We here at Relax and Take Notes feel it’s important we spread the word on local acts that we feel are really doing big things. One of the local artists Tim and I have been really impressed with is DJ Emoh Betta. We first saw Emoh at an EPMD show thrown by the amazing Leedz Edutainment. Now I don’t mean this in a bad way at all but it’s hard to miss Mr. Betta. The first things you'll notice are the Pro Vegan stickers adorning his gear and his large gauged ears (a look I happen to sport myself). Then of course the next thing you notice is the fact that this dude has serious skills. After seeing him again at an amazing MURS show (put on by Leedz of course) we decided this was someone we needed to find out more about and get in contact with. With little searching you'll find DJ Emoh's name everywhere, this Dude has worked and worked with a billion other sick projects. We'll I contacted DJ Emoh Betta and he was cool enough to answer a few question for Relax and Take Notes. So here we have the first of what I hope are many interesting interviews.
-Ricky
What inspired you to start DJ'ing?
Rap/Hip-Hop has always been my favorite music since I was a kid, I'm 31 so I have been a fan for years, Run-DMC's first album was the first music cassette I ever owned and I think I was about 6 years old and my fathers friend gave it to me. My dad then bought me a new rap tape every week, so, I thank my father for getting me into hip-hop. He loved Run-DMC, Fat Boys, LL, and the last group he liked was House of Pain, haha. Anyway, I’ve always loved the DJ's on everything I heard, like, Jam Master Jay, Cut Creator, Premo, Mr. Mixx, Jazzy Jeff, Joe Cooley, and Richie Rich. There are so many DJ's to name but it wasn't till like '97 when i bought "Stylus Wars", "Hotsauce In The Dickhole", and "Underarms R Fun" by Invisbl Skratch Piklz and there where warnings on the cassettes saying "buyer beware: nothing but pure scratching!!" I also bought all the Turntable TV vhs tapes too. Hearing/watching those and the big rise of turntablism at that time (ISP,Beat Junkies, X-Men, 5th Platoon, Allies, Scratch Perverts, etc.) got me into Hip-Hop again full-time as i was deeply involved in Punk/Hardcore through high school friends. Hip-hop wasn't as great to me after '96 so I wasn't paying full attention to it. I still listened to it, but i thank Punk/Hardcore for opening my mind and expanding my musical taste. I think I started DJ'ing around late '98 and bought a vestax mixer and 1200's because they were the standard among turntables and being a scratch dj is what i wanted to do. At the time I had more punk records than hip-hop because all of my early rap stuff was on cassette besides a few classics. Indie Hip-Hop at the time was big so I bought doubles of some stuff and kept buying battle records, as well as visiting thrift shops and record stores and buying whatever I could find. I have lots of junk records among the gems.
Who are some of the artist that helped shape the DJ you are now?
As far as DJ'ing goes, I would say my biggest influence is D-Styles. His live shows, cuts, and beats are incredible and he has the raw/dirty sound I love. All of my inspiration comes from D, Ricci Rucker, Q-bert, Prime Cuts, Rob Swift, Mike Boo, Excess, and again there are so many dope dj's to name. Gunkhole, Ned Hoddings, and ISP are my all-time favorite groups/crews. The first crew i was in (Fader Fraggles) with Evaredy and Rick Flares, helped shaped me because we would practice together and push each other and we all started around the same time. I think all of the people i work with push me and helped shape me as a DJ. Filling in for World Champ DJ Shiftee as Awkward Landing's part-time DJ played a big role, and also working with Leedz Edutainment, and meeting other DJs through shows and networking. Joining the Deck Demons was an honor, E-ness and Slipwax are the illest muthafuckers on the cut and they inspire me every time we get down. Also all the mc's and groups i work with play a big role.
Who were some of the people that helped you get started playing out locally?
Before I moved to Boston i spent the first 25 years of my life in Lawrence, MA. The Merrimack Valley was where everyone i worked with was from. We used to set up little shows at Bull Moose Music and we would meet people who would get us other spots and then play house shows. At the time my friends and I were in a group called Invisible Men, and we had a side project called Soular Winds. Two of the mc's in Soular Winds were great friends and very close with Leedz of Leedz Edutainment. When Leedz decided it was time to start playing in Boston he threw his first "rap show" at All Asia in Cambridge and we were all on the bill. Since then Leedz has been promoting and booking shows non-stop and he has helped me out a lot. He was the biggest hand in all of it. Over time other people came into booking shows for me and my groups as well.
What’s the origin of your DJ name?
This is the question I have always been asked and this is the official written answer and I will forward people over to your blog when asked again. :)
When I was going to Punk/Hardcore shows i was into a lot of the "emo" stuff. Back then it wasn't a bad thing, it wasn't on TV, the radio, in malls, it was unknown. It was a type of hardcore/indie/punk music and there were many sug-genres like melodic hardcore, screamo, post-hardcore, indierock. I listened to the real shit like Owltian Mia, Indian Summer, Portraits of Past, and course Mineral, SDRE, Embrace, Still Life, etc. Those who listened know what i mean. A lot of my friends were into the tougher stuff and youth crew stuff like judge, floorpunch, bold, in my eyes, YOT, Cro-mags. I loved that too but everyone in the scene, called me "Emo Dan". People i didn’t know would say "you're Emo Dan right??" and the name stuck with me. When i started DJing, regardless of what name i chose people would still refer to me as "EMO". I was DJ Emo for a while and then emo music just blew up and i wasn't an "emo" kid. When i moved to Boston my mother did not want to live in Lawrence anymore and wanted to move back home to the reserve in Canada and i agreed it would be better for her with family up there. When she sold the house it was like i lost a huge part of my life. I lived in the same house for 25 years and it held a lot of memories. This is why i added the "h" to the name every knew me by. Emoh is Home backwards. So people could still call me Emoh, but the spelling means more. Al-Jay of Blak Madeen used to call me "MO as in Mo' Betta. It is because of him having a new name for me every set we did that my DJ name is Emoh Betta. There are countless flyers with my name spelled differently with aliases such as Emoh, DJ Emo, Emoh Betta, Emo Danza, Emodanzaextravaganza. But I prefer DJ Emoh Betta.
What kind of equipment are you rocking at shows lately?
It varies depending on the type of set, the length of a set and who it is with. Normally I use two Technic 1200's, Shure needles, and my Rane 56. I own a Vestax 05 with an Innofader as well but i keep it at home because it hums and makes noises. If it is a quick set I'll use One 1200, my mixer and my laptop with Serato. Dj'ing a whole show I'll use two 1200's. I often bring an SP-404 to shows as well because it is a dope portable sampler with crazy effects. Other than that i have a DR-202, MPC2000xl, and a loop pedal at home but rarely use them at shows. Someday perhaps.
Now I know you lend your DJ skills to a lot of different projects, what are some of the group projects you’re excited about working on right now?
I'm involved with a lot of different projects and artists right now. partyboobytrap's "Entrapment" is still new to me and i think people need to hear it, it's a beautiful album and it is out now on Fameless Fam. The Scribblenauts' (H.W., Redlist, and I) debut album "Low Light Turbulence" is finished and we should be releasing that soon on Delusional Records. Time Crisis (newest addition to Fameless Fam) has an album featuring us (partyboobytrap) all over it and that is almost complete. It will be the first official CD put out by Fameless Fam, as all of our other releases have been digital and free. Left Over Wine's second album is almost complete and should be done in the fall of this year. You can download our first album on my site as well as many other releases by other people. Blak Madeen's "Sacred Defense" has been getting good reviews and both, Yusuf and Al-Jay, are releasing solo albums on Leedz Edutainment this month. H.W. has a solo album, "Wall Papered Exit Wounds" and a joint album with Recaall, "When In Rome, Burn The City", and we are finishing those up. I just finished recording the cuts for C-Rayz Walz's new album "Feel Me" and it's coming in the near future. Ira Lee & Riddlore? have an album dropping this winter and I will be doing all of the cuts on that. Ira Lee is my best internet pen pal in the world. I am currently in the process of making a mixtape for Milled Pavement Records and I have officially been added to the Milled Pavement roster. I will be working on a mixtape for my homie Brzowski too. Lastly, for now, Falside and I will be releasing another "Meet' N Veggies" EP with a little more time put into it. We did the last one in an afternoon and rushed it, but people still love it, so we are cool with it.
What are some of the local acts you feel people should check out and support?
Deck Demons, Fameless Fam (partyboobytrap, Time Crisis, EJ3 Robot, Papa Bakes) The Scribblenauts, Left Over Wine, Scroll, FRKSE, Blak Madeen, Moshe, Falside and the rest of Poorly Drawn People, Brzowski, Madness2012, Outwrite, Defcon, Rite Hook, Amadeus The Stampede, Slaine, Big City, Sandbag, Jots One, Loud Neighbors, Recaall, 90sevan, DJ Shortrock, Human Speakers, DJ Evaredy, Beat Pervert, The Locksmiths, Mike Clouds, Moe Pope, Masstapeace, Will C, and of course Ceschi.. So many people doing their thing from Maine to CT.
I was a big fan of 2004's "Poor Me" is there any chance we'll see some more solo type Emoh in the near future?
Yes. There will be more. I will also be dropping an album and it will feature my favorite mc's.
Going to show as of late in Boston I’ve noticed such a difference in styles of hip-hop from show to show. What do you think it is about Boston that breeds such a diverse scene?
There are so many sub-genres in every type of music and with that comes the diversity. It's not only in Boston but everywhere. I am involved with every type of rapper in Boston and have DJ'ed many shows. Honestly I think the scene needs more unity, but it's hard when everyone wants to do their own thing or thinks they are better than the next dude. There is a bunch of garbage out there too. Rubbish. Being a college city there is going to be tons of different types of people with different approaches to music. Usually when shows are booked with Leedz, he kind of groups the shows with people with a sound that caters to the audience. Nerd rappers would be threatened at a "street" rap show. I honestly like playing non-hiphop shows because people are more receptive and aren't tired of hearing 5 dudes on stage grabbing there nutsacks yelling at the same time while the vocals are playing on the track. I'm not sure if i answered the question. Ha.
You can only listen to 3 hip hop CDs for the rest of your life, what are they?
That's tough. I'll name 6.
De La Soul "De La Soul Is Dead"
D-Styles "Phantazmagorea"
Kurious "A Constipated Monkey"
Gravediggaz "6 Feet Deep"
Third Sight "Symbionese Liberation Album"
AndrRomak "Beauty Is But Skin Deep"
What’s the last song on your IPod or that was on your car stereo?
Ira Lee - "Colour"
You got 5 acts; put together your dream hip-hop show.
Roughneck Jihad, Ceschi, MF Grimm, Ira Lee, and Posdnuos.
Hosted by Epic.
DJ'ed by Gunkhole (D-Styles, The Ruck, Mike Boo, and Ace)
Emoh on the guest list.
Which immortal wins in a fight? The Highlander or Flava Flav?
I don't know who or what the Highlander is, but Egg Shen would destroy both of them and Chuck D would be rapping Flav's lyrics to "I Can't Do Nuttin' For Ya Man"
Thanks again to Emoh for taking the time to do this interview! Be sure to check out the sites!
http://www.djemoh.com/
http://www.famelessfam.com/
http://www.milledpavement.com/
http://www.delusionalrecords.com/
Contact Ricky @ tnrblog@yahoo.com
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