Win Tickets: Rob Swift Plays JUE Festival
Rob Swift plays Yugong Yishan on March 15 as part of the JUE Music + Art Festival 2012, and our friends over at JUE and Three Chord Truth have given us two tickets to give away. First, check out our interview with the master turntablist.
How do you think your DJing sound has changed over your career?
My sound has evolved so much. I learned how to DJ cuttin' up jazz records like "Take Me To Mardi Gras" by Bob James, rock records like "Walk This Way" by Aerosmith and soul like "Funky Drummer" by James Brown. Out of all of them, jazz resonated with me the the most though, so on my solo albums like The Ablist (1998) and Sound Event (2002) you can hear the heavy jazz influence in my work. But when you listen to my most recent album The Architect (2009), it's evident my ear has left the jazz realm and I experiment more with classical music. At the end of the day, that's what I'm about, growing and pushing the boundaries of what I do.
What do you think of the current state of hip-hop?
I get asked this question a lot. Hip-hop is fine. There's a lot of solid, good hip-hop out there. You just gotta know where to look for it. Rap music is a different story. Rap music is very limited in its expression. Today's average rap song covers one of four topics: sex, drugs, money or violence. Sometimes all four. I don't listen to rap as much as I used to in the past.
Do you ever feel any regret over leaving the X-ecutioners?
Honestly, no. Leaving the X-ecutioners in 2004 was a necessary move. If I wouldn't have left, projects like War Games, As The Tables Turn or The Architect probably would have never been created. Also, regardless of me leaving, we all managed to come back together at the 2008 Gong Battle coordinated by Roc Raida (R.I.P.), so it all came back full circle anyway.
Who do you think is the greatest DJ?
I don't believe in their being a "greatest" DJ. I don't get caught up in those kind of labels.
Who would you ask to DJ your wedding or funeral?
I'd probably have a close friend, someone like Dr. Butcher, Gudtyme, J Marks or one of the X DJ my wedding or funeral. Keep it in the family.
What are the three hottest songs that you have to drop in a mix right now?
"Niggas In Paris" by Kanye and Jay Z. Damn, I honestly can't think of another two songs that I personally think are hot that I would play. I know what the "hot songs" are to play, but I'd rather not mention them in the interview.
And three that never ever leave your case?
Now you're talking more my steez! "Method Man" by Wu-Tang. "Jump Around" by House Of Pain, and "Scenario" by A Tribe Called Quest. There's a lot more, by the way!
How swift are you these days?
I'm at my swiftest! I'm better today than I ever was!
Rob Swift sounds like an instruction for shoplifters. Is there anything that you’d like to come clean about from your past?
OK, OK ... I used to steal records from the dealers at the Roosevelt Hotel record conventions here in New York back in the day. Remember Raida?
Tell us the Rob Swift life story in just six words.
I have always expressed myself honestly!
What do you still want to achieve?
I'd like to get married and have children some day.
The swift is a bird, but if Rob Swift was a bird which one would he be?
I'd be an iron bird - a jet!
What can the Beijing crowd look for from your upcoming set?
They can expect everything!
To win tickets for Rob's set on Thursday, tell us: Which car manufacturer has a model called the Swift? Email your answers to win@thebeijinger.com before noon on Wednesday, March 14.
Rob Swift plays Yugong Yishan on March 15. RMB 100, RMB 80 (advance). 9.30pm.
PHOTO: Courtesy of the organizers
