Rhap Session: Black Milk

Detroit rapper Black Milk is one of the most promising young producers in hip-hop. He grew up with the generation that saw J Dilla as a model. Though it's unfair to call Black Milk a Dilla clone, there are several stylistic similarities between the two. So, since Dilla's passing in early 2006, hip-hop devotees have tried to anoint Milk the heir to his throne. He didn't disappoint. Popular Demand dropped in 2007 and was a revelation. Sparse, lo-fi and sublime, it cemented Black Milk's reputation as a master of hard drums and soulful hip-hop. 2008's Tronic further expanded on his palette, pulling from pop, neo-soul and revivalist boom bap. It also showcased Black’s skills as an emcee. Recently, Rhapsody caught up with the Detroit producer to talk about his acclaimed new album as well as some of his future projects.

[Click the "Continue Reading..." link to listen to a playlist featuring the music discussed in this post.]

On goals for Tronic
When I was making this album, I wanted it to be like my demo for the industry. I knew it was going to be everywhere. The underground is going to mess with it, but I also knew that people in the mainstream were going to listen to it too. I had to make sure that the album had a lot of different styles but was cohesive. That’s why I had tracks on there that I thought could be crossover tracks. “Without You” and “Hold it Down” sound pop, but “The Matrix” is grimy and “Bond for Life” is more musical.

On using live instrumentation for the first time on Tronic
There were about four cuts where I brought in musicians. I wanted to give the music a different feel, a different formula. I wanted to bring a different approach to how I produce records. I was still sampling, still on the MPC. That is always the start of my productions, giving the tracks their skeletons, their beats, and adding on from there. Some of the tracks I felt needed the live instruments.

It turned out dope, and I’m going to continue using that formula.  A live musician’s ear is different than a beatmaker’s ears. And me working with them and observing how they listen to music and comparing it to how I listen to music gives me a different perspective. I want to show that I am a musician. I’m wanna learn the keys, and music theory. I’m trying to touch every genre of music and every style of music I can. I’m trying to do it all to show the versatility. I like off-beat stuff and left-field type of music, but I want to know how to play it properly. You think Tronic is crazy? I’m a step ahead of that already.

On emceeing
I like lyrical emcees, but I’m more of a style type of cat. The people I’m influenced by are Busta Rhymes, Ludacris and Slum Village. I like to find a pocket of a beat that I can ride in and flow over that. I may not be saying that much, but the way I marry my verse with the beat sounds and feels good. It’s more about using your voice as an instrument and not trying to overpower the beat. I’m not trying to compete with the beat. I want it to be a marriage.

But with Tronic, I did feel that I had to step it up lyrically. I knew more people were going to be listening and I wanted to do more metaphors and punchlines to show that I could do both styles.

On the influence of electronic music on Tronic
I won’t say that I was a big fan of electronic music, but it has influenced my sound. I’m from Detroit, and I do listen to Walter Carlos. But I’m not into techno music.  I’m into old-school electronic artist from the 70s that made the weird, abstract and crazy records. I wanted to step away from the soul samples. Popular Demand was mainly soul samples. There’s only one soul sample song on Tronic.

On showing growth vs. pleasing fans
You have to show your growth without straying too far away from what got you to this position. I could’ve taken this album way more left-field that I did, but I knew I couldn’t do that just yet. I didn’t want to come out of nowhere with some crazy shit. I have to gradually go into that. Andre 3K is a perfect example of that. He started off as a regular emcee, and dressing regular. But with each album, he got progressively weirder. That’s what I’m doing – not saying I’m about to go weird and dress crazy, but I like to challenge the fans. “Give the Drummer Some” is a challenging record. When I first dropped it, some people were like, ‘Where’s the beat? Where’s the one?” It was funny to me when I saw that, but they finally caught on.

On the pressure of the Dilla comparisons
It would only be pressure if I was trying to live up to the hype. If people were saying, ‘Black, you the next Dilla.’ And if I ran with that. But I’m not here for that. I’m here to make my own legacy and create my own lane. I’ll always be screaming Dilla. If it weren’t for Dilla, I probably wouldn’t be doing beats. He was the main person that made me want to do beats when I first heard him. You’ll always hear certain elements of him in my music. But, at the same time, I want people to know Black Milk as Black Milk and see what I’m capable of. People are starting to realize that a little more. I’m coming with my best album. The Dilla comparisons are always going to be there. People are going to wonder if I’m doing my beats like Dilla, or if I’m getting better than Dilla. But it’s a compliment. If people think I can even get close to the best producer ever in hip-hop, that’s a compliment.

On first meeting Dilla
I first met Dilla when we were recording Ditry District Volume 2. He came up to the studio and was doing cuts for another group. I chopped it up with him. And then he came up again the next day and heard what we were doing and was like, ‘Oh man…yeah, yeah…I’m going home to make something and I’m about to be up all night.’  I was like, ‘Damn, we inspired Dilla to go home and make some music.’

On the status of Random Axe, Milk’s collaboration with Sean Price and Guilty Simpson
We’re about three or four song away from finishing the album. We had our own projects that we had to finish up, but we’re about to come back to it. I talked to Guilty. I talked to P. I might have to revisit some of my beats. We recorded that over a year ago, and I want the beats to be up to par with what’s on ‘Tronic. But it should come out early next year. It’s going to be different. There will be hard, grimy hip-hop, but I flipped it so that you’ll hear Sean P over some different type of beats. We did one track on some 808 clap shit. It was a real empty beat, but it hits hard. It’s dope. We have another song called “Everybody, Nobody, Somebody” that has a Moog sample and with a club beat and a hard ass kick. But, at the same time, I got the stuff people want and expect. It’s going to be dope.

Comments

[chill w/ the dilla comparions]

it is a disgrace for anyone to say black milk or anyone is like jaydee. that is bs and shouldnt even come out of anyones mouth. black milk is no where near jaydee on the beats.