Please welcome Rich Medina, a D.J. , a poet, music producer and an amazing music collector.
Q: Can you recall a record
store/digging spot that has closed down and you lament? What was your best
score there?
Q: What was your first record
album? How did you get it? At what age? Can you describe that feeling and do
you still have it in your collection?
A: Believe it or not, the first
record I bought with “my own money” was a copy of the KISS “Alive” Concert LP.
I bought it at Crazy Eddie’s in Eatontown NJ, after making some chore money. It
was 1980, and I was growing more and more into rock and roll, aside from
actively participating in the complete spectrum of hip-hop culture. KISS had
THE ILLEST costumes to me at the time, next to PARLIAMENT FUNKADELIC, like Rock
& Roll Super Villains with the make up and all that! I remember vividly,
that record made me feel like I knew something that other kids didn’t know, probably
because family members who had a taste for rock music didn’t surround me.
Q: What prompted you to start
collecting? What age did you start? Was there a specific time or event in your
life where you recall transitioning from just a lover of music to a collector
of music as well?
A: I come from a family of
“collectors”, though their reasons were far different than mine when I started.
My parent’s parents migrated north from Alabama and the Kentucky/Ohio border
near the turn of the century, via The Underground Railroad. With that, their
need to keep and care for things they considered valuable stemmed from not
truly having anything to call their own prior to migrating north. Being privy
to many an adult discussion on the topic at a young age, it was natural for me
to want to keep things I considered valuable, so that I could enjoy them for
years to come. I really appreciate this gift from my family, because it taught
me to care for my belongings and investments on a higher level now, as a man. I
think I became a “collector” prior to leaving home for college. Basketball and
academics had taken over my world at that point, but I was still busy DJing and
buying records weekly. Having to step back from DJing and focus on passing
classes and playing Division 1 hoops actually drew me much closer to my true
passion, which I soon came to realize was chasing down music, and playing it for
as many people as possible, as often as possible. College, basketball, and a
real job were all interruptions to what I’ve come to believe I was born to do.
My man Chris from Groove
Merchant in San Francisco put me on to this record a few years back when I was
shopping there. I was already in the hole about 500 beans when he showed me
this one, but realizing how sincerely rare it is. I had to drop another coupla
stacks on the table and leave with this one, with my tail tucked, but man oh man, the amount of truly
funky and nasty basslines on this Gospel banger
should be deemed criminal. Drums and rhythm section everywhere, and in a
completely different, almost secular demeanor than I’ve ever heard before on a
Gospel LP.
Q: Why vinyl?
A: Vinyl is the origin of
my personal love for music, aside from 8 track tape, my grandparent’s church,
piano lessons, and 70’s radio. I was simply born during a time where these were
the primary consumer mediums for music, so I really don’t know any better. I am
not so much of a purist that I have bad thoughts or words for other mediums
though. I think I went through that phase when the iPod hit the marketplace for
like a year. Then, I found myself purchasing one and strolling the streets with
3,00 songs in this little machine. I found the merit in technology then for
sure. But beyond that, the sonic quality of the vinyl format is so warm and
full when compared to all digital mediums it’s ridiculous. There is no
reputable argument for that point. Storage space is not the baseline issue when
discussing the collection of music. The music and your relationship with that music
is the baseline issue. Records in abundance on any level, or in any format,
will get in your way if you are not intimate with them. I just come from the
school that says until you’ve experienced the sonic depth of vinyl on a regular
basis, even if just at home alone, you are shortchanging yourself of the main
attraction at the musical circus.
Carl Holmes “Investigation No. 1 LP” was a
treat that was passed my way by my man DJ Train aka Ari Saxe one day while
attempting to buy him out of all of his funk and jazz joints. Super funky and
aggressive B Boy demeanor in the rhythm section on this LP, from front to back.
A real sleeper.
Q: Presently, are you focusing
on any specific genre in your collection? Are there other factors you consider
when buying records? Producer? Pressing years? Particular album cover artist?
A: I go after records whenever I
have the bread to spend on them, plain and simple. Whatever I’m on the hunt
for, I like to take my time and get as personal as possible with the shop and
the joints I choose to listen to while I’m there. Sometimes relationships and
conversations will bring you more bounty in your digging than just winging it
and being a know it all. I gravitate toward different producers, vocalists,
labels, genres, songs or LPs for different reasons, depending on things like;
“Where am I playing next? What have I heard recently that inspired me to go
find it for myself? What label is the new joint that so and so just did that
banging remix on? Do they have a section that represents a weakness in my
stash? What’s on the walls in here? What store would have copies? Is this a
limited edition? I’ve been looking for this for years. etc.”
All of these things come into
play for me when buying records, each and every time. I try my best to remain
open to what I don’t know, in order for my strengths to remain sharp, and to
also be consistently filling holes in the areas of my collection that are not
as strong as I would like them to be. As I’ve gotten older, I’ve grown more peculiar
about what I may or may not buy, based on what my needs are, upcoming gigs, and
money more than ever since my son was born.
Q: Do you have a run of a label
or artist in your collection where you are either working on or have completed
collecting an entire catalogue of output?
A: I have the entire Black Jazz
Records Catalogue, all of the Fela Kuti catalogue, Michael Jackson & The Jackson
5, Earth Wind and Fire, Stevie Wonder, Miles Davis, Biggie, Jay Z, Tribe Called
Quest, The Roots, Redman, James Brown, Rawkus, Kindred Spirits, Soundway,
Strut, Femi Kuti, Joe Clausell, Blaze, Harold Melvin and The Blue Notes, Gary
Bartz, The Ultimate Beats and Breaks Series, and I am close to completing my Cobblestone
and Impulse Jazz catalogues as well.
Black Jazz Madness. One of my favorites is Henry Franklin
Q: How do you organize your
collection?
A: I’ve always tended to
arrange my music by genre fundamentally. Within each genre I tend to break
things up by LP/EP, compilation, bootleg, 12”, and import. If it’s shelved, I
love it. If it’s not shelved, it’s either new and unfamiliar, fresh off
rotation, or in consideration of being liquidated. Well, those are the rules
anyway. None of us active DJs have perfect looking stashes, or alphabetical,
numerical, and astrological arrangement styles. When you are really using your
records, it’s difficult to maintain that level of constant organization.
Q: Tell me a useful record
storage / shelving tip.
A: I would say never over
pack your records into soft carrying cases, because you will undoubtedly wreck
sleeves and often bust edges off your vinyl as well. Buy the thick and clear
library grade plastic sleeves too, to store your records in at home. They are
expensive, but totally worth it for preserving the cosmetic and sonic integrity
of your stash. I wish I knew this years ago because I learned the hard way over
time that you will ALWAYS end up with some kind of damage to your sleeves, your
bag, or even worse, your records, without protecting them in as many ways as
possible. I got MAD valuable records with beat up sleeves and dings in the wax
because it took me so long to get my head around being consistent in protecting
my tools. As a collector, you can easily decrease the equity of your stash by
having beat up wax. As a DJ, the record you disrespect in storage will soon
embarrass you in front of a dance-floor.
Q: What do you look for in a
record?
A: Honesty.
Alton & Hortense Ellis “Studio 1
Sessions” LP, full of that Alton Ellis magic, most notably Hortense’s version
of “People Make The World Go Around”, such a deep and funky tune to begin with,
and then the ragga twist on it is BONG! My man Gene Brown put me up on this
when I told him I was trying to get my reggae weight up.
Q: What is your partners'
reaction to your vinyl obsession? Is there a spot dedicated to your partner in
your collection?
A: We met over music, and
it’s really that simple for us. My lady was a burgeoning club kid and a dance
class hound before we met. When we met, she began working with me, handling the
administrative duties of keeping me booked and busy. I was also completing my
first full length LP at the time, so she came into my world while I was in a
period being VERY busy, and going through an accelerated period of creative
growth. With that, time passed, she became a wonderful manager of my business
affairs, we grew personally closer, developed a very real and loving
relationship, and had our beautiful son Kamaal Nasir. My lady has been extremely
supportive, and she has actually been an enabler to my habit. The only other
person in the world who supports me more vigilantly is my mother. My Baby Maker
45s are dedicated to my lady, as evidenced by the lil yellow dude you met at my
house. meow.
Some people reading this may
have been conceived to the joints in this box. Good for you buddy! Kinda creepy
to think “did my moms get pregnant with me when this song was hot?” Never mind,
I be buggin’ out sometimes.
Practice sessions at home are so much more interesting
with a two year old who loves music. I seriously learn from him, even in the
simplicity of his curiosities.
Q: I see your son Kamaal (A.K.A.
Mini-me) roaming free in your studio, holding your records, doing a few
scratching moves on the turntables, moving them around. It's pretty obvious you
are proud to pass your knowledge and love for vinyl to him. can you tell me
more about your relationship? your wishes for him regarding music?
A: Kamaal Nasir is my first-born
son. With that, he is my greatest accomplishment, and I love him more than I've
ever loved anything in life. He has access to my tools because my tools are a
part of me, my workspace is in our home, and those tools also pay our bills and
feed our family. In order to create the potential for him to respect my
business, and possibly want to follow in my footsteps, I have to make his
access to my tools and lifestyle easy for him to participate in. On a larger
and possibly more selfish scale, he is allowed to roam free in my workspace because
I work a great deal, and sometimes in order for me to spend the type of time we
need together when I am not on the road, we are in the studio together. I want
him to see the utilities, hear the music, be inquisitive about the interfaces,
to hear the sessions, bang on the keyboards and turntables, and hopefully grow
into his own knowledge and desire to feed his own family with money he earns in
the arts. But honestly, if he wanted to be something else, I'd spoil him
regardless. My objective with him in that regard is to show him that you can
make money doing something you really love, and it won't seem like work in the
end. I just want him to look at achievement with an open mind. I have a fun
job, and I can only hope that rubs off on him.
Q: Do you buy him records? Does
he have a favorite?
A:
Yeah. He's got a gang of records
already. He digs a lot of different things at the moment, but his favorite in
the moment is just about any rap record played at 45RPM. There's something
about the Kanye West/Chimpunk voice thing makes him go ape-shit…hahaha.
I aint even gonna say nothin’. Stop snitchin’. The source for these would cut me off if he saw his name in print.
My sister bought me this for my 8th birthday I believe. I have played that joint so many times it should be criminal. The Batman joint too. Had that shit forever! Both of these I've had since my childhood that I plan to pass on to my son. I finished the apple though haha.
Q: How often do you get out
digging for records these days? Do you find yourself doing more digital digging
on eBay or do you still hit the fleas and basements of people’s houses? Or do
you have a vinyl connection where someone is doing the dirty work and selling
you choice pieces?
A: I’m always digging man,
almost daily. One of the beautiful things about modern technology is that you
can dig in far away places without having to buy a plane ticket AND the damn
records you want. I still of course go to warehouses known and unknown,
basements, shops, estate sales, and whatever else I have the time and bread
for, just like any other record freak out there. So yeah, it doesn’t turn off even
when you’re broke. It’s like any other addiction, the DJ’s addictions just so
happen to make everyone feel good when shared at the right time, you know?
There are tons of incredible shops, dealers, labels and retailers who have
taken advantage of the ability to post stock online and sell more product than
if they relied solely a shop for foot traffic. I’ve copped some of my favorite
pieces online. I’ve also tripped over nuggets on accident just waltzing into a
store I’d never seen. We record hounds all have dealers and such that will turn
us on to things we need or don’t know. Some of us just won’t share those
resources.
Q: Do you have a philosophy or
routine when you enter a store with tons of vinyl for sale?
A: I always try to think
of records I need that may possibly be there, first of all. Records I’ve been
on the lookout for, records people have recommended to me after hearing me
play, records the store buyer may recommend should they “know” me. I guess
filling holes always comes before anything else when I see a large stash of
records. There’s something fulfilling about walking away from a long digging
session with missing pieces to catalogs, or genres. In those situations, it is
more often than not about used or classic records rather than the newest thing
on the shelves for sure.
Milk Crate Coffee Shop. Adam & Mike always got bangers!
Q: Out of your great collection,
there must be a few records that you can always go back to time and time again.
Name a few of them and why they are special.
A:
Slick Rick & Dougie Fresh - La Di Da Di
The quintessential crossover
party record, no matter where you are playing. Everybody likes to hear
themselves sing in the club, and Slick Rick’s delivery and punchlines are so
universally understood it’s unbelievable.
Keni Burke - Rising To The Top
The perfect mood changer to
bring out the steppers before taking things into more aggressive waters, or the
steady peak time cool out joint to rock between moods. a New York club staple
since it’s original release.
Bob James - Take Me To The Mardi
Gras
Fundamental B-boy staple for
both top rockers and footwork B-boys, as well as one of the most recognizable
samples in the world after Run DMC’s “Peter Piper” 12” made it enormous. You
can never lose with a well placed drop of this record.
Soho - Hot Music
The house music record that to
this day makes people who claim to not like house music, dance like they ONLY
listen to house music. The perfect example of what I like to call a “reverse
crossover” record.
Fela - Water No Get Enemy The
most basic “knowledge of self” record from the Black President. We all need
water, and water has no enemies...Fela Kuti illustrates that point beautifully
in this difficult, beautiful song arrangement.
The Blackbyrds - Rock Creek Park
The perfect summertime driving
or BBQ record that works on dance crowds of all shapes and sizes. One of those
records that never let me down in all the years I’ve been playing it for dance
floors. It screams of freedom, clear skies and good times, and “doin’ it”,
which we all love to do.
James Brown - The Big Payback
One of the most recognizable
samples ever, and an incredible piece of humanist songwriting from The
Godfather of Soul. This song absolutely kills dance floors worldwide.
The Mighty Ryders - Evil
Vibrations
De La Soul made this joint
popular with their original mix of “Saturday” but the original bangs super hard
front to back on it’s own. It’s one of those joints where you see people
anticipating the rhyme until the real song comes on and they give you the happy
“puppy head” look of confusion before realizing that they’ve been giving
producers too much credit on certain rap records that they love… haha.
I could of course go on, but
this ain’t my book of opinions hahaha.
Fela Kuti “Yellow Fever” original Nigerian pressing autographed personally by Mr Ghariokwu Lemi! Get some google in your life if you aint hip.
Q: Is there an album that gives
you goosebumps when you listen to it? What kind of a connection you have to
this album?
A: That would have to be Roberta
Flack’s “Quiet Fire” LP, namely “Sunday and Sister Jones”. There is such
incredible emotion in that song. Her tone is just so sincere and full of loss.
I’ve been in love with that song for a very long time, and it is my very
favorite song in the world.
Aretha Franklin’s “Amazing Grace” LP. This was a record that was allowed in my grandfather’s house any day of the week because it was “The Lord’s Music” rather than “That Devil Music”.lucky us because the honesty in young Aretha Franklin’s voice on this LP set a standard in our minds of what it meant to truly sing from your heart at all times. This record fucked it up for any bad singers I’ve ever heard because Aretha is THE quintessential benchmark for female soul singers and singers in general in my opinion.
Q: Can you name a few of
your favorite album covers?
A: Charles Earland
Leaving This Planet
Moe Kauffman Museum Pieces
Black Dynamite Soundtrack
Adrian Younge
Big Brother & The Holding
Company
Ohio Players All Covers
Richard Pryor That Nigger’s
Crazy
Redd Foxx You Gotta Wash Your
Ass
Fela Kuti JJD
Niagara Self titled & self
titty.
James Brown The Big Payback
The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh
You Don’t Have To Be Black to
Have The Blues
Henry Franklin The Skipper
Jimi Tenor & Kabu
Sun Ra Heliocentrics
East Of Underground
Parliament Maggot Brain
Harold Melvin & The Blue
Notes Family Reunion
Q: Did you have any covers that
scared you as a child?
A: KISS Hotter Than
Hell. I though Gene Simmons would jump off the cover with those fucking dragon
boots, spit blood at me, lick my face, and then stomp my brains out one day.
Q: Is there a specific musical
instrument you are attracted to when listening to music? Why?
A: The answer to that
question depends totally on whether or not I am making music or playing music.
They represent an angle on the same thing, but for me personally they take up
their own space in what will attract me, outside the drums obviously. but now
that I’m speaking it out, I guess I’d have to say drums first of all, followed
by keyboard melodies. For me these two components of a rhythm section pull the
remaining members of the section into the dialogue from polar angles. They are
the anchors that glue the bass, background instruments, accents and vocals into
a corral in my opinion.
Billy Paul’s “War Of The Gods” LP. I remember as a kid thinking that there is so much pain in his voice on this LP. This is one of those records my moms and sister would clean the house to on Saturday afternoons. I inherited this one from my sister on my 15th birthday, and it’s still minty fresh like Altoids.
Q: Have you ever had a favorite
record stolen from you or damaged to the point of being unplayable? Have you
replaced it?
A: I’ve probably lost or fucked
up more good records than I’ve bought over time, either through times in my
youth when I didn’t recognize the value of certain pieces, or damaging it in my
once fabled milk crate and postal bin storage system.. which I am patenting
this year, for the real motherfuckers, ya dig? I’ve also dealt with three huge
thefts over the years, which hurt like a gunshot to the face.
Q: Tell me about a dollar bin
record you would never part with!
A: Billy Joel “Benny and
The Jets” White Label 7” on MCA
Q: Do you have any dirty secrets
in your collection? Perhaps a Wall of
Shame?
A: Vanilla Ice LP, Hammer LP,
Eddie Murphy LPs, Englebert Humperdinck’s 1st
Christmas LP.if I told you any
more I’d hafta kill you.
It wasn’t me I swear! I HATE Vanilla Ice, personally.
Just playing. I’m human. I bought it. My bad.
Q: Have you ever kept a
particular record purchase secret from your partner?
A: Monthly, sometimes
weekly, not for fear of reprimand, but because you always gotta keep some for
yourself.
Q: Do you have any digging
buddies that you share your spots with or do you go out solo?
A: I have tons of friends
who are incredible resources, solely because of their connection to records and
digging for records. Guys and girls who don’t see music and vinyl recordings
collection as a hobby or phase in their lives. Without some of those guys and
girls in my life, I would be far less learned about music, and my tastes would
not have evolved at the same pace that they have evolved to date I believe. At
the same time, I am a student and a miner of my own volition, so I enjoy the
idea of digging alone too. It can be sticky digging with friends because it’s
virtually impossible not to come across things the other one may want as much
as you do.
Q: Tell me about the most
unlikely place or time you found records?
A: Visiting my girl’s
family in Long Beach California after my son’s first birthday. One of her
cousins invited us to their house, and once we got there he brought about 1000
7” records into the house from the garage. We talked shop about records all
night, and he eventually offered me the entire stash. That was truly bugged out
for me.
A: Funk O Mart in Philly,
Vinylmania, Dance Traxx, Dubspot, Footwork (owned by myself and Bobbito
Garcia), Vogel’s Records in Jersey, Broadway Eddie’s Records in Camden. I could
go on.
Donna, Shugie & Willie.3 of my favorite
records ever pressed. All incredibly sensitive records in their own rights.
Q: Tell me a particularly sad
record story.
A: I remember being in a baggage
claim waiting for my bag and my case of records to come out on the belt. I
ended up being one of the last 6 or 7 people waiting for bags. and then a
couple of albums come riding down the belt and more records come out, and then
a broken flight case lid, and more records. I panicked for like 45 seconds
waiting for the pieces to come around the belt, but as they were making their
way around the belt, another dude on the other side of the belt starts
screaming at the top of his lungs “Are you fucking kidding meeee!!!!!???? You
have GOT TO BE KIDDING MEEEEEEE!!!!!” my case came out in one piece in the next
few minutes and my stuff was fine, but I stayed and helped him pick up the
records that came out on the belt, and helped him deal with baggage recovery
until he had all the answers he could get. I can’t remember the guy’s name, but
I think he was a pretty big techno guy. It was really sad to see him in that
situation.
Q: Tell me about a record that's
too weird to believe, even for a die-hard record fiend?
A: Muhammad Ali & His
Gang Vs Mr. Tooth Decay. Fucking bonkers.
Q: Tell me about a record that
has healed heartbreaks.
A: D’Angelo’s “Voodoo” LP
kept my spirits up after a breakup. I can’t really say that any record has ever
made me feel worse about a relationship gone bad though.
Q: What is the ultimate Sweet
Loving Baby Making song or LP in your collection?
A: ”The Closer I Get To
You” by Roberta Flack & Donny Hathaway on Atlantic
7” 1977
Q: Tell me about a record you
still regret not picking up.
A: I truly regret not
picking up a copy of Gap Mangione’s “Diana In The Autumn Wind” LP years before
Dilla used it for Slum Village’s seminal “Fall In Love” 12”. I used to see it
consistently and hear people buzz about it, but I just never saw it as a
valuable record until the Zen master flipped it on the Slum joint. Then I felt
like a small flaccid penis. Until I caught it for 40 bucks some years after
that.
Q: Is there a record you feel
you have been hunting for too long and will never find an original pressing?
A: I don’t believe there are any
unattainable records sometimes, and then other times I feel like I will never
really get the mother lode record you know? I go back and forth on that,
because when you got bread to spend, even the non negotiable becomes
negotiable. I’ve seen guys part with records they said they’d never part with
for the right price or the right trade. One that has been sincerely evading me
to date though is Yami Solo’s “When A Man’s In Love” 7”. Been checking for a
first pressing of that for a good while now.
Q: Who has the toughest record
collection that you have ever seen?
A: Man, I’ve seen so many
that’s hard to answer. It all depends on whether you’re talking about pure
volume of platters, or density per platter. Lots of folks got MAD shit, but
cant tell you what it is, or won’t impress you record for record pulling things
off the wall. On the other hand you also have folks who don’t have the highest
volume of product in their stash, but each record is so deep that it weighs 15
pounds when you pull it off the shelf. There are variables to what makes one’s
record collection big, vs. what makes one’s record collection tough. In my top
10 though I’d have to say DJ KC The Funkaholic, Arron Levinson, DJ Kemit,
Madlib, DJ Shadow, DJ Spinna, DJ Cash Money, Frank VoodooFunk for African shit,
Bobbito Garcia, and Mr Supreme.
Cringing as my man Arron Levinson aka The
Kosherican , promptly lets me know that the joint he’s about to play IS NOT for
sale. hahaha!
Arron.” OK.I can sell you this one. I’ll see
it again.” Me “Well, I’ve never seen it OR heard about it, so thanks.”
Off the cereal box. For reals. Good luck
finding it, Thanks Arron!
Q: In your most euphoric dreams,
how do you imagine the perfect life as a digger?
A: Having the resources to
attain records and music paraphernalia that truly mean something to you, which
by default would make you a historian, responsible for the data and statements
that validate the value of those pieces. Combine that with the chance to play
that music for pay on a great sound system on a Friday night weekly, and you
would really be living a pretty perfect life as a digger.
Vocal/Drum Booth fulla Rap 12”s,
LPs, Comps, plus 7” stash, 10”
stash…pause, I mean records. Glad
I caught that one. and Import Hip Hop.
Q: Any words, advice or
knowledge you want to bestow to all the fellow diggers out there, both amateur
and veteran alike?
A: I’m not sure I’m worthy of
advising anyone about records, aside from telling anyone new to it to be
prepared to face the consequences of your newfound addiction, and telling them
to take care of their records, so you can put down your computer every once in
a while, and interact with material music. and so you can have something
redeeming left to share with your children and family when you are no longer
actively utilizing it as a career.
"Collecting records is like voluntarily
becoming a historian or a chapter in a long book of musical histories."
