Wu Affiliated beatmaker and sample flipper. done beats for Hell Razah, Dungeon Masta Wu-Files Series, Wu-Tang Rocks The World Series, Dj Flypcyde, Scored the award winning movie Cracked and have amassed over 3.5 million stream of his beat tapes on Spotify
Born in Coney Island Brooklyn in 1973, DJ Iceman took to music at an early age. He started DJing at age 9, after getting his uncle’s old DJ equipment, and he’s been an a tear ever since.
He’s performed in New York, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona, Washington, Japan and Sydney; and worked with the likes of Heavy D, KRS One and a host of others. In April of 2017, Dj Iceman embarked on a new journey as a beatmaker and thus Big Boss Beatz was born. using Native Instruments Maschine MK3 and Maschine Jam, Dj Iceman is crafting some of the best boom-bap golden era beats this side of Fort Greene.
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Interview with Dj Iceman (Big Boss Beatz)
Q: Tell us about a project you worked on you are especially proud of and why. What was your role?
A: i recently got to do the intros for some projects for Wu-Tang Dj Coalitions Dj Flipcyde (Wu-Files 6,6.5 and 7) its an honor to do the intro for such projects because the intro sets the tone for the whole project, so it HAS to be dope.
Q: What are you working on at the moment?
A: i always have beats floating around. but i have some projects with various members of the Dirty Clanzmen (Wu-Tang Affiliate group) comin soon
Q: Is there anyone on SoundBetter you know and would recommend to your clients?
A: not yet
Q: Analog or digital and why?
A: either or. it all a matter of preference
Q: What's your 'promise' to your clients?
A: just to make dope beats.
Q: What do you like most about your job?
A: the creativity. after 30+ years of playing music, i actually get a kick out of being on the other side. im using a different part of my brain.
Q: What questions do customers most commonly ask you? What's your answer?
A: "How long does it take to make a beat?" my answer is "It takes as long as it takes" lol it really depends on a lot of factors. sometimes a beat will take 20 minutes and sometime it will take 2 weeks.
Q: What's the biggest misconception about what you do?
A: that this is easy to do. people don't realize how hard it actually is to take all these pieces and put them together in a way that makes sense. also that this is cheap. gear,sounds and vsts cost money, it takes a lot of hours to do what we do. so when we charge a price its not just to take your money. we are a business,and the goal of any business is to recoup costs and make a profit
Q: What questions do you ask prospective clients?
A: i usually don't ask a lot of questions. the customer pretty much know what they want, but i make sure to have plenty of answers
Q: What advice do you have for a customer looking to hire a provider like you?
A: make sure you and your provider shares the same vision.
Q: If you were on a desert island and could take just 5 pieces of gear, what would they be?
A: i just need my Maschine and my Laptop
Q: What was your career path? How long have you been doing this?
A: i was a dj for 34 years,and when i retired i needed a creative outlet. and it Hip-Hop its usually a natural progression to go from dj to beat maker. ive been making beats for a little under 2 years
Q: How would you describe your style?
A: classic
Q: Which artist would you like to work with and why?
A: Redman. his style is so funky. i would LOVE to hear him on one of my beats.
Q: Can you share one music production tip?
A: trust your gut. it never lies
Q: What type of music do you usually work on?
A: sample based Boom-Bap Hip-Hop
Q: What's your strongest skill?
A: finding and chopping samples
Q: What do you bring to a song?
A: 34 years of dj experience and a lifelong immersion in the hip-hop culture. i grew up in this,and ive been a part of every element in one way or another.
Q: What's your typical work process?
A: It Depends on the beat. sometimes i start with the samples,other times i start with the drums. its about the mood and the vibe with me
Q: Tell us about your studio setup.
A: its noting big. i work with a Maschine MK3 and Maschine Jam, Rokit 5 studio monitors,i record vocals in Studio One 4, and do my mastering with Izotope Ozone 8
Q: What other musicians or music production professionals inspire you?
A: Dj Premiere,Pete Rock,Large Professor,J Dilla,9th Wonder,Paul C,Beatminers,J-Live,Madlib,Prince Paul,Rza
Q: Describe the most common type of work you do for your clients.
A: Basic beatmaking with some mixing/mastering
- Beat MakerAverage price - $250 per song
- ProducerAverage price - $250 per song
- DJ Premier
- Large Professor
- RZA
- Maschine MK3
- Maschine Jam