Interview with Kid Hum (Denver / Hawaii)

B-Money & Kid Hum // Radio 1190 // 2008


Through many heated debates over many years, sometimes agreeing, but mostly disagreeing, I found out one thing about this Kid Hum character – He breathes hip hop. Sadly, Kid Hum has found new residence in Hawaii, but he’s still rooted here in Colorado, as he’s constantly dropping new projects and beats everywhere. Read on – he’ll tell you why 50 Cent is better than your favorite rapper…. Not to mention two EXCLUSIVE tracks. I mean, truly exclusive, you’ve heard it here… first! Big ups to Kid Hum for the interview!

Miss Rachel: For the purpose of any of our audience members that may not know you, state your claim! Who are you, what do you do, and why do you do it?

Kid Hum: My name is Kid Hum. I make beats first and foremost. Rap music is where I belong.


Miss Rachel: I've heard you rap before, many times, usually after a long session post-Basementalism. Do you have any intention on hanging up your producer hat & grabbing the mic?

Kid Hum: I only like to write rhymes to other people’s beats. The only time I write rhymes is when people give me beats. I feel what Pete Rock said about "making beats being the easy part, and writing rhymes being a difficult process.” I pride myself on being half-way decent off the top of the head, and I like to freestyle a lot. To tell you the truth I am so blessed to be working with so many high caliber rappers right now that I really am not trying to rap as much as I am trying to produce for these guys.


Miss Rachel: When you're in the process of making a beat, you typically don't think, "Damn, I could write to this...?"

Kid Hum : I freestyle while I make beats, but not even with real words, you know what I mean? Just kind of messing with rhyme patterns in an effort to make sure what I am putting down on the MPC is proper for a rapper to let loose over. I used to be real opinionated, but these days I try to let go of my beliefs and just live. That makes it hard to write rhymes, because I am not all about "preaching." I don't really believe in a lot of what people say.


Miss Rachel: You? Opinionated? No way. You mentioned working with high caliber rappers... We have two exclusive tracks from you with Mike Wird out of Boulder and Cy Young from Raleigh, North Carolina. Who else have you worked with?

Kid Hum: Here is the chronological Kid Hum production catalog. I produced the song that 3 The Hardway (A.V.I.U.S., ES-Nine, Cysko Rokwel – House of Waxx) performs at the beginning of their live show 95% of the time. I produced a couple songs for St.Nick and the Boombox Saints (House of Waxx). I produced The Suicide Watch EP with rappers Whygee and Sunken State. Right now, I am working with Joulz Il out of Dallas, Mike Wird out of Boulder, Cy Yung, Sunken State, Whygee, 1865, the Brown Bag All Stars, Junclassic of the Monster Island Czars, Offly Nice, and all sorts of cats.


Miss Rachel: Monster Island Czars is a name I haven't heard of for a minute. Being from Colorado, and now residing in Hawaii, how were you able to connect with people all over the map?

Kid Hum: I owe that all to my man Khal who operates a website called Rock the Dub (www.rockthedub.com). I sent him Fossil Fuel and he recommended doing a remix album, basically a bunch of his favorite MC's going in over the beats on Fossil Fuel (which is an instrumental album). He sent the beats out to a bunch of cats like Junclassic, Joulz IL, Cy Yung, Brown Bag All Stars, and more. That album is still top secret though. Coming Soon... But like my man Cy Yung, a lot of these cats hit me up like, "Send us some more beats," and now I am producing a whole Mixtape/EP with Cy Yung, "SOBEIT" (estd. Release – March 2009). All the official news is gonna be found at ROCKTHEDUB.COM first and foremost. I guess officially the word is out that the album is called "Offshore Drilling." A snippet of the track from Joulz Il is on Rock The Dub too.


Miss Rachel: What's the symbolism between the beats on Fossil Fuel as well as Off shore Drilling?

Kid Hum: Basically, I was putting the album together and I wanted to use this sample from the movie Adaptation, where dude is talking about collecting old fossils and how "the fossils were the only thing that made since to him in this fucked up world." Then, I thought about the whole "digging" concept, and how records could be "fossils", and how the beats were refining the fossils into "Fuel.” So "Fossil Fuel" is just another word for BEATS. Offshore Drilling was Khal's idea. Shouts to my homie JP at Plus Design who blessed me with the cover art for "Fossil Fuel".


Miss Rachel: With the advance of the internet, do you see people digging for records in the next 20 years? Will the fine art of digging be lost?

Kid Hum: I can't see that happening as long as me, B-Money, and Es-Nine are still alive and kicking. I'll never stop sampling old records. I can't get into digging for MP3's, at all, it isn’t happening. On another note, I think Hip Hop Wax is R.I.P. because of Serato. I say that because I had a direct hand in it. I don't buy Hip Hop albums on wax anymore. I am just one person who followed the trend. In 2004, even Underground acts with no clout and little experience were putting wax on the shelves of stores like Bart's CD Cellar (Boulder). Hip hop wax was alive and kicking in 2004, and everyone I know was still collecting and record shopping real hard. We all talked shit about Serato. Not any more...


Miss Rachel: I remember that, for sure... everyone hating on the Serato dj and now they've all become Serato djs.

Kid Hum: Like I said, being that I only dig for hip hop on MP3 now, and mix on Serato, I don't blame any DJ for contributing to the death of hip hop wax. I did it because it made 100% sense. All of the best DJ's have already switched. The only cats I know who still collect are young cats who are just getting started, which is mad cool. Props to them.


Miss Rachel: Keeping this in mind - where do you see technology and music headed to in the future?
Kid Hum (2:59:02 PM): I like where it is. I am not a visionary really. To me... Technics 1200's were one standard that was set in like 1990? And it’s still the standard. Same with the MPC. So to me the Rane 57 and Serato is one of those monumental "standards", it’s new right now, but I don't think anything really needs to come along and take its place anytime soon. It’s that good. It could be a standard for 10-15 years now. Someone like DJ Lazy Eyez for instance - he has always told me about changing trends in technology way before they happen. He would be a better person to ask about that. He was the first person I knew who had Serato. He and Low Key I think. DJ Destro had Final Scratch before anybody I know was mixing MP3's. And he was killing it on Final Scratch.


Miss Rachel: While we're talking about equipment, I’m sure all of our geeky producers (all love, guys) would like to know what you’re using.

Kid Hum: Currently, I am away from my 1200's. So I use a portable turntable, a Vestax Handy Trax. I sample old records into an MPC 1000, and I do everything in the MPC. Simple as shit.


Miss Rachel: What would I find in Kid Hum’s rotation?

Kid Hum: Its Funny. Most of my favorite music comes from Atlanta or Texas. Lately, Chamillionaire - "Mixtape Messiah 6", Jaydiohead (Jay-Z mixed with Radiohead), Z-Ro - Crack, the new 50 Cent, Unreleased Kid Hum, 1865, and then back to Z-Ro. My favorite underground hip hop is Life Crew/House of Waxx and Kid Hum. Period. Ichiban, Deca, Maneline, The Pirate Signal, 3 The Hardway - these cats deserve to be headlining the show they open for 95% of the time. And the out of towners aren't cutting it.


Miss Rachel: Why do you think that is?

Kid Hum: I think people label themselves "underground" and that becomes a gimmick and then a target market. It’s funny because both the fans AND the artists are operating from a position of TEEN ANGST, which is something you grow out of, for better. Myself and the cats I mentioned are music lovers and being music lovers, I think they are on that "either its listenable, or its not" you know? I don't give a fuck about a genre, Obama was the first person I have heard a in a long time who gave a definition for Hip Hop that made any sense.


Miss Rachel: I'm anxious to hear your definition of what "underground" hip hop is.

Kid Hum: Underground to me is Sunken State, Ichiban, Deca, Yonnas. They are at the top of their game; they are worth millions in talent. They are not as well known as a Jay-Z or a Kanye. But they all have varying degrees of exposure. But there is this whole other "underground", which is a GIMMICK, and these artists get a ton of love by default by playing off of the hate that teenagers have because of angst. "Oh you hate Lil Wayne? You will love us because we are "real hip hop" or "underground"! I think some rappers are more politician than musician.


Miss Rachel: Why is that?

Kid Hum: They appeal to listeners who judge hip hop based on what they are told or what they read about it and not by what they hear with their own ears. It’s political. If a kid does not like Jay-Z or Young Jeezy or 50 Cent because they are 'mainstream,' I usually feel like they aren't listening to the music you know? They don't judge the artist by their music; they judge them by their image or their album sales. It follows that they judge the "underground" artist on the same merits. Their "anti-mainstream" image reels the in the same kids who reject Jay-Z because of his "mainstream image." It ends up having little to do with the actual music, which is all I care about. I mean, I produce hip hop music, I love hip hop music, and hip hop music is the truth in world to me. My perspective is to always be positive. 2008 was the best year for hip hop, but I expect 2009 to be even better. It’s funny to me that people whose whole entire lives revolve around hip hop would not share the same point of view. You have to have the utmost faith in hip hop and maintain a strictly positive attitude towards it.


Miss Rachel: I think a lot of people who start to listen to "underground" hip hop find some sort of thing that makes them different from John Doe who only listens to radio type music. It turns into an elitist thing on that end.

Kid Hum: Exactly. There is no place for politics in hip hop. All these political thinkers want to be down. The real heads are all about what? That feeling. Nodding your head. Snapping your neck. Breakin'. The Music. That is all. Obama never spoke to me until he said "American Gangster" and "I Love hip hop!” and meant it! I don’t understand 20 year old kids from Boulder that hate hip hop, but think they are the biggest fans on Earth, and meanwhile the President is bumpin Kanye! After I saw that video, I officially support Obama. He wasn't like, "hip hop is five elements, hip hop is real lyricism, not that bling bling." All I care about is hip hop. I stopped reading and watching the news years ago. Life is a blessing until it becomes a tragedy you know? We are all bound to suffer and die. So I am really trying to make every day fun and have a party. I am all about FUN, I don't take shit seriously but having a good time and listening to good music. I guess the only time I get mad or serious is when somebody fakes the funk and brings politics into my zone.


Miss Rachel: Well said. What can we expect from Kid Hum in 2009? Give some shout out love to anyone you need to.

Kid Hum: I am trying to produce as many songs as possible for Sunken State. Hopefully some stuff with Ichiban. "SOBEIT" with Cyrano aka Cy Yung is going to be off the hook. People should check out the Fossil Fuel Music Myspace and check out all the feedback I have been getting on my last two releases. Also, shout out to Costandup.com, just.one, Miss Rachel, my peoples DJ BMoney, Whygee, Sunk, the whole House of Waxx Recordings Fam, the whole Basementalism Fam, Khal at Rock The Dub. 1865. Cameron of It’s An Infinite Cycle, DJ Chonz, The Colorado Rap Report, and Q Salazar. Too many people to shout out! Seriously, I would urge anybody who loves music to keep an ear out for me in the next few months, check the myspace, and stay tuned for a lot of classic rap music produced by Kid Hum from CO!