10 Questions with ... Chubb Rock

BRIEF CAREER SYNOPSIS:

My career, in the hip hop industry, began in 1986 with my first single entitled Rock ‘N” Roll Dude at the tender age of 17. My journey with the music industry manufactured 5 studio albums, four #1 hits, a dozen soundtracks and many music collaborations with music geniuses like Al B. Sure, Barry White, Nas, Quincy Jones and many more! I have been blessed to have received 3 Grammy nominations-winning one, 2 American Music Award nominations, and a Billboard Award for Best Rap Song for Treat Em Right in 1991. In addition to these accolades, I received a Gold album and a Gold single.

1. How did you get your start in radio?

Michael Saunders, the program director of the iHeart New York (then Clear Channel) station, Power 105, wanted a New York on-air personality to do middays or the afternoons. Lisa G, formerly of the Ed Lover and Dr. Dre show recommended me, even though I had no radio experience. It must’ve been this deep, sexy voice that had her caught up! The thought of radio never crossed my mind, but she saw the vision and made the recommendation. Michael Saunders reached out to me, so I came up to the station and did some imaging. It was a great experience and it played for weeks. Michael offered to teach me the Radio intricacies and I was like a sponge, absorbing as much information as I could muster. This began my voyage into broadcasting. I later went on to have success with my weekend show, “Diggin’ In Tha Crates” on WBLS the heritage NY station. That program is now on over 40 stations. Needless to say, it all started with the kindness of Lisa G and Michael Saunders and I will be forever grateful!

2. Could you now tell us about your music beginnings.

Many people aren’t aware of this but music producer extraordinaire, Hitman Howie Tee, is my biological cousin, He was the neighborhood DJ, and he was, as they say, way before his time. It was a natural transition for him to go from DJ to producer, which many DJs often do. He started experimenting with drum machines and keyboards and eventually created his own record “Get Tough” along with his group CD3. After the success of their first record Howie began to take producing music seriously. This led to the collaboration of Howie Tee and the Kangol Kid from the rap group UTFO. Together, they invented the group called Whistle who then produced the smash hit called “Just Buggin.” Howie also joined forces with Dr. Ice from the UTFO crew and simultaneously working on various sounds for Bobby Brown, who was about to embark on a solo career. In the midst of all of this hype, they produced a song for me called, “Rock ‘N’ Roll Dude.” Because of the influence that Howie, DOC and Kangol had with Select Records, I was signed to that label and a star was born.

3. How did your parents feel about you getting into the music business?

Being of Caribbean decent, my parents did not fully understand this new music craze called hip-hop. They just saw their son and he was focused and diligent about making music. They felt my passion and thought it was a positive quest, so they were totally supportive of my endeavors. This support extended not only emotionally and spiritually but also financially as my mom built my first studio in our basement. It was equipped with my first keyboard, reel to reel, and mixing board. This superwoman I call Mom also obtained my first lawyer to handle the contracts and prepare me for the business aspect of this brand-new world. Looking back now, it is amazing to see how two people from Jamaica, who had no idea what rap music was, blindly supported me in securing my future in this new in genre of music. It was the support of my parents that initiated my success and thinking back to their decisions, I realize that the encouragement afforded to me was incredible and totally based on love. Not everyone is this lucky!

4. What do you like about radio?

What I like most about radio is that it is very similar to performing. Whether you are a musician or an actor on Broadway, you have an audience that gives you a B-12 shot of sorts, and that B-12 shot gives you the energy to perform, to inform, to entertain, and to learn. At times it produces the energy to teach and whether your shift is two hours or four hours you get blessed with exchanging energy and views and opinions live every day with souls that you may never meet. There is absolutely no feeling better than that whether I’m on the radio in a market in the morning, afternoon or on the weekend. Right now, through United Stations my daily show is syndicated to over a dozen stations, the Weekend show is on 40 stations, Diggin' In The Crates is now offered in syndication, and so is The Weekend Warriors.

5. Would you share the names of some air personalities you grew up listening to?

I grew up in New York listening to legends like Frankie Crocker, Mr. Magic, Marley Marl, DJ Red Alert, DJ Chuck Chillout, the Awesome 2, the great Vaughn Harper who did the quiet storm and of course the iconic Hal Jackson, just to name a few, because New York has a rich history when it comes to radio and radio jocks.

6. Was it hard to go from interacting in front of a crowd on stage to being behind the mic in a studio with no audience ?

For some it may be different, but to me it feels very much the same. It feels even more intense at times in Radio. Let me explain, on stage you can see your audience, you can hear them yelling, chanting, and singing along with you but you don’t get a chance to converse or have any personal exchange with them. On the other hand, while you’re on the air, you have the opportunity to interact with people. Whether it’s via interviews or the listeners calling in, there is that reciprocity. There is no greater feeling to a radio personality than for he or she to be able to look at their phone and see it lit up like a Christmas tree with listeners calling in to engage in conversation with you! It’s the best feeling ever because it tells you that you have captured your audience and they want to partake in communication with you, there are differences between performing and radio but in my opinion the radio engagement is more immediate and personal especially when you’re in multiple markets experiencing a wide range of opinions all at once.

7. Who have been some of your influencers and mentors?

First and foremost, I would like to mention Si Man Baby. He checks both of those boxes and he is probably the best teacher I have ever had in this industry. His dedication to broadcasting is utterly amazing. There have been times that I felt like I was on a bike with training wheels while he’s holding the banana seat and giving me the confidence to pedal and ride the bike without any help. All while showing me that he is there, just in case I lean too much to the left or to the right. He stands idly by, to keep me from falling, or at times allowing me to fall but controlling the fall so I can learn what not to do the next time and showing me that falling is part of the process of learning how to ride. There’s no wonder why Si was recently inducted into the Georgia Broadcasting Hall Of Fame.

8. How do you describe your style on the air as an air personality?

Every radio jock has a style and it’s probably based on their personality and experiences. My style contains those elements as well but in addition, you have to add psychosis as well as my dire need to find answers to questions that may or may not have an answer. With hit music as the center, I like to invite the listeners into my psychotic world of uncertainty. I like to think that we have fun, and we challenge each other on a daily basis, to go the extra mile to get information and obtain the knowledge that we may never use after the show is over. But the journey was fun.

9. Would you share with us those early days of Hip-Hop in New York?

The early days of hip-hop in New York was electrifying. New York was the epicenter of culture. I could blindfold you and drive you around different neighborhoods and with just your ears listening to the sounds of kids playing hopscotch or double Dutch, the sounds of water gushing out of the fire hydrants or smelling the vast variety of foods being cooked, you could tell what neighborhood you were in. In New York, we had some of the best record stores ever and those vinyl masterpieces influenced the grooves of hip-hop during what I call the golden era of the genre. One could bump into current or even future hip-hop stars on the subway, which we called the iron horse. There were no egos. Artists would use the subway to get to clubs, to get to radio stations and trying to get their songs into the hands of legendary radio DJs of that time. Everything was brand new, making a video was a new phenomenon being and having the ability to perform your songs at Block parties or at the pier was legendary! You worked side jobs to get your money up so you can buy a used drum machine or sampler from “rogue music”. That store was a rite of passage for every hip-hop artist from that era in New York. To this day, there hasn’t been a real documentary about that time and the birthplace of hip-hop and the practitioners of the genre. This is a lost opportunity in my opinion.

10. What’s the best advice you’re ever been given?

My good friend and mentor DJ Red Alert always told me, “never be a part of the show don’t contribute to the shell. Just sit back and watch the show.” His analogy was geared towards negative stories or misinformation, which is something that plagues all informative audio outlets today. Unfortunately, there’s no real regulation when it comes to information. There are no consequences to spreading false information, so you never want to be part of that kind of stuff. It is better to just sit back and watch as it disintegrates on its own.

What are you most proud of?

Besides being proud of my family which comes first, I am proud of what I have not yet accomplished, but I can see my goals and you first have to see your goals before you can achieve them. I am truly proud of those future goals and I know it seems psychotic, but I admitted to that behavior earlier in this questionnaire. Before the curtain closes, I plan on inventing something that broadcasters will use way after I’m gone. At that time, you all can come back to this question and read this answer. Until then, I plan to meet the demand that I’m experiencing from radio stations for a radio show with all of the best qualities of iconic past shows but isn’t cookie cutter and is appropriately woke. 

What do you have planned for the future?

As far as radio is concerned, I plan to be in it until my voice disappears, so I think I’ll be around for a minute. I really think we can become one of the great prolific, informative shows in the Urban radio arena.

Hopefully at some point, God will bless me with ownership of a station or two so that I may give opportunities to new and upcoming broadcasters and maybe even teach what I have learned to young minds so that they may pass the baton onto the next generation of voices.

My future plans, in music, is to release what I call the new genre for an artist from my time, which I’ve dubbed grown and sexy hip-hop or hip-hop for adults. Musically driven great lyrics, catchy hooks. and great dance records, that’s my goal for my music.

When did you become aware that people liked your music?

Upon completion of my second album, the first single from that album was called “Ya Badd Chubbs” and I was still living at home with my mom and sister. I was going to the corner store to get a sandwich and a car drove past me playing my song. Of course, I thought I was imagining things. A few hours later I was going to the park in my neighborhood to play some handball and some guys were in the park with a boom box. My song came on and they were singing the lyrics and it completely blew my mind. I was like, “wow I think they actually like my music!” When you create music, for the most part, you’re making it based on your own taste. Just like a cook is always tasting their creations, the ultimate hope is that someone else is going to enjoy the way you season your dishes. To watch people enjoying your creations has to be the biggest joy an artist can have! Sometimes they don’t even know what they are enjoying but they are driven to it like a Jackson Pollock painting. I would look at his work of art and say, “this looks like paint splattered on a canvas,” but every time you look at it you get a different feeling and interpretation of his art. That’s how I feel when it comes to people liking or interpreting my music. It takes time to understand the intentions of artist. We are ultimately constructing works of art for your attention and critique.