 Aftermathmusic.com: Thanks for taking the time. Please introduce yourself. Rikanatti What it do? This is Rikanatti. Im reppin Bogish Boy, my production company Blocc Boyz and of course Shady. Aftermathmusic.com: Can you tell us about your childhood and how and where you grew up? Rikanatti Im originally from Chicago, but I moved to Cali in the late 80's. My mom is from the Ida B well projects in chitown and my pops was from Harvey and they wanted a better life me. Chitown is no joke, its not alot of opportunity out there. When I came to Cali I lived in Van Nuys for a couple years then headed straight to the OC and have been there ever since. I was blessed I had my mother and father in my life I always and still do have a real good support system with my fam. When ur really in the hood and u have family there and u see the struggle 1st hand, you wanna get out and you want your fam to be in a better situation. Theres nothin good about poverty and death and hopeless ness and I saw and was apart of plenty of that. I was never rich, but Orange County has way more opportunities and is a nicer place to live. I lived in a small apartment with my mom and dad. I had to share a room with my sister. But I was happy. It was a better situation than in Chitown and it was the best my folks could do and as they did better. I was able to do more. It's funny, because I never knew we didn't have money until you see others with it. I remember in the 6th grade my pop got a promotion and he made 40 or 50,000 a year. I thought we was rich so I went to school and was braggin about it. Thats when I found out people made 100,000 and up a year. They thought I was poor but to me, my fam had more money than we ever had in life so I guess its perspective. I loved my child hood. The good and the bad I guess I just valued different things. I never looked at the situation like i don't have this or that, I appreciated the things. I did have and thats what made me the person I am today. I always go back to the Chi, but I got most of my swag from the OC. I'm Mr 949 and proud. Aftermathmusic.com: What is the inspiration behind the name Rikanatti? Rikanatti Cashis gave me tha name Rikanatti. I don't know how he came up with it, but I thought it was dope. So I stayed with it. Aftermathmusic.com: Lets go back in time a little bit, how did you start making beats and what inspired you? Rikanatti I was in a group called the Renegadez, which was Cashis, Monique (R.I.P.), H Bone and my myself. Cashis back then was really into bangin and I convinced him to rap. So he would stay out the trouble. We could never get beats and I use to always beat box while Cashis freestyled or whenever he battled. He had a cousin in Pasadena with a studio and was like you can beat box so you should be able to make beats. Fuck dependin on other niggaz for tracks. So, I made my 1st beat at his cousins studio and never turned back. So Cashis got me to produce and I got him to rap. Aftermathmusic.com: Which instruments are you playing and do you think, its important for a producer to play instruments? Rikanatti I came from a musical back ground. My father played the saxaphone and I played jazz music as a child. I played saxaphone for 10 years before I quit (I wish I never quit). By the time I started maken beats. I had forgot how to read music, so I had to start from scratch. I learned how to play the piano. I can't just sit down and play songs and shit like that, but I have enough skill to make beats. I think me playing the saxophone made it a easier transition to maken beats, because I was already into music and I knew melodies and it's an advantage. Live instruments have the best sound. Key boards and sound modules mimick the real thing. So If you know how to play the real instrument sonically it's going to sound better and as a producer you always want the best sound quality possible. Thats why Dr. Dre, Eminem or DJ Quick stand out, because they use live instruments. You always learning in music as long as you keep at it. So, I hope to learn every instrument over time, but it takes time to really master a instrument. As you grow as a muscian it only benefits you as a producer. Aftermathmusic.com: Let's talk about the production process on making beats. What's the first thing you do when you make a beat? Rikanatti The 1st thing I do before maken beat is rollin' some of that Cali Kush and puttin' it in the air. Not because I have to, but I think it puts me in a different mind set. I never limit myself in production. I do samples and make original beats. So I like to be relaxed and open minded before maken tracks. Other then that I just go with the feelin. Sometimes I start with the sample and build around it. Other times I create a melody 1st or sometimes I do the drums 1st. When you start beats different ways it changes the sound and style of the track. So I try to do everything. The only criteria I have is it's gotta sound good. Aftermathmusic.com: What equipment do you use? Rikanatti I use the Roland Fantom X6, MPC 2000 XL and Reason. I will use a MPC for the rest of my life no matter what. Thats what I started on and it gives me that sound and I have a comfort zone with it. But If you are a producer u gotta keep up with the new shit so I fuck with Reason also. I use them together and it gives me that sound. Nothing quanitizes like a MPC, but at the same time Reason lets you do so much more than a MPC or Workstation. So using them both is like the best of both worlds. Aftermathmusic.com: Your first big project that you worked on was ... ? Rikanatti My 1st big project was The Multi Platinum album "Eminem Presents the Re-up". I produced "Talkin All that" mixed by Eminem and "Everything is Shady" mixed by Steve B. That was a huge start for me and pushed by career in motion. To work on a Eminem project is one of those things that you always imagine as a artist, but you never really think it's gonna happen. Not only did it happen, but I got multiple platinum plaques from that and now my music is known world wide. That was the biggest thing by far, but I think my 1st featured record was very important to me as a producer. When I was in the group Renegadez, me and Cashis did a collab joint with Kurupt, Roscoe, Jayo Felony and Tri Star called "Gunz clappin". When I talked to Kurupt and Jayo and I found out they was feeling my production that gave me extra boost mentally to take it to that level and it made me feel like anything is possible, because I didn't have a lot of equipment. I was maken beats on the floor of my crib. Thats when I found out it doesn't matter about equipment and big studios if u got talent and heat niggaz will fuck with you. Don't get me wrong equipment, musicians etc all that shit helps, but I never make excuses for myself, the talent is in me I can rock a 4 track tape machine and still have hot material. Aftermathmusic.com: How did you hook up with Cashis and Shady Records? Rikanatti Cashis and me was in a group called the Renegadez. We was offered a deal by Def Jam right around the time Kevin Lyles was leaving and LA Reid was coming in. Kevin brought us in and when he left for Warner it put a strain on the deal and it feel through. We flew out to NY and took 5 meetings with Shady, J Records, Sony, Def Jam and Koch. Shady was lookin for West Coast talent and they was like they liked Cashis as a rapper and me as a producer. Me and Cashis always said we would do whatever it took to get into the game and we would never leave each other behind. So he took a solo deal with Shady and I took a 8 song deal Shady as a producer. Shout out to Eminem, Paul Rosenberg and Dart Parker. Y'all made it happen. Aftermathmusic.com: What can you tell u about the new Cashis albums. What’s the concept behind the record? Rikanatti The music is phenominal. Cashis is the artist the game is been waiting for. One of the biggest things that set me and Cashis apart from most other artists is work ethic. He has record more then 300 tracks over my beats alone. The bar is set high for The Loose Cannon double cd. I got about 6 tracks on there so far. Cashis has production from Eminem, The Bizness, Dr. Dre, Sha Money XL, Jake One, Toomp, all top notch producers. Cashis kills tracks. Ask anyone who has worked with him. What people don't realize about Cashis is that he is a lyricist. He got serious bars. People don't really recognize that, because he is so melodic and he is a gangsta. But this Loose Cannon album is gonna show you his range, and its a realistic reflection of Cashis as a a person. So you will get Ramone Johnson which is "the gangsta, father, and the storty of his life coming up and you will get Cashis with is party, and the cool nigga and the guy with the jewelery. It's a well rounded album. It's gonna fuck the world up. There is no doubt in my mind this album is goin down in the history books. Aftermathmusic.com: Everyone’s been talking about the new Cashis street single is called "22", which features Eminem. What can fans expect? Rikanatti This song is crazy. I left a beat cd in Cashis 74 Lincoln. I wasn't even gonna play that beat for him. I was gonna shoot it to B Real for the new Cypress Hill album. He hit me and was like we gotta go to the studio now. He was like 'Imma kill this track. I got new patterns for it and its gonna be classic.' We got to the studio and he wrote his verse and the hook in 10 minutes. This is what singles use to be - hard beats and hard lyrics. Cashis and Eminem go for it on this track. The FANS WON'T BE DISAPPOINT. Check out the 1st verse and hook from that joint on www.Aftermathmusic.com. Imma let the music speak for it self. Aftermathmusic.com: And you produced that record... Rikanatti I produced that joint. Its a honor for me to do single for Cashis and have Eminem spit a verse on it. It's Dream come true and when you hear the quality of the record! Its a wrap. This joint is what the fans been waiting for. Aftermathmusic.com: Can you name and describe some of your personal highlights on the album? Rikanatti I can't go to much into that but the joints I got on his album are my best work by far. I love all the music I produced on the Re-up, and Cashis County Hound EP and Bogish Boy mixtapes etc.. But the Loose Cannon material is way better. It's not even close. Aftermathmusic.com: So, what's the status of Cashis album right now? I can't wait to hear that record. Rikanatti The project is almost done. Cashis is just putting some final touches to the album. Getting sample clearances, shit like dat. He is doin a couple more records with Eminem and doin some with Toomp and thats it. It'll be in streets. Aftermathmusic.com: Who can we expect to hear on there? Rikanatti Im not given away all that info just yet but u will hear em on a couple records, 50 and Young Buck. Cashis is a talented dude he don't need alot of features on his project. So all the features u hear are with artists he respects and ginuewinelly wanted to work with. Not because he has to. Aftermathmusic.com: You got a release date for the album? Rikanatti It stands right now as 7/25, but I think Cashis might push it back to 2nd or 3rd week in august, because of touring. We goin out on tour to Dubai and Australia in June and the whole month of July with Buck. Im his hype man also. Aftermathmusic.com: What type of feedback did you get from people about your work with Shady, exspecially Cashis? Rikanatti The feed back is great. Im a fan of the music and very much pleased with it. From workin with Cashis I've been able to work with artists I never thought I would. I produced a song with Eminem and Mike Alonzondo "Miss Jenkins". That joint iz crazy. It was the 1st time bohemian rhapsody was cleared for anyone. Thatz history right there. To be honest I don't give a fuck what people say about the material. I'm happy with it and if Eminem, Dre, 50, Paul Rosenberg think the music is hot then I know it is. I value there option, because they been doin at such a high level for so long. With that type of support who else do i need. Aftermathmusic.com: How is Eminem`s coming along? Everybody wants to know when it's coming out with his album. Is there a working title for the project? Rikanatti Eminem is a man before anything. His family is #1 priority. So he is holding that down. He is working on a album. Cashis named Em's album King Mathers. That is the real name of the project. That just shows what type of relationship that Cashis has with Em. When Eem's album drops just expect it to continue his legacy. Nothing but classics. Aftermathmusic.com: Can you name some of the artists that you produced for in the past 12 months? Rikanatti I just did that joint "Can't move me" Cashis ft Young De & Mitchy Slick. We shootin a video in about a week for that joint. Got that "Why not" Philly Remix coming ft Cashis, Young De (from tangled thoughts) Freeway, and Black Thought, a joint called "Stuck in the violence" ft Cashis, Freeway and Spider Loc and Young Blacc and "Crazy" ft Cashis, Crooked I, Glasses Malone, Kurupt and Young De. We doin a video for that, too. I'm workin with Young Buck, Cypress Hill, The Young Gunners, Glasses Malone, Alchemist, Roccet, Pettie Crack, Young De, Spider Loc, Mr. Fab, Hot Rod, Crooked I, Bishop Lamont, Konnect, Kurupt, Federation, I also collab with producers. Me and Jake One workin on tracks together, me and The Bizness doin tracks. 08 is gonna be big for me. Aftermathmusic.com: You had two beats on "Eminem Presents the Re-up" and 3 joints on the Cashis County hound Ep", did you produce those songs in the studio with the artists or did they take the beats off beat-cds? Rikanatti Not only did I produce those joints, but I also recorded them at my crib. I love workin hands on in the studio. Most of the tracks you hear from me are record by myself or C major (The official BBG Engineer). All the records that Em mixed "Talkin all that", "Just like me", "That Nigga a gangsta", and "Miss Jenkins" I recorded them then sent the files to Em to mix. Everything is Shady I recorded, but had mixed at Encore by Super engineer Steve B. I just brought those files to the studio. When ever I work with Cashis we in the studio together. When Cashis feels like we gotta joint for the album I email of the tracks to em. If Em wants to make changes or additions to record he does it at his studio in detroit. Aftermathmusic.com: How was it working with them? Rikanatti I love makin music in general. I love when niggaz kill my tracks. I love when cats I respect get on the track and do their thing. Aftermathmusic.com: What was that experience like? Rikanatti It was one of the best experiences of my life. Everybody wants to be felt in the rap game. So to come out on a project like that and be felt. I can't put it in words. I always believed in myself but to be felt world wide really validates you. Aftermathmusic.com: Have you or will you have the opportunity to work with Dr. Dre and Eminem personally? Rikanatti I haven't got to get into the studio with Dre or Em yet. But When I send over music to Em and he makes changes to records I feel like he is teaching me how to make hit records. I take note of what he does differently and I apply that to my production. He doesn't have to say Rikantti do this or do that. I know imma get into the studio with Em, because when Cashis goes back to the Detroit to finish up the album He is taken me with him. It's all about timing. I didn't need to be in the studio with Em before. We had tracks together. Now it's a different situation and my talent is more welcome rather then just bein Cashis homeboy. I haven't met Dre, but I would love to. But I want it to be a situation where I'm invited based off my talent. I want Dre to hear a record and is like who is that? Let's get him into the studio. I don't have extra people hangin out in the studio when I work and its the same for them. People wanna be comfortable and if you not involved in the song what business do u really have there. Aftermathmusic.com: You had the whole west-coast buzzing after you dropped and produced all but one song on, "The Leak" Mixtape by Cashis - What are your thoughts on that project? Rikanatti I did produced alot on that mixtape over half, but not all the joints. Me and Cashis have so much music together. We just leak songs. We did a big email blast with 12 songs we wanted to get out to tha public build buzz etc... Nima from Dubccnn took those songs and add a couple more joints that he had from us previously and turned it into Tha Leak. It was a beautiful thing, because that leak had over 50,000 downloads the 1st week. So I knew we had somethin special right there. Aftermathmusic.com: Is that true that you worked on the "Detox" album? if so, how much can you elaborate on that? Rikanatti I personally haven't worked on the Detox album. I would love to. I think I have alot to offer, but thats up to the good Doctor. Cashis actually wrote 2 songs for Dre that could be used for Detox. The picture thats on Cashis myspace with 50, Dre, Em and Cashis in it was at Dre's studio and they was workin on Detox. Eminem gave Cashis a 74 Lincoln as a gift and he actually gave it to him at that session with Dre and everybody there. Aftermathmusic.com: What todays new rappers would Rikanatti like to create music with? Rikanatti I work with alot of up and coming talent. I pride my self on that. I work with Supreme lines, Krue, Tarek and Luss Konnects, But alot of the artists I wanna create music with are not new. I wanna work with artists that I feel like T.I., Young Jeezy, Lil Wayne, E-40, Kanye, 50, artists of that caliber. Once again to be honest if I never work with another artist I don't give a fuck I will always do music with cashis and he will always support me no just because he my homeboy, but because he respect my music. Aftermathmusic.com: If somebody's trying to get a beat from you, what do they have to come up with? What do you have to be working with? Rikanatti It depends for everyone its different. This is a business at the end of the day this is how I feed my fam. But all a artist has to do is get at me. For certain artists Î would do tracks free upfront and take money on the back end. But for some artists imma charge up front. It just has to make sense business wise. Get at me on myspace.com/ocrenegadez. I control the Bogish Boy myspace page, too. So hit me lets get some work in. By the end of this year I want to have atleast 40 placements. Thats my goal. Jr Rottem had about 75 to 100 in year. I feel like 40 is not impossible for me to get to. I make 2 or 3 tracks a day. Aftermathmusic.com: What would you suggest to someone who wants to start producing, as far as equipment? Rikanatti If you have little to no money I would say fuck with Reason. Because you can get it for cheap and with that program you can actually make beats that can compete with some one who has a full studio. I would say be original and don't limit yourself. Do what ever sounds good to you and don't pay attention to haters. Stay true to your craft and after a while you will make it. It just takes time and a lot of grindin. Aftermathmusic.com: What has been the most valuable lesson that you've learned in the Hip Hop game? Rikanatti The most valuable things I have learned is things are not always what they seem. Stay true to the people who really support you. Stay ready to work and don't take no for answer. Prove yourself with your music rather then words. If you do that then you will have success in the rap game. Aftermathmusic.com: What would you say is the motivation that drives you to keep making music? Rikanatti My family #1 and #2 the luv for this music. I love hip hop. This is the best shit to me. I can take care of my kids and do what I love to do which is make beats. I made music before I was maken money off it. So I have a ginuwine luv for it. As long as I can take care of my family and make the music I want to make imma keep it going. Aftermathmusic.com: Which producers are you currently feeling? Rikanatti Im feelin alot of producers. Of course Dr. Dre, Em, Neptunes and Timberland. They go with out sayin. But I really like Hi-Tek, The Heat Makers, The Runners and I'm workin with Jake One, The Biznees, Damizza. So I feelin them fa sho. Imma real fan of Kanye's production. It's alot of talent out there. Can't forget about Sha Money XL, DJ Quick. I can go on forever. Jay Dilla Aftermathmusic.com: What would you be if you weren’t a producer? Rikanatti Imma man first. I am a producer but that doesn't define me. If i wasn't a producer I would be on the stock market, or owning some type of business. Imma smart guy and I follow the money. Believe me its not cheap in the OC. It's alot of opportunity out here and I take full advantage. It's harder to make it in the entertainment industry then business in my opinion. Aftermathmusic.com: What is the day to day of Rikkinatti like? Rikanatti I am apart of Cashis Management Team Bogish Boy Management. So I`m always booking shows and features for him and myself. I get up everyday at 6:30. I take my son to school, go to the gym and then make beats. I make beats and work on songs everyday mon- sun. I all business all the time. I make sure to spend time with my family everyday. I smoke alot of kush n between all these things. I end up in bed by 2:00 am if I`m lucky and start all over. I can rest when I die. Aftermathmusic.com: So let's get back to the present, what you like the future of Rikanatti to be like? Rikanatti I believe anyone can turn there dreams to a reality but it takes hard work. So the question is not what I would like it to be, it's what am I gonna make my future. Expect me on all of Cashis albums. I'm workin on a street album with Cashis and Young De. That's gonna be big. I plan to continue to push my production company Blocc Boyz. I expect to be a house hold name. I'm going to be one of the top producers for sure. It might take some time, but trust me imma make my place in history books. Aftermathmusic.com: Okay, thanks for all that input man! What are some of the goals you hope to conquer in your career? Rikanatti Imma stay grindin and I'm focused on being the best. When your the best all the accolaids and everything come with it. I've never heard of or seen anyone who is the best at there craft be broke or unsuccessful. Aftermathmusic.com: Do you have anything else you want to share with the fans before we end this interview? Rikanatti Im reachin to everybody if u want some quality production fuck with me. Hit me rikanatti@yahoo.com Get ready for Cashis new album Loose Cannon and look out for for the street album with Cashis and Young De. I wanna give a shout out to Aftermathmusic.com Dedicato, Cashis, Em, Paul and the Shady Family. Shout out to the West Coast. Aftermathmusic.com: Thank you for your time and for the interview! Questions asked by Chris Bremert & Jonathan Hay |
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