This man changed the world of deejaying. This man helped put Philadelphia on map. A Outstanding Battle DJ,Party Rocker and winner of 1988 DMC USA & World Championships Jerome Hewlett better known as ...
LEGENDARY CATALYST OF HIP HOP TURNTABLISM
PHILADELPHIAS DJ CASH MONEY took the Hip Hop world by storm by winning the NEW MUSIC SEMINAR DJ CHAMPIONSHIP in New York, The DMC USA Mixing Championship in Los Angeles and THE DMC World Supremacy DJ Championship in London throughout the late 80's.Since winning ALL THREE championships, CASH now judges DJ contests world wide.
His unique mixing style and raw innovation on the turntables brought DJ CASH MONEY Billboard charting singles such as "UGLY PEOPLE BE QUIET", "FIND AN UGLY WOMAN," and "WHERES THE PARTY AT?" and an international tour of more than 20 countries and over 50 cities in the U.S.
By the early 90's CASH had joined Platinum-Selling R&B act PM DAWN, remixed and produced the group's GOLD selling single, "WAYS OF THE WIND," on ISLAND RECORDS, and toured over 100 U.S. cities and most of EUROPE. In 1998, CASH was inducted into the DMC TECHNICS HALL OF FAME. Today CASH has been mixing and releasing underground Mix-tapes including The WKIS-FM and OLD SCHOOL NEED TO LEARNO PLOT I, both of which have sold-out,re-released,sold-out and re-released.
Demand had brought CASH to indepently release OLD SCHOOL NEED TO LEARNO- PLOT II, performed in the same vein as his underground mixed-tapes. PLOT II is A 28-Track compilation CD featuring CASHS distinctive mixing style with the music of other HIP-HOP originators like BIG DADDY KANE, RUN DMC, PUBLIC ENEMY AND ERIC B. AND RAKIM. CASH has produced "WILD HOT" BY BUSTA RHYMES AND Q-TIP for the RHYME AND REASON soundtrack.
How long have you been on the decks?About 24 Years.
How did you originally get into it and are there any particular influences that set you up as one of the most respected djs of an era?
I was playing parties at a very young age not necessarily block parties but social things for my parents and relatives you know stuff like that, but when I heard tapes from Grand master Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore I was hooked straight away and what I did was to listen to their style and adapt it to something that was true to me.
What or who inspired you to become a battle DJ and which DJ Battle was your first?
Grandmaster Flash & Grandwizard Theodore from New York City. Also The Grandwizard Rashim & Grandmaster Mel from Philly. These were the first cats I've seen do this back in 81,82. My first real battle ever was the New Music Seminar in New York.
You were a dancer before you took on DeeJaying. Tell us a bit about the 'Franchise Dancers' and the move called 'Steppin'.
Well before there was Breakin, it was called Steppin and it was a move something like Fred Estere would do. It was like tap dancing but more soulful. That was a Philly dance. From there on I went on to Break Dancing.
I was told that you first started on the Technics B-101's. What were they like to work with?
They were cool for the time, I thought they were the best turntables ever till I got hold of some 1200's.
When you came out in 88 World Finals and twisted the turntables around and used a small mixer, it seemed so weird at the time but it's now considered as the 'norm'. Were you the first to position the decks in that manner ?
Yeah, when I did that it was just convenient for me, I never knew it was going to be the norm.
Tell us a bit about the transformer scratch. I saw you on a video footage stating that DJ Spinbad invented the style. I know you perfected it with your speed. Tell us a bit about that.
DJ Spinbad from Philly [not the Spinbad from NYC] was the first one ever to like break the sound up with the actual fader but he didn't call it a transformer. What he was doing didn't really sound like a transformer. He was the foundation for me to create that scratch. That was the claim of fame scratch that I did but theres other scratches that I did like the shiver scratch, [also known as a Scribble] mixing with jive rhythms tracks and like double beating the records.
Being from Philly, what do you think of DJ Jazzy Jeff and have you two ever battled?
No we've never battled but I respect his achievements. He was the first to put the transformer scratch on wax and that's why sometimes he gets the credit for it.
How do you feel that Hiphop has changed as a means of expression since you first got into those old mix tapes?
I think that people are still going to the jams and having a good time so that has not changed, though I will say that more folks that are in my age bracket have stepped out of the scene due to the fact of families and other commitments. So its the younger generation which are keeping our music alive, I feel that its my responsibility to keep up with what they are feeling on the dance floor and also bring them a taste of the true skool hip-hop which I was a part of, people are coming to see me for the first time and I do not want to disappoint them, and that state of mind keeps me going and able to carry on doing what makes it and thats rocking the crowds.
What do you think about the new techniques and styles of scratching that exist today like the flares and crabs ?
The new scratches today, I think they're cool but they don't have no soul to them. It's just real technical, it's got no soul or flavour in it.
Where do you see turntablism going from now ?
When I came out I didn't think you could do anymore on turntables. Then they came out with the beat juggling and the flare stuff so I guess someone has to just invent a new style.
You're known not only as the living legend of the scratch but a true crate digging fiend. What do you look for when you go shopping?
Right now I'm looking for a lot of classics, the original 12" Breakbeats. I mean I'm just looking for some obscure stuff. I'm into a lot of sounds lately for my Production work.
You've made many hits with MC Marvelous & hosted many TV shows like MTV. Where do you see yourself going from now as a DJ/Producer and tell us a bit about your project with Biz Markie?
The Biz Markie project is still going ahead but it's a bit hard for me right now because I'm touring all around the world and always on the road.
Any other future projects?
Year, I'm coming out with these world series tapes. It's just like live shows of me in different parts of the world.
Do you have any other highlights apart from winning the NMS and DMC?
I've been awarded in the 'Technics hall of fame'. That's definitely a major highlight.
I've been told that you really rock the crowd with your club sets. Do you prefer doing club sets or battle sets?
I play for everybody man. I'm just a music lover. If you come to one of my shows to party, I mean that's what you're gonna do. But at the same time I've gotta show some skills too.
I noticed that you had an mc up on stage with you as well as the statutory 1200s, could you take us through the live set and how it compares to back in the day when you first started DJing?
Ah well things have changed Technology wise, I am basically using a program called Serato, it allows me to bring my beats along with me but they are stored on the computer. Because I travel so much I found that records were being lost and the charges to bring them over by plane and so on were getting too expensive so its a great way to keep everything with me without fear of losing classic records. As far as the stage show goes itself Ive brought an mc with me to hype the crowd up and give them a bit more of a show as opposed to me just spinning tunes.
You've been looked up to as an icon since you've taken out the title in 88. Do you find it hard to live up to such a prestigious title ?
I never really gave it too much thought man. I've always called myself the world's greatest DJ but I'm trying to break away from calling myself a DJ. I'm an entertainer you know what I'm saying, there's a difference between somebody who just go to the store and buy some turntables and calls himself a DJ. I'm an entertainer, I entertain crowds.
Finally can you give us 5 all time favourite tracks.
Pete Rock 'Reminisce'
Grandmaster Flash 'Super Rappin'
Tribe 'Electric Relaxation'
TLA Rock 'It's Yours'
Cash Money and Marvelous 'Ugly People Be Quiet'
DJ's UNITED DIVERSITY LEFT LION
There is a Cash Money myspace site but from the looks of it, it looks fake but I'm not sure. Here it is if you want check it out.
DJCASHMONEY12
Next Week:
DS & FL VOL 22: KOOL DJ RED ALERT
1 comment:
First off great post!!Interview went well!! My first dose of Cash Money was around 84 or 85 when Lady B from Power 99 Fm at that time would play tapes of C ash Money and Jazzy jeff!! The world got wiff of Cash by 88 but Cash was puttin in work long before that so was Jeff!!Cash was more ruthless then to me!! He had no battles because come on listen to him anybody that had any bit of sense left wasn't crazy enough to battle him!! He was too good instead he had many to try to emulate the various scratches he put out!! The other thing is Spinbad from Force Five repped the G-Town section of Philly and he did call it the transformer when he unleashed it on Jazzy Jeff at Circus City in what was perceived as their second battle and yes it was the fader version puling the record back it sounded like a tranformer to me! Cash had his own transformer scratch that was unique because I believe he sometimes used the channel button as well he did so many things!! The other thing is Cash was fast as hell man he was the first I heard cut on let's dance and pump me up on 45 successfully!! I got more but I guess I will chill for the moment I plan to do a script on Cash Money on my blog http://olskoolrules-olskool4real.blogspot.com/
I'll be checking you out man I like the blog!!
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