
29:11
vault
29:12
um and have been sitting on for some
29:13
time and you know salute to um uh Black
29:17
Sam
29:18
um all money and family you know they
29:20
gave us the blessing and I had the verse
29:22
and I went to blast and I told him look
29:25
you know I got this nip verse I want you
29:28
to you know I obviously at La connection
29:31
there and he came up with the hook that
29:34
was just felt perfect you know and I was
29:37
like damn who could I put on there you
29:39
know I played it for Jeezy and Jeezy
29:42
actually recorded his verse on the day
29:44
of takeoff's funeral no
29:47
um so you see some mention in there you
29:49
know he talks about take he talks about
29:50
Dolph you know he shows he pays respect
29:53
to Nipsey as well so and tomorrow's the
29:55
four year anniversary of nipsey's death
29:56
tomorrow is the four year anniversary he
29:58
has some money when I when I posted my
30:01
um my release date um somebody mentioned
30:04
that and brought that up too
30:06
yeah it's crazy it's crazy crazy
30:09
um yeah man you just put me I said geez
30:11
man what I didn't bring the mood down
30:14
it's a celebration celebration that's
30:17
the power
30:18
[Music]
30:20
Atlanta the whole culture still healing
30:23
from that loss yeah absolutely you know
30:24
absolutely rest in peace to my brother
30:26
Clay too recipes
30:27
pass man I remember last time I saw clay
30:30
was at the mall when I was in Atlanta
30:31
and we just had a really great
30:33
conversation always a great conversation
30:35
you know Clay is somebody that um
30:37
touched a lot of people in the business
30:40
you know I feel like everybody has a
30:42
clay story you know and um somebody that
30:45
I spent a lot of time with you know in
30:46
my ground hustle days even you know
30:48
there was a moment when uh he he managed
30:50
me he was my role manager went on the
30:53
road so you know definitely recipes to
30:54
collect
30:56
um
30:57
when I think a generation down I think
31:00
the quality of control and I think a TDE
31:02
and I think a dreamville and I think
31:05
Young Money and I think a generation now
31:08
wow that's great company yeah man do you
31:11
see do you see Generation Now on that
31:13
level like where does it rank absolutely
31:16
um
31:17
you know I I don't know if I'm great at
31:19
rankings but you know quality control uh
31:23
what what uh p and Coach have
31:25
accomplished is is amazing is inspiring
31:28
you know
31:29
um they they're they are our peers but
31:32
there are also some
31:34
some someone that we look up to you know
31:36
I'm saying and they've done some amazing
31:38
things
31:39
um TDE I was just with top the other day
31:41
shot at the top shout out to Ray Vaughn
31:43
you know we working on something right
31:45
now
31:46
um another person another label that you
31:49
know we look up to and we're inspired by
31:53
um but yeah when we when I think about
31:54
generation now when I think about you
31:57
know what DJ Drama represents what Don
31:59
Cannon represents what lake show
32:01
represents
32:02
um and then when we think about our
32:04
artists and the success of them you know
32:06
we right there you know what I'm saying
32:08
like we want to we want to be and we're
32:10
going to continue to be one of the one
32:12
of the most impactful and one of the
32:13
greatest labels in the game like when we
32:15
really look at the numbers and we look
32:17
at the sales and the and and the impact
32:19
like you know we we got some we got some
32:22
real potent [ __ ] over a generation now
32:24
like come on we we we in there we in
32:27
there we in that conversation absolutely
32:29
one-on-one man I want to thank you
32:31
brother for always coming coming back
32:33
absolutely like
32:37
[Music]
32:39
count in my head real quick damn how
32:41
many times have I been
32:43
on your show
32:45
um and been in Sway in the Morning not I
32:48
think about all our moments like all our
32:49
moments in this studio all our moments
32:52
in Mean Street Studios and all our
32:54
moments is South by Southwest wow like
32:57
like on the phone all our moments on the
32:59
phone is my mic going out it's nice okay
33:02
so my headphones going on all my moments
33:04
on the phone like yo you speaking of
33:06
nipsy hustle you literally probably have
33:09
one of the most embarrassing but one of
33:12
the the few times that I ever tried to
33:15
spit a rap like we were South by
33:17
Southwest
33:18
and it was nips I don't know what what I
33:21
was thinking we were sitting at the
33:24
table me sway nipsy hustle and Tech N9ne
33:27
and somehow sway convinced me to [ __ ]
33:30
rap can't do it drama and you let him
33:32
down I think I rap like I literally used
33:35
the word pear like in the rap it was so
33:39
terrible but the best way to get you he
33:41
got me so that's all right
33:45
hey man I mean sweat you know I tell you
33:48
all the time like just to sit here with
33:49
y'all man you know just you you're such
33:52
a legend you know you're you're so
33:54
inspiring you know what I'm saying like
33:56
me coming up in the game and again like
33:58
this this is one of the moments me
34:00
sitting with you thinking about that kid
34:02
dude who wanted to be in the game so bad
34:05
and you know
34:06
um uh growing up listening to even your
34:09
albums like you know I mean like you
34:11
know the the wake-up show like it's just
34:14
you know it's it's legendary it's it not
34:17
only am I am I an icon you're an icon
34:20
not only am I really like that you're
34:22
really like that I really like that yeah
34:24
I really like that
34:27
[Applause]
34:30
now I appreciate you brother and I'm so
34:33
proud of you man yeah thank you and I
34:35
love we got our relationship even
34:36
outside of this late show Don Cannon
34:40
you can't do with it for us so many
34:42
times on the
34:44
pandemicism
34:45
it was amazing but um out tonight at
34:50
midnight two of them a lot of people
34:52
call when I get a chance to get to you
34:54
but get this project no weakness is
34:56
probably one of my favorites on it right
34:58
now but I'm gonna continue listening you
35:00
got a lot of slew up great songs also
35:02
don't forget G Perico came by yesterday
35:09
Lake
35:10
salute to you Don Cannon the whole team
35:13
Nelson is up in here no man come on man
35:16
let's do this he's iconic man shout to
35:18
the Monarch family too I appreciate you
35:20
know everything
35:21
um with this album roll out they've
35:23
definitely been you know so supportive
35:25
and you know I mean so in my corner and
35:28
um you know I'm really I'm just excited
35:29
man I'm in a great space you know my
35:32
skin is clear
35:35
I'm drinking my water come on I'm in the
35:38
gym come on going back on tour this
35:40
summer with with Snoop and whiz I got a
35:43
podcast on the way come on got a book
35:45
deal what you know like so it's we got
35:48
some amazing things happening
35:50
documentaries is coming the pink tape Is
35:53
On The Way new music from Jack Harlow
35:55
shout out to Sunny digital shout out to
35:57
carvina shout out to Kai cash shout out
35:59
to a yellow we got some [ __ ] man okay
36:01
cash is Generation now
36:05
first damn
36:06
[Music]
36:07
I told y'all he's always doing stuff
36:10
here
36:14
congratulations wow
36:16
come on man keep winning drama nah keep
36:19
winning brother we appreciate you you
36:21
are the culture I appreciate you are the
36:24
culture bro continue to feed the streets
36:26
and give to this culture man when it's
36:28
all said and done when it's all said and
36:30
done it will be said the DJ Drama
36:33
represented hip-hop and the culture to
36:36
the fullest we're gonna end with
36:37
legendary okay and what a great show we
36:40
had today thank you drama uh make sure
36:42
y'all support the album yeah and on that
36:44
note man we're gonna go ahead and wrap
36:46
it up we'll be back tomorrow we got
36:47
tomorrow DB well we have uh Chris Pratt
36:51
who's starring as Mario in the new Super
36:52
Mario movie and we may have I don't even
36:55
know if I should say it because I
36:56
haven't received go ahead it's in front
36:57
of drama though before the stunt moment
36:59
if we don't have it we might get Russell
37:01
Crowe okay
37:02
we really like that all right
37:07
we go
37:10
[Music]
#Arts & Entertainment