# Splendid Radio w Bass Heavy and Greg C.

Source: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K8gRnPDcpE8
Recap page: https://rapidrecap.app/video/K8gRnPDcpE8

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## Quick Overview

Bass Heavy, a multi-talented producer and musician, details his journey from Shreveport to New Orleans and Houston, highlighting his deep roots in hip-hop and jazz, and his current role as CEO of Workshop Houston, a non-profit dedicated to mentoring justice-involved youth in music production. He emphasizes the importance of organic learning and community in fostering young talent, while also sharing insights on the Drake-Kendrick beef and the evolution of music production tools.

**Key Points:**
- Bass Heavy, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, moved to New Orleans, the "birthplace of jazz," and later to Houston after Hurricane Katrina.
- He considers Kendrick Lamar the "10th wonder of the world" for his creativity in the Drake beef, stating Drake "bit off more than he could chew."
- His favorite hip-hop series is the Hulu Wu-Tang series, praising its artistic storytelling and chronological alignment with the group's album releases.
- His first owned hip-hop record was "La Di Da Di," but Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's "The Show" was the song that truly "blew my mind."
- Bass Heavy is the CEO of Workshop Houston, a non-profit that teaches music production to justice-involved youth, focusing on connection and expression rather than strict technicality.
- He uses ProTools for precise mixing and editing, calling it the "most intricate software for being precise," while using other software for initial creative work.
- He learned music by ear, starting on keyboard displays in electronic stores, before formal training in performing arts school and later college, where he embraced jazz piano.

**Context:** The "Splendid Radio" interview features host Greg C. and multi-talented guest Bass Heavy, a producer, musician, and CEO of Workshop Houston. The conversation spans Bass Heavy's personal and professional journey, from his Louisiana roots and experiences in the New Orleans music scene to his current work mentoring youth. They discuss significant moments in hip-hop history, contemporary music events like the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef, and the technical aspects of music production and mentorship.

## Detailed Analysis

Bass Heavy, a seasoned producer and musician, recounts his geographical and musical evolution, beginning in Shreveport, Louisiana, moving to New Orleans—the acknowledged birthplace of jazz—and eventually settling in Houston after Hurricane Katrina. He describes his early self-taught musical beginnings on electronic store keyboards, which led to formal classical and jazz piano training in performing arts school. Bass Heavy clarifies that the perceived beef between No Limit and Cash Money Records was primarily a street-level conflict between rival housing projects, not a musical feud among artists. He offers a strong opinion on the Drake-Kendrick Lamar beef, praising Kendrick as the "10th wonder of the world" for his undeniable creativity and criticizing Drake's use of AI. He also notes the re-emergence of producer Mustard during this period. As CEO of Workshop Houston, a non-profit, Bass Heavy mentors justice-involved youth in music production, fostering curiosity-driven learning and community through restorative justice circles. He observes a shift in youth interest from beat-making to engineering and recording, with free software like BandLab gaining popularity, though he still champions ProTools for its precision in mixing. Bass Heavy reflects on hip-hop's history, from the impactful Fresh Fest concerts of the 80s to the current digital landscape, and stresses the patience required in the creative process, likening initial beat-making to a visual artist's early "chicken scratch" before the final masterpiece.

### Musical Journey & New Orleans Roots

- Bass Heavy, originally from Shreveport, Louisiana, moved to New Orleans, which he learned was the "birthplace of jazz" due to Congo Square's historical drumming traditions
- He experienced significant culture shock moving to New Orleans, realizing its rich musical heritage extended far beyond ragtime
- His early musical talent developed by playing by ear on electronic store keyboards, leading to formal training in classical and jazz piano.

### Hip-Hop Industry & Beef Dynamics

- Bass Heavy views Kendrick Lamar as the "10th wonder of the world" for his creativity in the Drake beef, stating Drake "bit off more than he could chew"
- He highlights producer Mustard's re-introduction to the world through the Drake-Kendrick beef, noting Mustard's long career and his belief that Ty Dolla $ign taught Mustard how to produce
- The No Limit and Cash Money beef was primarily a conflict between rival housing projects (Calio and Magnolia), not a widespread musical feud among artists or musicians.

### Workshop Houston & Youth Mentorship

- Bass Heavy became CEO of Workshop Houston, a non-profit teaching music to justice-involved youth, after Hurricane Katrina led him to Houston
- The program uses "restorative justice circles" for daily check-ins, fostering connectivity and allowing kids to learn at their own pace, driven by curiosity
- Youth are now more interested in engineering, mixing, and recording than beat-making, frequently using free software like BandLab, which offers recording, beat-making, autotune, and plugins.

### Music Production & Tools

- Bass Heavy initially struggled with drum programming due to his musician's approach, but mastered it through "a lot of work and errors and mistakes and trying and experimenting"
- He considers ProTools the most intricate software for precise mixing and editing, allowing for meticulous control over decibel levels, while he uses other software for initial creative ideation
- Exposing young artists to well-mixed music cultivates their curiosity to learn more about the technical aspects of production.

### Hip-Hop History & Personal Milestones

- His first hip-hop record owned was "La Di Da Di," but Doug E. Fresh and Slick Rick's "The Show" truly "blew my mind"
- Fresh Fest concerts in the 80s, featuring artists like Run DMC, LL Cool J, and Fresh Prince, were "the biggest thing in the world" and felt like "Woodstock" in Shreveport
- Bass Heavy's entry into the New Orleans music scene began with his bass and keyboard skills, followed by engineering, and then drum programming, learning through observation from figures like Manny Fresh and KLC.

### Soul Remedy Band & Unique Sound

- The Soul Remedy band, which Bass Heavy was part of, had a unique sound that combined D'Angelo-type music with Mara's "singing rap" vocals, which he describes as "ahead of her time" like Anderson .Paak
- Ira's guitar style blended Ernie Isley and Jimi Hendrix, adding a "hot sauce" R&B flavor rather than pure rock and roll
- Drummer T-Rose pursued acting, which was always his passion, leading to his departure from the band as his career grew.