Marco Polo Interview
Interview by Jared B. Ware

Few producers in 2007 follow in the footsteps of their nineties and eighties predecessors. Most hip hop producers in this era are focusing on how they can make their next ringtone smash, or if they are in the more traditionalist vein, like Just Blaze or Kanye West, they focus on how they can update old styles, adding the polish and hit potential. Marco Polo, producer and creator of Soulspazm/Rawkus’ refreshingly nostalgic Port Authority album, seems perfectly content to dwell in the past. Sounding like DJ Premier on one track, Pete Rock the next, Diamond D one song, RZA on another, and maybe a little Erick Sermon here and there, Polo’s influences are a virtual who’s who of rap’s production elite. When I got a chance to catch up with him, he had a lot to say about his own music, the music of his idols, and how he’s managed to avoid influence by the candy pop toxicity (my words, not his) of hip hop production in the 00’s.

Philaflava.com: How did Rawkus Records get involved in this project?

Marco Polo: Well I have my deal signed to Soulspazm Records. So I'm like signed directly to them. That's who I've been dealing with for awhile, we actually put out album with Pumpkinhead I produced called Orange Moon Over Brooklyn. So I already had a relationship with them. But when they lost their distribution, they signed a deal with Rawkus. And Rawkus has been you know co-putting out their records. So I'm getting marketing, promotion, and distribution through Rawkus right now.

PF: You worked with a lot of gods of the golden era on this album. Kool G. Rap, Beatnuts, Brand Nubian, Boot Camp Click, DITC cats, etc. What lead you to choose so many artists from that era for this project?

MP: I mean I didn't really think about it as like going back in time really. It's just those are the artists I listen to today, and that's the type of music I love. You know I just kind of approached the album as a fan, kind of ignored what's going on right now commercially, and what everyone thinks is dope, I guess, on the radio and TV. I just made the album I wanted to hear as a hip hop fan.

PF: When you're working with those artists do you make an attempt to tailor a beat to their style, did you just play them a bunch of beats, or did you just try to pick one out from your collection that fit their style?

MP: Exactly that's what I do with each song (third choice). I really don't like sending artists blind like a beat cd with like fifteen beats. Because chances are they won't pick the one that you envisioned them on. So what I did is got real specific. And like let's say at the end of the month I go through all the beats that I've made. And me and my man Shylo, who helped me make this album, would go through the beats. And we would pick certain beats to present to certain artists. And we wouldn't give an artist more than like one or two options. But you know those two options would fit them perfectly. You know just looking as a fan. What do you want to hear Buckshot rhyming on? And Kool G Rap? That's how I approached it.

PF: Run down your studio equipment for us.

MP: I mean it's really simple. My set up for production is the MPC 2000 XL. Really I make all the beats in that one machine. Of course with the help of all my records. I've got a turntable and a mixer, and pretty much it for the production end. And then you know for the recording and mixing I've got a little Pro Tools set up, with my own mic in my studio, and that's pretty much it.

PF: What do you think of the Rawkus 50? Do you think you'll end up working with some of these artists?

MP: I mean I know a lot of those artists personally. I mean my roommate's group Red Clay is in the Rawkus 50. Some of the Low Budget cats I've worked with are in there. So that's definitely a possibility.

PF: Who are you working with right now?

MP: Uh, I've had beats that I've done over the past year for artists like Heltah Skeltah, Large Professor, J-Live, Masta Ace's new group EMC, and Edo G's Special Teamz. I've got stuff with Boot Camp that's gonna come out. So that's stuff that all might be released over the next six to twelve months. And you know personally I'm working on projects with a couple emcees. Not full lengths, but just working on joints and if it leads to an album cool, but one of them is Torae who recently did a 12" with Skyzoo, and Primo did all the on that beats I think. So, Torae and I are working on a bunch of stuff, my man Supastition, Copywrite, and OC.

PF: Were there any artists you really wanted to get on "Port Authority" but time/schedules kept it from happening?

MP: Yeah, definitely. Elzhi from Slum Village, Heltah Skeltah and Inspectah Deck, and Freddie Foxxx, Blaq Poet, and Teflon.

PF: How did you find DV Alias Khrist? And what is he doing these days?

MP: I actually met DV Alias Khrist through Wordsworth. Wordsworth through to the Cutting Room back when I used to work there. So I met him, gave him a beat cd, and the first time we collabed was on the Pumpkinhead album, he did he did the hook on a song called "Authentic." And we kept in touch, and I gave him some beats in exchange for his hook. And we stayed in touch, and when my album came around, you know I did the G Rap joint, I thought he'd be dope on the hook. And then I also have him singing on the intro, which people don't know until they read the credits. But he's definitely got some beats from me, and we definitely stay in touch. As far as what he's doing now? I think he's doing... He does a lot of work with Dangerous LLC, which is a production team that works with 50 Cent, and I think he has some songs actually with 50 Cent. So he's actually doing some pretty big things.

PF: You ever think about producing a whole album for any of the artists you've worked with?

MP: That's actually what I'm gonna do next. I'm really done... I mean I'm always gonna do beats for other people here and there, I'm not opposed to it, but I love producing whole albums top to bottom. I feel like that's where I shine, and the next projects definitely going be another one... I don't know if it's gonna be like a Port Authority with like a bunch of different emcees; it's probably gonna be like I'm gonna start my own group, with like one emcee, and maybe a DJ, and just start the shit.

PF: Was Long Hot Summer your first project? How'd you get involved with that?

MP: I might've had a couple independent 12 inches before that with like Block McCloud on Uncle Howie, maybe some Canadian stuff. I did a 12 inch with my man Shylo that came out on Fat Beats. Umm.. But I consider that, you know the Masta Ace album, the biggest project that I got involved with first.

PF: How'd you link up with the Brooklyn Academy cats?

MP: I met them when I was working at the Cutting Room. I remember Jean Grae used to come through there and work. And I think you know Block McCloud and Pumpkinhead came through and you know they heard some of my beats. And I started working with Block, you know then Block put Jean Grae on a couple tracks we did, and then you know Pumpkinhead got a cd. And then you know me and him did a whole album.

PF: Funny. My next question was going to be: Did you make a lot of your connections when you were working at the Cutting Room?

MP: Yeah I mean it definitely helped. That's how I met Masta Ace, he came through for a Beatnuts session, that's how I got him the beat cd. So I did, I definitely made a lot of networking at the Cutting Room.

PF: Any prospect of you working with some West Coast cats?

MP: I would love to, I mean me and Evidence have been talking about doing a joint for a minute. It's just finding the right song. I'm a big fan of recording things for projects that are going to come out, you know what I'm saying? So once I have an idea of what I'm working on or if he needs beats than we're definitely going to knock something out. Besides that, you know I'd like to work with Dilated, or you know Planet Asia. Definitely, or Encore, I don't know where that dude's been for awhile, but he's one of my favorite emcees from out west.

PF: Yeah I don't think he's done anything in awhile.

MP: Yeah, he's dope. He was supposed to be on my album too.

PF: How did the whole video come together? I heard you worked with Theo Bark on that, he actually posts on our message board.

MP: Yeah (laughs). That's actually like one of my bestfriends, my manager... and he wrote the whole treatment for the Ace song, you know he heard that song like two years ago before the album even came out. And he always loved that song. And I guess when we got denied, we applied for a VideoFACT grant, cuz I'm Canadian, and in Canada they give you money for free to do videos. And we got denied for the Kardinal joint, the lead single, "War." And you know, we need to do a video. So Theo wrote the treatment and put the budget together with Chris Shackman, the director, and you know Rawkus approved it, and that's how that came to be. So yeah definitely big shout out to Theo and Chris.

PF: How many cigs to you smoke a week?

MP: (Laughs). Too many dude. A pack a day if I'm producing all the time.

PF: How often do you go back to Canada?

MP: I'm back a lot. I would say I'm back 70 times a year.

PF: Oh wow.

MP: I mean that's where all my family and friends are so I definitely go up there a lot, and just kick it. Yeah.

PF: Give me a top five favorite producers list.

MP: Ohh man. I want to try and make it different, cuz I always say the same dudes. Umm.. Through Primo in there, DJ Premier for sure, Erick Sermon, umm... I'ma say D.I.T.C. as a collective cuz there's too many to name individually, umm... DJ Scratch, and Nottz.

PF: Who's your favorite rapper?

MP: Ahhh... Favorite rapper. That's so tough.

PF: Or you can say a couple if you want to just name a couple

MP: Umm... I'm gonna say Elzhi right now and I'm gonna say Styles P.

PF: That's funny again, my next question was going to be would you be interested in working with the Lox now that they're independent.

MP: Dude, I would love to work with the Lox, I would love to work with the Clipse. You know what I mean, those dudes that spit, I really feel like if they were on some boom bap shit, it'd be crazy.

PF: Yeah man Styles P's got this record Ghost Sessions that has a couple Large Professor beats on it.

MP: Yeah I mean, it sounds good too I like those joints. I guess what happened is he sold Traffic a bunch of acappellas and Large Pro and a bunch of dudes remixed it. It's just a taste of what he could sound like if he did rap on those type of beats all the time. But you know I guess that shit just don't sell, you know you need to be on the fucking style of production. Whatever that is, that "new hip hop shit." PF: We'll see I mean I think it's gonna be interesting now that the Lox aren't on a major label, I think they may use a little more of that grimier boom bap sound. I mean they always liked working with cats like Primo.

MP: Oh, yeah they sound great over Primo's production. Styles does it too, you know hearing him on that "914" joint with Pete Rock, and hearing him on that "Testify," shit like that. He's dope though.

PF: What does a cat like you charge for a beat?

MP: You know it's really different upon situations. I mean I gotta be honest, before like the last couple years, when I was still on the come up, and I still c onsider myself very much on the come up, you know I was still selling a lot of beats to people in the $500-800 range. I guess I'm at the point now, where I'm being really picky about the people I work with, just cuz I don't want to flood the market with a lot of bullshit. I want everything I'm attached to to sound good. So thats it, it totally depends on the situation and who's asking.

PF: Favorite hip hop album of the last year?

MP: (Extremely long pause). Could you help me name like albums that came out?

PF: (Laughs)

MP: I know Sean P did. Would that be considered the last year?

PF: Yeah.

MP: Sean P. Who else? Honestly the last album that I bumped top to bottom to this day still is that U.N. shit. That was the last album that really got me top to bottom like that.

PF: U N or U Out?

MP: Yeah, and that's like what four or five years ago now?

PF: Yeah about that. If you could build a supergroup with four rappers who would they be?

MP: Good question. I mean hmm... M.O.P., Redman, and Busta Rhymes. That would be the hypest group of all time.

PF: How did "Time & Place" come together?

MP: Umm... I reached out to my man Jayceeoh who's a DJ from Boston and he DJs for Special Teamz. And he got me in touch with Edo G and I reached out to him and was like, "Yo I want you on the album, I sent him some beats, and you know we made it happen. He picked that one for my album and I ended up doing a joint for the Special Teamz album called "One Call." And I think their album's coming out on Duck Down this year.

PF: That's dope I'm a big Edo fan.

MP: Yeah I actually got another joint I did with him, and my man Shylo, and Grandaddy IU, and DV Alias Khrist on the hook for my man Shylo's album, that's dope too.

PF: Wow, Grandaddy IU?

MP: Yeah I did a joint with him that's called "Veteran" that's on my mixtape, came out pretty hot.

PF: Aiight so walk us through "Rolling." You just try to think up kind of a dream posse cut with this one?

MP: You know what, that was just from being... you know I don't even smoke weed if you check the song out Juju makes fun of me at the end of the song for being a ginger ass drinking motherfucker, but I just I'm just a big fan of like, you know, weed posse cuts. That's just like some classic hip hop shit to have on an album. Like the B Real and De La Soul joint, you know just those type of joints. So I figured I have the beat, let me reach out to these dudes, and went from there.

PF: Well that's it for my questions man, you got any shout outs you wanna send out?

MP: Definitely shouts out to PhilaFlava.com for doing the interview, I appreciate all the support. Yeah I mean anybody that hasn't heard of me, check me out at myspace, my myspace page is myspace.com/marcopolobeats. My website is marcopolobeats.com. And definitely check out the Ace video if you haven't seen it, which is available at both those locations. And the mixtape I did with Mick Boogie is online for free too, it's called "Newport Authority." And you can download that at rappersiknow.com.