Producer Tech Supreme (@techsupreme) has been in St. Louis hip-hop since he moved here at 16. Now, he ties the whole scene together with his innovative beats and community attitude. He talks with Eleven about his work with The Force, the St. Louis scene, and the music business. Check back soon for some exclusive Tech tracks, too.
How did you get started in music?
My mother is a recording artist. I grew up in New Jersey. I came [to St. Louis] when I was 16. I was always around studio equipment and stuff like that. My mother was free with what I could listen to – I could listen to what ever I want[ed], like Slick Rick. It was a musically liberal household. Then I came to St. Louis and my cousin was a piano player and he got me into making music…it started with rapping. Just [because] being such a rap fan as a kid, [I] started rapping, moved to St Louis, came to U[niversity] City High School and hooked up with some guys who wanted to be from New York – I was from North New Jersey – so we started rapping together, me and Young Thunder and some other guys. We needed beats, and I had been playing with it, so I decided to start doing beats for us. And then that first year, I fell in love with it completely and decided that’s what I want to do full time – I don’t want to rap. I wanted to be the guy behind the scenes, making the music and making everything happen. I’ve been doing it since then, but there’s always a time period before you can consider yourself a professional, that you’re honing your skill. You’re never really a professional till you start releasing your projects to a mass amount of people you don’t know. It’s probably only been six or seven year[s] that I’ve been doing that.
How has the internet changed the way smaller and independent artists operate?
TS:
I think the way bands are right now, you really can’t expect people to buy music, because there’s so much music that’s free. And you can gain someone’s trust from giving someone something free that’s quality, and then you can make your music from doing shows and selling merchandise, and maybe down the line when you get an album in stores you can make money off of that. I think that’s the way it’s going with independent artists now; you’re going to have to give more first and not expect money back.
Has that made the quality of music better or worse?
TS:
I think it’s made it better. I think people got burnt out for all those years of people selling you a CD and you listen to it and it’s horrible. Once the internet hit and people figured out how to get good music for free, people said why should I buy it? I still believe that if it’s good enough, people will pay for it. What I’m trying to do is build a fan base; I want people to hear it. Then maybe when the situation’s right I’ll sell it. We’re in it for the love of music, not the love of money. And I’m pretty sure that any independent, underground artist will tell you the same thing. If you’re in it for the money it’ll show in the music.
Tell us about the Force, the collective you’re involved with.
TS:
The Force is a collective of like minded individuals that no matter what they do, try to be the best. If you’re a blogger, poet, singer, dancer, rapper, just do it to the best of your ability and be as creative as possible. It really started with Black Spade…we’ve all been knowin’ each other for years. We’ve all been on our own paths to music dreams. The way Black Spade is, he’s so giving. If he had an opportunity to shine he’d want everyone else that’s dope to shine too. So he’d pull up Rockwell Knuckles, Tef Poe, Corey Black on stage with him. The Live at the Levee show where he opened for Lupe Fiasco and gave part of his set to Rocky, Tef and Corey Black was the turning point where we saw that we could be unified. Once we realized how effective it was, the energy of it, it just organically grew where more and more people were looking for us and it just became this force, this movement, and that’s where the name came from.
So, what’s in store for the future?
TS:
There’s definitely going to be a Force album. The dope thing about the Force is everyone’s still their own engine. We all push everyone else’s stuff. We all support each others projects. We all lend each other a hand. We all work together.
The Force has the slogan “Everybody wins.” The fuck does that mean?
TS:
Everybody wins, you know…everybody wins! That’s basically…it’s very self explanatory. As a unit, we all win. And as a listener you win because you’re here enjoying it. Everybody’s smiling. Everybody’s having a good time. Everybody’s winning. And if you’re not smiling, you better make sure you do something to win. We’re gonna work together so that everyone can win. Everyone has their own movement but it seems like together the popularity and attention has definitely increased. Everybody’s kinda winnin’ right now. You have Tef on the radio…when was the last time you had a St Louis hip-hop act getting spins in the club, on the radio? Same with Rockwell Knuckles, and it’s spreading outside St Louis too, like a good virus.
How do you go about making beats and selecting artists for each beat?
TS:
First I look for a sound or a melody or a chord progression; I look for something that I like then build around it. I usually have an idea of who I want on it, but I let people go through music themselves too. With “Showstealers,” I knew it was Tef all the way. I wrote that hook too, because I knew Tef is too complex to come up with that. I try to make it as fun and organic as possible.
What equipment do you use for making beats?
TS:
First generation Rolling Phantom. I felt the MPC was limited because of storage, so I use computer programs like Fruity Loops. I have a 1000 drums at the tip of my finger now.
What music outside of St. Louis are you listening to these days?
TS:
Big Sean, Drake – even though other people hate on Drake, he makes incredible hip-hop music. And he brings more fans to hip-hop, so when Drake wins, everybody wins; Currensy, Dom Kennedy, Yelawolf [are others]. When I went to SXSW this year I got put on a lot of new music…After the Smoke, Chip tha Ripper, Gudda Gudda.
What other St. Louis hip hop artists should people be checking for outside the Force?
TS:
I like Scrips ‘N Screwz; they do good quality hip-hop. I like Illphonics…that’s a hard question. Hip-hop is such a broad thing. Shorty the Prince is hip-hop. People try to break it down to much; hip-hop is the umbrella. Rap is part of hip-hop, it’s just something you do. I think there’s hip hop all over the place. Murphy Lee is hip-hop.
What are a few key Force tracks that people who don’t know ya’lls music should listen to first?
TS:
“And They St. Louis” by Corey Black, it’s a great ode to St. Louis. Anything Rockwell Knuckles, “Messages…,” which is some of the most aggressive and thought provoking rapping you’ll hear. Anything Teresa Jenee, even though it’s not hip-hop. It’s good music period. Of course I’m gonna say Tef Poe – “Church” is a great record that’s been getting a lot of attention, which is great because usually the last track on the record doesn’t get much attention.
What do you think is missing from the St. Louis hip-hop scene?
TS:
I think we’re on our way – I don’t think anything is missing. It’s a thing here to complain about St. Louis hip-hop, but I don’t complain. I don’t have haters; I have people with opinions, but if you’re not stopping me from opportunities or from eating, then you’re not hating on me. We do shows and we do good turnouts. We drop a CD and it gets good attention. So I can’t say anything is missing. They’re ready for good music. We just have to give it to ‘em.
A lot of people think that to make it big, you’ve got to leave St. Louis. Do you agree?
TS:
Without the support of your home, no one respects you. Your biggest fan base is going to be your home first. Drake had to have Toronto first before he went anywhere else. Lil’ Wayne had New Orleans first before went anywhere else. I don’t think you can be successful in music without having firm roots where you’re from. To leave St. Louis is a choice, but I feel like if I went to New York now, knowing I have St. Louis behind me would give me more confidence and power when I go into these meetings or hand DJs my music. You have to get your home first, no matter where you’re from.
Finally, why should people listen to the Force?
TS:
It’s good fucking music. That’s it. Everybody wins.
dope..
Yo, that group After the Smoke is dope! Their video is tight. Check it http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KTn1KeefPT4