Q:How are you doing dex?
A:I'm good my dude...
Q:How was it to grow up in New York:
A:Well I didn't grow up in NY..I grew up in Trinidad,I moved to NY
when I was about 18.
Q:What kind of music did you listen to was you was young?
A:I grew up in a house hold that was full of music.My mom listened to
mostly Soul and RnB stuff,my pops loved Reggae and Studio One which
would be considered dancehall by today's standards I guess.My
grandmother listened to mostly religious music and my granddad loved
country music..so to answer your question..I listened to literally
everything as a kid.
Q:What was the first Hip Hop / Rap song you ever heard?
A:Shit..I guess that would be Planet Rock.In the islands we didn't
have access to a lot of NY Hip Hop in the early stages,so when we got
it, it was usually dated or old.Unless you were lucky enough to have
family abroad that recorded the mix shows off the radio like
Mr.Magic,Red Alert etc.I was one the lucky ones,plus I had homies that
had fam over seas so I would get dubs from them as well.Not to mention
I knew a lot of local DJ's that would make me tapes..I was well
covered on the music tip.
Q:What kind of education did you on school?
A:My high school was run like a college so I had a major ,if you will,
in Business studies.Our music program got cut the year I entered High
School so I didnt have a chance to learn about music that way.
Q:Did you always want to be a engineer?
A:I always wanted to be involved in music.I didn't know what aspect of
the business best suited me till I saw a movie about street racing of
all things.They had clips of a group in a recording studio laying down
music and I was like "That's It"..
Q:You worked in the legendary D&D studio's how did you get that job?
A:I was working at The Apollo Theatre in Harlem.They got new
management and fired the entire engineering staff.My homeboy Leo
"Swfit"Morris was working at D&D at the time and told me they were
looking for interns.I went in,had the interview with Doug Grama,one of
the owners,and was hired that day...the rest is history.
Q:And how was your first day like:
A:My first day was the shit!
Q:Which artist did you first meet and what was your reaction ?
A:I met Guru and DJ Evil Dee that day.I also met a female producer by
the name of Nikki Nicole.I knew that day that D&D was the place for
me.I had been around famous people before so I knew how to act,but
Guru is one of my favorite EMCees so I had to catch myself a lil
bit.Evil Dee was just now getting his notoriety from the Black Moon
project and it was dope meeting an up and coming artist like him.The
best part about meeting those guys and everyone else I met, was I
managed to maintain close relationships with most,if not all of them.
Q:What was your first album to work on & how was that?
A:The first album I worked on was Onyx "BACDAFUCUP".I was working at
the Apollo then.It was definitely a great learning experience and a
honor cause I got to work with a legend,Jam Master Jay and what would
later become a classic album.I got no credit for that album cause I
was still considered an intern, but the way they had the system set up
at the Apollo back then, the assistant had to pull intern duties as
well.
Q:You are also on KRS One`s album KRS One in the song Reality how came
that together?
A:That was one of those Right Place at the Right Time deals.I was at
D&D sitting in the lounge and the assistant engineer, Luis Tineo,
called me into the room to run and errand for KRS.I had to buy a
pocket recorder for him.After I got him the recorder he asked me to go
outside and record some street noise and say what I said on the
song"These are the streets.." etc etc.He paid me and gave me credit on
the song for that,which I didn't even expect,but KRS is cool like
that.
Q:Can you give a few name`s of artists that you worked with?
A:I'm known mostly for working with Premier,but I worked with Da
Beatminerz,ShowBiz,Diamond D,Lost Boyz,Mark Sparks,Boot Camp,KRS
One,Sadat X,Brand Nubian,Guru,GangStarr,M.O.P,Limp
Bizkit,Biggie,Janet,Brandy..those are the few I remember off the top
of the head.I have to say this though,Lord Finesse was the first Hip
Hop producer I ever worked with.I met Ness when he was working on Big
L's demo,L was 17 at the time.I can still call Ness and get good
advice or just kick it with him.He's a real good dude.
Q:And what was you most favorite memory at the D&D studios?
A:Got a lot of those but I remember one day walking into D&D and going
to my room,the B room,and it was full of smoke.I'm thinking the room
is on fire cause some fool fell asleep with a blunt in his hand or
some shit.Turns out the M.O.P. fam decided to have bar be que in the
back lounge which had no windows.Needless to say we had to change
locations but we had a banging ass bar be que that day.
Q:Who is your favorite Producer/Mc/Group and why?
A:Favorite producer Premier..his beats have always been crazy to
me,got the crazy funk vibe to it.I gotta say Da Beatminerz too,not
because we family but because they changed the production game
something serious when they came through.Nobody was really filtering
loops for bass lines like they were,maybe ShowBiz,but I can't think of
no one else.Favorite MC Sadat X..his rhyme flow is lil offbeat but he
rides the track anyway and his voice is mad distinctive.He got a way
of making shit go together even when they don't necessarily
rhyme.Favorite Group Tribe Called Quest..I can listen to tribe all
day,never get tired of them dudes,rhymes styles,beats,subject
matter..all next level.
Q:You are also known as UnkleDex who gave you that name?
A:Evil Dee gave me that name when I was his road manager.He said I was
like the mean uncle in the family that everyone had and would get
annoyed with,but you could count on him because he always looked out
for the family.
Q:You worked in the D&D studio`s from 1993 till 2003 what did you do after that?
A:After D&D I worked for MTV as a Music Consultant for Room Raiders
Season One.Then I moved to California and worked for a television
production company know as KAOS Entertainment,who were contracted by
Discovery Channel.I also worked for a porn website cataloging
movies.Not the most glamorous job but it paid real well..lol.
Q:And were are you most proud of in that time ?
A:At that time I got my name mentioned in the Hollywood Insider or
Hollywood Revolver or whatever.That is a magazine that talks about
upcoming TV and film projects for the year and I had just got the job
as Associate Producer for a show called "Mega Machines".It was good to
see that and I kept that magazine of course.
Q:Are you still doing the same job?
A:Nah.
Q:What are you future plan`s?
A:I'm currently working on a documentary about D&D studios.Besides
that I'm working on a few music projects and road managing for Pete
Rock.
Q:What do you think of Hip Hop today?
A:I can't say I love all of it but I won't say I hate all of it
either.These artists today have no real identity,they coat tail
riders.I came from an era where you didn't wanna sound like anyone
else,even if they were in the same crew as you.I can't knock these
kids cause it's working for some of em but for those that aint get it
yet,my advice,get your own stake in this thing.It might take a while
but the reward is always greater in the end.
Q:Can people follow you on twitter & Facebook?
A:Yeah they can follow me on both twitter and FB.I was gonna keep FB
private but how private can I be with over 1300 "friends" and starting
a whole new page is to much damned work.My twitter is @unkledex and my
FB is my name Dexter Thibou. And please no bullshit spamming,tagging
me on shoe ads and all that cause you will be reported and blocked.I
still do mixes so artists lets talk business.
Q:What is your favorite album or song in 2011?
A:Ummmm...Curren$y got song with Stalley called "Address" that I still
bump and as far as albums go..Monumental by Smif n Wessun and Pete
Rock.
Q:Did you liked this interview?
A:No..I Hate You Paul..LMAO..just kidding..
Paul:Thank you very must for this interview Dex
Dexter:No worries my dude anytime..
Dexter A.Thibou
"Today, I Shall Judge Nothing That Occurs"
http://www.linkedin.com/in/dexterthibou
http://www.twitter.com/unkledex
http://www.diamondvillage.blogspot.com/
http://www.skillpages.com/dexter.thibou
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