KM- First we would like to say its a honor to interview you. For those that don’t know how did Kid Capri get his start?
Kid Capri- I’ve been it for a lot of years before anyone knew my name,I started getting known I started training with a after hour club with a guy named Chief Roc da Star Child. We got ready popular from making mixtapes together,we did that for a year,after that I did my parties in the city and going to Virginia,North Carolina and then Red Alert got me a job at Studio 54.After that I was figuring out what went to a department store & bought 100 tapes.I copied all the tapes I made previously and I made one new one ,the next day i went out to Rucker Park in Harlem where they play basketball at sat there and sold my mixtape for $20 some people ain’t know who I was a few people did,and they would ask me why would I give you $20 for a tape & I said put my tape in your car & listen to the beginning of it & I guarantee you will buy everything I got, and that’s exactly how it went,at theat time every car had a Kid Capri take even Mr. Softy ice cream truck it was crazy. After that I played at bigger clubs then tour,radio deal with WBLS and album deals through Biz Markie with Warner Brothers it was called Kid Capri -The Tape.Also doing the parties for LL Cool J & Russell Simmons was there & seen how I had all these people going crazy and asked me what I thought about being with a comedy show on HBO,I didn’t think it made any sense but who was i to question it we end up doing it was the best move of my life .It was on the air for 16 years we were on tour for like 8-9 years. It was ground breaking it started the career of Bernie Mac ,Cedric the Entertaner,Steve Harvey,Chris Tucker,Jamie Foxx,Martin Lawrence it just went on and on.To see them dudes as big as they are now coming from our so it’s just amazing from their it was history now I have own show its in it third season called Master of the Mix we was on BET we on VH1 now,its a dj reality show where we give $250,000 to the winner.It’s a lot of things that came from me doing that mixtape move.
KM- Your grind is very strong,the first time I seen Kid Capri was on a commercial for Def Comedy Jam the intro was so powerful it locked me in. The love around the country for you just grew and grew.Now seeing you on the Master of the Mixx you go hard on them
Kid Capri- I have to be very real I got a lot out of this business i set the dj trends it was because of me that the dj got real big and being able to take care of their families & have a way out,before me a dj was getting paid $50 when I was getting paid I was getting $15,000 a show & that was unheard of.I set the mark of how to perform as a dj and not just play a record, Im a Grammy award producer I won a Grammy with Jay-Z I gave him Hard Knock Life and I did Nothing but Love for Heavy D .I did songs for a lot of people i just recently did Madonna record call Masterpiece so I could go on Master of the Mix without knowing what i was saying thats why they can and got me in the first place
KM- You transended your career ,with like Dj Kahald & Dj Drama putting together all these collab albums with all these artist do you see yourself doing that?
Kid Capri-The came out after me I did that in 1998 I had a album called Sountrack to the Streets with Jay Z,Nas ,Busta Rhymes,Lost Boyz,Luke,Foxy Brown,LOX,Big Pun,Noreaga,Camp Lo,Ras Kas, Punchline,Jermaine Dupri,Camron it was a big album so what they doing now I been did that.I producers all the records on both my album and the beats.Kahald remind me of me in my younger days they have to keep it going I like what they doing.
KM- Busta Rhymes said something a few years ago about young artist coming into the game thinking you can walk about the stage and hold your balls and throw you fingers up and people that paid they hard earn money to come see you stay on the stage and perform but when I get on stage Im going to bust your a$$. Also you know for giving 150 also as a DJ I commend you for that.
Kid Capri- They don’t have to give you any attention when someone ask for a autograph I run to do it.That little paper that you sign they put that paper of the wall. A lot of cats after they make it they be all bodyguard up and Im not like that I walk around places by myself I don’t carry that negative energy. A dude told me I never dance at the 6 shows you had I watch you and you tell a story with your music and he’s right I beginning,middle and a end .I go watch djs and they play a record 5 times you will never hear that at my show.If a dj playing the record 5 times hes not a dj he just want to chase some chicks and be out the house. That’s why i take it so serious because this is what I do.Also these young dudes have to respect the older cats how you going to compete with a Busta Rhymes who got 40 hit records to your one hot joint. We really love what we do.
KM- I was alway thaught to pay homage to the people before me
Kid Capri-Everyone in Hip Hop music needs to pay homage to James brown without him there would be no Hip Hop at all. How do you not know about him how much he was sample his music and thats because of the Program Directors and people not teaching them. Kids no a days think Biggie is old school, are you crazy.
KM- I spoke to a kid 21 the other day and he talked about Biggie as if he was one of the pioneers.
Kid Capri- Some of these kid think DJing started with Khald but he’s like my son he got it from me like most of the dj’s .Talking on the mic all that was me. I sit back and look at him like look what I started. I didn’t have to be on videos my djing carried my name this far. Most kids may of heard of me but never experience what I done but when they see me they like they never seen nothing like that. It need to be some type of balance in music you should hear a Jeezy song then a Rahkim. That’s why I wont go back to radio. I cant listen to a program director that come from Oakland to tell me what music to play on the east coast
One word association going to give you a name say what you feel
KM- Technique turntables
Kid Capri-The greatest you will never see me on cdj’s
KM- Curtis Blow
Kid Capri- Pioneer
KM- Micheal Jackson
Kid Capri- Galaxy superstar nobdy will ever be bigger
KM- Russell Simmons
Kid Capri- Galaxy superstar nobdy will ever be bigger (begins laughing)
KM- Ace Hood
Kid Capri-He’s dope and he’s grind Khalad putting him in the right direction I always like him
KM- Fatman Scoop
Kid Capri- Party man
KM- LL Cool J
Kid Capri- One of the Greatest of all time
KM-The industry
Kid Capri- Full of Sh*t
KM-If you you can work with any artist who would it be?
Kid Capri- James Brown because he is the creator of what we do. Full Force worked with him you know how them dudes felt.I talked to Bowlegged Lou about that. When I meet James Brown I standing their talking to him and I couldn’t really speak and I knew everything about him.
