in

AD and Sorry JayNari Talk ‘Last of the ’80s’ Project and More

AD & Sorry JayNari
Photo credit: Donjae

Since the beginning, Hip-Hop has always reached new heights when two creative minds come together — especially on the West Coast. From Snoop Dogg and Dr. Dre to YG and DJ Mustard, rappers and producers based in California have consistently brought the gritty sound of the streets to the masses, ushering a regional sound into the mainstream.

AD and Sorry JayNari are bringing their own style and flavor to the music industry. Hailing from Compton, AD earned his stripes on the streets as a Crip…he’s since poured his life experiences into numerous mixtapes, including 2013’s Project A and 2015’s Blue.89, which spawned the hit “Juice” that racked up over a million hits on YouTube. Sorry JayNari began making a name for himself as part of the all-star production team League of Starz, pivotal in the jerky movement (his first big credit was on New Boyz‘s triple-platinum single “Tie Me Down” featuring Ray J in 2010) and continuing on to establish the current ‘Young California’ sound. Other notches on JayNari’s belt include Rich Homie Quan’s platinum-certified “Walk Thru” featuring Problem and Tyga’s smash “Faded” featuring Lil Wayne.

The duo, who first met around 2008 through mutual friends, has released their official full-length debut Last of the ’80s through the newly relaunched Priority Records (N.W.A., Geto Boys). The LP, which features guest appearances from Wiz Khalifa, Tory Lanez, Kid Ink, Eric Bellinger, O.T. Genasis and more, boasts the street-leaning sound of their prior work on a more accessible scale, making for a project that matches the replay value and shelf life of the music they enjoyed while growing up.

“We want to bring back that special feeling when you have an album that’s going to be the only thing you listen to for months at a time,” explains AD. “We want to be the soundtrack of the streets and a voice for the people who don’t really know the culture of the Westside.” Sorry JayNari elaborates, “Our sounds really come from the clubs and streets. For the sound of the West, we always had a certain sound that would relate to the gang culture — fat bass lines, and the leads. Now it’s still basically the same structure that Dre used back then, but we made it faster and added 808s and bass.”

RESPECT. Had to the opportunity to catch up with the very talented duo to discuss the release of Last of the ’80s (which can be streamed below), their opinion on the L.A. Riots in the late ’80s and early ’90s, how things have changed 25 years since those events occurred and what are some of their business interests away from the music industry.

RESPECT.: What was the inspiration for Last of the ’80s?

Music so obtainable nowadays and the lifespan of an album now days is maybe two weeks. With this project, we wanted to give the public something that will last and they want to learn every word. That was our inspiration during the creation process of Last of the ’80s.

RESPECT.: You just released your visual for “Crip Lives Matter” in a very Blood-dominated industry. How important was it to tell your interpretation of things?

We are just trying to represent our side of things..Los Angeles is predominately Crip, but with the industry being heavily influenced by the Bloods, we want to tell our side of things. Now, don’t get us wrong, we get along with all of them in the business and we are not here to diss anyone, we just want to make an impact in the business just like anyone else. We want to be able to represent where we come from as people as well.

RESPECT.: What is your favorite single of the album?

Sorry JayNari: I would have to say “Basic” is my favorite single off the album.

AD – The intro (“Story”)…we got real personal during the creation process. One of my grandmother’s last voicemail [is] featured on the single. So, this will show what I was going through personally while making this project.

RESPECT.: When you are in the studio with artists like Wiz, O.T. Genasis and The Game, can you describe the vibe and the creativity in the room?

Well, they have been friends of mine outside of the industry, in fact, I met O.T. Genasis when I was 15 and Wiz has looked out for me ever since I first met him. As for Game, He was looking for some the hottest artists in the streets to put on his album and I respected that. I am someone that likes to get to know people on a personal life compared to just working with an artist in the studio and after the project is done that is it.

RESPECT.: With it being the 25th anniversary of the L.A. riots in Central Los Angeles, can you describe how the community has changed since then?

I think the community has changed tremendously since the days of the L.A. riots where there was a lot of mom and pop stores destroyed and police brutality. I think a lot has to do with the fact of camera phones and the police are more cautious about the way they handle things because they are being filmed more now than ever.

RESPECT.: You have been mentioned in the lineage of West Coast rapper/producer groups such as Snoop & Dre, DJ Quik & Suga Free and DJ Slip & MC Eiht. What are your thoughts about those comparisons and do you feel it is warranted?

AD: I feel that we are all different people…Jay is a very quiet individual but he does his talking in the music production and I don’t have a problem being the outgoing individual and we are able to complement each other very well.  We want to be able to stand out on our own and no disrespect to anyone on that list, but we want to build our known name in this industry.

RESPECT.: You will be performing at the Power 106 L.A. Hip-Hop Festival later this Summer. Can you tell us what fans can expect?

You can expect a lot of energy and we will definitely have the crowd active and engaging with us at the Power 106 L.A. Hip-Hop Festival later this Summer.

RESPECT.: When will your AD headbands be released and where can your fans purchase them?

We are currently in the designing process and it will be featured on the iitsAD.com website.

RESPECT.: What are some of the business interests outside of the entertainment business?

AD: I want to eventually get into film and television, possibly a film critic.

Sorry JayNari: Film, Television, and when the time is right the marijuana business.

RESPECT.: What are some other things we can expect in 2017?

We plan to be featured in a lot of different genre collaborations this year and bring a lot of great energy to the music industry.

Original Source

 

What do you think?

Written by Landon Buford

Six-Time Grammy Winner Malik Yusef Uses Liberal Arts to Enlighten Communities

OG Ron C & DJ Candle Stick Working With Barry Jenkins & OG Ron Retiring At The End Of The Year!