Evil Ed - 10 Questions

Evil Ed is a UK Hip Hop DJ/producer legend, who has been making tracks since the late 1980's and has been involved in many records since his first vinyl release, the 'Blunted Bumpkin Buskers' EP by Hidden Identity in 1994. Since the late 90's he has produced tracks and provided cuts for a vast number of artists and labels and has also been involved in recording and mixing a number of projects, most notably the 'Slanguage' LP by Universal Soldiers and his own debut album 'The Enthusiast' which were both released to critical acclaim in 2004.

Ed started his own Hidden Identity Productions label in 2002 and has released a number of projects by himself and other artists. He has also been involved in starting a handful of other labels including Buggin' Out Recordings with Makif, Chakra Sounds with Hey!Zeus, Playing Around with DJ K-Delight and more recently the Music Please imprint with Manchester's Dijit (More Bounce). Ed was involved in the early days of Jehst's YNR Productions, producing the classic 'Liquid Diction' on the 'Premonitions' EP. His self-funded 'The Tournament Round One' EP was the fourth release on the label.

Ed is still producing and providing cuts for projects. He has recently contributed to albums by Ric Branson, Cons, Tesla's Ghost, Cyrus Malachi, Ray Vendetta, Triple Darkness and many more. As a DJ he has performed sets supporting Hip Hop legends Slick Rick, Ultramagnetic MC's, Main Source, Schoolly D, Pete Rock, Lord Finesse, Prince Paul, Jeru The Damaja, Group Home and others.

Evil Ed sat down with Wordplay Magazine to answer our infamous 10 Questions and talk about his music and his label Hidden Identity Productions:

1. So tell me, how did it all begin? What sparked your love for music?

I always loved music and had records as a kid, but my love for music began properly when I got a walkman in the early 80's. That coincided with kids at school lending me tapes of the Street Sounds 'Electro  albums and other compilations of Hip Hop from back then. Shortly after that I started tuning into Mike Allen's show on Capital Radio. He would play all the new Hip Hop records coming out. It was an exciting time for music. That was back in '84/'85, but I was born in 1973 and was already a few months old when Kool Herc was on the turntables at that party in the Bronx that has now become the birthday of Hip Hop.

2. Who are some artists that influence you and that you want to work with in the future?

I'm influenced by all the production greats from various eras of Hip Hop from the USA, from Duke Bootee to Marley Marl, Mantronik, Ced Gee on to Premo, Pete Rock, Dilla, Madlib, Prince Paul, RZA, Erick Sermon, too many to list and some UK legends too like Twilight Firm and The Principle to Nappa and Skitz later on who were putting out some classic records when I first started producing properly in the 90's. UK producers I came up with have always inspired me and kept me on my toes. Apollo, Len (LG), Jehst, Harry Love, AH Fly, to name a few. Jazz T is consistently dope and Dot.i (formerly Hey!zeus of Obba Supa) is a musical genius.

Also, I've known Mr Slipz for a few years now. I met him through our brother and one time Wordplay contributor Joey Deez from Village Live (RIP). We've been talking about collaborating. There's still some UK legends I want to do tunes with too like Kashmere and Parky who I've had on my beats via my remixes, but never done full original tracks with. I did tunes with Konny Kon way back, but never anything with Children Of Zeus. They would be on most people's lists to collab with I reckon. Verbz is another MC I'd like on my production.

3. What projects do you have coming out on the label and can you give us any info on them?

I just dropped the recent Triple Darkness album 'Kurayami' which was the label's biggest release to date and the first double vinyl I've put out. That was followed by a 10 track project by The Colony called 'The Price Of Living'. That's my favourite release of recent times as they're close family of mine in this UK Hip Hop thing and it's been a while since they have all been together recording as a crew and putting out full length projects. That has beats on from Apollo and Len (LG) and as I mentioned, these are two of my favourite producers who came up the same time as me, so it's an honour to have some music by them on the label.

The next release is 'Hello World' a 7 track project from Kakarot from DSOTM, entirely produced by another UK production legend Ghost. It features guest rhymes from Kashmere and C.o.N Vers as well as cuts by Jazz T and myself. Mastered by the mighty Chemo. It will be available to pre-order by the time this interview is up and out on 26th May. I'm handling the physical in the the form of a limited edition digipak CD and cassette and Receptor Records are handling the digital release. Ringz Ov Saturn did the design and has smashed it as always.

4. How would you describe the music you release on your label?

The label is an extension of what I've been doing since I started Hidden Identity the group with my mate Nigel (Lone Disciple) back in 1989. It came from a love of UK Hip Hop from the late 80's/early 90's, Gunshot, London Posse, Caveman, Demon Boyz, Hijack, Hardnoise, The Criminal Minds and a continuation of the legacy they started.

What I produce myself and what I put out on the label has it's foundations in those sounds and there is a nod to it and to the era of UK Hip Hop I was pivotal in circa 2000, but I see it as the continuation of that scene for these times, not a throwback to it. If you listen to the new tracks by The Colony and compare it to their releases from 20 years ago you'll hear the progression. The releases on the label will hopefully compliment the classics, maybe even be considered classics themselves in future.

5. What's your proudest moment to date so far as an artist?

There's a couple of interrelated moments that involve Rodney P and Skitz. I was, and still am, a huge fan of London Posse and Skitz was a homegrown production influence when I was coming up in the late 90's, so walking into a club one time back in the early 00's and hearing Skitz playing my track featuring Task Force, 'The Tournament', to a packed dancefloor and Rodney calling for a wheel up was a proud moment. Incidentally I bumped into Rodney P again a few nights ago at Parky's album launch and mentioned this to him and he told me "if I said wheel up, I meant it".

6. Do you have any advice for our readers who may be trying to play the mad game of music?

Things have changed so much since I was trying to make a name for myself as a producer over 20 years ago. Music is over saturated online. I think I was lucky to establish myself when I did. It involved sending out actual beat tapes on cassette, getting people's numbers and phoning them, meeting people at jams and in record shops. It's a lot different now with social media. I don't have any advice for anyone making music for views and likes or just for money. I think that despite the ease and speed with which you can get music out there now, to be respected by people you look up to and to make a name for yourself as a credible artist you still have to put in the work and develop your skills. If you have talent and are patient and prepared for knock backs then I think it's still possible to make something that people will want to listen to more than once, maybe even a classic. Get some good quality artwork and design for your releases too if you can.

7. Are there any artists on your radar right now that we should check out?

G.Jones (formerly Grimlok) of The Colony is smashing it with beats now. Jaydar is underrated and will hopefully get more recognition with each new release. Bad FX keeps putting out top notch, cutting edge releases. Ric Branson (Ricochet from Universal Soldiers) is still going strong. There's a couple of MC's from Dublin called Cal and G.I. who were on the Flyghost album by Da Flyy Hooli and Tesla's Ghost. I rate them too. Also, individual members of Triple Darkness, DSOTM and The Colony have solo projects, either out now or forthcoming so check those out.

8. Do you have plans to make another Evil Ed album?

Next year it will be 20 years since my debut album 'The Enthusiast' dropped. I've produced albums' worth of beats for other people's projects in recent years and now I'm working on a follow up to 'The Enthusiast'. 2020 was a terrible time for most of us, whatever our views on what was happening. I lost my little brother, Joey Deez in June that year and that really messed me up. Another brother of mine, Cons (from The Colony) has been saying for years now he would help me put another album together, but the planets have only aligned recently and put me in the right position to start working on it.  

The final piece of the puzzle was connecting with Sres (srestlove) in early 2021. She had been off the radar and then reappeared on insta. It turned out we had experienced some similar trauma during lockdown. From the start she was like 'you HAVE to make your album' and in the last couple of years she's been there for me, encouraging me to keep working on music and building the label. In the last three years I lost Joey and my mum and nearly lost my job too, but thanks to Sres I'm still here, my label is going from strength to strength and my album is now taking shape.

9. What albums are on heavy rotation on your Spotify playlist currently?

I rarely use Spotify and don't pay a subscription so I can't play albums in the correct order or without hearing ads/tracks I don't want to hear. I play a lot of albums in the car, but there's not many new albums that grab me in their entirety. Parky's new album is great and The El Michels Affair & Black Thought album is dope from start to finish. I've been listening to releases I'm putting out on the label more than anything else recently.

10. Name Three things you can't live without when in the studio?

A cuppa or a masala chai in my Wild Style and Biz Markie mugs, stacks of records to sample (I haven't got into sampling off YouTube yet, although I don't have anything against it) and my Akai s950. I've tried using other samplers and do use an MPC Live for some tracks now too, but the s950 keeps calling me back, there's nothing that sounds like it and I really don't think I could live without it.

Connect with Hidden Identity Productions on IG here and Discogs here.

Connect with Evil Ed on IG here, Bandcamp here and Discogs here.