For the first ever Culture Universal interview we travelled into the depths of Singapore, South East Asia to meet up with DJ Rattle (Singapore DMC Champion from 2004 & 2005/Semi-Finalist from DMC World Supremacy from 2004) to discuss about the current state of things in Singapore regarding hip-hop music and culture and also to find out about what needs to be done to put Singapore on the hip-hop map. Without further mumbling let's kick off the show.

Culture Universal Interview Vol. 1 DJ Rattle.


Jesse : Please give us a brief introduction of yourself and what you do.

Rattle : My name is Dinesh Tapa, I'm 26 years old, working in a shop, been DJing for about 6 years now. My style of DJing would be ; hip-hop and um... battling also. Besides that I play old school stuff and funk.


Jesse : So how did you first pick up DJing? How did you came to the decision like hey i want to be a professional DJ?

Rattle : When I was back in secondary school I used to be a huge hip-hop head. You know like listening to old school hip-hop and new school hip-hop, like underground stuff. So eventually I came upon the facts like oh there's 4 elements in hip-hop culture...so, breaking I can't break because of my size. Graffiti I can't do it, cos I can't even draw a straight line. Emceeing, well I wasn't really good with my writing in English or whatever. So DJing, I felt was the only thing I could do because I knew a lot of songs from a lot of genres of music. So, like when I used to listen to my songs on the CD player, I always hated to skip the songs. I want my songs to go one after another, so this is how i picked it up, and started learning about the art of DJing. My elder brother's friends are also DJs so I tried to learn DJing from them but they didn't want to teach me cos I was still like a young boy so they didn't want to waste their time on me. So, I managed to get a hold of a video tape, this tape called Vestex DJ school. From there, it took off. So that's how I started to DJ.


Jesse : So how did Dinesh become DJ Rattle? Do you have any stories of how you got your artist name?

Rattle : Ah shit...how did I get this name... Actually it was during a battle, no it was during the night before the battle when i got my name. Because I wasn't really worried about anything except my set because that was my first battling set ever. One of my friends gave me the name, my friend said so why don't you call yourself DJ Rattlebone I said what the hell?? He said because your hands are so fast...I told him make it short to DJ Rattle. From there i've been stuck with the name.

Jesse : So you didn't have any other names before that?

Rattle : No man, because it was so last minute that I had to use the name DJ Rattle.

Jesse : So when you were first starting out, did you have some fellow DJs that had an impact on how you figured out hip-hop?

Rattle : Of course my man Andrew Chow, he's the man who's helped me out a lot with my DJing. He passed me a lot of valuable information like how to be a good DJ, stuff about the tracks, about the techniques of DJing, he taught me a lot. And few of my other buddies like DJ Ritz, Milk, DJ Dream, they are all local boys from Singapore. Mostly the local boys inspire me a lot and the videos of DJs i've seen from Japan , US, France and even from the UK.


Jesse : Let's go back in time to the days of being a hip-hop head and before your career as a DJ. Do you have any memories on what was the first album or albums you ever bought?

Rattle : I think it should be EPMD - Strictly Business. That's my first one, it was on a cassette. Yep that's the shit. (laughter) Then followed by De La Soul and stuff.

Jesse : When did you purchase your first turntables?

Rattle : Oh shit my first tables, maybe 6 years ago. That's when I started, 6-7 years ago in like 1998 - 1999.


Jesse : What do you think are your favourite albums of all times that you're still playing today?

Rattle : Shit there's too many to mention man... maybe if I got to list out one, it should be the "Jb's - Pass the Peas" Yea I think that's my favourite album.


Jesse : How would you describe your daily life being a DJ here in Singapore ?

Rattle : Basically at night time I got a place that I'm playing at you know I got my own regular night at club Onyx. Besides like playing in a club, I go check out my other fellow DJ friends, they're playing in other clubs so i go there to like exchange ideas and stuff. Then during the day, I gotta work at the shop but on my off days I will go out, like go and dig some records you know like 2 nd hand stores cos there's a few in Singapore . Nothing much that's about it, hanging out with my friends cos I'm pretty much dependant on my friends cos most of the time I spend out of the house.

Jesse : What are some of the struggles and dilemmas you go through being a DJ in Singapore?

Rattle : I would say practising, especially when you're DJing in Asia, you don't have much inspiration, you just get to do it with your homeboys, and sometimes its pretty hard also when your homeboys look up to you, and you know you have to come up with something new every time. So, it's pretty difficult especially when it comes to style. Styles keep changing every year, every day, every month, especially for turntablism. So it's pretty hard for us to develop new styles. By the time we develop a new style it's outdated already when you look at the rest of the world. So, that is one of the struggles we come across. Then practically buying vinyls also, it's one of the struggles. Politics, fuck it. I don't care...I don't care much about the DJ politics or the music industry politics. Cos I got a group of friends and we all are tight. We look out for one another. So that's it.


Jesse : How important you think the DJs are for today's hip-hop culture?

Rattle : I think DJing... you don't see much DJs in a group right now or with an mc, you don't see much of that anymore. Like back in the days we got like Public Enemy with Terminator X, LL Cool J with Cut Creator, Will Smith with Jazzy Jeff. See you don't get much DJs nowadayas who are doing it with mcs or in a hip-hop group, only maybe like Dilated Peoples with DJ Babu, he's still keeping it real. Hip-hop DJs right now I think are mostly concentrating on clubs, it's where we contribute a lot. Not say by playing jiggy stuff or whatever but I think in a club we help by pushing hip-hop a lot.

Jesse : Talking about DJs everywhere in the world, who do you look up to in the international scenes?

Rattle : Whoa, there's a lot. Like for me my DJing I break down, for scratching I look up to people like Ricky Rucker, Toadstyle, D-Styles definitely, definitely Q-Bert. Akakabe definitely one of my biggest inspirations for juggling, and for like the whole technical set thing, DJs like Noise, you know these old school DJs, they know how to program their sets. So like different DJs inspire me in different ways so I can have a lot of styles in me. It's not like just looking up to one DJ and I will start biting his style and lets say if I look up to Akakabe, I don't want to be the next Akakabe because there only can be one Akakabe. So that's why I have different kind of styles from each DJ to develop a new style in me.


Jesse : If you could choose one guy to battle with who would it be?

Rattle : Shit! Holy shit choose one guy to battle with...

Jesse : Yea anyone just at this moment who would it be?

Rattle : I would maybe choose...Roc Raider?

Jesse : Why is that?

Rattle : Why is that? Hmm...I don't know. I think he's one DJ that was ahead of his time. Like the way we juggle, we can juggle it in the normal way, but he can add a body trick in it, and will make a fool out of you. So, that is one DJ that I would want to battle with. But definitely I will get my ass kicked but its all fun.

Jesse : What's your favourite aspect of being a DJ? What do you enjoy the most?

Rattle : Definitely meeting new people. I get to meet all kinds of people in the clubs, it's not about famous people coming up to you and saying hey what's up rattle no, its not about that. I get to meet new people, new friends, get new contacts, and definitely for a DJ of cos playing the music man. I like playing the music, nothing else. It's for the looove. (laughter)


Jesse : Do you have any words to describe your own style when you're battling someone?

Rattle : My own style?...

Jesse : Yea what sets you apart from others so to speak?

Rattle : My style of battling is being happy. I don't know if anyone saw the videos or not but i will always smile in a battle. So I have developed that style since day one when I started battling cos everyone always asks me like "Dinesh you look so calm from outside you know smiling and stuff", but if you guys come and see me closely you will see my hands all over the place trembling. That is one way to keep me calm...to have a bit of stage presence, you know I hate DJs who only concentrate on the deck and they don't even know what the fuck is going on out there. You got to interact with the crowd a bit man. Not like picking up the mic and start rapping with the song no man. That's not my style. But at least interact with the crowd, smile. So its happy style, that's my style. (laughter)


Jesse : One day if we are ever going to hear you as part of a group or making productions for a solo album what kind of music or styles would you like to represent? What kind of styles do you want to bring on the table in the future?

Rattle : What kind of styles? Um...its pretty early to say man because I'm not into production yet but for time being right now maybe like bringing back the old school style a bit. I think that flavour has been gone for a while. Like no one is bringing back the old school stuff, so I would love to bring back the old school style. Like start back again from 1, then going back to the new school again...so in that way, hip-hop doesn't die man. Still keeping it alive. Keep it real son! (laughter)

Jesse : Let's go into the essence of DJ'ing for a while. How much do you get to practise daily/weekly?

Rattle : At my work I got decks, so I practise during work time also. And back at home, normally, if I'm not spinning or not hanging out with my friends, like in the day, maybe I practise from 1 til 4 or 1 til 5 in the morning. So basically in the day I practise about 6 hours 7 hours plus minus in the shop. That's my daily practise.

Jesse : What kind of equipment do you use at home when you're working on your sets?

Rattle : At home? Shit man...I'm using a PDX 2000 and an O-7. But I don't want to tell u like the whole list of what I have. Then I would be like showing off what I have at home.

Jesse : What's your opinion in general on the turntablist scene in the world right now? Like is there some negative and positive sides to being a turntable DJ?

Rattle : I don't go out much from Asia but the scene in Asia is pretty much growing. Besides Japan is like way out of hand, way ahead of time. But for the scene like in Singapore , Malaysia , Thailand , Indonesia ...like for Singapore , we have battles every month man. Compared to the rest of them, they don't even have battles or some of them they have like battles once a year. So I would say the rest of the countries are still growing compared to Singapore , Singapore at least we keeping it alive. But definitely there are more turntablists over there, in other countries like Thailand , Indonesia and stuff. Cos the country is big. For us, it's a small island so we don't have much turntablists but all the tablists here still trying to keep it alive, trying not to go off track. I think I answered a whole new question (laughter) doesn't go along with what u asked man.


Jesse : In the future, which is more important for you, to be living to make the music, or making music for a living.

Rattle : It definitely going to be a passion not a job.

Jesse : So its more important to you that you're making something respectable and don't go and do something for the moneys sake.

Rattle : Yea, but of cos im doing it right now (laughter) but just to get my necessities, make ends meet. Cos that's the only shit I get to play, I can't be like waiting to play underground party or funk or old school. I cant be waiting for that.

Jesse : Tell us briefly what hip-hop means to you. What is the whole idea of it and the essence...

Rattle : What's hip-hop to me? I think hip-hop to me, besides the culture, of cos knowing about the 4 elements and stuff. But for me hip-hop, keeps me happy man. Keeps me young also definitely, the clothes make me look young (laughter) Yea I would say hip-hop makes me happy. When I listen to it, I get happy. Like in the day in the shop I'm listening to hip-hop, after work definitely I will be listening like 4 hours of hip-hop non stop. Back at home then I will listen to other genres of music. But definitely this is what I feel. Hip-hop makes me happy.

Jesse : What do you think are some of the key things that all the mass media or mainstream or whatever people are not paying attention to? What are people forgetting when they put out their music or when they promote it?

Rattle : What are they always forgetting? umm...I would say...shit this is a bit hard man.


Jesse : Like what do promoters and average people need to remember when they start putting a word out for hip-hop?

Rattle : Definitely it all started with all this jiggy shit, all the bling bling and your girls and the cars which is what has all been publicised to a point where it has become what hip-hop is to some people. But the real thing is all about the music man. The lyrics, the content inside, a bit of bboying, a bit of graffiti and definitely a DJ inside there. That is what promoters always forget, when they think of hip-hop they think its all girls, bling bling and an emcee, wearing a lot of gold chains around their neck, and money flying around. So they forget about the culture, the real culture of hip-hop.

Jesse : To me it seems like b-boying is getting separated a bit...

Rattle : Yea b-boying getting separated and graffiti artists too definitely. I think out of the 4 elements, graffiti artists is like the most underground, of the underground (laughter)

Jesse : Yea its like a lot of people who are doing graffiti or even b-boying they don't even actually know anymore about their culture they just know about their own thing...

Rattle : Yea forgetting that all these 4 elements make a culture.

Jesse : What's the biggest mistake someone can do when they start calling themselves DJ or Emcees?

Rattle : For emceeing, I think choking on the mic is bad. You know the basic of an emcee you got to freestyle anything man. I hate those battling emcees ‘fuck yo momma' or what momma, it's not about that man. I know that makes the crowd go wild, but a real emcee, he can rap about anything man he can rap about a t-shirt, he can rap about a cap, can rap about a shoe. And that is part of freestyling. So for emcee, if he wants to call himself an emcee, he has to have this basic thing called freestyling. And as for DJing, if you don't know how to mix, don't ever try to get on the turntables. Count your bars, know your basic bars, know your bpm, then only start going on the turntables, if not don't go call yourself a DJ.


Jesse : When you go out there and play at clubs or parties, do you consider that you have some goals or feelings that you want to pass on to the people?

Rattle : Definitely when I play at a party or club, my slogan is always make the people happy man. As long as they still want me to play hiphop I play jiggy stuff man. And of course not pop, not pop music, definitely I play jiggy stuff, try to slot in some old school so that I can pass a message to them you know this is where hip-hop started. Hip-hop is just growing in Asia so it's pretty hard for people like us just to throw in music and you know like ‘this is hip-hop' it's pretty hard for us. Just too bad that we are more ahead of the times than all the people here we so gotta suffer a bit now for the time being but later it will pay off. I hope.

Jesse : Do you have a dream crowd that you would like to play for?

Rattle : Definitely I have a dream crowd man.

Jesse : What kind of people would be coming to your dream show?

Rattle : People that knows shit from as early as the early 70s to the late 95 kind of crowd. That kind of tracks where I drop like old school...like when I drop like ‘Don't believe the hype', the crowd goes wild, it's just like dropping a Beyonce track, ‘Crazy in love' everyone goes 'aaaah crazy in love!' (laughter) I want that same feeling like when I drop ‘Don't believe the hype' everyone goes 'aaahh', that's the dream crowd that I want man. Shaking the ass off to not-jiggy music. (laughter)


Jesse : How about all the feelings that you are going through on the stage? What is the thing that keeps you happy behind the boards even when you have to play stuff you don't like?

Rattle : Definitely there's a few tracks that I don't like to play. But you see the reaction of the people when you throw these tracks, you see them dancing and jumping around, as a DJ for me, that's enough for me man. That really makes me happy...I can't drop a track and you know clear the floor. It wouldn't be good for me or the club or the people who are paying to see me play. But definitely you got to give and take with the crowd. A good DJ would know how to react to the crowd. In a way, reading the crowds mind by throwing correct kind of music in. A bad DJ only wants to listen to his kind of sound and make sure that everybody wants to listen to it. No man, it's just the correct time you got to drop the song at the correct time. So that people can remember the song.

Jesse : How would you rate the audience and fans here in Singapore ?

Rattle : During my nights I would rate like 8. During international nights like Jazzy Jeff or whoever I would definitely rate 10/10 man. Cos these guys, when they come and play, the Singaporean crowd react a bit to some old school stuff and new school shit no need to even say it. Motherfuckers will jump up and down.

Jesse : So what's the current state of things here? What's the overall scene like at the moment? When looking at all the elements of hip-hop.

Rattle : B-boying is a bit dead in Singapore . Because of the stupid dance thing that's going on. Like ‘You got served' and ‘Honey', its killing the whole damn shit of b-boying. It's killing the art of b-boying. I don't know now faggots started to dance to hip-hop music. So I feel bad for the b-boy scene. Last time the b-boy scene was so damn strong. Even DJs when we were playing people will go for a fucking recess break. You know when the DJ was doing the showcase everybody will go for toilet break or smoke break. But right now it's a bit opposite. DJs get more attention but for the b-boys, because of this dance thing is coming in. So called ‘street dance' ... of course inspired by movies like ‘Honey' and fucking ‘You got served' so it's killing a bit. For the graffiti I support my own Singapore scene man. I love the graffiti artists in Singapore . I support them all the way, definitely. So the scene in Singapore I can say is pretty young, so for the time being i cant say much things about the Singapore scene.

Jesse : So it's not possible to say like, what do you think in the future will be the strength and weakness in Singapore hip-hop scene? What could be the strong points? What will set Singapore apart from other countries?

Rattle : I would say DJs, our DJs are pretty well known. Besides me definitely Andrew Chow is also known all over Asia and stuff. Emcees, we got the Malaysian emcees who are much better than Singapore emcees. Definitely I still love my Singapore emcees but I gotta be fair. Malaysians emcees are definitely better. B-Boys, a bit here and there. Graffiti artists definitely I hope people would at least recognise the graffiti artists in Singapore man because they are really really good. Besides the Japanese I think our artists are the second best at least.


Jesse : What are the good things that people can draw from the society to build the hip-hop roots here in the future years? Those kind of roots where you can say like its feels like "Singaporean hip-hop" like when you go to Japan they have their own specific sound and lyrics. What do you think are the good and bad things that people could face when they draw influence from society from the culture here. What is like the strong point, where can people get the inspiration to talk about their own culture and stuff.

Rattle : Pretty hard man, cos Singapore is still small. Nothing is growing here man. Emcees are still doing covers man, 50 cent covers. From there you can see how really Singapore has just started. Yea we got our own local emcees but they don't even make it on the local airplay. So it's that bad. And of course for Singapore , our country, normally our own music won't be recognised. It's been like that for years. That's why if you want to get a job as a DJ or as a musical talent, its never in Singapore. Because our own talent is not recognised here. We've been spoiled by overseas artists and stuff.

Jesse : So what would you like to see here in 5 years?

Rattle : Definitely a real hip-hop culture. I don't care it can be in a group of 100 or 50, but all these people are keeping it real. Like nothing from MTV, I'm getting pretty sick and tired of it. like I want a bit of the old school to come back man. I think its time for the old school to come back to let people know where hip-hop actually started. The world only knows that hip-hop was started like when? During 2000 or something?


Jesse : Yea Puff Daddy...

Rattle : Puff Daddy made money out of Biggie's death man.

Jesse : Yea like some people actually think that Will Smith only started rapping when he changed to his own name.

Rattle : Fuck!

Jesse : They don't know about Fresh Prince...there's a lot of people like that.

Rattle : Jazzy Jeff is known as a block party DJ and Fresh Prince used to come and hype for Jazzy Jeff and that is how they met man. And you see what kind of party they met? In a block party man. So that is how old school they are.

Jesse : What's your take on how hip-hop landed to Singapore ?

Rattle : Definitely through the MTV, that's how hip-hop started to come to Singapore . That's the only way man... In a mass way.

Jesse : So there's no other influences like movies or something..

Rattle : No man, music videos.

Jesse : When was that?

Rattle : Shit, 7, 8 years ago.

Jesse : Has there been any releases that anyone here in Singapore can be proud of? Any albums?

Rattle : No man, I'm sorry man no. Sad to say, but no. (laughter)

Jesse : Is there any groups that contributed to the growth...

Rattle : Of cos there's these small small groups but they come and go man. They come and go. That's why I feel sometimes hip-hop to them is just a fad. The next thing they will do is maybe go into surfing, you know, go into being a skinhead. That's our local shit man, or being into a gangster. not like a hiphop thug, but like a real gangster you know. That is so asian man. that is how we grow up over here. So much different than other countries. Its damn typical man.


Jesse : Do you think it's a problem here that there is no language that people can call their own?

Rattle : Language like what? Malay?

Jesse: Like there's no Singaporean language all the languages come from elsewhere. Do you think it's a problem to all the people like for an example a lot of people if they want to rap in English they go for this American accent.

Rattle : Yea kids over here man. Basically the hip-hop scene here is all been fascinated with kids. So you know these kids man, some of them will stay, some will go. Yea some of the emcees I know like Triple Noize, shit what other emcees man...something else....even I'm not proud of Triple Noize, sad to say that. But seriously we have a big problem over here man.

Jesse: Do you think it's like an identity problem?

Rattle : Yea I think so a bit of identity problem. Because some of them try to go with the American accent or some of them try to have Jay z style or 50 cent style in them. Maybe because these guys haven't been in the scene for long man and think that hip-hop is just about rap for an example, so that's why they are pretty much not educated in a way. Hip-hop is all about originality man. If you have your own style, that's when you're cultured.


Jesse: Do you think some people might actually be scared about sounding local or rapping in Chinese or Malay?

Rattle : Yea definitely the kids over here get scared. Because our local stuff is not being appreciated here. So that's why they try to sound like American so that they can be in the scene, they can get an album, they can get a cut or something. But these kids they don't realise if you have your own style, people from the other side of the world want to listen to your shit and they will find it unique. So, I've been trying to tell these people but they don't get what im trying to say. So fuck them. (laughter)

Jesse: Do you think it's the media's fault?

Rattle : I would not say it's the media's fault about not having your own style, not being Asian or not being Singaporean which is individually up to them. But those people who don't know about hip-hop, I feel that they're the biggest problem. Like for example, I'm having a store over here. A guy comes in with casual clothes and says I want to dress hip-hop, what can you get for me? Then he says where's the bling bling man, where's the chains? That kind of media has kind of brainwashed the masses that hip-hop is about the bling bling. ‘Do you think I should wear my cap in front or sideways' I think that's another problem. So yea I think the media has also affected the hip-hop scene here.

Jesse: Do you think it's also a problem that people have not paid their dues so they are afraid to experiment?

Rattle : Maybe, maybe these guys feel like they haven't paid their dues yet, but talking about paying dues, these kids over here...some of the emcees...ok you see like the problem we have over here is the DJs are all matured a bit cos they are all aged from 22 to like...40 and above. But the emcees you don't see an old emcee, they are all like 16, 14, 15, 18, so um...if I talk I would talk from a DJ point of view because most of the DJs in Singapore they know their shit man. But if I talk from an emcee point of view, it will be totally different man cos it's all kids. So how you want me to explain? In a DJ point? Cos from just now I've been talking from an emcee point of view not a DJ point of view. I'm talking like overall you know...like I tell you we DJs we know our shit over here man. All of us know our shit. It takes a bit of maturity to go into DJing. If we see a young DJ we will be like oooh shaking his hand and stuff cos we'll be happy to see a young DJ. It's hard to see a young DJ, you can see a young b-boy or a young emcee, but its very hard to see a young DJ or young graffiti artist, its very very rare. Cos it takes a bit of intellect to do all this. So how you want me to explain?

Jesse: I think that's a good answer already. Do you have any comments or advice you can only see America as the only standard or innovator in hip-hop today?

Rattle : Definitely I got to give my respect to Americans for starting this whole shit in New York but definitely I would say the Japanese in a way they are taking it to another stage man. But people are just not realizing. Or people are just being sceptical like just sticking into that era. Hip-hop is always moving ahead of time, definitely when we are talking about DJing, Japanese DJs are way ahead of time from these American DJs. Emceeing, I don't know much about Japanese emcees because I don't know what the fuck they are saying but I know their production is crazy man, they got good productions. As for the other elements like b-boys or graffiti artists, they have a world standard. Like for Europe they also have good hip-hop man. It's just the world that doesn't realise it when they only look up to Americans. Cos I think the Americans are just catering to the commercialised side... not much to the underground side.

Jesse: Hip-hop is so big when you can do so many things but people are only concentrating on the commercialised side not bringing any new elements or anything.

Rattle: Correct.


Jesse: What do you think needs to change in Singapore or SE Asian countries for all these different countries to be able build the roots and build the real culture, what do you think needs to be the major changes that these countries have to go through. What needs to change in the scenes?

Rattle: Maybe bringing in more real hip-hop groups in like get these people to talk to them. Or let's say bringing in 50 cent and telling 50 cent to tell these people my shit is bullshit (laughter) Maybe our radio airplays, change a bit of tracks, change a bit of the listing, at least have a day of old school hip-hop or underground hip-hop. MTV needs to change definitely. Definitely you need to show the people more underground music videos, maybe putting a bit of old school hip-hop.

Helen : Or at least selling better CDs at HMV...

Rattle: Yea getting CDs in, getting acts also. Bringing in old school acts will actually help them a bit, letting them know hip-hop is actually supposed to be this way.

Jesse : Do you have any advice for the future DJs and MCs in Singapore?

Rattle : I got no advice for the emcees cos I cant mc for shit, maybe for the DJs...practise is always in the book man, its always part of DJing so cant be advising practise. Just do what your heart feels, do what you think is right. Not knowing if its right but you can learn the mistakes from there. But always try to be original man. Not biting to be like someone and of cos keeping it real definitely.

Jesse : What projects do you have going on now?

Rattle : There's not much going on now, only my club shows, like nothing much big is coming up. Nothing much man.

Jesse : How about in the future what are you planning to do in the near future

Rattle : Like maybe spread the art of djing more, doing a bit more workshops all around schools or something trying to get kids influenced into djing, do something more productive than just hanging out in the streets.

Jesse : Do you have goals that you would like to accomplish in your career, if you could achieve something what would make you happy?

Rattle : I'm really happy with where I am right now, getting to the world finals at DMC and stuff. That is one of the biggest achievements actually I didn't even think of being a world finalist or a semi finalist in supremacy and stuff... for the time being I don't have many goals. Maybe just spreading the art of DJing more in Asia . Maybe in that way the hip-hop scene will be more cultured by having more DJs like me and my friends spreading the word around that hip-hop is actually supposed to be like that. Having more old school funk parties and stuff, whether it works or not who gives a fuck, but having more parties like that till one day it reaches to the masses. That is one of my goals.

Jesse : You got any dreams collaborations or dream projects that you would like to do someday with someone?

Rattle : Maybe I would like to play with Cash Money one day cos I always looked up to him. Or jamming with Q-Bert. Maybe, maybe, its just my dream. For me I'm not greedy so I don't know. I always have this low esteem thing man, that's why all my friends always fuck me up. Like the supremacies I didn't fucking prepare actually so I came back to Singapore and all my friends were like you see you should have prepared and you could have been in the finals. I realized now actually that in Singapore we got our standard. Fuck it man its already been done, cant undo things. How I regret it, just fuck it man.

Jesse : Overall how was the whole DMC experience like?

Rattle : Good man it was fun, met a lot of people. Met my god Q-Bert. Had fun, its all about fun in DJing. it's not about being with the DJs...

Jesse : How was the response like?

Rattle : People were like Singapore ? China ? You're from China ? I said no, Singapore is an island. So people were pretty surprised, they thought Singapore had a lot of DJs but no man, just a handful. In that way I was pretty proud of myself. At least Singapore is known... at least when you think of Singapore you think oh DJ Rattle the fat dude, at least they know me in that way.

Jesse : How's the skill level there?

Rattle : I think in the whole battling scene the standard is dropping a lot, so there's a bit of a problem right now. Like DJ's cutting up their own vinyl, doing up their own battle breaks. So I think that's a bit bullshit but I hope its just going to die off, as just a fad. So no more of DJs buying 2 battle breaks and try to manipulate with the battle breaks. But now its all about arranging all your samples, what you like, and the DJs started doing it, small kind of a gimmick.

Jesse : Did you have any favourites of your own at the DMC, who do you think was the best of the show?

Rattle : I think DJ Izo was good man, from Japan, I think he's mad... I felt bad because I didn't do shit but I could make it to the semi finals and he didn't just because the pathway he had was much more difficult with better DJs and I had much easier DJs so to speak. And this 8 year old kid DJ Yeah. Fucking blew my mind man. Definitely few years down the road the golden turntables are for him. 8 years old and he can do crazy shit and he was jamming with Q-Bert! 8 year old kid, DJ Yeah...very cute. And he was juggling and the way he put the vinyl he had to use 2 hands to put the records inside, super cute.

Jesse: What's your goal for the next DMCs?

Rattle : Maybe like joining the Singapore DMC one more time. I Don't care if I win or lose but if I win, then I'll definitely try to be in the world finals again. That's all man, maybe meeting good DJs over there who can inspire me. But i don't need to get the first or second place it's more about just getting to meet good people around. That's what I want to see.

Jesse: is there anything you would like to improve for the DMC event? The whole event how they arrange it and stuff?

Rattle : I think its just nice.

Jesse: No complaints?

Rattle : There is but I don't want to say it man...cos its pretty bad. you're putting me into shit if I say it (laughter)


Jesse: What's some of the craziest or funniest things that has happened to you while you've been a DJ?

Rattle : No man, not really crazy experience but the worst request song, I had a crazy request song, Wind of change by Scorpions, what the fuck man! In a hip-hop party?? (laughter) That is the worst I had, Britney Spears and all is ok because the crowd don't know its not hip-hop and all but fucking wind of change, I cannot fucking take it (laughter) and its Scorpions come on. Maybe you should put that, what's your worst request you ever had. All the DJs will definitely love it, all DJs have experienced something like that.

Jesse: What are some of the highlights of your career so far?

Rattle : Doing a set with this Taiwanese MC called Machi...opening for A-Trax and Kid Koala. And I did a small showcase in a Missy Elliot show here also.

Jesse: What's the biggest and the smallest crowd you ever had the chance to play for?

Rattle : Smallest is 0, biggest is 1000+ maybe 1000...no maybe about 800. Not 1000.


Jesse: Do you have any artists outside of the states that you have been supporting or listening to?

Rattle : Shit... right now I would say maybe M.I.A. the Sri Lankan girl. She's good, a bit dancehall-ish but nice. She has her own unique sound different from US dancehall. What else, yea Muro, Some Canadian DJs...What's that fuckers name...

Jesse: Dopey?

Rattle : No fuck Dopey, he's bullshit man. What's that guy from the Funky Technician...shit...forgot. Ok one Canadian DJ. (laughter) And DJ Kentaro. That's it.

Jesse: Since this is the first interview on our trip we thought of starting a new interview tradition which in short means that you can ask something or anything from the next person that we will be meeting during our time in Asia. You get 3 - 5 questions without knowing who we will give the questions to!

Rattle : Anything hip-hop related?...

01. Name me his/her 5 all time favourite hip-hop songs...
02. What is his/her favourite brand of shoes?...
03. If his/her house was on fire, and he/she has only 5 vinyls to save, which 5 vinyls would he/she save from the fire?...

Jesse: Last but not least it's time for shoutouts.

Rattle : Big shout out to my Singaporean DJs like Andrew Chow, Ritz, Milk, Dream, Lovers, Rough, Rizal K, and my boy DJ William. For international artists I would say big up to DJ Hangar, Akakabe, DJ Yasa, Izo, and Blakey for UK, Tiger Style, Dash Trick from Canada, which other fucking donkeys I met...i think that's all man.


Questions & Interview by : Jesse
Photographer : Helen
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