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“Tale Of The Tape,” a groundbreaking documentary, tells the story of the mix tape. Before the digital era ushered in curated playlists and streaming services, DJs reigned supreme as the tastemakers and gatekeepers of hip-hop music. Through their coveted mixes, DJs not only set the rhythm of the streets but also served as the ultimate arbiter of an artist’s prowess and potential. The mixtape, with its raw and unfiltered essence, became a badge of honor for aspiring rappers, signaling their arrival on the scene and paving the way for future success.
Executive producers Malik K Buie, Kim Osorio, and DJ Envy chopped it up with Radio/TV personality Jazmyn Summers for EURweb.
Malik Buie: “I love hip hop. I’ve been documenting the culture and producing for many years. The one common theme between producers and artists was the mix tape. The mix tape helped them start their career and catapult them to success.”
DJ Envy: “The DJ is what creates everything. The DJ is one of the most important things when it comes to hip-hop. But time after time it feels like the.DJ is left off. The film really tells the story of a lost art, and it was the DJ who was the soundtrack. “
The documentary features never-before-seen performance footage of titans such as Kendrick Lamar and J. Cole, wide-ranging interviews with Kid Capri, DJ Clue, and DJ Drama. industry veteran Lenny S, and the legend the late Prodigy, among others.
“The mixtape is almost like you telling people I’m worthy enough for you to be my fan or consumer. And then when you put out your real music, they will support it. The mixtape is crucial” shares J. Cole.
“A mixtape is the rawest way of getting your music out,” Big Sean reveals in the film.
“The mixtape was my graduation into producing.” Swizz Beatz states.
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The film, which Osorio says took 10 years to make, delves into dramatic episodes including the FBI raid of DJ Drama with a swat team strapped with M-16s when he was at the height of his fame as a mixtape king. He had everything taken away. After the raid, he wound up targeted, arrested, and jailed – a martyr for mixtape culture. When Drama found out his arrest was made in conjunction with the RIAA — the same trade organization whose seal appears on the gold and platinum plaques hanging in his offices — it felt deeper than a personal betrayal. It was a betrayal of hip-hop. Drama was charged with a Georgia state law that made it illegal to sell CDs without putting your name and address on them —and they added a RICO charge because they were mass distributing the CDs.
Ultimately, the charges were “dead docketed,” meaning Drama wasn’t prosecuted, but the charges could be reinstated at any time.
Malik Buie: “For them to roll in there with such force as if there was some nefarious crimes being committed. For them to freeze their bank accounts and to take their cars and put holes in the wall of the studio over some mix tapes is really outrageous.”
The film also documents the beef DJ Envy created with Biggie.
DJ Envy: “I got a call about a new Tupac dis record ‘Hit Him Up’. I was. The first DJ to play it, I know Big and Puff was mad, but I was getting my foot in the door and I had it first. . And that’s where it started. Another time I played the reference track ‘Pray for My Downfall’, which was on Biggie’s album. I was trying to make a name for myself but I knew what it would do. Biggie, Puff and and Lil Cease were very upset with me. Thank God we’re cool now, so I’m laughing about it now. But, back then it wasn’t nothing to laugh at.”
Besides the film, DJ Envy’s car shows have become widely popular.
DJ Envy: “Growing up in Queens, the local drug dealers used to have every dope car driving up and down the Ave. Back then, a three-series BMW was like a Rolls Royce. So you just wanted it. When I started making money, I started getting every car I ever wanted. My dad came to me one day and was like, ‘Boy, you gonna go broke messin’ with all these cars? You gotta find the business. So I said, well, I love car shows, but let me make my car show better., I have six kids. Every time I would take my kids to the car show, after 20 minutes, they wanted to leave. So I came up with the idea of an amusement park cars, rides, games, and family fun. And I keep it affordable. We’ve got everybody’s cars from 50 Cent to Cardi B.”
DJ Envy is also open about his married life talking about everything from his wife saying she was faking orgasms to his admitted infidelity.
DJ Envy: “Most people don’t know I met my wife when I was 16 and she was 15. So we’ve been married 23 years, been together 30. So what do you see the jokes, the laughter? She’s not just my wife. She is my best friend.. We’re opening up as people so we can help other people. The infidelity was the most difficult because it’s also embarrassing my wife. It’s hurting the person that you love the most. But I realized it was helping so many different people and so many different relationships because a lot of times people are so embarrassed, they don’t know how to discuss it or talk about it.
A lot of women say if my man ever cheats on me, I’m never going back but we were able to salvage, repair, and gain trust back. It was a long journey and it continues to be a long journey. You’re not just dealing with how your wife is feeling, you’re dealing with the millions of people who are just nosy. You’re dealing with the people that think it’s funny. You’re dealing with the people that just want to hurt you even more. I had to go through that with my kids there too, my mother, my father, and her mother. And it was a lot. But, you know, we were able to get through it and it made our relationship even stronger.”
Envy says ‘Tale of the Tape’ is one of his most important ventures and he encourages people to “hit us in the DMS about it.” Tale of the Tape is streaming now.
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Check out their favorite DJs, getting swag and drip, rims on a Honda, and other stories in the video above.
You can follow Jazmyn Summers on @jaztalk1 on Instagram, and Facebook. And please don’t forget to subscribe to Jazmyn Summers’ YouTube.
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