DJ Muggs on Getting Robbed at Gunpoint and Getting Banned From 'SNL'
DJ Muggs has had a crazier life than you. Lifetime bans from Saturday Night Live. Getting (almost) robbed at gunpoint in Paris. And, oh yeah, creating a 20-year career both as producer for legendary Cali hip hop group Cypress Hill and with his own countless collaborations and solo albums. While Muggs is looking forward with the release of Bass For Your Face, featuring Danny Brown, Freddie Gibbs, Chuck D and Roc Marciano, we also wanted to hear some crazy stories of past albums and life on the road.
On Cypress Hill
I got $1,200 and started learning the SP-1200. And as I was learning it and making beats, B-Real would come over and rap. We basically practiced for a year before anything sounded like a record. From the point of getting a drum machine to the time the record came out was three years. Some of the songs had three years to marinate. After six months, I would go back in and add a couple of breaks.
On Metal and Industrial Influence on Black Sunday
When I made Black Sunday, I was listening to Black Sabbath and Ministry. I was really into industrial rock and Al Jourgensen. If you really go look at the [Cypress Hill] album covers, that was a big inspiration for me; that dark, stripped-down minimalistic vibe that it had.
On Getting Banned From Saturday Night Live
We got to SNL for the rehearsals. When I got there, we had rolled a joint and they were like, “Don’t light that joint tonight.” After the eighth person came in, I was like, “F-ck these people. I’m lighting this joint. As soon as the second song started, I knew it was live, I’m like, ‘New York City, can I light my joint?” I guess the f-ckin’ phones lit up and that was it. We were banned for life. Everyone was mad at me. I was the bad guy.
Check out the video above for more. Bass For Your Face is out now.
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