Aftermathmusic.com:
A lot of people know you as the DJ of Dr. Dre and Snoop from the Up in Smoke Tour. But who`s the real DJ Jam? Please tell us something about you.

DJ Jam:
The real DJ Jam? (laughs). Basically done on every aspect. You know, Dre and snoop were one of the aspects in dj-ing. Which means, dj-ing for artists, a tour dj goin on the road, doin concerts and things like that. But I´m also a radio DJ, who’s been on the air since 1998, nationally syndicated on 8 different mixshows and we’ve a Big Snoop Dogg Radio Show and we’ll bringin’ it back in a while. And also DJ Jam – the Club DJ I’ve been doin club all around the world, even before I worked with Dre n Snoop. Also DJ Jam – the Mixtape DJ. I’ve been done every aspects as far as dj-ing basically.

Aftermathmusic.com:
How did you get into the game? Why the name DJ Jam – Where did it come from or who gave you the name?

DJ Jam:
Well, I’ve started basically my sisters husband. At this time he was stationed in San Diego in the military and he had a friend from New York who was a DJ. This was, when I was 13 yrs old. And his friend came out for one summer and brought his turntables. He stayed for the whole summer. I saw this guy behind his turntables. I never seen anything like that before, actually watchin’ somebody do that. So that’s what I did the hole summer. They gave a few house partys and I got to go and whatchin to his thing. Basically, by the end of the summer, it was time for him to go back to New York it was time for him to go back to New York. My Brother bought his boxes and turntables from him, because I liked it so much. So he left the turntables and the mixes and the guy left me 1 tape of his records. And that’s how I actually started.
Years after that, I was ready to hit the clubs. There was a big club promotor in San Diego who doin all the big dancers. He found out about me through the streets and asked me to come on with their crew. That’s was the biggest thing happening in San Diego. And they do commercials on the radio for all these clubs. And when it came time to ask me join them he was like “What’s your DJ Name?” , but I didn’t really had a DJ name, everybody knew me from my real name. So he’s the person who came out with the name, cause he heard me DJ-Ing before on my mixtapes. So he ”Man, I´m listenin’ to your tapes and they jammin’ So I`ll call you DJ Jam. That’s how I got the name.

Aftermathmusic.com:
You have a few mix-cd’s: WBALLZ, The Hot Spot, Midnite Grooves and the Heavyweights Underground Jam Session. Do you think that you´ll release more tapes in the future?

DJ Jam:
Well, there are 5 different pojects that I have. all are my projects. It’s been since 1998 that I’ve done these Hot Spots and Midnite Grooves, beeing on the road and touring and in the studios. So, WBALLZ is something we’ve been tryin to do in the past, you know 4-5 yrs. But basically, these 5 records all stand on their own. WBALLZ, we have a release date of june/10, that’s a double CD and it’s all hardcore. The Hot spot is my party mixtape. Midnite Grooves which is my RnB Mix. What I´m workin on now is called Midnite Grooves Special Rap Edition. It has all Rap music with sexual raps. Everybody is making songs that has something to do with females, whether is good or bad.
Snoop is hostin’ WBALLZ, Soopafly is hostin’ Midnite Grooves Rap Edition, Snoop is also hostin’ The next Hot Spot. Truth Hurts will hostin’ the RNB Midnite Grooves. So, every project that I have, will have a host. And also the Heavyweights Underground Jam Session, which is my undergound Hip Hop CD. So every CD stands on his own musically. That’s why I`m able to do different projects.
I’m able to get each of these genres, because this is what I’ve grown up on. So, when I started DJ-ing Rap was the biggest thing. You know, you had the disco era into the funk era. That was really big, exspecially on the Westcoast, George Clinton, Funcedalics, Roger ya know, which I grew up from my sister. So I actually started to know genres and Rap was just comin in. so of course I picked up on rap, cause I was a DJ. So when the rap came in I was about battelin’, scratchin’ and cuttin’. I wanted to battle the next DJ’s. So I’ve grown up on every genre of music.

Aftermathmusic.com:
So what happened with Truth Hurts? Universal Germany told me, she has left Aftermath. Do you have any information?

DJ Jam:
I`m not sure, about the legalities on that. What I know, she had a big lawsuit but I donno if that had something to do with it. People could be crazy. They hear artists being dropped by the label, so the label don’t like the artists. That’s not true. Most of the time when things like that happenend it’s for tax reasons. So it’s not like she’s not workin with anybody anymore. She’s still workin with a lot of different people and workin on her next album. But the the whole situation I dunno, but she can land anywhere. Truth Hurts is really nice.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Tell us a little bit about the atmosphere on DPG and the connection to Aftermath/Shady.

DJ Jam:
Yeah, 50 n Daz will be doin something in the future definetely. DPG, Aftermath / Shady and Dogghouse they are have an affiliation. It’s basically a big family tree. DPG, Aftermath / Shady and Dogghouse all stands from the core which is Dr. Dre and Snoop Dogg and the DPG family. Dre worked with a lot of Westcoast artists. Now he wants to reach out the Eastcoast artists.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Are there not enough good talents from the westcoast that Dr. Dre could sign to Aftermath? Cause Dre is signing a lot of Eastcoast artists. What happened to RBX, Last Emperor or Hittman?

DJ Jam:
Oh, RBX is still on the family tree. He worked with Snoop Doggystyle Allstars and is still workin on his own music. Like I said, Dre has put a stamp. We have a Westcoast family. Dre is still down with the Westcoast. RBX is workin on Snoop’s side right now, Dre is workin with his people. There’re a lot of other Westcoast artists like E-White and Soopafly. E-White, I can say more, cause he’s one of the newer artists. There’re more artists, workin on Snoop’s side. So Snoop is the one looking over Westcoast artists right now.
Dr. Dre is a kind of person … well, he’s done that all. He’s tryin to look out for some other artists from different areas. He wants to make a big impression on the Eastcoast also. He wants to make a big impression, if he can, Down South. He’s like the master, you know whatta mean? Dre can put it together and make it possible. So right now, he believes in what he’s hearing. Look at 50 Cent, you know. He talked to Eminem and said, ‘Let’s do this project.’. ‘cause Dre knows, he knows talent, when he hear it and what can happenend to, you know. Timing is everything in the music industry. It’s not about where you come from, it’s where you are at the time.

Aftermathmusic.com:
2Pac is a legend. Did you ever meet him? What do you think about his career, his life, DeathRow Records?

DJ Jam:
2Pac – I mean he’s a great artists. A great person. I knew him personally. One thing I can say about him, it’s his work ethics. He was a type of person, that you know, if he had time he worked as much as he could. He’s goin to the studio and is still goin to 1 recording studio, workin on 1 song, he goin to a big recording studio and have 4 studios at the same time. He bounced from 1, go out the door, goin to the next studio, and write a song after song and and keep goin around. At the end of one night he could have 10 songs done.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Aftermath / Shady 2003 – Do you think, they are the best artists and producers in the game right now? I mean, we have Eminem, Cube, Rakim, Dre, 50 and young talented cats like Brooklyn or Joe Beast. Are you goin to work with some artists in the near future?

DJ Jam:
Yeah, they have some of the best producers right now. Uuum there’re other producers in the game right now, there r really doin big things. Fred Wreck is still on our family tree, Battlecat will produce songs, Jerry Roll, who’s doin big things, and others. The westcoast has a lot of great producers. They all have a great platform.

Aftermathmusic.com:
I never had the chance to see the Up in Smoke Tour live. I´ve got the dvd, but how was the tour and can we expect a worldwide Up in Smoke tour Part 2? Or do you come to Europe, hopefully Germany, for a live gig?

DJ Jam:
The Up in Smoke tour, I’d say, is one of the biggest and succesful tours in the rap history. It was well-put together as far as the staging, lightning, special effects and pyro technics. I mean, we had everything goin on. We had so much stuff there. Dre put it all together. It was Dre’s vision. So come to LA.
We supposed to take the tour to europe, but I donno what happenend. You know it’s all bout the money, to bring the set over there.

Aftermathmusic.com:
You know, Eminem, 50 and the Shady Crew are coming to Europe this summer. What can we expect from the Anger Management Tour in Europe? I’ve heard something about special guests and I´d be glad to see Dr. Dre, Rakim and Ice Cube. Are you goin on tour with them, too?

DJ Jam:
I can’t be there. Right now I´m doin WBALLZ release party this month, june 1st we’ll have a show with the Red Hot Chilli Peppers and in July we go out with 50 Cent.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Yeah, with Snoop, I think July 9th.

DJ Jam:
Yes.

Aftermathmusic.com:
We all know about the feud between Aftermath/Shady/G-Unit/DPG and Murder Inc./Tha Row. But what are your thoughts about the beef?

DJ Jam:
DeathRow and Murder Inc? (laughs) Uum, there’s a lot goin on. There’s of course the Aftermath n DeathRow situation and then you have 50Cent with his people and the Murder Inc Staff. They have any differences. Suge was dealing with Murder Inc and at the same time some of Murder Inc’s people don’t get along with Violator’s people. You know, 50 has some enemies from his past, who don’t like him, ya know? But I´m not in the middle of that. So I really can`t speak on why and who and when … I´m here to do my own business and I´m tryin to avoid of this situation. I´m not really down with bullshit like that. I´m all about positivity. I´m here to make music and do my thing and represent the best for Snoop and Dre. That’s what I stand for.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Any Words to Suge Knight or Kurupt or Ja Rule or do you have anything to say about them?

DJ Jam:
I wish them the best in the music business.

Aftermathmusic.com:
I know, you`ll release the “Voices of tha Underground” CD soon. Are there only American MC’s on it? Would you work with European artists?

DJ Jam:
Yeah, I’d love this .. uum work with other artists, exspecially from europe. It doesn’t really matter where they’re from. They can be from the moon … (laughs).

Aftermathmusic.com:
Which advices do you have for young unsigned artists to take a step into the music business?

DJ Jam:
Well, try to learn as much about the music business as possible. Don’t rely. You need to know the business. You know, this business is filled with a lot of sharks, a lot of sharks they can get at you. There’re a lot of hungry people. There’re a lot of DJ’s that would love to be in a position that I’m. That makes me work hard, cause I know I can be replaced. You know, I’ve been here since day 1 and I´m still here. I take care of my business.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Everyone talks about “keepin’ it real, keepin’ it real.” What does that mean to you?

DJ Jam:
Keepin’ it real to me? It means to me, being yourself. No matter what it is, just be yourself. Don’t try to be another person, because this person makin more money right. Because if you grew up in a nice neigbourhood and you never did see crime, then you can’t come out and talk about that. But all the music doesn’t have to be about bad times. So basically what I´m sayin’ is: Be what you are! As long as you be what you are you never have to worry about anybody tryin to say try to be this or that. You should know who you are. Be yourself. That’s what real is to me.

Aftermathmusic.com:
Your future plans include writing a book and making a movie about your true-life adventures? When can we expect that?

DJ Jam:
(Laughs) There’s no date yet. Over the years I’ve got so much experience as a DJ, that you can definetely write a book or makin a movie.

Aftermathmusic.com:
What’s your opinion on the state of the game right now?

DJ Jam:
The state of the game is lookin for a direction. There’s been a lot of money lost, you know bootlegging and economics. You know things happening after 9.11., there’s a money situation. So, the music business is startin to reflect on this situations. A lot of companies goin under, Universal spyin’ a lot of companies out. You have a lot of money that is shiftin hands right now. A lot of labels changing their marketing startegies, it’s like ‘How can we promote this artist without spendin money’. That’s why have mixtapes become such a big thing right now, ‘cause it’s the easy way to promote your artists. But I think, something is goin happenend in the mixtape game, which will be good or bad. So right now, I think the music industry is findin out a new direction.

Aftermathmusic.com:
What can we expect from DJ Jam in the future? Are you going to work with Dre, Snoop, Cube on their records?

DJ Jam:
Uum, like I said, I’ve these 5 projects right now. In the future I´m startin with WBALLZ, so the albums are comin out one after another. And you’ll hear a lot of more DJ Jam productions. I´m gonna to produce gangsta music, party music more sexual rap tracks and RnB tracks.

Aftermathmusic.com:
In Europe it’s hard to get your tapes? How can we help to promote your tapes in Germany or Europe? Are you looking for some internet sites to promote and sell your tapes? Or do you think about contests?

DJ Jam:
Yeah, acutally I´m tryin to look for some distributors. I’ve a couple of meetings tomorrow outta here, uum meetings with few distributors to discuss this situation. Or I can sell my rights to the masters of the countries, because it’s cheaper to do that way. Yeah, I`ll talk to Montell about a contests.

DJ Jam Q & A:

- The best producer is: Dr. Dre

- The best artists are: DPG related and affiliate artists, Jay-Z, Busta Ryhmes

- Positive characteristics are: Hardwork ethics, being positiv

- Influences or Idols are: Dr. Dre is my biggest influence and Snoop Dogg

- Favourite album of all time: The Chronic

- Something you hate about the music industry is: There’re a lot of followers and not enough leaders

Do you wanna give any shout outs to Aftermathmusic.com and to the fans?

Yeah, this is DJ Jam, representin’ da DPG. Hold it down for Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre. Givin’ a shout out to Aftermath Music and my man overthere and to all the fans holdin’ it down over in Europe. Ya know whatta mean? Hehe. Thanks a lot for doin this interview and allowing to DJ Jam will be heard, yeah yeah.

Thank you for the Interview!