He has done a fair bit of production and remixes over the years for artists such as Freddie Foxxx, World Renown, Slick Rick,Nefertiti, LeShaun, Apache (R.I.P.) Queen Latifah, Naughty By Nature, Nikki-D and R & B and Pop acts like Color Me Badd, Zhane, REM, Casserine and many others. I was lucky enough to send some questions to SID and this is the dope info he gave you good readers...I really hope that unreleased material sees the light of day.
Big ups and any thanks to Mr Reynolds and to Grimee Rappuh for tracking down some tracks for me, peep his dope blog here...
reprezentgoldenagehiphop.blogspot.com
SID: My earliest memories of Hip Hop go back to the Coldcrush Brothers, Sugarhill Gang days. I started out as a DJ in Crimedanch on the set rocking out in the park when I was 14 and made a name around the way for being a musical talent early on. We formed Sid & B.Tonn right after high school in 89 after I came back from NC where I was for 4 years and where I met my wife. who I'm still with till this day.
At the Time Rakim was embracing what we were doing and eventually made a call to Lyor Cohen and the next day Russell Simmons, Lyor Cohen,myself, B.Tonn and Rakim was at the Def Jam/ Rush table signing the dotted line. From there Lyor and Russell saw my producing prowess and at the time needed a big record for the first lady of Def Jam Nikki D.
Lyor and Russell put me in the studio with Nikki D, Busta Rhymes and the Bomb Squad and I ended up writing and producing Daddys Little Girl (1991) which was Nikki`s biggest gold record. Lyor told Francesca Spero to bring me in as a rush producer alongside the best in the game from Easy Mo Bee to Marley Marl to Large Professor, Pete Rock and on !! Francesca was very influential in making decisions for us as producers . From there it was Lyor and Russell along with Fran who decided to put me on Slick Rick`s project and to really taking producing as a serious entity.
CRDS: What is your favourite equipment to produce with and what was your original set up?
SID: I had 808 machines to casios. My first machine I used seriously was the w-30 Roland keyboard ;( Erick Sermon came to the crib and wanted to buy it, He knew what time it was with that machine, He used it also way back). Then I bought the SP 1200 and went drum crazy. Next I bought an MPC and all hell broke loose. From the MPC days led straight to Logic PC style then eventually to Mac. Now its a combination of using the Analog world balanced with the Digital world.
CRDS: What kind of records did you hear most when you were younger SID and a question I always love to ask is who were your influences and favourite artists?
SID: I heard and felt all kinds of music when I was young . From Jazz to Rock music, to easy listening it hit me hard. I was blessed to be one of the last producers along with Easy Mo B to work with the late great Jazz King Miles Davis ( which was outside the box for me) just before he passed when Francesca Spero put us together before his untimely passing.
We were honored to be included in the book entitled the Last Miles which details his last musical years on this earth. We worked on two songs and louring recording of the songs Miles became sick and passed before the tracks were completed as you can read in his book The Last Miles,By George Cole.
CRDS: What have been some of your producing highlights and do you have a lot of unreleased material in the vaults?
SID: I'm the King of unreleased material in the vaults ; whew; Here we go!! Rakim; Anytime; Ny to Cali;/ LL.Cool. J, Dead Presidents, Satelittes/ Queen Latifah; Message, Hand it to you, My days; When we ,Give in / Apache ; Whole album; / Freddie Foxxx; Out the Gate; / Miles Davis ,Mr.Cool., Lets go/ Ness; Talkin bout Diddy /Lil Fate ,Hypnotic/ Rass Kass,Im God Body/ Left Eye's artist Nandi,The longer my days,we wait/ Crimedanch Cartel album /Rhazel; Words and sounds/ Kurrupt Mob/ Bankey Staxxx album/ Syrus/Album/ /Soul Fa Real ,A Little sum.
Some of my producing highlights I would have to say is when Rakim started bringing me in the Lab to produce for him and also working with Latifah,; we had a real strong bond in the studio.She always said City is the best on the boards. During making Latifah`s Black Reign album album Mary J Blige`s husband Kendu played drums for Latifah and most of the drums on that album I had Kendu go in and play and sample the drums, then him and I would sit at the MPC while La puffed a Blunt and chopped up those drums and added from the MPC to make those hits from "Just Another Day" to "Black Handside"
Kendu would tell people that he learned how to program from watching me!!! ask him.lol
CRDS: Was there a finished Sid & B-Tonn album and if so will it ever see the light of day?
SID: No, the album was never finished because we got caught up in the whole R.A.L/Def Jam/Columbia kaos that eventually shut R.A.L down . Russell and Lyor pulled away from Columbia and R.A.L caught it. We had hot songs on deck that Lyor and people at Def Jam was real excited about and people still ask me about to this day. "Smiling Faces" was the 2nd single .
CRDS: You were signed to RAL, how did that come about, did you send demos out to different labels back in the day?
SID: Rakim called Lyor Cohen and we was sent immediately to the big league! We did the grind hard which Rakim was seeing up until the point were he said yall ready and I'm gonna make that call. That decision changed our lives instantly. I give so much praise and thanks to Rakim because not only did he bring us in the door but he never turned me away when I came to him for guidance. I look up to Rakim in so many ways. I love the God!!
CRDS: How did you get involved with The Flavor Unit?
SID: Apache ; R.I.P/ when I was working wit Nikki D, Apache and Treach were coming to the sessions. On the hook for daddy little girl its Apache and Treach. Treach is in the video. Apache would always tell me you that dude and when the Flavor Unit signs him he wants me to oversee his whole project even if I didn't produce every song on it.
I did additional production on every other producer`s track on that album from Q.Tip starting off Gangsta Bitch and me finishing it. To Diamond D`s records with mixing and Maniac Mob records also. I produced 6 songs on his first album and when he got signed to Motown we did a 2nd album that had LL.Cool.J on it and Naughty .
Apache got sick and Motown held the album wit classics on it after the Flavor Unit /Motown situation fell apart. Apache introduced me to Queen Latifah and Naughty By Nature and was responsible for bringing me in to the flavor unit fold. Apache and I worked together on Latifah's biggest album Black Reign in which I produced 7 songs and oversaw and mixed the album and also built a strong relationship with Shakim and Latifah whom I respect and love greatly regardless of what happened.
This also led to the relationship wit Naughty in which on 19naughty three I was the only outside producer included on the project in which I produced "Its On" and "The Only Ones". KG and I built a strong forte and both appreciated the art of producing where we always clicked and taught each other different ways to step your game up .
I spent a lot of time in Jersey From East Orange to Brick City with Naughty and family.
I eventually became the Flavor Unit main Producer working with Latifah, Naughty By Nature, Freddie Foxxx, Leshaun, Bigga Sistas, Zhane with KG, Chill Rob G!, Lakim Shabazzz and Simone Hines.
CRDS: What are the latest projects you have been working on?
SID: My latest project is the talk of 2011 I tell you; ya na mean; I signed an artist from L.I. NY named J.Parka . Were mixing his album now and its called From the outside looking in. Classic hottest material produced by my son and I in which we now call ourselves The Superiors. S.I.D/CITYD/DJ Attention. He`s a 17 year old prodigy who keeps me on point and has taken the Logic 9 world to the next level. Do I hear Apple deal. lol. Logic people.!!!!!
CRDS: Anything you would like to add SID?
yes I would like to say thank you for being a true Hip Hop soldier Jaz. Big up to you and your crew in New Zealand and we (S.I.D and the ABM Team) appreciate the love and respect from oversees. Look out for that J.Parka in about 2 months and new tracks and projects coming from The Superiors.
Peace and respect
Salute .
S.I.D/CITYSID
Here is a selection of some dope SID produced tracks, enjoy and SID said he would me hook up soon with some remixes that are hard to find..stay tuned.
Apache-A Fight (1993) (off the Apache Aint Shit LP)
http://www.mediafire.com/?7dqmwa8q0bali45Apache-Wayz of a Murderahhh (1993)
Apache-Keep It Real (1993) (off the Roll Wit Tha Flava LP)
http://www.mediafire.com/?n4w4smvxlpi8ijwBumpy Knuckles-Reverend Glock
http://www.mediafire.com/?is5gaib9uhbykci
Crimedanch Cartel-All My Friends (1996) (off the Rugged Dis Style 12")
Crimedanch Cartel ft Rakim-Realism (1996) (off the Rugged Dis Style 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?hpmnz38rcko86ewCrimedanch Cartel ft LL Cool J-Money Is The Key (off the Rugged Dis Style White Label 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?1kdsoc69x80ygx3Freddie Foxxx ft Queen Latifah-So Tough (SID's Mellow Mix) (1994) (off the So Tough 12"
http://www.mediafire.com/?a49bg2rwza08ckd
Leshaun-The Drill (1993) (off the Wide Open 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?838y98deia71h1m
Naughty By Nature-The Only Ones (1993) (off the Ninety Naughty III LP)
http://www.mediafire.com/?s7o6ooc2wj696lk
Nefertiti-Visions of Nefertiti (SID's Remix) (1993) (off the Visions of Nefertiti 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?ckxgaj2s1hw455xNikki-D ft SID-Hang On Kid (1991) (off the Hang On Kid 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?z74qi05p6732broQueen Latifah-Black Hand Side (1993) (off the Black Reign LP)
http://www.mediafire.com/?rgo1u95ued74058Queen Latifah-Just Another Day (1993) (off the Black Reign LP)
http://www.mediafire.com/?1fhi9aq33s8fqqcSid & B-Tonn-Deathwish II (1990) off the Deathwish 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?4pna7hzjf2b17k4Slick Rick-Mistakes Of Women In Love With Other Men (Remix) (1991) (off the Mistakes Of Women In Love With Other Men 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?ukew4xdwkqywq0j
http://www.mediafire.com/?ukew4xdwkqywq0j
World Renown-How Nice I Am (S.I.D Remix) (1994) (off the How Nice I Am 12")
http://www.mediafire.com/?gut3tsuo5762hr7
5 comments:
Nice interview Jaz, thanks!
The man needs to open up his vaults!
Is there another version of Rakim's New York To Cali? I have it on one of those Archives 12"es and it's credited to Clark Kent.
Some of the mediafire links are mixed up, they all link to Apache - A Fight..
Krisch, all files have been fixed up, sorry about that, thanks for your comment, mad appreciated.
I will tell SID to open up the vaults :)
killer joints
Word, S.I.D. is Sid from Sid & B-Tonn? Learn something new everyday. Dope interview. Ask him if he's got Sha-Key's Soulsville 12" remix. That to me is the best joint she ever did, and one of his dopest beats on the mellow tip.
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