Pen Pals: DJ Rude One
Upper Space, the long game, revising old drafts
A veteran of Chicago and New York’s hip-hop scenes, DJ Rude One has been one of rap’s behind-the-curtain architects for the better part of two decades. In the early 2000s, his group Single Minded Pros cut tracks with Kool G Rap and Pacewon; after a layover, he returned with a solo debut, 2016’s ONEderful. Arriving on the precipice of New York rap’s neoclassical renaissance, ONEderful didn’t capture an era so much as anticipate it, synthesizing disparate strains — Griselda’s flamboyance, Droog and eXquire’s dour wordiness — into a vision grounded by Rude One’s sturdy percussion and sinister chords.
In ONEderful’s aftermath, Rude One adapted his spare arrangements for the next generation, producing a full-length collaboration with internet favorite RXKNephew — titled The ONEderful Nephew — in 2023. The follow-up record Upper Space, out now via Closed Sessions, is a producer showcase speaking to his days in Chicago and Brooklyn. New York genre specialists Roc Marciano and Stove God Cooks appear alongside offbeat Midwesterners such as Valee and greenSLLIME, a capstone course nodding to underground rap’s present and future. In our email exchange, Rude One and I discuss Upper Space’s genesis, collaborating beyond the studio, and apprehending moments in real time.
OK, so before we talk about the new tape, which I’m excited about — would love to chat a bit about your 2016 debut ONEderful. I’ve been seeing a lot of retrospective appreciation, the sense that it anticipated or presaged that neoclassical Griselda sound that blew up within a year or two. What vein did you feel you were tapping into? What’s it like looking back on that project from today’s vantage?
Man, that was a crazy time for me. I really had no set plan going into that project other than to just make the music I wanted to make and to get out of my own way. I figured if I just created what I wanted to, without over analyzing it all, everything else would just take care of itself. I hadn’t released any music since the Single Minded Pros album in 2004, and had basically stopped making beats all together by 2007 so this was a mostly new chapter for me.
I can’t say “entirely new” because I essentially followed that same S.M.P. formula in which I simply sought out the artists I was listening to at the time. That’s really it. As far as looking back on it from today’s vantage, my only artistic regret is that I don’t have a song with Prodigy on there. I had a chance to make that happen and I didn’t pull it off. And while I love seeing the retrospective appreciation, it also kinda bums me out that it’s flown so far under the radar.
Without revealing any secrets — can you give me an overview of the equipment you’re using these days? Are you sourcing any samples or drumpacks? Has any of that changed since your early stuff?
Ha, I still use an MPC to this day. I started out on a MPC 3000 when we were doing the S.M.P. stuff, but then switched up to one of the newer controller models, and the MPC software, when I did ONEderful. It was the same approach with Upper Space but I actually used a lot of older samples I found on old Zip disks from my MPC 3000 era(s). From there, everything goes into Pro Tools to mix. And no, I’m not really a sample pack guy. I source almost everything from vinyl. That said, I DID lift some of the drums from a Vanderslice drum kit he put out. That’s the homie!
I feel a project like Upper Space shows a lot of your range — you’ve got these deconstructed rhymers like Valee and RXKNephew appearing right next to cult icons such as Roc Marciano. Did you compose these beats with vocalists in mind? Is the strategy any different since your name’s on the front of the record?
Thank you! I’d say half of those beats were composed with the featured artist in mind while the others I simply made and thought to myself like, “man, this is the one I should send to Valee!” or “I think Neph would sound crazy on this one!” The genesis of everything was a very short list of who I really listened to and wanted to work with, and I just got busy from there.
Is there any moment or scene you were looking to capture with Upper Space? How did you go about picking contributors?
I think so, but I’m not quite sure I can explain it yet. Not to sound like a weirdo, but I somehow tapped into some subconscious thought process that I try my best to be brave and follow. My therapist and I refer to it as “the current” in our weekly sessions haha.
How do you network with artists, and cultivate those relationships to the point where you become collaborators?
I’m not “outside” as much these days so some of it stems from a cold email or Instagram DM. That’s how I first connected with Stove God and Pink Siifu. Some, I “meet” through mutual contacts. Like, I first connected with greenSLLIME via Closed Sessions and Boathouse. I linked with Valee through the homie Andrew Barber, and with Neph through his manager Alex whom I know from our old Chicago days. And then I’m super fortunate to have known and/or already worked with both Roc Marciano and Jeremiah Jae for years. And while YNOT DUSABLE is a new moniker to most, Tone’s actually one of my closest friends in the world.
What sort of guidance or feedback do you provide featured artists appearing on your album?
It’s tougher these days because most of the work is handled via email so it feels way more transactional than I would prefer, but…I study all of these guys so I trust them enough to just let them do their thing. I’m showing my age here, but I’m from the recording studio/collaborative era where we worked in the same room together and I prefer that process a lot more. Even on ONEderful, we at least did both Roc Marciano joints, the J-Zone song, and the Your Old Droog record together in the studio. “Ain’t It Great” is the only song on Upper Space, with a featured artist, that was recorded while I was present.
Yeah, I need to ask about the YNOT DUSABLE feature on “Ain’t It Great.” If I’m not mistaken — that’s The Twilite Tone, from the second Common album? And this is his first appearance on record since then? Can you tell me how that came about?
Haha, this is probably my favorite topic when discussing Upper Space. And yes, The Twilite Tone is also now known as YNOT DUSABLE. On Resurrection he went by “YNOT Nevertheless.” And while he did rap on a very few select things that followed, this is the first actual “YNOT” appearance since, and I’m stupid proud of that. While I absolutely understand the hype for the Roc Marciano and Stove God features, this one means the most to me personally.
I’ve been wanting to make this happen for 30 years, ever since I heard him say “I appear, on piers, with my peers, the imperial like margarine, I'm butter…” but the timing was never appropriate. Then, last year, we were talking on the phone one night about Upper Space and I flat out told him nothing would mean more to me than a YNOT feature. He was a little hesitant at first, but once we got off the phone I went through a shoebox of old Zip disks full of beats I made on the MPC3000/S-950 combo until found the one from 2004 in which I attempted to recreate “Ain’t It Good To You” by Ultramagnetic MCs. I then loaded that up, re-did the beat and sent it to him later that night.
A few weeks later I was in Cincinnati to celebrate the Cincinnati Reds Opening Day, which is essentially my Christmas, and he called me and asked what I was doing. It was the day after the game and I was sitting in a bar with some friends and he told me to call him back when I was alone and that it was important. I then excused myself, went back to my hotel, called him, and he kicked several verses over the phone and asked which ones I preferred for “Aint It Great.” A few weeks later I flew to Chicago and we recorded it together. I have to say I’m so fucking grateful he trusted me and my art enough to align and re-emerge as “YNOT” with. Wait til you hear what’s next, though!