Recently, our resident Desi Gorrah, Richard, turned into Mr Exclusive and hooked up with J Skillz down at Kamlee Studios in Birmingham. J's got a new album out, called 'J Skillz Pre'sentz', but he's also got some big things in the pipeline. Here's how it went down…
Richard: So you're in the studio now, what's going on?
J Skillz: We're working on some new material which is a bit hush hush at the moment, so we can't give away too much but it's going to special. I can say it's for a known worldwide artist.
Richard: Which three words best describe the album?
J Skillz: Streetwise, energetic and very Panjabi.
Richard: The whole theme behind 'Pre'sentz' was to showcase new artists, why was that and why not go with the trusted singers?
J Skillz: I wanted to bring something new to the table, I didn't want people saying "the next man's used him already", so I thought we'll go with this and if you like it you like it, and if you don't then I'll go back and try again.
Richard: Nearly all the singers are from India, how much time did you spend out there hunting for the stars under the surface?
J Skillz: In 2000 and 2001 I was out there for the entire year, then afterwards I went for six months so it works out as been about two years in total. Last year we made four trips, but each one was for fifteen days, so it's coming down now as there's a strong team to look after things.
Richard: The team being…?
J Skillz: Tha Skillz Sound Lab. When we used to go to India as UK artists, we used to see their eyes light up with dollar signs because they could charge us whatever they wanted. We were there for a certain amount of time and we had to get our stuff done so they used to say "the studio's booked mate, but you can have it for this price". That started really pissing us off so we thought 'forget it man', and opened our own studio to do our own thing.
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Richard: Is it because singers out there are better or because there's nothing going in the UK?
J Skillz: It's a bit of both really. I always think that if you're after singing talent, and especially Panjabi singing talent then you're looking for someone that can compete with the best of the best. I always think that UK producers are always looking in the UK, whereas I'm looking worldwide. Most singers have then got to blow it up in India, and to get sales in India it's got to be somebody who can compete with what's out there. I think that certain UK artists |
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| always look local, but thanks to Moviebox, all our albums come out in India and if the album didn't have strong enough singers, it would flop out there. |
Richard: Of the singers on the album, who was the most fun to work with?
J Skillz: Parveen, who sings 'Saun Deh Jahri' was the best to work with, she was a real good laugh and tried different things. I really enjoyed working with her so much that, for me, that's the best track on the album for the memories of working with her in the studio.
Richard: Talk Tonite is a track that has been a hit from the album, are you a big Oasis fan?
J Skillz: Initially it was just a track we did as an experiment. Manjinder, the singer, is a cousin of mine and he lives out in the styx in the middle of no where. He's not really into bhangra but one day he came to me and he said 'I'm in an Oasis tribute band', and I was like: 'What you doing? Playin' the drums?' and he says: 'Nah, I'm singing', so I listened to a couple of tracks and was shocked that an Asian guy could sing like that. It's not a genre that Asians have really tapped into and I was like 'Woah…'. So a few weeks later Manjinder comes to me and says let's work together. The first idea was for an Asian track, but the feel just wasn't there so we did the whole 'Talk Tonite' thing and it just came together.
Richard: It's a bit of an obscure track to cover, why not go for a more recognised tune?
J Skillz: We had a look through a lot of Oasis stuff and we thought we had to have something, which was relevant to the Asian vocals in 'Jawani', the Panjabi lyrics we used. We didn't pick a bigger track because we wouldn't have got permission and also it'd be corny if Kuldeep Paraas was singing about something sentimental and then my man is going on about a 'Champagne Supernova' that he's seeing in the sky.
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Richard: The cross into indie music is something bhangra hasn't really done before, was the industry ready for it when it first went about?
J Skillz: We received a lot of stick for 'Talk Tonite' last year when it first went out and people were saying it didn't mix and started slating it. But once it was off air, people started giving us good feedback and it grew on people. When it first went out it was a hot time in the industry: PMC had just come out of the charts and Rishi Rich was about to go in, so it was a real hip-hop and R&B feel so when this came out people thought it was tacky.. |
Richard: You played guitar on that track…will that creep into your live performances?
J Skillz: I can assure you that you won't see me in a club and as 'Mankeh' finishes, the lights won't go out and I won't be reaching for the acoustic for a sentimental piece at the end of my set!
Richard: By playing the guitar on that track instead of lifting it from the original you evaded another sample. Is there too much of it going on?
J Skillz: Yeah, there is too much of it I feel. It's not your track if you take someone else's beat and put your singer over it, that just ain't right. Don't get me wrong, sometimes sampling has a massive positive effect. I mean, when Panjabi MC came out the Knight Rider sample took the track to a wider audience and the bhangra side of things was good enough for the Asian market.
Richard: So what's the secret to picking a successful sample?
J Skillz: When I'm looking for a sample I tend to pick an older track, like I did with the Cypress Hill one on 'Putt Fuji'. You have to get a classic because what's hot today might be dead by the time the CD is out, so you need a sample that has lasted the test of time.
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Richard: Talking of sampling…what about Indy jacking your tune?
J Skillz: Oh, Indy…..The scenario is this: Skillz Inc had a track out in 1999 and it wasn't massive or anything, and a few weeks ago someone came to me with a CD and said 'have a listen'. So I put it on and thought someone had remixed the tune and I was shocked when they said it's gonna be on Indy's album. But I tell you what, Indy, mate, I'm glad I inspired you so much and I'm glad you like the track so much you needed to use it. |
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Richard: What do you think of your competition in the scene at the moment?
J Skillz: I think the competition at the moment is very healthy. There's some great talent out there and it's keeping the industry moving forward. This year is going to be bigger than last year and it's all down to your Dr Zeus, your RDB, your Panjabi Hit Squad and those sorts of people. Just keep watching this space…
Richard: Since 'Mundian Tho Bach Ke', the amount of artists on the scene has exploded. Is this labels using and abusing new artists because they can control them more?
J Skillz: There are a lot of new artists, but there is also a bigger market so there is room for some more. I don't think it's a case of the labels using and abusing artists, when someone gets offered their first contract they're often reaching for the pen before they've even read it. Some smaller labels draw up some shady deals that aren't worth the paper they're printed on and some artists do get hurt by that, but my advice is that you make more demands. You can't blame a label for offering a contract, someone signing it and then asking for more money, that's in the hands of the artist to make better demands.
Richard: What are labels like for nurturing talent? Do they give younger artists a hand or are they thrown in the deep end and left to their own devices?
J Skillz: I think it's always been about an artist bringing their own talent to the forth, but saying that if someone signs a three album deal and the first one isn't that good then their budget is quickly cut down. Labels won't throw money at someone who doesn't look like earning them anything back. In terms of artist development, there's not much in the industry at present. When we were with EnvyRoma, there was a development programme so if you needed some help it was there, but they're one of the few and it would improve the music if that was out there, but it can cost a lot and might be a big risk.
Richard: What's the story with Ludacris? Were you dissing him or someone else?
J Skillz: What happened was we had the hook up with Ludacris and we'd sorted it that we were going to do some tracks for him. The e-mails were going and the phones were going but when he came over to Britain to do a gig and other stuff, another producer got involved and said things to him and his camp. They then went and gave Luda five CDs, of which two were mine that I'd done for them a few years ago and suddenly Luda's got what he came for. The scenario is that they gave him stuff for free so he didn't need to pay us to do it for him. A lot of people thought I was dissing Luda on the Panjabi Hit Squad show, but that wasn't the case: |
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Luda's cool, man. And the thing about this producer's missus….it's all true. |
Richard: The 'Akh Sharabi' video was groundbreaking for bhangra, can we expect more of the same from Ballistic Productions for the forthcoming tracks?
J Skillz: The video for 'Mankeh' is out and we've got the shoot for 'Kokka' coming soon. The 'Kokka' video will be the follow up from the 'Kee Lenah' one, where we were washing the car at the end. With that video we thought it was good that we could joke around a bit and laugh at ourselves as there's some artists who take themselves too serious in their videos.
Richard: As an artist, do you get disappointed with the delays in releases? What can be done to improve the situation?
J Skillz: The delays do piss us off. I mean, mine was supposed to be out the first week in April and it's now May!! There are too many factors to put your finger on why it happens but it's just there. Maybe it's an Asian sense of timing or something. But it really falls on its head when you get the hype going and then suddenly something happens and you've been put back a month and your tracks not hot any more.
Richard: Ok, now for some fun….it's name association time!!
a) Ballistic Productions
God's Greatest Gift to bhangra
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b) Panjabi Hit Squad
Old skool but stuck to their guns
c) Dr Zeus
Talented
d) RDB
Northern
e) Indy Sagu
Glad I inspired a brother
f) Outlandish |
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Outstanding
g) Jay Sean
Good, but it's all down to Adil
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h) The rest of the 2point9 camp
Big things happening
i) Metz & Trix
Get Ready Get Set, 2k…….when?
j) Bally Sagoo
Old timer, give it up
k) Skillz Inc
Best days of my life
l) Adil Ray |
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Still bitter about the cricket
m) Ashwarya Rai
Rani Mukherjee, much nicer
Richard: Finally, any final words for the Desitunes4u readers?
J Skillz: Many thanks for supporting me; I'm very grateful for that. There are big things happening for J Skillz as we carry on this year, and again, Indy, I'm honoured to have inspired you so much. Oh, and I love my cha-cha….
That concludes the interview, a big thanks to J Skillz for taking some time out to chat to us.
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