Meet The Producers - Where are you from?
Chops - Maywood, NJ
MTP - When and why did you start producing?
Chops - I look at my official start date of producing as August of 1998, when I bought my "own" drum machine. I started to produce because I've been around music my whole life. My father had a record deal when he was a teenager, so it was just natural. I had a drumset before I had my first baseball mitt.
MTP - What did your father do?
Chops - My father was in a doo wop group called the deejays, they were signed to a small label in the late 50's. they cut some records and toured opening for groups like dion and the belmonts, the platters etc. unfortunately no major label would pick them up because they were an interracial group which was frowned upon.
MTP - What was your first piece of equipment and what do you use now?
Chops - My first piece was an ASR X PRO. Now I have 2 mpc's, that same asr, a roland fantom x6, motif xs6, cdj 800, technic 1200, pro tools, and I own in the arena of 8-10,000 lp's (give or take a few). I have collected records for the past ten years.
MTP - How do you feel about the diggin culture?
Chops - I view records as part of equipment (ehem you mp3 producers). I think the diggin culture is great. I can't say if some would view me as one, but i do enjoy coming across very obscure samples.
MTP - Whats it like being in a beat battle?
Chops - Nervous.... for everyone else if I'm in it. Seriously, its a crap shoot. You better bring heat rocks!
MTP - How can it help a producer?
Chops - It's a place to be heard. There's plenty of open mics and mc battles for rappers and lyricists, but nothing really for producers to showcase there work. I was in my first beat battle at the Nuyorican in April of 2003 (IPA Beat Battle)
MTP - Whats your thoughts on the whole keyboard vs.sample beat discussion?
Chops - I love sampling. Its how I started to make beats. However, keyboards get you a hell of alot more money when it comes time to sit down and do some paper work for a track. Many write off keyboard producers quickly, but I got joints you would swear I sampled. Its all how you freak it. Those who talk shit about keyboard producers are just mad at themselves. If its so easy, I challenge them to do it. Its not that simple to come up with something from nothing. For me, there is no discussion. Keyboards and sampling are two different worlds that collide in my realm. My suggestion to those that do not have one.... get your money right and go buy one.
MTP - How do you feel about the beats that are used in music today?
Chops - I like some, but certainly not all. I like whatever is very outside the box. Nowadays, I live by one saying when it comes to contemporary hip hop, "it'll never be the 90's again!" Sometimes we sound like the old school rappers of the 80's complaining about the takeover of "gangsta rap" in the 90's. Bottom line is, like or not, hip hop is an ever changing genre. Sure we could use more consciousness and less negativity in the music, but the artists are only responding to what the consumers are buying. All in all, I am not worried. It will all come full circle again one day.
MTP - What is the worst studio session you have ever been involved with?
Chops - The computer crashed in a session causing the loss of 12 songs we had completed in 7 or so months. The hard drive was clicking louder than a fake Rolex....ouch!! Damn, what projects are you currently working on? I am currently working with Ticky Diamondz of the E.T.C. music group. This is a label started by Ed Lover, Ceas Roca, and Ticky Diamondz. The album is coming real soon. Also, I have been having my beats shopped to labels by E.T.C.. One thing I can say, its not who did the beats or who you gave them to. Its more whose hand your cd came from.......
MTP - Whats something the readers may not know about you?
Chops - The meaning of my name "Chops"?? (I have been asked that) So here are the wrong answers.
#1 - It has nothing to do with chopping samples.
#2 - I am not Portuguese. I am Irish.
Here is the correct answer - The name chops actually was given to me because of a Warner Bros cartoon. Whenever yosemite sam was dressed as an arab his guard would swing his axe and yell hasson chop. Since my last name is hasson, it turns out a nickname from high school stuck.
MTP - What about that other guy named chops???
Chops - Some people on myspace get me confused with the other dude that calls himself chops (from the mountain bros). I tried to friend him thru myspace and he kinda tried to say the name isn't gonna workout for me. I guess he doesn't want me to use the name, but this name isn't something new for me. I have been called "chops" even before I was in "Forbidden Chapters" (90s NJ Hip Hop Group). I figure...fuck it, I'll Sean "puffy" Combs it and make all my paperwork say: Patrick "chops" Hasson
MTP - Whats your contact info?
MTP - Any last words?
Chops - Stay tuned!!!
Instrumental Track
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