Mr CRF

So we all know you’re on the mighty HHB Radio but what would you say your DJing style is, is it to play a tune then talk or do you go for more straight mixing?

No set style to be honest...When I’m doing my radio shows I normally play 3 0r 4 tracks then stick a beat on, run through what I’ve just played etc, then play some more joints, exclusives..Normally half way through my show I go into an old skool selection and drop some of them classics from back in the day.

How long have you been DJing?

Well I got my first set of turntables back in like 1992 or around about that time. My older bro was a DJ before that though as part of a crew called "The Pizza Muffin Posse" so I used to sneak on his decks when he was out.But yeah about 92ish i got my first set and probably did my first radio show about 1994/95.

What are your 10 favourite hip hop singles of all time?

Too difficult to answer this question...After buying and listening to Hip hop for over 20 years having to pick out a top 10 favourite joints is impossible. There’s 10 joints though that I think are absolute classics and still sound as fresh today as when they were first released way back..

K-Solo --- I Can’t Hold It Back
Caveman --- Victory
EPMD --- Head banger
Tribe Called Quest & L.O.N.S --- Scenario
Fushnickens --- True Fuschnick
KRS One --- Duckdown
Lord Finesse --- You Know What I’m About
Naughty By Nature --- Uptown Anthem
Public Enemy --- Hazy Shade Of Criminal
Ultramagnetic Mcs --- Choras Line

How far would you like to take your DJing, would you like to be on a mainstream station some day?

If I could make a full time living out of DJing that would be dope, or to be honest anything to do with Hip Hop would be good. So if I got a call from a mainstream radio station asking me to do a show then id defiantly consider it, but at the same time id want to have a say on the playlist so I could play the type of joints I spin on my Critical Beatdown Shows and not just the commercial bullcrap a million other Doss are playing..

Do you do anything in music outside your show?

Yeah definately, I've been Mcing for years and I’m part of a 3 man crew called The Pedigree Chumps alongside Noz and Dj Pressure. So far we’ve released a couple of 8 track eps on vinyl, featured on a number of different mix cds and we are working on new material at the moment.I ran a website for many years called "Critical Beatdown Magazine" which unfortunately is no longer online due to it being hacked by a company based out in the States..Over the years though I interviewed many dope artists for the site such as ED OG, Chip-Fu, Blak Prophetz, Pharcyde, Blade, Cashino, One Be Lo, Tanya Morgan and many more. I love Hip Hop and just like to be involved at the end of the day.

Let’s talk about equipment, what do you like to use, what does your set up include, and how has it changed over the years?

The equipment I use has definatley changed over the years.My first set of decks were belt driven Soundlabs before i moved onto Technics 1200s.I had an old Amstrad 4 track tape recorder which looked a bit like a Hi-fi with a record player on top and all the EQ buttons and faders on the front..Then I moved onto a Tascam 4 track tape recorder and a Fostex 4 track .My first drum machine was an Alesis Sr-16 which I got back in 1994 alongside a Yamaha Sy-10 sequencer,both of which I’ve still got but not used in over 10 years. The first Sampler I got was an Akai. Can't remember what model but it was a big heavy keyboard which took floppy discs and had a sample time of about 6 seconds which I thought was ace at the time.First Computer i used for recording was an Amiga 600 running Octomed..Over the years I upgraded, got a digital 12track desk, Korg Es-1 sampler, Reverb Units etc plus few other bits.Then moved onto recording on PC using a number of different programmes.First Microphone cost me a fiver from Tandy..It was Gold in colour and looked an expensive one.I still got it somewhere. The mics we use these days though are quite a bit more expensive.

Who are your favourite ever DJ’s and why?

Not too sure really but if we are talking radio DJs then I got to say a lot of the old Manchester DJs had a big influence on me, heads such as Leaky Fresh who in my opinion had the best Hip hop Radio show ever back in the early 1990s.Also Owen D, Sefton Madface,Stu Allen etc..I spent many happy hours listening to these guys shows back in the day and still have the tapes to prove it.These days i regulally listen to Dj Ready Cees show whose based out in the Bronx...Obviously big names like Primo, Kutmaster Kurt, Dj Lord, Cutmaster Swift, Scratch etc are all dope..Shout to DJ 279 as well.Too many to mention...

Do you have any tips for anybody who wants to become a DJ?

If you’re a mixtape DJ, dont stick the same tracks on your cd that everyone else is playing. Try to get some exclusives or something a bit different. The amount of mix CDs I’ve heard in the last 12 months with the same tracks on is unbelievable.

How do you go about obtaining your music, is it from the shops, the internet or are you on mailing lists?

Well in Manchester the main shop for Hip hop is Fat City Records although I’ve heard recently that they may soon be shutting its doors or just opening at weekend although I’m not too sure how true that is at the moment...I’ve been buying records from there since it opened way back in the mid 90s..There used to be a lot of dope Record shops in Manchester but unfortunately they`ve all shut down ...I order quite a lot of music over the internet nowadays as well plus I get a lot sent free from various record labels etc..

Do you ever play out live and if so what has been your most memorable gig?

Well as part of the Pedigree Chumps we’ve played/performed at loads of shows over the years, met a lot of bullshit promoters, slept in a lot of cars but had a lot of good laughs.I should write a book. Performing at the Blade LP launch party a few years back was dope apart from almost freezing to death afterwards as we weren’t given any accommodation. We supported Goldie Lookin Chain on their UK tour (4 venues anyway) which was a good experience..Although I’m not really a fan of their music it gave us the chance to perform in front of quite a few thousand people. As far as DJing the strangest event I’ve ever DJed at was a few years back at a Halloween Party somewhere near Brighton. It was at a massive big old fashioned house in the middle of nowhere surrounded by fields..The party was an all nighter from 8pm till about 10am the following morning and there was a number of different djs playing all types of music besides us (Noz came with me).Anyway we got there and I was told that my Do slot was at 3.30 am which I wasn’t really arsed about as it was an all nighter..We wasn’t told it was a fancy dress party though and everyone was dressed up in really weird costumes and there was shit loads of people there, the majority of them seemed fucked out of their faces and I’m pretty sure it wasn’t just through alcohol..Anyway me and Noz just chilled and got pissed, then all of a sudden at midnight the host of the party stopped the music and ordered everyone into the back garden where there was a big (about 30 foot) fuckoff wooden cross stuck in the ground covered in petrol which they then set fire to and then started shouting and dancing around..I looked at Noz and said "What the fuck is this party we are at"??If it wasn’t for the fact we were in the middle of nowhere we definitely would have left but we weren’t getting picked up till 10am the next morning so we had to stay.We just sat around till my set at 3.30..Anyway when it was my turn i thought Fuck it, they’re having some hardcore Hip hop and I just blasted out the likes of Public Enemy, Ultramagnetic Mcs and Hijack for the next hour and they all loved it which was good to see..There was people going round handing out pieces of space cake and shit but we just stuck to the beer.All in all it was a very crazy night, people crashed out all over the place, couples shagging in the hallway etc..Mad Gig to say the least.Oh yeah we got asked to do a Pedigree Chumps gig a couple of years back.When we arrived at the venue, it was a brewers Faye pub. Old couples tucking into half roast chicken and yorkshire puddings. Madness. We did our set though which went down very well to be honest and i had a big piece of chocolate cake afterwards..Quality.

What does the rest of 2009 have in store for you?

Well this year I'll be carrying on with my radio shows "Critical Beatdown". I’ve had some excellent feedback over the years and i always make my shows available for people to download after they’ve been aired on the station...They`ll be more Critical Beatdown Podcasts and more "Respect The Legends" shows as well..I’m also starting another show called The Critical Beatdown MASH-Up show which is going to be a one hour show playing Soul, Hiphop & Ragga.A show to satisfy all tastes...As for my crew the Pedigree Chumps we are working on a new EP called "So Far So Drunk" and maybe a mix CD before that..I’m also going to put together a Critical Beatdown Posse Mix cd featuring Ped Chumps, and another dope crew I’m working with called The Urban Legends as well as others. Big up Noz, Pressure, Cashino, Mr Spin, Original One, Red Venom, Ad-1 and the Rest Of The Critical Beatdown Posse.