eOne Music recording artist DJ SpinKing’s second mixtape “The Connect” hit the internet today.
The 13-track mixtape features guest appearances by Jeremih, ASAP Rocky, Ty Dolla $ign, ASAP Ferg, Jim Jones, Tyga, Jadakiss, and Fetty Wap, among others. The project includes the singles “Adult Swim” Feat. Tyga, ASAP Ferg, Jeremih and Velous, and “Dope Boy” Feat. Cash Out and Fetty Wap. We spoke with the rising star about his latest project.
Q: Tell us about your mixtape. What was the process like in making your songs?
A: The process was that I was just trying to put together a body of work – of music. There’s not really anybody else besides Khaled … there’s not that many DJ’s putting together a mixtape or an album. This is kind of like the album before I drop my album. Just me bringing different artists together and putting them on songs that they have never been on before.
Q: What inspired some of your songs?
A: Some of the songs, it’s a lot of turn up music. There’s not really a lot of R&B. A lot of it is just street or club records, bringing artists together and seeing how they would be versatile together on a record and how they would do together.
Q: And speaking of the artists, you have some really big names on here. What was it like getting some of them onto your tracks?
A: It was a great process. Half of them I was in the studio with, half of them I wasn’t. But it was great with the energy and seeing how a lot of artists do record different verses, and they were like ‘which one do you feel is best?’ It was a great process. 95% of the artists are my friends. They either come out to the clubs with me or I have spoken to them previously about doing a record … I just don’t like putting artists on songs just to put them there, I have to put together a song that I feel fits two artists together.
Q: How was it like working on the “Nasty Girl Remix” with Jeremih, Jim Jones, and Ty Dolla Sign?
A: It was great. This was about a year and a half ago I had this record, and Jim Jones was like, ‘let’s get in the studio.’ And the same night I just happened to be with Jeremih, so after the club we went up to the studio, and I started playing a couple of beats, and the funny thing was Jim Jones was half asleep, and I played this one beat and he just woke up and was like, ‘that’s it!’ He knocked his verse out and the next day Jeremih knocked out his hook and after it came out, Ty Dolla Sign was like, ‘we want to get up on that.’ And so I held those two verses and that was when I finally released those two verses.
Q: What was it like working with Jadakiss and Rowdy Rebel on your track “Fifa?”
A: The “Rowdy” record, I actually got that before he went in, and then I got in the studio and Jadakiss was like, ‘Yo, I don’t want to hold on to this record.’ And Jadakiss and I sat in the studio and knocked it out within a day.
Q: What was it like recording “Dope Boy” with Cash Out and Fetty Wap?
A: The Cash Out “Dope Boy” record I had for like a year and some change. And when I finally came to the thought of dropping a mixtape instead of just going straight to the album, I didn’t know who else would fit the record besides Cash Out. And then I got to the studio with Fetty Wap and as soon as I got in he laid down five verses right away. And it was probably one of my favorite ones, so that was dope. And we are shooting that video soon, too.
Q: Can you talk a little bit about working on “Adult Swim” with Tyga, Asap Ferg, Jeremih, and Velous?
A: “Adult Swim,” it was originally called “DC Diving” and it was a whole different beat and it had Tyga’s vocals for like two years. And I just didn’t feel like the beat went with anything else that was out and it wouldn’t have been radio friendly or club friendly, it would have just been dope for certain people to like. So myself and Vinylz (who will be the executive producer on my debut album), he was like ‘you need to change this.’ So we went and changed it and then I was in the studio with him and he went a disappeared like for an hour and then came back with the hook. And then I added ASAP Ferg and Jeremih. Jeremih, I sent it to him to see how he would like it. And then the day before he was like, ‘you want me to do a verse or two?’ and I said, ‘if you want to.’ I was at the club from 3:30 to 4 and at 4 he sent me a verse and I put it in the next day
Q: How was it like working with ASAP Rocky on Outro?
A: ASAP Rocky, we were in the club and I was like, ‘we are working on a record for my album.’ And he was like, ‘there’s no way I’m not going to be a part of this. Just tell them to get the cameras rolling.’ And the cameras started rolling and we started talking and that’s how we came up with it and I can’t wait until people can hear it.
Q: What song are you most excited for people to hear when your mixtape drops?
A: Every record caters to a different crowd and a different person, so I just have a bunch of favorites, I don’t have one favorite. “Adult Swim” will forever be my baby, I can’t say that there’s one that I really just love. I love all of them, I just can’t pick one out.
Q: Who was the most fun to work with for you?
A: That’s another difficult question. Honestly, Jada, Ferg, and Jim are always fun to work with because that’s my family. I at least talk to them every day if not every other day. They’re always a great time, it is like a regular connection, it’s not like you’re trying. We feel stuff out in the studio; we get to the studio and we are ready.
Q: And what was it like working with Vinylz?
A: Vinylz is my brother; you know what I’m saying?
Q: Can you talk a little bit about the name of the mixtape “The Connect”?
A: The mixtape “The Connect,” I came up with and my manager thought it was hot. I chose that name because that’s what I feel like I am. I am the one who brings artists together that people have never heard of before and I connect different types of styles and beats and people together. So that’s how we came up with that. I really feel like I am the connection between different artists and different types of music.
Q: What do you hope the reaction will be towards your mixtape when it releases?
A: I am trying to be like, ‘alright, you hear this, this is dope. But then you might hear another one and be like I love this.’ Some people might love all the songs but some people might love some more than the rest. What I’m trying to do is that if you don’t like the songs, then when I shoot the visuals you might actually like the song after I shoot the visuals. Sometimes that happens and sometimes that happens to me with music, at first I might hate it or think it is okay but when I see the video I think it’s dope.
