Photo by Jeremiah Garcia
DJ Hi-Tek is relaxed while seated in the bustling backstage cafeteria. Between his Reflection Eternal set with Talib Kweli and another DJ set on the Paid Dues stage for Rock the Bells 2009, Hi-Tek, or Tony Cottrell, is cool, courteous, and thoughtful in answering my questions, even if I may be disrupting his meal. This turntable master has also produced tracks for many of hip hop’s top players. Self elected King of Chop, Hi-Tek talks with us about industry, what he’ll do when he gets off tour, and, of course, his favorite ice cream.
ICM: What’s the significance behind Reflection Eternal’s new album title, Revolutions Per Minute?
HT: Musically, I just create the sound space for Kweli’s vision. You know, he came up with album title and I still haven’t rounded everything out for what he’s trying to put on this album – I’m behind him 100%.
ICM: He seems to be the philosophy and while you provide the musical backdrop.
HT: Yeah, I philosophy the music.
ICM: I know you’ve been one the front runners in the chopping technique, so who would you say you looked up to while you were honing your skill?
HT: Who is the Chop King? Can I get a top five? …I’m in there somewhere. But this ain’t about me. I would say J. Dilla, Dr. Dre, Bomb Squad, DJ Premier, and Hi-Tek. [chuckles: ha HA!]
ICM: So do you subscribe to the theory that hip hop is dead?
HT: No…no, no hip hop is never dead. You know, I think what Nas is saying is that hip hop used to be more unified and promoted in a different way. Nowadays the corporations have taken over so much, now it’s so much about the dollar, which that’s what kills hip hop, the presence of hip hop. So, that’s how I took it. We still out here doing hip hop, promoting hip hop, we all love hip hop, but the statement hip hop is dead, when people feel like that – and I did feel like that, too – like, ‘hip hop is fucked up’. But at the end of the day – and I don’t hate on nobody that’s getting played on the radio – it’s just you hear the same two or three songs a day, the DJ’s are just corporate people, a lot of the DJ’s are not really into they music like old deejays used to be. Like nowadays you go and listen to the radio and then you go to the club and you hear the same songs. Before you’d listen to the radio then you’d go to the club and you hear some sh*t you ain’t heard in awhile. So that’s kind of where hip hop is dead.
ICM: What is one album that you cannot stop playing right now, other than your own?
HT: I mean, I just play a lot of my stuff, I’m in the studio so much. You know I’m a big fan of so many albums and I try to listen to a lot of different shit, you know what I’m saying? And there’s really no particular album that I can’t stop listening to. Because I’m so much into my own music and I try to create new sounds and create a new album for somebody else to not be able to stop listening to it.
ICM: Other than Talib, who are a couple of favorite people you’ve worked with?
HT: My man Snoop Dogg, he’s fun to work with. I learned a lot from Snoop. I like Nas, working with Nas and The Game. I like working with…[pause] I ain’t going to front that Snoop was the most fun artist to work with.
ICM: As far as emerging talent goes, have you found anyone that you really want to work with or someone that you would really like to backup?
HT: I had an artist by the name of Dion, who was great. He’s featured on a lot of my tracks from the past three years. He’s on The Game “Runnin’” track I produced. He’s on the Young Buck album, he’s on Talib Kweli’s album, but he’s in a bad space right now, hopefully he gets better. But the greatest artists go through so much. Other than that, I’m not working with nobody else, I’m totally concentrating on the Reflection Eternal album.
ICM: What about the track “Internet Connection“, how did you get hooked up with that single?
HT: Well, it was an idea that came up in the studio and we was in Cincinnati just roughing around with the concept, playing it around the joint.
ICM: I think it’s a great concept. Very socially minded lyrics.
HT: Yeah, exactly, and a lot of people looked at it and they don’t expect us to have fun and make music, you know just have fun. I love the record, it just shows that we can make music concepts and I thought, Uncle Bootsy, he got on the track and just made it a real classic, fun record to just something to give to the people and make a statement.
ICM: Will Reflection Eternal be touring after Rock the Bells?
HT: Most likely. Our first focus is to finish this album.
ICM: Have you guys created a set drop date or is it still in the works?
HT: We don’t know exactly when we’re gonna drop it, but we’re trying to finish it as soon as possible, like while we’re out on the road. Probably try to finish by September or the end of September, and hopefully we can get the next release after that, you know?
ICM: How long have you been working on this album?
HT: About a year now, about a year and four months.
ICM: Who has been your favorite person to tour with on Rock the Bells?
HT: The person who I get to see and watch their show? Common, I always watch his show, and actually Nas, who’s the headliner. I am so much of a fan and Nas, I love what he do, I love his swagger. He’s got to be one of my favorite, if not my favorite MC.
ICM: Is there anything you’re going to do after the tour is done, that you’ve been waiting to do when you get home?
HT: Yeah, I’m remodeling my studio. It had all black walls, so I’m getting all of that out of there. Freshen it up, give it a brighter look. I’m look forward to going back to the studio, getting back in the lab.
ICM: Since I’m from IceCreamMan.com, I have to ask what your favorite flavor of ice cream is?
HT: Strawberry sherbet. Not strawberry sherbet, no, just sherbet. I got two, it’s either the sherbet or the vanilla from Häagen-Dazs.
Many thanks to Roderick over at Warner Bros. for our time with Hi-Tek.
