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lionwaysoundsystem-blog · 8 years ago

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Lionway presents: Yeska Beatz Interview

Dj Mutiny on the Bounty from Lionway Sound here! I recently had the opportunity to sit down and talk with label owner and operator of Yeska Beatz - Mr. Reggie Lloyd a.k.a. BC Rydah.

M: How did you come up with the name Yeska and what is the concept idea behind the label?

BC: The name Yeska actually came from a skate crew I use to be in back in the day. A bunch of us out of that skate crew started to become DJ’s. During that time, we also had another crew called Abstrakt Artists. The thing with Abstrakt Artists crew is that we had some creative differences and ideas, so I decided I wanted to focus more on a label where I could do more of what I wanted. I started Yeska Beatz in 2014. We officially had the name by 2012 and we were able to put out our first release by 2014. The idea was just to promote jungle music. I got tired of shopping demos to people that basically would tell me it wasn’t exactly what they were looking for. I decided to create a platform where it would pretty much open and we take all forms of jungle – it doesn’t matter what kind it is. That’s what attracted me to the music in the first place - the difference in it. That’s why we have guys like Rez – he’s more atmospheric – which I love.

M: Yeah man, big-big release there!

BC: Haha, yeah man (chuckling) I love that one. I be telling that fool all the time - I’m playing Jah Strength. I’ll be playing it on my phone (laughing), playing it in my car and or just cruising down the street. That’s a heavy track!

M: Yeah man, for sure I loved the release. How did you come upon the name BC Rydah?

BC: It was a nickname that the homies gave me based off of me being from the city. Like Beach City – I repped that named and I ride it – Ride it till the wheels fall off hahaha. What’s cool about that name though is that there’s actually a car club – like a lowrider club out here called Beach City Riders. Which is dope as fuck. Since I found that out I have been trying to link up with them – I wanna do a music video and have those guys in the background and shit.

M: That would be dope!

BC: I know wouldn’t it!

M: SO… I wanted to congratulate you on the recent collab with Jonny 5. That release was absolute fire! Extremely original and Jonny did a smashing job on the remix. Who would you like to collab with coming up?

BC: I’m really open to collaborating with anyone. I’m a big fan of Double O – that would be dope! My boy Indijinous or something like that. I wanna make some dark stuff and I love aggressive style drums - still love hardcore. Pretty much anything that has to do with heavy drums, heavy bass – I’m all about that stuff.

M: Yeah man, keep it roughneck style – keep it rugged.

BC: You know what’s cool is that I have worked with a lot of different people – musician wise. My keyboard instructor Kevin Toney from the BlackByrds and he was the one who taught me keyboard structure and harmony and rhythm. At first I was just like making music and stuff and then he started to actually show me how to compose and make it into a song. I really appreciated that and for a minuet a lot of my music was real jazzy.

M: I do remember!

BC: There was a lot of chord progressions and stuff… *muffled sounds….

M: Yo Reggie you still there brother!?

BC: Hahaha yeah… my phone’s a piece of shit *chuckling

BC: But yeah the majority of those songs are originally played out. I love chord progressions.

M: Yeah man I was rocking this one song you did – a real jazzy number and I think you know the one. It starts off kind of like a Charlie Parker song. Nuff respect for putting the Jazz back in the jungle.

BC: You’re talking about this song I did called Pacific Avenue.

M: Yes, that’s the one!

BC: Yeah man that was a Charlie Parker sample. (laughing)

M: Yeah man I could tell it was wild sounding. What a way to open up a track.

BC: Right!? It was real aggressive and when I heard it I just thought about a busy street you know mobbing down it. I love to visualize my music as if it were a movie. I come from a hip-hop background and I use to MC a lot and shit too. My favorite thing about hip-hop was the story telling you know. I try to think about captivating the listener. You want to have that person visualize their own perception of what you’re saying. That’s what dope about reading is you get your own perception of what you’re read and the joy of the journey. At first the song was called TPP act… Hello you still there.

M: I’m still here brother.

BC: So… Yeah that song was around the time Julian Assange (Founder of WikiLeaks) was arrested and held captive. It was basically a political song. That’s another thing in jungle we are missing is that political connection. You know it’s not always about wheel ups and gunshots you gotta also open up that third eye.

M: That’s one of the things that draws me to jungle music. We need more activity against Babylon.

BC: For real For real.

M: What’s your favorite horror movie?

BC: Man, you know actually before you called I was watching Amityville Horror. Literally just got done.

M: The new one or the old one?

BC: It was the old one – I literally just caught it and was like yeah dope! Actually though one of my favorite movies is Society. Came out back in 87-89. About this dude that lives in the suburbs. He doesn’t really conform to his peers and family and it turns out that everyone else are these shape shifting creatures that live off of human flesh.

M: Never seen this but I love it! I’m going to have to ask our funky movie rental place if they have that one.

BC: Yeah man you gotta see that one it’s intense. It’s cheesy too – it’s that cheesy horror from the 80’s and shit. I like movies that people don’t really know about. How about you what’s your favorite horror movie?

M: I like Stephen King and George Romero’s Creepshow

BC: Creepshow is dope!

M: Yeah it’s pretty nostalgic for me, and I have always enjoyed the very first Halloween.

BC: I actually have Evil Dead on VHS directors cut.

M: Yeah man that’s the good stuff!

M: To get back on topic… what are your ideas for taking jungle into the future?

BC: I see the progression of jungle music, and I see how far it goes and I see how delicate it is to being damaged as well. I’m pretty much using Yeska Beatz as a brand to support good jungle music. Support actual genuine artists. I’m not really about the cash I just want to see good music be out there. I look at Metalheadz as a big influence.

M: Okay!

BC: They really established themselves not only as a label, but also as a brand – something that will stand around for years. If you look at the Metalheadz logo and you will see that shit forever – you know what it is. They had rings, cross trainers, their experimenting to see what people like - you know we like fashion – people love fashion so let’s represent that.

I think that people are scared to progress with jungle music like how it is with hip-hop labels and indie labels. I feel that a lot of jungle is sample based so you got people that wanna go big but then again you don’t want to get sued and have to pay royalties. I think that’s one of the main reasons why jungle still stays underground as far is in the U.S. That’s probably one of the main differences between America and the U.K. They got money off of that – they glamorized that and they were like, “this is our music,” and they respected it as music and it wasn’t just something that a certain few could enjoy – they wanted it for the massive. That’s why they call it junglist massive – it was for everybody. You had pirate radio stations for that reason so you could get everyone listening to it. I don’t want people listening to this music in some cave or holed away in some cubby – I want everybody to know and not be stingy with it. The best way for us to do that is to respect it as music and make sure I put it in the right avenues. Lately I have been talking to drummers so I can start sampling and arranging my own drums, play my own chords and working with MC’s and singers and being publically signed to BMI as a publisher – that’s how we take it to the next road. I’m taking the homies with me – I never wanted to be the king – my goal is to just put out dope music, get the homies out there – put out their music. You only get to live this life once – let’s take advantage of that.

M: Amen! I can agree to that. That was a great answer!

M: Okay, so moving on I would like to ask you: What’s the most embarrassing CD or record you’ve ever bought that people may not know about?

BC: That I bought!? (Laughing) I think it was… maybe… Crazy Train techno remix I got about 15 years ago.

M: The Ozzy song?

BC: Yup! Hahaha Crazy Train! For a minuet I was into Techno and it wasn’t even good techno.

M: Oh yes, I remember those days.

M: So, would you say you are more Blood in Blood out or Boyz in tha Hood.

BC: I have to say Boyz in tha Hood?

M: Allright alight.

BC: Blood in Blood out is my shit though.

M: Yeah man me too lol.

M: How would you describe jungle to someone who does not know it?

BC: I would say: think about everything you love about music from every genre and put that into one sound. I think that’s the best way to categorize it. That’s what jungle did – it takes a little bit of this, a little bit of that and then you get magic. That’s what captivated me you know – fucking Super Man – Man of Steel! What ever you think is dope you put that into one sound and that’s jungle. Jungle music is like a goulash.

M: hahaha Yeah! That’s the best answer I’ve had on that one. Where I come from that’s like a gumbo.

BC: Yeah man exactly like a gumbo.

M: So, any big shows coming up, tours… maybe a Austin Texas in the horizon (chuckling)?

BC: Yeah man, I was talking to Truant – that’s my boy – and we talked about getting me and a couple of the fellas out there for a little Texas tour.

BC: I have upcoming show on May 20th at Audio Asylum. August 25th Summah inna Jungle in Los Angeles. We did one back in 2011 and it was one of the first parties I threw when I came back from Vegas. I went to Vegas for a couple years and met Dj Ganjaboat and this cat named Les Paul and I got to meet a couple people but in order for me to pursue my career I had to move back to Cali. So, when I came back I threw Summah inna Jungle and I was the MC at the time. I use to go by Nyce Guy Reggie. And that’s how I got to meet Q45 and Mizta Lex and then started DJing more and working on my production and then I just transformed into BC Rydah. In October we have another Live From The Tunnels with Kid B coming out and in the works for talking with U-ome, Q-45 and more to come.

Then we have more releases on the way. Right now we have O-Minus release coming out in July. We have another Live From The Tunnels coming out in October. Baggs N Hooligan we actually have their release coming out in the near future. We have Capt. Mordrum release - Nature of the Beatz coming out in July. We have Ed808 and a Meanstreak album in the works as well. There’s a lot of big stuff coming out. Fist though we got to put out this compilation. Bro we got 6Blocc, Mizeyesis, Contrast, J5, Rez, Torrential, Meanstreak, Xian Juan and Ed808. That’s my main focus right now. This is going to help push the label forward so I’m trying to keep everything in the jungle fam and just keep staying busy pushing state side jungle music.

M: Definitely busy man and I’m really glad to hear the compilation is about to drop.

BC: Yeah man like no disrespect to the U.K. but people are sleeping on these cats. We grew up on state side jungle and it’s like a family over here. I don’t care how dope you are but, if you’re an asshole I’m not working with you. I like to work with people that are whole hearted like me. At the end of the day we are the ones that are going to push each other.

M: Man, I couldn’t agree more. Now I have to go ahead toss out my final and hardest question for you Reggie. If you could make a wish and bring to life one cartoon character to date which one would it be?

BC: (Without hesitation) Velma from Scooby Doo dog.

M: Hahahaha with no hesitation huh? Hahaha

BC: We all know what’s under that sweater dog – come on.

M: Hahhahaha – You got my girl over here squirting drink out of her nose.

BC: Yeah my girl and I already had this conversation. Sorry bae-b but its Velma. (Chuckling)

M: Well hey brother it was so great to be able to do this and I’m very honored for you reaching out to me. You got fans over here in Austin and been playing Yeska tunes out here trying to get the message out.

BC: We got a lot of good stuff coming out. I’m happy and thankful for working with all the people I’m working with right now.

M: Nuff respect Reggie from the jungle massive here in Austin. Much love brother – until the next time we talk.

BC: Much love from The City. Peace!

#YeskaBeatz #BCRydah #Lionwayatx #Jungle #LAJUNGLE #ATX #Bass #Breaks

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