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SUPREME LA ROCK

Welcome to the Supreme Academy. Today's lessons: funk, soul and sexy album covers.

Supreme La Rock – Seattle, WA

Interview by Julia Rodionova & Josiah Titus Photos by Eilon Paz

Let’s start with your name. It’s a nod to Coke La Rock. Can you say something about him? What he means to you?

He’s pretty much to me the epitome of hip hop because he was the first MC. I just saw hip hop in the mainstream dying out, and I was raised with it, and I care about it, and my name is about paying homage to what it’s really about and keeping it alive.

Back in the ’80s, everyone was Ski or Rock. Now everyone is Young. That’s just kind of how it happens.

What was your first record? Do you still have it?

Kiss‘ The Originals three album set. I bought it when it was released in ’77. Unfortunately, I don’t have it anymore.

What about some of the early additions to your collection? What was the first thing you collected?

I started breakdancing in the early ’80s in high school, so I was buying records to dance to. An article came out in the Village Voice, Afrika Bambaataa had a list of 100 best break albums. I tried to conquer that list. I wanted to get everything on it.

Talk about a few of the records off that list. What were the first ones you tracked down?

I took Bambaataa’s list into Golden Oldies in Everette, WA. I think it was Gordy who helped you. Pretty sure. He ran it for years. Baby Huey’s The Living Legend was the first thing he pulled out. They only had three. Jimmy Castor’s It’s Just Begun and Hancock’s Head Hunters were the other two. I bought ’em all.The Baby Huey Story: The Living Legend

Jimmy Castor – It’s Just Begun

Herbie Hancock – Head Hunters

Where else did you discover new music?

The first time I heard a Fela Kuti record I was at a friend’s house. His parents were from Africa and he was playing this music and I was going nuts. I was like, “What is this?” He was like, “It’s Fela Kuti.”

“I’m still a student. I learn about new records every day. Something might be forty years old, but if you’ve never heard it before, it’s new.”

 

And one thing leads to another, doesn’t it?

In every country, there was someone who thought they were James Brown or Michael Jackson, and some of them were actually pretty good.

Everything influences everything. Think about how big the world is and what’s out there. Even in just America. Someone shows you something and you’ve never heard it before. And this is when you think you’ve seen it all. With all these collectors, people still turn stuff up. It will never end. Just think, there were bands that had test pressings who were trying to get a deal, and it never happened, and these copies are just laying around.Sola – Un Muneco de Madera “I found this in New York maybe five years ago. I knew about it before that. A friend had it. The cover was the first thing I loved about it. And it’s a good record. Sola used to be a nun. I don’t even know how I know that. I must have read that on the internet. That’s another thing that happens when you collect records. You gain a wealth of knowledge that you weren’t necessarily looking for.”Dizzy K FalolaBe My Friend “I just found this two weeks ago in Portland at Clinton Street Record & Stereo. I traded for it.”

 “If there’s a banjo on the album, it’s probably not going to be very funky.”

What about cover art?

It’s like a book. You can’t judge it by its cover. I have some records that look terrible, but they’re good. And vice versa. For the most part, you can tell a lot about the record by the sleeve. The artwork, the year, who produced it. There are plenty of clues. If there’s something I like about the cover, I want to know how it sounds. I’ve definitely bought records because of the record.

What are some of your favorite album covers?

Two of my favorite covers were designed by Basquiat. The Offs and Rammellzee. Rammellzee is one of my favorite rappers of all time. Amazing.

[Submitted question] What is your guilty pleasure album? One you wouldn’t show your friends/fellow DJs. Pictures please. -Richard Bryan

I don’t have a guilty pleasure. I’ll show my friends anything. If I did have one, though, it would maybe be Justin Timberlake. People shouldn’t be ashamed of what they love. If they like it, they like it.

You pulled an album off the shelf just now. Can you say something about it?

A friend of mine found this for a dollar at a thrift store. I was talking to him on the phone that night and I asked if he found anything. He said no, just a copy of Hot Chocolate, which is a common record. A few months later, when I was at his house, I saw it and I was like, “That’s not the same Hot Chocolate. That’s a different group. I’ve been looking for that.” He let me have it.

What do you look for in a record?

Anything that’s funky. Anything. There are country records that are funky. Most stuff from ’70-’74 was funky. Who produced it? David Axelrod? You know it’s going to be amazing.Placebo – “One of my favorite covers. It’s just so crazy looking. It’s literally a ball of eyes. That made me listen to the record.”ChakachasStories “And this cover. Self explanatory.”

[Submitted question] What is the most valuable record you found for the least amount of money? -Otto C. Phocylious

Stark Reality. A copy’s up on eBay right now and it’s already at $1,000. I found it in the early ’90s for $.50. I don’t buy rare records. I just buy what I like. Sometimes they turn out to be rare. Sometimes they don’t.

Tages–  2 “I paid a dollar for that one. Found it just around the corner at a thrift shop.”

[Submitted question] Outside of records, what is the pride of your collection? -Otto C. Phocylious

CTI Record Case. It’s leather and it looks like Louis Vuitton. I heard it was promo only, but someone recently found a piece of paper where you could order the case, so I don’t think it really was promo only. Somebody found it and posted it on the internet in a forum. I emailed him and him and was like, You want to let that off? He said he would trade it for a 45 he couldn’t find. I sent it off that day. Something by Mary Lou Williams. I don’t remember what. Rumor was, this case originally came with a Bob James 12”. I have that 12”, but I didn’t get it with the case.

Tell us about some of your favorite records.

Mark III, Marvin Whoremonger. It’s extra funky, but the amazing thing is, kids made it. They were 15, 16 and 17 years old. And they’ve got songs on here like “Sex in Motion,” “Pusherman” and “The Party’s Over.” How were kids able to make a record like that? And then, in the thank you, they end with, “And the most important factor, ‘God,’ who made the whole thing possible.” Another favorite is People’s Pleasure with Alive and Well – Do You Hear Me Talking to You?

[Submitted question] How many 45s do you own? And what’s your advice for DJs who have been spinning for a while but want to try their hand at 7-inches? -Jaycee

I’ve got 5,000 45s. As for advice, practice as much as possible.

Let’s talk about the Light In The Attic Records compilation Wheedle’s Groove. Can you say something about how that came together?

They sometimes ask me for ideas about what to reissue. One day we were out to lunch and I said, “Hey, look, I discovered all this Seattle stuff nobody knows about.” They weren’t interested. They were like, “Really?” I said, “If DJ Shadow or Kenny Dope brought this to you, you’d be all over it.” They called me half an hour later and said, “Let’s do it.” I don’t know what changed. Maybe they thought about it or I said something…I don’t know. But we did it, and it has been one of their best sellers. It has become a whole thing. We did the comp, put out a 7” box, part two is coming out. We did another album with all the original musicians and now there’s a movie. The best thing about it is, all those musicians are playing again, which is great to see.

Ron Buford – “Deep Soul Part 1

Robbie Hill’s Family Affair – “I Just Want to Be

[Submitted question] Favorite old school hip hop records? -Jon

I like the early stages. It’s like disco rap. They’re fun, and they’re slightly silly. If you listen to the words, they’re fun. It’s party music. I don’t like what’s popular now, at least not most of it. Mainstream hip hop promotes negativity. But then there’s tons of new stuff that’s good, it’s just not popular.Pookey Blow – “Get Up (and Go to School)The Fantastic Romantic Five – “Can I Get a Soul ClapVarious Artists: Live Convention ’82 Bee-Bop’s

What do you want to happen to your collection when you check out?

I want them all sold individually on eBay, and I want all the money to go to my wife and son. That’s the best thing I can think of to do with them. Unfortunately, that’s happening with a friend of mine right now.

What are some records people might not know about? Not necessarily rare stuff. Maybe just overlooked.

There’s plenty people haven’t heard. There’s plenty I haven’t heard. People sometimes don’t realize something exists on 45, but in other countries that’s how it was released. They’ve seen the songs on albums, but never on a 7”. Then there are variations on songs that people either don’t know or have forgotten about. Like Michael Jackson’s Pepsi commercial. I put that on and people are like, “Yeah, I know this,” and then the lyrics kick in and they’re like, “Wait, what?”” Michael Jackson’s hair caught on fire while they were filming that. I don’t know if y’all remember that?The Silhouettes – “Fonky FirstLarry Corryel – “Morning SicknessBob James – “Take Me to the Mardi Gras The MohawksThe Champ

What about a comfort record?

Leroy HutsonHutson. It’s smooth, soulful, jazzy. It’s something I can put on and relax. I love to listen to it when I’m driving or when I get home. This record will never get old to me.

What about a baby-making album?

SadeLove Deluxe. Probably one of my favorite female artists of all time. Her sound is timeless and every album is great. This one is particularly sexy.

Do you still dig?

These days, I go out and dig all day and come home with nothing but an empty tank of gas. But then I’ll stop in a thrift store and find something I’ve wanted for twenty years and it makes the whole thing worth it. So yes, I still actively dig.

What records always go with you when you DJ?

Hamilton Bohannon – “Me and the Gang.” Classic disco. It’s like catching the holy ghost. You hear it and it moves you.

Where’s the unlikeliest place you’ve scored a record?

My car broke down once. I was a kid, I had just gotten my license, nobody had cell phones back then and I was walking to the payphone, and I passed an army surplus store. I get half a block down the road and it clicked in my mind: did I just see records in that store? I went back and sure enough they had a whole bunch of records. Someone had given them their collection and they were selling everything for a buck. If my car had never broken down, I would have missed out on all that.

Tell us about your shirt. What is Vinyl Veterans?

It’s a DJ crew from England. I’m an honorary U.S. member. Me and Ox from New York.

Do you have any record-buying rules or philosophies?

Whatever’s hot, I go the other direction. If nobody’s looking for it, it’s going to be cheap. Trends are funny like that. Someone finds African funk and suddenly everyone is looking for that. When that happens, I try and find something else. When funk’s hot, I’m searching for easy listening breaks.

When you find something new, if you like it, do you go in search of the rest?

You have to. I figure, if they made one amazing album, the others got to be good. That’s not always the case, but sometimes it just takes me time to realize if something’s good or not. There are records I hated when I found it, but now I love them. In the end, sometimes a group really only has one good record, but you have to find out.Los Angeles NegrosY VolveréLos Angeles Negros – Los Angeles Negros

Let’s end with something funny. Can you make us laugh?

Finish Henderson album. He’s got red leather pants on and a mean cameltoe. Looks like it hurts.

 

Supreme La Roc and many other vinyl collectors are featured on the Dust & Grooves: Adventures in Record Collecting book.

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17 Responses

  1. Pingback : Real Time Dust – A Real Time Dust & Grooves Feature | Flea Market Funk

  2. #realtimedust how many 45’s do you own? and what is your advice for DJ’s who’ve been spinning for a while but just recently starting to try their hands at spinning 7″‘s?

  3. Nice! Damn, what a massive collection!

    You know us record nerds gotta point out that the Headhunters record in the pic was not really a Herbie joint. He’s listed as a producer, but it’s mostly his backing band from the early 70’s doing their own thing under The Headhunters group name, as opposed to the album titled, “Headhunters” under Herbie’s name.

    Loving the hell out of the D&G road trip!

    Peace and SOUL,
    HSB DaveB…

  4. sigher the gutter snypes

    as you would expect, the mans got records/knowledge and looks at digging in the right perspective, always good to see the vinyl veterans and England
    getting a mention as well…..

  5. Elion another amazing interview, one of my favorites. Like Dj Supreme I love Los Angeles Negros, have 4 records in total. The music sounds incredible doomy, but they are talking about Love and it´s one of the reasons that atract me to heard the band. It´s like a gothic group from de 60´s.

    Dj Supreme congrats, you have a really nice collection, and some words reflect what I feel. I´m a guy into Hardrock/Heavy Metal but the passion for the music is the same.

    Cheers
    Rui

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  7. Pingback : Dust & Grooves – Adventures in Record Collecting » Mix – DJ Supreme – From the Hideout

  8. Don Gato Magnifico

    I was the “friend” that got suckered out of that Lou Ragland’s “Hot Chocolate” lp
    I knew it was a collector item, just not as valuable as it was at the time. Danny was slick like that, I was into drum breaks so he traded a stack for it.
    He got the better of that deal. I ended up giving back some of the breaks and he never replaced them. Lesson learned folks.

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