Kid Sister

In 2007, I was hired to shoot at the Lollapalooza Hard Rock Lounge by 4th Row Films. It was a place were the artists came and got some free swag. There were a few people that we interviewed that stood out. One of them was Kid Sister. Melisa Young aka "Kid Sister" grew up in Markham, Illinois. In 2007, she was on the cover of URB's "The Next 1000" and She released her first single "Pro Nails" which featured Kanye West. In 2008, she was nominated for Best Female Hip-Hop Artist at the BET awards.

G: Why do you play music?
K: It comes very naturally to me. For a while, I thought it didn’t make any sense to pursue muic beyond the shower. I didn't know anybody that was making a living out of it. Then, I started meeting people that made it their career. My brother got really good, I met Diplo, I met M.I.A., those 3 people showed me that I could do this, and it’s not really like a job, it’s fun and you get paid for it. And I was like, "Sign me up". I do this anyway, for free, in my shower.

G: Favorite food?
K: Depends on the day, what I’m craving, but usually pizza.

Favorite drink?
K: French sodas, I like creamy shit.

G: How do you handle distractions?

K: They don’t phase me. Really, I’ve had a lot of weird things happen at shows.
There was a girl that was rolling on stage at CMJ, she was shaking her body awkwardly. So I moved her off the stage but never stopped rapping.

G: Where do you get inspiration?
K: Sometimes, when you hear a beat it gives you a feeling, and it makes you wanna go xyz to that beat. It seems like saying xyz is right for that song. It's a sneeze, you sit down and write. Writing is deffinately work, sometimes you gotta trudge out to the top the hill and go to your work. And you sit down and you listen to the beat and you try to think of something, and you write those things.

G: Has there been a turning point that made you end up in your life?

K: I guess, it’s not really one thing. I was living a hard life. Working three jobs. I had a rickety bicycle which I rode in the winter, spring, summer, and fall. I was on this loud bike and I thought to myself, "If I try out this music thing, I don’t have shit to lose. I guess I could get poorer but it’s not going to kill me, it’s not like my life was that great. I was passing out fliers, working in a children’s clothing store, and being sales lead for bath and body works. I was really depressed so I started making music. And I feel like when you’re doing what your meant to do in your life, everything works out for your.

G: Musical influences?
K: Anything that sounds good, I really don’t have just one. I listen to anything that has an interesting asthetic and is provocative in some way, mentally, emotionally, and it makes you feel, makes you think, makes you emote, I like anything like that, and it doesn’t have to be music. When I eat, I want the food to take me somewhere, make me feel something, to satisfy some sort of need for adventure. And it’s the same thing for music.

Kid Sister - Pro Nails ft. Kanye Wes

This was the interview I shot in 2007.

You can get check out Kid Sister at www.myspace.com/kidsister.

adios amigos,

greg k

Oliver $ is money.

Oliver $ is a Producer/DJ hailing from Berlin, Germany. About two months ago I bought a record by Consistent. Not knowing who he was, and loving all his tracks, I decided to myspace him and get more info. Turns out that Consistent is a collaborative effort by several Producers in Berlin.

G: Why do you play music?

O: The best motivation is my love of music. I live it and love it.

G: How did you get your DJ name?

O: Originally a promoter made a spelling mistake, instead of putting S for Siebert he put a $ sign and it stuck from there.

G: You go under several different monikers, Oliver $ and Consistent, why?

O: Consistent is a collective of DJ’s and producers in Berlin that I am part of so when you see a Consistent release it doesn’t mean it has been just produced by me but when you see an Oliver $ release that is 100% just me.

G: Do you have a favorite place to spin?

O: My favourite spot has to be Panorama Bar in Berlin where I have my residency.

G: What is the criteria of a good track for you?

O: Fat beats, good groove and something that works in a club.

G: Which one track that you produced would stand out for you?

O: Hotflash was a real break through track for me and my first collaboration with Jesse Rose “Wake Up” was my first production on Made to Play which is the label I have produced exclusively on to date.

G: What is a successful track to you monetarily, numbers sold, reaction?

O: The success is in the reaction of the audience and the listeners, I’m in for the love not the money.

G: What do you think of the state of house music in the World?

O: I think it’s a good time for house music at the moment, a lot of flavors running through it and great scenes going on especially in places like Berlin.

You can get more info on Oliver $ at www.myspace.com/oliverdollar. Also, there's a mix from Oliver at http://madetoplayagency.net/.

adios amigos,

Greg K