Kalani: NSK has set the standard as far as deejaying in Hawaii, no one can argue that fact. The big question many may have is why it took so long for a NSK dj to put out a mix tape?
COMPOSE: "There are a lot of factors to this… First of all, our focus has primarily been in the performance aspect of DJing… whether it is a doing clubs, actual performances, or throwing events. Our resume shows this, and we feel we changed the game in a lot of ways. Now it’s time for us to shake it up once again and go back to the days of putting quality mixes out of stuff we actually like… not what necessarily is “cool”. We have actually had many mixes done throughout the years, but this is the first one that actually was put out and available for purchase. It definitely is way overdue… but we plan to make up for lost time."
Kalani: What went into selecting the tracks? Were you picky?
COMPOSE: "I was extremely calculated with this mix… and what is crazy was I had most of this mix done a few months ago… and now a lot of the songs are pretty popular! Overall, I wanted to stay away from trends and stuff going on (Mash-ups, retro music, etc.) and put a tape out with great “true” music. It may not be perfect, but I think it was executed pretty well."
Kalani: How did you approach Emirc about the project? How far do you guys go back?
COMPOSE: "I feel Emirc (Tassho Pearce) is one of the most amazing dudes I know… He is extremely talented, and is a person who never settles. I have known dude for a good while now growing up in the scene, and feel that he had the same drive and hunger NSK has. (He used to rip dudes apart in MC Battles the same time we were battling). He has turned his art into a very successful business (Big up to the Flip The Bird gang). I feel we always had a mutual respect for each other, so when I approached him with the idea of flipping “roc boys” into “Noc boys”, he was all for it! In fact, by the time I got to the studio, he was already done with the Track!!! He knocked it out the park with it too. Much respect to Tassho."
Kalani: What have some of the responses been from fellow deejays?
COMPOSE: "I believe the people who would like and appreciate this mix the most are my peers… they can attest to how difficult it is to do a project like this… and for the most part everyone has been real supportive."
Kalani: What is NSK's main goal with the project?
COMPOSE: "As in anything, our goal is to always stay one step ahead of the game… We feel we have to not only do things for ourselves, but for the whole scene in general. Where else do find a group of dj’s so mixed and intertwined in all the scenes here in Hawaii? I can honestly say no one. The same night you’ll find me doing a party @ the W is the same night you see E$kae doing Skyline @ the HanoHano Room while Jami is doing an 80’s Jumpoff @ Next Door, while Solution is performing at a Hip-Hop event somewhere else… that what is so dope is we can basically jump to each others events and not skip a beat. We some Versatile Motherfu*ckers!"
Kalani: Talk about the support you've received?
COMPOSE: "First of all, Big up to my main bro Jimmy Taco for helping me… that’s my dude for real. All the stores that I believe in showed me love, so Much Mahalo’s to Kicks/HI, Dig Lifestyle, Fitted, In4mation, Exclusive, Prototype, Sera’s, Queens, and everyone who copped a CD."
Kalani: About how long did it take to finish it? Was it nerve racking at all?
COMPOSE: "It really didn’t take too long finishing, but every day that passed was grueling because I wanted to get it out while the music was fresh… and whole bunch of other things are involved too. (Physically printing it out, marketing and promotion… etc.) but it all worked out in the end with the release… we had a great turn out and it was topped off with a crazy night with Kid Sister and DJ A-trak."
Kalani: When should we expect mixtapes from the rest of the crew?
COMPOSE: "The plan is to drop it as soon as possible, we all have our own idea of what they want in a mixtape, so it should be fun to see what myself and the crew come up with."
Kalani: I personally feel, your mixtape may inspire and push other local deejays to put out mixtapes of their own. What would you're reaction be if that happened? How would it feel to actually start such a movement?
COMPOSE: "Again, that is the main goal…. When we were involved with the battle scene, we wanted to inspire others to do what we do by not only battling, but also throwing local DJ Battles for the Up and Coming DJ’s (our Checkmate battles)… looking back at it, we had some great DJ’s involved, namely DJ Anit… who now is killing it here and in the mainland. Now we have a wider audience who look at us, and I feel that doing things such as this mix will push others to step their game up… and that is only gonna make things better for all of us."
Kalani: Anything else you want to let readers know?
COMPOSE: "Thanks to all those that support us… we’ll continue to cook up that miraculous shit for you. Be on the lookout for future projects, as well as a new venture with Kicks/HI called “Super Handsome Sound” which is gonna murder things in ’08."
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