The Movement

Wit-E Beats · **The Movement -** 04-10-2006, 09:25 PM

DarkShadez is Cisco, Dark.Daev.Davinci aka SupaDaev, SteveStylus, Wolf, Mozark.Da.MastaMind, and Eddy Marrero aka Ed-Marz. They are the production team responsible for the Big Pun Latin Album coming soon thru SonyBMG. They are responsible for the Jay Z Latin Album. After getting critical acclaim and countless press on their rendition of Jay Z's Black Album, They are now poised to set the standard in which latin influence and hiphop meet. CorrienteLatina.com had the pleasure of speaking with DarkShadez for a little segment we like to call "Un Minuto Con DarkShadez"

Tell the people a little about Darkshadez

Darkshadez is a movement of a coalition of producers, DJ's, and Writers who have felt the bias against Latinos in Hip Hop from way back when the radio wasn't showing latinos any love. We're the team responsible for the Jay-Z Latin Album which we created to help unite our people and demonstrate the strength of our very own classics and latin legends like Hector Lavoe, Willy Colon, El Gran Combo, Ruben Blades, etc. through our music. We wanted to make our people proud of their culture which at the time in 2003, we felt was being pushed to the side like some form of embarrassment.

Your first claim to fame seems to have been 'The Jay Z - Latin Album' what was the inspiration in doing an album like that?

Definitely Big Pun. But The Jay-Z Latin Album was a daring, serious street statement to Roc-A-Fella Records, who at that time, in '03 when we approached them with the idea of Latin influenced beats, told us "Hip Hop has no Latin market." As the A&R laughed we got upset cause we thought about all the Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z, and Nas albums we've purchased throughout the years and how many other Latinos we knew who did the same. We thought to ourselves how strong supporters of Hip Hop we are but felt like the industry didn't respect us as a people, so we just felt the need to prove to Roc-A-Fella Records that our people DO hold weight in Hip Hop. So when we got our hands on the Black Album acapellas we remixed every song with latin influenced Hip Hop tracks and changed the name from The Black Album to Jay-Z The Latin Album to showcase our rich musical background in our culture and show everybody that we got them classics too. Through this album we united our people in a movement showcasing our legends along with the greatest mc alive, JAY-Z and believe me we tried to reach him but it was hard to get to him. But on June 16th 2004, God answered our prayers and Jay-Z reached out to us and invited us to his 40/40 club and told me he was proud of us...and proud of the Latin Album and our movement.

Is most of your production inspired by the plethora of Latin Music out there?

When we were in the process of recording the jay-z latin album no one was doing anything like that at the time. Our inspiration had always come from the day to day struggles of life and the fight to be respected as a people. But when we dropped that album we definitely felt like we woke everybody up. We definitely know we've inspired our people "the latin market" to embrace their musical culture through hard Hip Hop tracks with latin influences. We also know we played a part in Jay-Z's decision to make Roc-La-Familia. Our influence was strong. And an example of that is how Jay-Z's first signed latin artist AZTEC, released his mixtape cd bearing the same design we had on the Jay-Z Latin Album and not only that but it then became part of the Roc-La-Familia logo. To be honest, we are proud he embraced our creative culture and saw our vision.....although we must remember, before the Latin Album "Rocafella" said Hip Hop had no latin market. You see, our inspiration is not just from all the latin music out there because its deeper than that. Our inspiration comes from the people who revolutionize ALL music like Bob Marley, Jimmy Hendrix, The Doors, Ray Charles, Celia Cruz, La Lupe, Willy Colon, Hector Lavoe, Grandmaster Flash, Eric B & Rakim, Public Enemy, Mr Magic, DJ Red Alert, KRS ONE, The Beanuts, Biggie, Tupac, Jay-Z, Nas, and of course our very own Big Pun. This list we all know could go on and on but basically originality, creativity, our people, life & change is what inspires us to do what we do.

How did The Big Pun Album come about with Darkshadez?

We signed a contract with Sony BMG for "The Big Pun Latin Album." They saw our vision and saw how easily we got rid of 100,000 CDs in just four months in the streets not including downloads and magazine write-ups, etc. We also got in contact with Liza Rios and helped out in anyway we could. We had hoped the album would help her and the kids out even more but the true fact is this album is being stalled for political and financial reasons. In reality, the only party not asking for any financial gain is DARKSHADEZ. Our payment is just the satisfaction of knowing Big Pun will be heard as the VOICE of the LATIN MOVEMENT. This movement is not about Sony, Fat Joe, or Jellybean. This movement is about our people finally having a voice. So regardless of all the issues they're having, we can't allow this movement to be at a halt so we must conquer over this situation. We sacrificed everything and put our entire hearts into this project knowing that not only are we gonna be judged on this album by the music industry but by our people also, and of course by Big Pun. This is not the first time latinos have been pushed to the side for political and financial reasons so knowing that, we had no choice but to save our own money and stack up on cd's totaling 300,000 because this will be the last time latinos will be pushed to the side. Our people will finally have access to a political, commercial and industry free album with no strings attached. This album will be the album for the people and believe us we're taking Hip Hop back to the streets.This revolution will break the lock the industry has on the latin market and we will show them through this album its not about them, its about our people and the movement. They can control the TV's, use up their whole budgets for payola to the radio stations, they can blackball every corner in the industry but the streets will never be owned! The streets will never sell its soul!... We are true living witnesses to that. We know!............. The support of our very own is all we need. Again, this is not about Sony BMG, Fat Joe, or Jellybean, this is a story of where we come from, who we are, and where we're headed as Latinos. And for all those who want to know who is Darkshadez???? We are just a couple of Industry free, musically talented producers with a vision.....THIS IS the satisfaction that will fill our souls because this album is FOR the people BY the people and OF the people!

What's in the works for DarkShadez now? Do you have a certain artist you are trying to push? And are you looking for more? If you are, how can people get a hold of you guys?

Our main objective is giving 100% to this movement although we do have an artist by the name of Mozark who has paid his dues along this historical journey with the Latin album. He is a latin lyrical monster. What we are looking for right now is your support... The support of every college, underground, and internet radio station, clubs and mixtape DJ's, magazines, barbershops, tattoo shops, bodegas, mechanic shops, and everybody on every corner of every block to everybody on the internet and of course all my peoples on myspace .....Together we can make a strong statement.

You can contact us via:

myspace:
www.myspace.com/darkshadezproductions
www.myspace.com/darkshadez

or email:
DarkshadezMusic@aol.com
Darkshadez.Music@gmail.com
Darkshadez@aol.com

Any final words for the Fam online?

Sure...We MUST support companies like CorrienteLatina.com we MUST support our very own. We need to put aside our jealousy and our selfish needs. We need to unite to move as one... I know every single one of you understands what we're talking about... we feel the bias against us in every angle...in the music industry, in the media, and even in our very own government. THIS IS THE TIME TO RISE - THIS IS THE TIME TO UNITE - THIS IS THE TIME TO WALK TOGETHER AGAINST ALL OBSTACLES IN THIS MOVEMENT..........YOUR MOVEMENT!