High Water Music

Lazy Jay: So Suce, where were you born?  

Sucio Smash: Manhattan NYC (L.E.S.)

Lazy Jay: Do you come from a big family?  

Sucio Smash: At least 100 cousins. LOL! My immediate family is
small though.

Lazy Jay: We know you’re Puerto Rican because you’ve mentioned it
on the show before. What part of P.R. are you and/or you’re family from?

Sucio Smash: I was raised in the beautiful town of Camuy, Puerto Rico
and my family is from there. If you look on the map it’s on the northwest
side of the island.

Lazy Jay: How did you get into music?

Sucio Smash: I was always surrounded by music. My moms was always
playing vinyl, so was my dad, he was the 8Track master lol. 

Lazy Jay: Do you play any instruments?

Sucio Smash: That’s one thing I regret, I never picked up an instrument
and learned it. My dad used to play congas at home and I would play a bit.
Also I had a piano when I was real young but never really mastered it.
I will though.

Lazy Jay: What made you get into djaying?

Sucio Smash: From a young age I was always drawn to records and
turntables so that was always something that intrigued me and I wanted
to do, also I would say Grandmaster DST and Terminator X. Seeing DST
on “Rock It” was like WHOA! And X, maaaan! THAT right there was the
definitive moment I said I HAVE to do this NOW. I loved his whole demeanor
as far as “I don’t speak I just rock”. It killed me to find out the real story
behind the cuts but then again it was like “soooo another boricua was
behind the classics”

(Dj Johny Juice did the cuts for P.E.’s first few albums not Terminator X).

Lazy Jay: How old were you when you first started djaying?

Sucio Smash: I actually started Djing kinda late. 

Lazy Jay: What was the first set of turntables you ever owned?

Sucio Smash: Technics 1200s. Like I said started late so those were the
1st ones I bought.

Lazy Jay: What was the first record you ever bought?

Sucio Smash: Shoot, with my own money? No idea. I have a terrible memory. 

Lazy Jay: Did you make your own mix tapes for sale?

Sucio Smash: Never have. Actually that’s a lie, I did make one “tape”
on CD when we first started the Squeeze Radio show but that’s it. I
always say I am going to make a tape and never get around to it. I put
together a Salsa mix that I gave away for FREE online like 2 years ago
but other than that nothing. 

I used to make tapes for my friends in the 90’s but those were like
compilations from other tapes and such, I was always the “dj” without tables. 

Lazy Jay: You mentioned once on the show you used to be an intern.
Where and who did you intern for?

Sucio Smash: I used to intern for Bobbito on the radio show and basically
worked my way to listening to records and picking songs with him to play
on the show and all that. I did that until he retired.

Lazy Jay: How did you get the gig with WKCR?

Sucio Smash: After Bob left the show to finish his book “Where Did You
get Those?” I held down the show with my partner Timm See for a few
months then Bob came back and officially announced his retirement.
After that Lord Sear held down the show for a few months but things
didn’t really work out so I ended up holding it down officially. 

Lazy Jay: Who was the first artist you had on the show?

Sucio Smash: Dj Mighty Mi and Tame One I believe were our first guests.
I was soooo trying to get Tame and EL in the studio at the same time,
hopefully I get to make that happen one day.

Lazy Jay: Who was your favorite guest on the show?

Sucio Smash: Waaay too many to choose. But I can say that one of my
favorite ones was Ali Shaheed Muhamed from Tribe. The fact that I am
SUCH a Tribe fan had me hyped but the icing on the cake was seeing
how humble he is. I still can’t believe how incredibly humble that brother is,
even years after the show he shows me maaad love, I got nothing but
love
for that brother.

Also Bobbito coming back as a guest to promote his book was quite
possibly the most surreal moment ever. It was like officially the torch
was passed live on the air in front of thousands of people.

Damn another one was having Ralph McDaniels and Fab 5 Freddy on
the show at the same time for the 1st time EVER. Never before that
moment had anyone interviewed them at the same time, shoot thinking
about it now I have no idea how I made that happen,
damn this memory of mines!

Lazy Jay: What artist would you like to have on the show that’s never
been on before?

Sucio Smash: Hmmm. I don’t know I always wanted to have
Large Professor come through and he came by a few months ago.
It would DEF have to be my favorite MC of ALL times Slick Rick.
Yup! Rick it is. 

Lazy Jay: What made you start up High Water Music?

Sucio Smash: Seeing how these labels don’t like to get their hands
dirty. It seems like all these labels that have some sort of notoriety
are afraid of starting with the artists from scratch and the formula is
to grab artists from the past and capitalize on their remaining fanbase.
I understand the risk of working with the new artists and the reward of
dealing with known names but at the same time I also understand that
things change and you have to let the new TALENTED kids represent.
Nothing but respect to all labels that are still repping though.

Also it kills me to see cats that are not even familiar with the scene or
Hip Hop for that matter on positions of power at record labels, radio
stations, etc.. All they do is wait until the artists become popular and
jump on their bandwagon. 

So yeah with that said discovering artists that are popular today 4-5
years before they became popular and realizing that that A&R job at
a label was never going to happen made me take matters in my own
hands and now I am making it happen and showing them it can be done.

Lazy Jay: What are your top 5 favorite records? Top 5 mc’s?

Hip Hop? 5 Records that I love (not top 5) 

Sucio Smash:

1. Slick Rick – Runaway
2. Queen Latifah – Latifah Had It Up To Here
3. A Tribe Called Quest – Butter
4. Big Daddy Kane – Ain’t No Half Stepping
5. De La Soul – Eye Know  

SOME of MY favorite Mc’s

1. Slick Rick
2. Big L
3. Big Pun
4. Big Daddy Kane
5. Pharoahe Monch

Lazy Jay: Who would you like to work with most?

Sucio Smash: Hmmmm. I would love to A&R/Executive produce a Nas,
Eminem or Pharoahe album.

Lazy Jay: Where do you see yourself in 10 yrs?

Sucio Smash: Married with 2 or 3 kids still involved with Hip Hop in
some way.. By then I hope to have made history as far as showing
everyone that it can be done. Can be done meaning doing it because
you really have love for the art and you believe in the artists and the audience. 

Lazy Jay: If you weren’t djaying, what would you be doing?

Sucio Smash: Djing at home! LOL. Playing music at home going to
shows and being a super fan.

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