Catalogue Files 1: Big Willie Green - The Proof
To start my new series discussing albums I’ve worked on, I figure what better place to begin than the beginning.
The Proof was released in September of 2006, fully produced, mixed and mastered at my old studio Secret Weapon Productions in Allston, MA. I was then officially “Big” Willie Green, which has since been thankfully changed.
The mixtape included stellar scratches from DJ Special Blend (currently of L.A.’s Audible Mainframe) and less than stellar hosting/hype from myself. These shouts and a few tracks were left off the version on my website, strictly out of vanity. Unfortunately I don’t have a version of the album without all that bullshit and with the scratches from Special Blend. Those files were corrupted in my move from Boston to Brooklyn in 2007. (Proof that if it’s not backed up twice, it’s not backed up at all) The online version therefore does not include him, but Willie Green purists should already have the physical copy. (If not I still have 50 or so in my closet)
Many of my pairings on the project have turned into long-time collaborators; current Backwoodz labelmate Pastense, JTronius, Afro DZ Ak, and Agyeman. (a.k.a. Dua from Bad Rabbits) However, for many of the artists the only form of communication came through the once critical/now terrible MySpace. I didn’t meet Cloke and Dagha until the night of the release party. I unfortunately still have never met Cadence face to face. While in 2011, this is far from rare, and the internet is where a large amount of my work begins, even five years ago this was an unusual circumstance.
I had this sample sitting around for 8-9 years before I made this beat. (Also the last beat made for the mixtape) My boy John had it on a ska mix cassette that I stole from him in high school. It had been lost, and then found in my mother’s basement right when I was closing up The Proof. The files for this beat have also been lost, so to all the rappers who have wanted to rock over it, sorry; the only way it exists is with my bullshitting.
Also appearing on Pastense’s first release Broken Poems, this is one of my top ten favorite beats I’ve made. Very simple, just an 8-bar loop (really four, with a different chop on every other 4th bar) plus drums and bass.
Past recorded this entire verse straight through, and when he came out of the booth, told me where do edit and which parts to make into the character “Slump.”
Johnny Voltik actually wanted this beat instead of the one he used on “Jungle Rebell,” but Past had already written this and first come, first serve.
The Dead Poetz didn’t even want this beat at first. They told me the key was too high, which highlights a problem with sample-based producers working with singers. Every singer doesn’t sound great in every key, and pitching the sample up or down would completely change the track. In this case however, I was right and the key worked fine for The Poetz.
When I called Dua and Afro to record this track, the first thing Dua told me was “I’m down, but I’m not rhyming anymore.’ Dua used to rhyme along with singing in the previous incarnation of Bad Rabbits, and he could spit too. However, this was right at the time where he was phasing that out, and while I had originally intended for him to have a verse on here along with the hook, we decided to keep the track nice and short like this.
“A.S.A.P. ”
I was very close to not sending this beat out. I had made it for some online beat battle and wasn’t sure if I wanted to “put it out again.” Not that anyone on the planet besides the 10 people on that forum would ever have heard it. I finally smartened up and sent it over to Reks and Dice who promptly came through and laced the whole joint in about 3 hours.
Although some of the tracks were recorded elsewhere by the respective artists, the entire album was mixed by me on a Nuendo 2.0 rig, also using a Tascam DM-24 digital mixer. The Proof was mixed to 1/4” analog tape (Quantegy GP9 at 15 ips) on an Otari MX50/50 MKII. The original print run was 500 and at the time was physical only, although it is now available for free download at www.WillieGreenMusic.com.
Original Track Listing:
Big Willie Green feat. DJ Special Blend - The Proof
1. Big Willie Green Intro (1:14) - Big Willie Green
2. Lop-Sided Options (3:04) - Pastense
3. Confess (2:58) - AVI
4. Ooooh (3:23) - Cloke And Dagha
5. Stifle (Move Now) (3:37) - Illin’ P
6. A Beginning (3:41) - Tank The HeavyWeight
7. Prisoner (4:00) - The Dead Poetz
8. The System (3:18) - Danielle Scott
9. Jungle Rebell (3:58) - Hoopla
10. La La (Remix) (3:07) - Project Move
11. Got Me Waiting Feat. Lelie (2:53) - V.S.
12. For My People (2:59) - Pastense
13. Creepin’ (Remix) (3:39) - Lee Wilson
14. Words Are Weapons Feat. S.O.S. (3:01) - Rick Roulette
15. The Hustle Devine (4:27) - JTronious
16. You Really Don’t Know (1:43) - Agyeman And Afro DZ Ak Of The Eclectic Collective
17. Right Here (2:52) - Cadence
18. Freestyle (3:55) - Tank The HeavyWeight
19. Jigg (Remix) (3:05) - Hoopla
20. A.S.A.P. (3:39) - M. Diesel
21. Shine (3:08) - Afro DZ Ak
Total Running Time: 1:07:29
