DAY 28: #30interviews30DAYS Todd Jordan @Jordansaweirdo

DAY 28 two more days until we get to 30, YAY! It's been quite the journey, but it's not NEARLY over. We have my homie Todd Jordan puttin on for you all the way from across the country in Las Vegas (#Jealous lol) He's a music producer/MPC lover/KEWL cat originally from Columbus, Ohio; and NO he does not only do Hip-Hop beats! He has an expansive range, check a bit of his material HERE.

1!> How do you feel about the current state of hip-hop and the music industry in general?

Underground Hip-Hop is just as good as it ever was if you’re open to fully indulging in the art, as any real hop fan is. Mainstream “rap” is getting worse and the complacent 85’ers of the world are eating up every piece of garbage the man in control of the television & radio will hand feed them. Music is much bigger than Hip-Hop & Rap though. It’s a beautiful thing if one actually takes the time to listen and hear the artists that make music for the passion and not the money. It’s sad to still here people classify certain music as black or white people’s music. I appreciate the ear of the non-american listener. They actually hear the music for what it is…life.

5!> What steps do minorities need to take to create a better community for our children?

Responsibility! When I think of the word “Community” I think of people interacting with one another and sharing an environment or commonplace to then upbuild and strengthen their local morale. The term “Minorities” is too general in a sense in current times because that would include the Hispanics or Asians for instance, who are very loving and caring for their people. They both take full pride in keeping the family bond, and practice keeping the importance of it embedded in their children’s lives, and it pours out into their communities. 

The Negro side of the “minority” pool has become so divided amongst ourselves that we have no self love to even begin a community with others. If we first assume responsibility for our own social deconstruction we have done over the years we can then address the issues of self-hatred and begin to look for reasons to love one another again. We can’t become a community without mentally building with one another. And we can not build if we are not willing to be held accountable, listen, and ultimately love one another.

6!> Are we living the dream that Dr. Martin Luther King spoke of in his "I Have A Dream" speech?

We’re dreaming that we’re living the dream but once we wake up, open our eyes and read between the lines, we can see things are not much different. I appreciate his efforts 100% though. Things are just more covert now for political reasons. Negroes still have a foot on our backs.

7!> What beliefs do you hold onto that motivate you to do what you do?

Knowledge of Self is key. For me it allows me to be comfortable with my decisions I’ve made both good and bad. Because I carefully reflect upon my actions it allows me to know my strengths & weaknesses and act accordingly. Selflessness falls next in line. I get a kick out of seeing others happy. If I abide by these two principles faithfully, then hopefully everyone around me stays in good spirits and we can reflect off one another. Happiness is the key motivator because it’s free.

9!> “Black women have always been these vixens, these animalistic erotic women. Why can't we just be the sexy American girl next door?" Tyra Banks

Does the media sensationalize black women in particular more so than any other race??? What do you think of this quote?

I’m trying my hardest to sound as non-militant as I can with this question. The black woman has always been the apple of white america’s eye. The negro “american” woman is unlike any other woman in this world. White men managed to break their mentalities by way of rape and separating them from their husbands & children, and then took them in as sex slaves. While still being slaves, they were usually given a little better treatment. This treatment, which ultimately acted as a pedestal, trickled down to today. So now it’s become accustomed for a lot of negro women to do things they might not be proud of, but pride has plays 2nd fiddle to status in today’s society. 

White America will portray black women however black women will allow themselves to be portrayed. With the Equal Rights Acts in full effect, they no longer have an excuse. In slave times, they had no control over being these sexually desired trophies, but we are beyond that. It’s ok to start saying “No” now. But the once strong willed “daughter, mother, wife, mentality” of negro women has been broken so much, many have given up and have simply accepted this unfortunate lifestyle.

11!> What do you think do you think about the divorce rate being at %50 percent and what do you think could change this?

Once again I say Responsibility. We have become so used to this microwave society where everything must happen now, that nobody is willing to work things out. If something goes wrong or disagreements arise, people tend to jump ship quickly. I think people just recite wedding vows like rhetoric at this point. “’Til death do us part” has now become “’Til irreconcilable differences”. The other thing is people expose too much of their family business into the galaxy. Shut up and keep your marital issues between you, your spouse, & God (or marriage couselor if need be).

People become so unhappy because they always think “there’s got to be something better for me” and then kids end up with miscellaneous parents and no design to follow for the common family arrangement. If you’re going to love, do it 100%. If you aren’t capable of doing it 100% you should pray for the ability to. It’s not that hard people. Be happy!!!

14!> What is your definition of SUCCESS?

Happiness. Next question.

15!> "Lyricism is the AIDS of Hip-Hop. Young rappers (and some older ones) want nowhere to be found near a lyrical rapper or MC—for fear of contamination, and subsequent public censure." thoughts??? http://tinyurl.com/yzd6fqs

I blame Lil Wayne for this. Yeah he made good music for a couple years max but in the end he oversaturated the game with songs full of bragger raps, incomplete thoughts, & no substance. But I guess that’s where Hip-Hop is different from Rap. Hip-Hop is a lifestyle containing more substance than any other lifestyle in the history of our people. It embodies art (both audible & visual), words, & rhythm. Beats, Rhymes, & Life was what the music used to be about. Now it’s watered down with a bunch of regular people thinking they are different but all sounding alike. 

As a producer I don’t know how many times I’ve been told “oh, you make hip hop beats but you don’t make anything for the club.” I remember a time when emcees just wanted beats…flat out beats. The emcees would then use their words and charisma to make it a “club song”. Everything was being spun by DJ’s, not just these watered down synthesized beats that all sound the same. But I guess that’s when the game had emcees aka MC’s aka Mic Controllers. 

Now we just have swag rappers using “similes” trying to pawn them off as “metaphors” saying “I got bars”. Then you put them in the studio with someone who really has bars, concepts, substance, stories, & an actual writing process and they say “that’s too hip-hop, let’s talk about b*tches and kush.” Here’s a tip for the females that love hip-hop coming from myself, a former DJ. DJ’s only play what they think you want to hear in the club. If you attend & dance, guys will spend money. 

Simple marketing. Go ask the DJ at your next outing to play something these garbage rappers refuse to listen to then go out and actually dance to it. As long as you keep approving these rappers with no substance or passion for the art, they will keep doing it. You have the power ladies. Trust me! If your man is a corny rapper, tell him to stop rapping. Fellas, stop approving of your friend’s wack raps just because they smoke with you. It’s ok to tell them the truth. Bring lyricism back. Thank goodness for Jay Electronica & Lupe for bringing it back to the mainstream!!! Underground hop has never died and will live on forever.

16!> Athletes receive multi million dollar contracts but we still have uneducated children and hungry people on the streets… How do YOU feel about this and what, if anything, can we do to change it??

This will never change unfortunately. The irony is the athletes salaries continue to go up while the companies that sponsor these athletes, sports, & teams pay their actual employees less each year. The longer this recession is the easier it is for these companies to bring people in at lower wages and the more they can pay the athlete’s to be the face of their companies. Capitalism is simply Privatized Communism. Rich get richer and the poor, well you know the rest. Not to mention the player’s associations force players to accept these large contracts so that the next man in line gets paid based on the previous guy. And they call it arbitration.

19!> How do you feel about the word ‘Negro’ being on the 2010 census form??

You’re really gonna get me in trouble with my white friends haha. It wouldn’t have been on their if McCain/Palin had won. It allows the bitter and egotistical white man to classify our commander & chief as a negro. They take any shots they can get because they know “negroes” are too divided to come together and set fires to the streets like they would have in another era. Oh how I wish this was 1969. On a side note, I embrace the term negro when speaking of my people. If a white person was to call me a negro I’d probably laugh (silently) because it sounds so old school. It’s nowhere as offensive as the other N word or “colored”.