A Conversation with a Dope Boy

It has been a while since I done one of these. I finally had the time to have a conversation. This time I sat with Meka from 2 Dope Boyz. It took a while to set it up considering I'm a Senior in college trying to graduate and Meka is a freelance writer as well as a blogger. Meka has written for XXL Magazine and UR Magazine. He has been writing long before he started 2 Dope Boyz with Shake. He's on Twitter and MySpace; make sure you add him. In our conversation, he talked about the start of 2 Dope Boyz, the site in general, the internet age, print media, and journalism.

DJ Daddy Mack: Hello Meka. Thank you for sitting with me today. How are things?

Meka: I'm good. Thanks for having me.

DJ Daddy Mack: The first question I have to ask is: Why the Sideshow Bob figure?

Meka: As you know, Shake's "likeness" is of the Aqua Teen Hunger Force character. I never watched that show prior, so I had to find something similar. Unfortunately, it was either Sideshow Bob, the Jamaican from Futurama or Disney's version of Tarzan. Obviously, I went with the least stereotypical person.

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] I see. So, this was something for the site?

Meka: Yes. If anything, having an anonymity of sorts intrigues our site visitors. But essentially having two cartoon characters makes things that more interesting. [LAUGHS]

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] I like how you guys have one for the whole family can watch and the other just for the older people.

Meka: Well, Shake is about four years younger than I am. So, it's kind of indicative of our preferences and tastes.

DJ Daddy Mack: Cool. So did you grow up watching The Simpsons?

Meka: Of course. From The Simpsons to The Wonder Years to Small Wonder to Married... With Children, I grew up watching nearly any and everything. Al Bundy was and still is the man.

DJ Daddy Mack: Indeed. He was a trendsetter. How did 2 Dope Boyz start?

Meka: It's an interesting story, actually. I was supposed to be a blogger for XXLMag.com. Things didn't turn out as planned, so I ended up being a blogger for Hip Hop DX. In 2007, my column, "Slap-Boxing With Jesus," became one of the most popular sections on the entire site. I was then approached by some of the higher-ups of DX and asked to "start this site" with their design and media content manager, which is Shake. We both agreed, and then sat for about a month or so while nothing happened. I asked Shake one day when it was going to actually go down, and he suggested we start the thing ourselves.

When we started the site in October 2007, I wasn't fully able to commit to it as I had a 50-hour-a-week job. In that sense, that's where the "Sideshow Bob" figure came about, because my partner was essentially running the entire thing. (Un)fortunately, I was let go from my job due to the Hollywood writer's strike, and I began to focus my energy toward the site. And here we are.

DJ Daddy Mack: Wow. Very interesting story. So, your blog on Hip Hop DX was the same one you were going to do on XXLmag.com?

Meka: Oddly enough, I met eskay before I met Shake, as he was the online editor for XXL's website at the time and the same person I was in contact with about the entire situation. I was originally planned to be a guest blogger for about a week, and then make the transition over to featured blogger.

DJ Daddy Mack: Crazy world. Speaking of eskay, what effect did you think being apart of the New Music Cartel had on the blog?

Meka: It's definitely made our site's appeal even greater, although we were already growing at a near-exponential rate. Being a part of a crew of a variety of websites with a variety of personalities is definitely a great thing. In this digital era, it helps to stand out from the pack. And that is what I feel the NMC does in droves.

DJ Daddy Mack: Indeed. Did you guys know how popular the site would be?

Meka: To this day, it still amazes me how huge the site has become. I'm a bit of an introvert at times, so being something that for the most part is extremely well-respected humbles me. I definitely am grateful for it.

DJ Daddy Mack: Since you spoke about the digital era, of course you know that we are now in the age of the internet. And it seems that the labels for the most part have not caught up. I’m sure you get notices to take things down. What are your general thoughts of leaking records?

Meka: If I had a nickel every time I got a "cease and desist" from Atlantic Records, they'd probably try to get me for those too. But for the most part, I don't even consider it "leaking records." Most, if not all, artists need to gain some form of attention from the general public, whether to build a buzz for an upcoming record or to even keep their names out there. So getting their songs out to the various websites are now the new versions of "shopping it to radio, music video channels, club DJs," etc. etc. I'll say this: every time someone "leaks" a record, whether intentional or "unintentional", all they're really looking for is attention.

DJ Daddy Mack: I agree with you about websites being the new grand outlet. So, I'm guessing you would say that bloggers are like the new DJs in the sense of breaking records and artists?

Meka: Not necessarily. To me, the DJ has, is and always will be an instrumental tool for music. They still wield that power of truly making or breaking an artist. However, the dynamic has changed to the point where the DJ can now search the Internet to see who is making noise there.

DJ Daddy Mack: But what about cats like Mickey Factz who got big off Nah Right?

Meka: Exactly my point. The "DJ" dynamic has changed, so much so that now the Internet is making these DJs, these so-called "taste makers" (which is a term I have such a deep disdain for) look elsewhere for the next thing.

Why would somebody try to pull a DJ to the side with the hopes of getting him to listen to their demo, when they can simply post it up online?

DJ Daddy Mack: True story. So, do you think that the DJs just help bring the artists from the internet to the "streets?"

Meka: The whole "streets" ideal is a funny thing. Like, what is "the streets" anymore? The Internet was once considered a harbinger of all things "nerdy." But now you see so many artists who are considered "street" all over the Internet. Case in point: Jadakiss' last album debuted at number three on Billboard last week, and was number six this week. And he - who's essentially considered a "street" artist - basically had nothing but an Internet promotional campaign. If it weren't for the Internet I'm sure he would have sold less, because I didn't even hear one of his songs on the radio out here in California.

So to answer your question, when it comes to the Internet, all you need is a good sound, impeccable work ethic and a zshare link. DJs aren't necessarily needed to bring an artist to the "streets" if you're capable of doing that yourself.

DJ Daddy Mack: So the DJ really has no use at all today?

Meka: The DJ will always be needed, but the DJ model has to now adapt to the new musical climate.

DJ Daddy Mack: Oh I see. It is interesting that you bring up the whole "street" thing. I agree with you on that. That's why I put those quotation marks. [LAUGHS] But at the end of the day, you still have those people who talk shit about the internet. I just can't believe it. It’s like they are saying that the people on the internet are not real people. What do you think about those people?

Meka: Funny that you mention that. The reason I got recognized by XXL in the first place was because I would always commented on their columnists' posts. So in a sense, if it weren't for me speaking my mind I probably wouldn't even be speaking to you. [LAUGHS]

But to be honest, I really don't think about those people, because they do little to nothing to stop my own personal progression. Some of that stuff is flat-out hilarious, however.

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] Indeed it is. Since you brought up XXL, you have done lot of print work with them. What is that like versus 2 Dope Boyz and Hip Hop DX?

Meka: Well, my true passion has always been music journalism. And dating back to my high school years it was always a dream of mine to write for XXL Magazine. So I'm extremely grateful and happy that that was finally able to happen for me.

But comparing journalism to working on the site is literally like night and day. There's very little to no thought process when it comes to posting content on the site. On the flip side, I have to focus a lot of energy when it comes to my journalism assignments, whether it's an interview or music review.

When it comes to 2DopeBoyz, it's as simple as finding an embed code or linking a song to an upload site. When it comes to writing, I have to dedicate a lot of time and energy into creating the perfect article.

DJ Daddy Mack: Oh man. I know the feeling. I always wanted to write for XXL as well. I'm glad I got that opportunity. I know what you mean when it comes to writing. But with me, it’s like the print as well the web. I got this opinion blog in which I take every post seriously. I love doing this stuff.

Meka: Thanks man. It's been a long and arduous trip, but I'm happy for the most part and would not change a thing.

DJ Daddy Mack: Same here. Since you brought the site back up, it seems like you guys post a lot of unknown artists. Why go that route?

Meka: There are a lot of talented artists currently out who aren't getting what I feel is a proper chance to shine. Why not give these artists the same spotlight as their "top tier" equivalents? People are always looking for new sounds. The way I see, it's easier to find these sounds if sites like 2DopeBoyz provide them.

DJ Daddy Mack: Indeed. I respect that a lot. Where do you think print is going?

Meka: It scares me to wonder what the future holds for print nowadays. Ideally, print will continue to last, as it has been for centuries. Realistically, though? I don't even know. And that actually bothers me a lot.

DJ Daddy Mack: Same here, but not all blogs good for content. So, it is hard for them to take out print. One of the bad things about blogs is that things like news come out too quick. In other cases, you have sites that just post some bullshit videos that are not news at all. Do you think things are getting out of hand? Has responsible journalism gone out the window?

Meka: To be honest, to me they're the equivalent of the National Enquirer or the Weekly World News, which - albeit in a bizarre sense - is a form of journalism as well. I can't truly feel a certain way about any of those things because there's obviously a fan base they cater to that I'm not a part of.

DJ Daddy Mack: I see. So do you think anything can be journalism?

Meka: To an extent virtually anything can be journalism, from news shows like 20/20 and Dateline all the way down to porn like the AVN news. Thing is, people have this "ideal, unwritten code" of what journalism is and isn't supposed to be. But ultimately, if there's something you feel that's irresponsible you don't even have to bother looking at, reading or following it.

DJ Daddy Mack: Interesting. I never heard it like that before. So, one last question: who are your favorite artists today and of all-time?

Meka: My favorite artist of all time is Notorious B.I.G. Clichéd it may sound, but his music was what made me decide, "I really want to do something with music career-wise." Mind you, this was back in 1994 and I didn't know any better. [LAUGHS]

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS]

Meka: Currently, I listen to Clipse a lot. But the most ironic thing is, I listen to a lot of local acts from Los Angeles. I was never a heavy West Coast music fan, and always preferred East Coast rap over it all day. DJ Premier changed my life. [LAUGHS]

DJ Daddy Mack: [LAUGHS] And you been in LA all your life?

Meka: I've been here my entirely life. However, I am in the stages of moving to New York.

DJ Daddy Mack: That's what's up.

Meka: But going back to the music. Since Shake and I started the site, I've been introduced to a lot of acts from this area who are incredibly talented. U-N-I, TiRon, Ayomari, El Prez, DNEZ, Pacific Division, Diz Gibran, Language Artz, Shawn Chrystopher. There's so many to name out here, but each and every one has caught my eyes and ears.

DJ Daddy Mack: Dope. Is there anything else you would like to say?

Meka: Many thanks to each and every person who has supported the site. I'm grateful and humbled by it everyday.

And because we all know controversy brings hits, "shout out to all my slave masters. For without you I wouldn't be rocking all these tattoos and Nike shoes."












Kidding, of course.

DJ Daddy Mack: [FALLS OUT HIS CHAIR LAUGHING] Thank you very much for having this great conversation with me. Keep doing your thing. You and Shake are going a great service. Take care.

Meka: Not a problem at all, man. You too.