DJ Scream has been Atlanta’s premier DJ for years. He has been instrumental in breaking some of your favorite artists from Yo Gotti to 2 Chainz. In 2011 he won the #1 DJ of the Year Award at the Southern Entertainment Awards beating out such legendary acts as DJ Drama and DJ Jelly. The year before that he won Mixtape DJ of the Year and was named top DJ of the year by MTV. His company, Hood Rich Entertainment, which manages and develops artists, as well as does marketing and consulting, has become a powerhouse in the industry. As if things weren’t going well enough for Scream, he signed with Rick Ross’ label, Maybach Music Group, the hottest label in hip-hop. DJ scream has a relentless work ethic and it shows because he stays winning. Mens Mag Daily had a chance to talk with the Heavy In The Streets DJ to discuss how he finds new talent, why radio will always be important for him, and his debut album on MMG, Hunger Pains.
Mens Mag Daily: Scream, you’re at the top of the game right now. You’re signed with MMG which is the hottest label around. What do you attribute all this success to?
DJ Scream: Hard work is always definitely a part of it. That’s an important part. When I first started DJ’ing one of the things I really set out to do was to be able to change people’s moods, make them feel better because that’s what music is at the end of the day. All of this is kind of the vision of how I wanted it to be. It definitely takes that grind, hard work, and persistence to make things happen.
Mens Mag Daily: Tell me about Hood Rich. You started that in 2004, right?
DJ Scream: Yeah, Hood Rich is something me and my partner Rip started together. At the beginning that was us having that entrepreneurial spirit and wanting to build something, you know? It was also something we wanted to build within Atlanta. The company does a lot of things from marketing, to artist development, and management but it was always a grind especially at first. I can definitely say we’ve had so much success though. When I won #1 DJ of The Year Award at the Southern Entertainment awards that was incredible because there was so great competition. And right before that I won Mixtape DJ of the Year is 2009 and 2010 so to be able to have accomplishments like that three years runnin’ was like unbelievable for me and definitely a sign that we were doing something right.
Mens Mag Daily: As a top DJ, how important is it for you to break artists? Are you always looking for that new, how artist?
DJ Scream: To be honest man, I’m just looking for what’s new, period. New and fresh, that’s what I’m always lookin’ for whether it’s the beat, the sound, the lyrics. It’s definitely important to stay up on what’s poppin’ and I’m always paying really close so attention so I catch that new and fresh talent before anybody else does. If I want to work with an artist, I take it seriously and try to guide them in the right direction and staying on top of what’s hot keep me fresh and new too. It kind of keeps you up to date with not only the new generation of artists but the new generation of fans as well.
Mens Mag Daily: How did the MMG situation come about?
DJ Scream: Actually man, me and Ross had met a few times and we were cool. We had a good relationship. I think he’s a good artist and he always told me he thought I was real talented. One day, after the ball had really started rollin’ with MMG, he was in Atlanta and he hit me up and said, “Yo, you’re really talented. I want you to get down with the team.” After that we made it happen. MMG is one of the hottest movements out, you know? Shout out to Ross, Meek and everybody.
Mens Mag Daily: How have you approached putting together a major label album? Has the process been a lot different from how you approach your mixtapes?
DJ Scream: Yeah it’s definitely a more detailed process. Mixtapes are kinda rough, they’re grittier. You just kind of put it out there and let it do what it does. With the mixtapes we all come together, we make it happen, and it goes out. Like I said it’s grittier so it’s a quicker process. With the album there are little specifics and details that you really need to pay attention to. And obviously the album is on a bigger scale so there’s more support behind it and everything.
Mens Mag Daily: And for a project like this, a high profile project, how did you decide who you wanted to work with in terms of artists?
DJ Scream: You know, it wasn’t hard because I just basically reached out to people I’ve worked with in the past. You have to remember that I’ve done mixtape projects, and not just mixtape projects but big mixtape projects with so many artists that I have a lot of relationships. It was easy when it came time to actually put the record together because those are the homies, you know what I’m sayin’?When you work with people you’ve worked with in the past it comes natural and the music comes out dope. The whole album is just gonna be my circle, my allies, the people I know because I know that we can do something hot together, we already have, you know what I’m sayin’? It’s not rocket science to work with people you’ve done musical projects with already. And then, of course, there are people who don’t really do mixtapes that I have a relationship with through my radio show or whatever too that might be a part of the project as well.
Mens Mag Daily: Do you feel like when this album drops it will propel you to an even higher level in the game?
DJ Scream: Yea, I stand on that man just like I stand on the DJ Scream brand or the Hood Rich brand. It’s going to be solid so I’m definitely looking forward to see some places in the world I haven’t been yet. Where I come from I have a passion for that street music, for that real music. A lot of doors are already open for me but I definitely see this opening some new ones. That’s really what this whole Hunger Pains project is all about. Like, I sat down on the first of the year and I asked myself, what do I want out of 2014? I’m sitting there and I’m thinking about all that I have accomplished from the artists I’ve worked with, to the projects I’ve done, to all the awards I’ve won year after year and I’m embracing all of it but I still want more. I want it to be that when I’m no longer here they remember my name and remember my music and it lives on forever. That’s what I’m working towards. We all hustle to pay our bills and feed our families but for your name to be remembered is priceless and I’m working towards that.
Mens Mag Daily: How do you manage to stay hungry given all that you’ve accomplished?
DJ Scream: It’s pretty easy. I’m just never content with what I accomplished yesterday. Yesterday is yesterday. I like to use the analogy that you need to keep income every moth for the rent and the bills. You can’t just get to January and then stop. You need to keep generating income. In my mind, it’s not enough and I have to keep going. My purpose is to make music so I really have no choice but to do it, it’s in me. What get m even more elated is the idea of puttin’ my little homies on and see them accomplish things, hopefully accomplish things that maybe I didn’t even accomplish.
Mens Mag Daily: Who are some of the artists that you really helped break?
DJ Scream: I can’t even single out one man. There’s Crime Mob, Scrappy, Shawty Lo, Rocko, 2 Chainz, Yo Gotti, Soulja Boy, Waka, Future I’m proud of all of them man. I seen all of them be hungry and be in the studio so I could never take anything away from what they do but to know you were the first one to play their record or give them an interview, it feels good. All of those projects and artists are a part of me and I got love for all of them.
Mens Mag Daily: Is doing radio still something you enjoy doing a lot?
DJ Scream: Yeah, that’s my baby man. I love just going on the radio and premiering music, playing hits, taking requests. I love bein’ on the radio man. It’s my connection with people so I take it real seriously. I love it.
Mens Mag Daily: Scream, give us the rundown what should we be looking for?
DJ Scream: The single “Always” is out with Que, Gunplay, Waka, and Tracy T. On the internet you can find me at https://twitter.com/DJSCREAM and http://www.djscreamtv.com/site/. You know it’s MMG and Hood Rich and I’d like to thank Mens Mag Daily for giving me the opportunity and interviewing me. Hunger Pains is the album.
Article By: Jon DaBove
