AYATOLLAH SNAPS NECKS WITH “SOUNDCHRONICLES: VOLUME ONE”
By Khalid J. Strickland a.k.a. Dirty Angel
Photos By C. Martucci
You can’t sue Ayatollah if you catch whiplash from his beats
For Shiite Muslims, an Ayatollah is a high-ranking leader who is regarded as an authority on Islamic law and interpretation. In the religion of Hip-Hop, however, there is only one Ayatollah; the man is a high-ranking production specialist who is an authority on crafting tight beats, and his musical talent knows no boundaries. Hailing from Queens, New York, the sought-after producer known as Ayatollah has forged stellar instrumentals for a lion’s share of notable rappers. Ghostface Killah, Mos Def, Talib Kweli, Inspectah Deck and Boot Camp Clik’s Sean Price are just a few of the artists Ayatollah has graced with his neck-snapping beats. “The Life” by Styles P and Pharoahe Monch is one of Tollah’s most memorable tracks, topping the Billboard charts in 2002. After releasing “Now Playing” and “Listen”, his two acclaimed and successful instrumental-only albums, Ayatollah’s versatile beats once again take center stage on his latest LP, “Soundchronicles: Volume One”.
Released by Soundchron Records on February 20th, 2007, “Soundchronicles: Volume One” also features renowned rappers such as Smif-N-Wessun, Sean Price, Masta Ace, Planet Asia, Cormega, Imam Thug and Tash of The Alkoholiks. The aforementioned artists drop some of their best verses over Ayatollah’s off-the-heezy compositions, making for a unique and highly-entertaining listening experience. With its thumping bass line and nimble strings, the LP’s first single, “Like A Champion” (which features murderous bars from Steele of Smif-N-Wessun), is a solid gem. During a recent interview with Insomniac Magazine, Ayatollah explained what he hoped to accomplish with “Soundchronicles: Volume One” amongst a variety of other matters. As he spoke via phone from his undisclosed, private studio, Ayatollah was actually in the midst of producing yet another banging track. For the duration of our conversation, Tollah’s unpolished-yet-killer beat looped ominously in the background, providing a head-nodding soundtrack for the interview.
“I’m just trying to do (things) my own way,” Ayatollah said of his latest LP. “(Listeners) are going to hear a lot of crazy joints on this (album). They’re going to want to hear that on (Funkmaster) Flex’s (radio) show. I’m based in New York, so they’re going to want to hear that on Hot-97. They’re going to hear joints that they would want to hear on the radio in regular rotation. Even when they buy it, they’re going to want to hear it on the radio because it’s crazy like that. It’s just undeniable, raw uncut. Who knows, I may have to make my own round up to Hot-97 and bring some pieces of material up there for them to rock. The rap game needs it right now.” “I don’t believe hip-hop is dead, I just believe it’s in a funk right now,” Tollah continued. “Because everybody’s taking from hip-hop but nobody’s actually giving back to the culture of hip-hop. Everybody’s trying to get that bread, get that check and chase the chicks. Which is fine because that’s just one part of the whole spectrum of hip-hop; it is the money and the chicks and the cars and the jewels and all that. But that’s just one part of the big story. The listeners are getting a little fed up with what they’re hearing on the radio right now. I’m just here to put some sort of balance back into hip-hop. My goal in 2007 is to bring back the balance. It’s like a one-man mission as far as producers because everybody has their own agenda. But I’m sticking to my agenda of bringing back different styles of music and different styles of rhymes and working with artists you wouldn’t normally hear on a regular basis; artists that are still nice.”
Ayatollah’s music is undoubtedly universal, and he’s worked with a plethora of artists from all regions. The multi-faceted producer refuses to be formulaic, and “Soundchronicles: Volume One” is a testament to Ayatollah’s versatility. Although New York rap music has taken a pounding from many overzealous disparagers, Ayatollah let it be known that he hasn’t soured on his roots. “I love experimenting, making the music. But at the same time, I know I’m based in New York,” expounded Tollah. “I try to feed the whole world with the music but I feel I have a core listening audience and that’s New York City. I got to supply them first. After I supply them, the rest of the world will get it. But I feel like I got a target and the target is NYC. It’s like Frank Sinatra said, if you can make it here, you can make it anywhere. I feel that I’ve put my footprints in New York, in the ground already. I’m ready to branch out to the rest of the states, the rest of the countries. I’ve got a couple of offers to go out to Japan… go out to London; all over the place, man.”
With MIDI music equipment getting cheaper and more accessible as technology rapidly advances, many “overnight” producers have tossed their gloves into the beat-making arena. According to a seasoned veteran like Ayatollah, however, it’s not the equipment that makes the producer. “Everybody has their choice of musical equipment that they want to use. It’s all (about) what’s coming out of the equipment that the producer has,” Tollah stated emphatically. “You could have a garbage pail and make beats on a garbage pail if it sounds hot. If the artist likes it, they’ll have you come in the studio with the garbage pail and record the garbage pail banging. But at the same time, you could have the producer come in with the laptop or just a whole truckload of equipment in the studio, and he or she may make something the artist doesn’t really want to take to. But you could have the producer that comes in, like I said, with a tin can and two sticks. Make an ill drum track and the artist is gonna be like, ‘I want that’. ‘Cause he don’t have all that crazy, outlandish, state-of-the-art, out-of-this world equipment… but what he’s putting down is insane; it sounds like he’s got a rocket ship in his crib. That’s where I’m at. I’m not trying to keep up with the Joneses with equipment; I’m trying to just do it my own way.”
Ayatollah’s way is most definitely working for him. As “Soundchronicles: Volume One” marinates in the streets, clubs and rides of the world, Tollah has another instrumental album (tentatively titled “Louder”) looming on the horizon for spring ‘07. With artists lining up at his studio door like fiends at a crack den, Ayatollah will continue to serve up his potent brand of raw, rhythmic dope. Indeed, business is good.
For more information on Ayatollah and “Soundchronicles: Volume One”, visit www.myspace.com/soundchron and www.soundchron.com
For more stories and work by Khalid Strickland a.k.a. Dirty angel, visit www.myspace.com/blackpacino and www.supremearsenal.com
BEATS! myspace.com/tollahmusic