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Senica and DJ Darkfada

by size 13 / Published September 16‚ 2006 at 8:18am

Already generating a major buzz across the states through a number of mixtapes. It is only a matter of time before the names of the MC, DJ are known worldwide.
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It is so easy to complain about Hip Hop music right now. What’s changed? You had to search to find the good music in 1981 and one still does today. Whether you’re a DJ and or a true fan, if you are determined enough the hidden treasures are always obtainable.

Senica, DJ Darkfada have this mentality above, it was through bumping into each other in their High School in Tulsa, Oklahoma (1994), that they both realised that there was someone else that was living Hip Hop at the time.

The concept for Touch 1 recordings began in 2001. The idea for the label was sparked after Senica being offered a deal by a major record company. The proposed contract was viewed as not worth the paper it was written on. Rather than complain and become bitter, after Vital suggesting that they do it themselves. It was decided to go fourth and show and prove.

Already generating a major buzz across the states through a number of mixtapes. It is only a matter of time before the names of the MC, DJ are known worldwide.

Senica. Also known as Da Misfit.

Tell me about the song ‘Passion 1987’?

‘Passion 1987’ is a representation of the birth of hip hop for me as an artist, emcee, writer and most importantly a fan of hip hop, it was indeed the year I discovered it.

What were your 1st memories getting into Hip Hop at the age of 7?

I mostly remember free styling and saying a bunch of stupid stuff that rhymed a lot and humoring people on my avenue, beat boxing and break dancing was my thing but rapping over break beat records was definitely my thing.

Can you describe your surroundings and the influence/affect they had on you and your access to Hip Hop culture?

Well of course almost every emcee has the typical I am from the hood story, but for me, though I was raised in the hood in Severn, Maryland. I used all the elements around me to help formulate my craft as an emcee, honestly hip hop was inevitable because everyone breathed it through the music, the clothes and the parties it just affected people like such as myself more potently through rhyming. We had the drugs, the guns, and crime but all I did was stay away from that but let the reality of that life style transcend through my rhymes to paint a picture of where I was from in a creative way to enlighten people of the ghetto.

How did you meet Darkfada?

I must have said this story a million times, to make a long story short, I moved to Tulsa, Oklahoma from Maryland in the summer of 1994, hip hop was beautiful and blatantly divided with east coast and west coast. My high school looked like it was straight out of California. There were mad jerry curls, finger waves, khaki’s, with the sharp line in the front with the flannels. Here I come, with the baggy jeans, backpack talking fast colorful clothes, confusing the Bloods and the Crips at my school just straight alienated. All I’m hearing is E- 40, Brother Lynch, Warren G, not saying I wasn't feeling that, I was just on some straight grimy pure underground Hip Hop. I’m at lunch and see this skinny black dude at the table and I said yo, can I sit here, he was like cool we started building and he said he was a DJ and was feeling Hip Hop and all. I was like yeah whatever and he had his Walkman, I said what you playing he said that Wu Tang Clan – ‘Enter The 36 Chambers’ album. It was then I said I think I’ve found my DJ.

What were the origins of Da Misfit?

That name was manifested from my DJ and I. We were up in business class and he was looking in the dictionary saying we need to find you a hot rap name, something that describes you and he came across misfit and me being from the east coast living in the Mid West in 94 that name stuck with me. Ironically it does to this day being that I’m an original Hip Hop head challenging an industry now filled with gimmicks and show business mainly in the forefront of the mainstream.

How would you describe your style on the microphone?

In one word classic, the first thing people say when they hear me is I remember. That is the original Hip Hop heads. The new school generation, say that I sound educated and sharp. I describe my style is conscious and political, very heart felt and passionate.

Out of all of your tracks on your mix tapes, which track do you believe is most advanced in terms of your delivery, flow and vocabulary?

Out of all the mix tapes, the one track that blew my mind personally away was ‘Tha World’, that song is me 100% rhymes, delivery, concept and flow. You could pop that disc in ten years from now and it would still hold its own weight because it is a classic and that was one of the 1st songs to get rotation and love on the radio as well.

Your debut LP is dropping soon, ‘Sidewalk-N-Aves’, what can we expect?

Everyone can rest assure with DJ Darkfada and Neckbrace productions on board and Mista Vitals (ceo) as executive producer and myself on the rhymes....’instant classic’. We are a trio of a perfect balance classic, revolutionary and soulful. That's ‘Touch 1’, that's ‘Sidewalks N Aves’, that’s Senica.

DJ Darkfada

You’ve been Deejaying since 86’, was making tracks something that you always wanted to get into:

Not at all, when I first started deejaying I don’t even think I knew what ‘Hip Hop’ was at the time. My cousin had moved in with my family and he had equipment and mad records. All I knew was that “playing on the turntables” was fun and I loved the music. I didn’t start experimenting with producing until I had been deejaying for almost 10 years.

Tell me about the origins of ‘Touch 1’?

Touch one basically originated from a trip we took to ‘Columbia’ records after Misfit had won a battle that Nas was judging back in 2001. They had offered misfit a shitty ass deal. I mean like no signing bonus, no video and he’d basically would have had to promote his record himself. It was real fucked up. So vital being the hustling businessman he is, was like ‘fuck it, the shit they offering we can do it by ourselves’ so that’s where touch one was born.

The World is a dope track, how did it come about?

The same way we come up with all of our tracks. Just in the studio making love to the MPC! The track came out banging, Vital heard it, came up with a concept and of course misfit killed it.

You can hear how DJ Premier’s production inspired you there?

Primo is one of the all time greats to me. He’s most consistent with straight up hip-hop tracks. I can tell he loves hip-hop just from listening to his tracks and that’s the same feeling I want people have when they hear mine.

You’ve got the Touch One mix tape out now. What has the response been like?

The response has been nothing but love. We got ‘Touch 1’ mixtape volumes 1,2 & 3, the ‘Fierce Fir’e mixtape and the ‘Extra Flames’ mixtape, and we are about to drop 1 more mixtape called ‘Classics’ before Misfits album ‘Sidewalks-N-Aves’ drops.

Which tracks are the most popular?

There are a few, I think from the ‘fierce fire’ a joint called ‘then I woke up’ misfit is spitting over that Lil Kim ‘stay that b*tch’ track, people went crazy over that one. ‘Extra flames’ was ‘burning girl’ and vol 3 was ‘the world’. There are so many. It has been all love.

Which track is the strongest in your opinion?

That’s a hard one. Probably a joint off, volume 2 called ‘life and death’. The tracks a banger plus it has monumental because it was the 1st track that we really got some air play on and go the Touch 1 ball rolling.

There are five main people behind Touch 1. Break down what each brings to the family?

I’ll start with Mr Vital. He is the CEO / Business - man of the crew. He comes up with fresh ideas, makes sure everybody stays on top of their game and that everything goes according to plan. D’syple is a grimy beast with an ill delivery. His voice alone grabs you as soon as he starts spitting. AOD (all out dominant), he is like the incognito cat in the crew. You rarely see him, but he will pop out of nowhere and drop a mean sixteen. We also got Misfit. At the moment he is the featured artist on Touch 1. His delivery is second to none. Lyrically he is a genius, the definition of a well - balanced MC. He is also one half of Neckbrace productions.

How did you see Hip Hop Culture develop in Tulsa, then Maryland?

The Hip Hop scene in Tulsa is what it is. Tulsa has a nice music scene, with a lot of hot artists. However, as far as Hip Hop, you have to dig deep to find it. There are kids doing their thing, representing Hip Hop Culture down there, however Tulsa has a bigger down south and gangsta rap following. Don’t get me wrong, I love gangsta rap because that’s what I’m from. The whole gang environment is a part of Tulsa, the music scene is dominated by gangsta Rap. As far as Baltimore’s Hip Hop scene, there are a lot of quality artists in Baltimore, they scene is bigger. There are a lot of mc battles and showcases, however in my opinion Baltimore is more known for its club music scene more than Hip Hop.

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