SC: Where you repping from?
KEN: Atlanta, GA
SC: How did you come up with the idea and name of dead end hip hop?
KEN: Dead End Hip Hop actually evolved from another idea I had that I was launching after I finished my MBA. DEHH was part of a bigger project and idea I put together during one of my classes. That project came from plenty of conversations and emails with Modest Media and Feefo during our days at the Company. I built, as part of my assignment, this whole media company centered around those early days. I was working on a completely different idea with DEHH as an extension of that idea but DEHH started to really jump out there during those early days at A3C in 2010 that I had to focus all of my attention on DEHH and building DEHH. The name came from an email debate that I was involved with at work. During that discussion, the phrase "dead end hip hop' conversation was used and it hit me immediately.
SC: How important is it for DEHH to be visual on youtube?
KEN: It's important because we are all visual creatures. YouTube already had a community online that loved hip hop. For me, it just made sense to start there and grow there. That doesn't mean we will stop there. There are other opportunities out there that we are actively pursuing right now. But at the present time, YouTube is home and we love all of the fans that support us on YouTube so it's important to continue to deliver the best content we possibly can to them.
SC: What's your highest watched/rated show?
KEN: That would be our 2011 Year End review video. It was a great moment for us because it was our rookie year and to receive front page love on YouTube was a great feeling for us all.
SC: What are your most memorable moments on the show? Good and bad.
KEN: The K. Sparks review is one because without that review, we would not be in the review business. From there, you had Goblin and Lil B both which are fan favorites. Lil B was probably the most memorable of all because everything you see in that review is real. That's the thing about DEHH. We don't have a script. We just go. So what comes out comes out so every single show that we have recorded is honest to it's core. Lil B was great for us because it was what it was in that moment and then it was over. Just like that. We all packed up, went outside, debated a little more, had drinks and kicked it by Raf's pool.
SC: How does the crew interact off camera?
KEN: We act the same on and off camera. The only difference is that we record the other interactions.
SC: What are some issues that you see within hip hop?
KEN: The biggest problem is over saturation thanks to technology. It makes everything so easy and accessible that the market space becomes crowded occupying space so it's hard to really find good artists. I compare it to the app market when the iPhone hit and apps became the thing. The marketspace became so crowded with crappy free apps that it was hard to find the really good ones. It is the same way in hip hop.
SC: What are some pet peeves that artists or fans do concerning DEHH?
KEN: Fake love as a way to get us to listen to their music. They hit us up mainly on Twitter and I am seeing an uptick on FB now but yea man, that is the one that may be the most irritating. The fans are cool. We got mad love for them!
SC: What are 3 tips that you can give artists?
KEN: Know your history and learn about the culture of hip hop and the art of rap. This is really important if you ask me. Build relationships. This is cliche but so true. We have had many conversations with people that we didn't even know were artists or producers. They never forced their music on us and when we found out, at least for me, I was more interested in checking out their work. Even if the music is bad, I still have respect for them that they didn't see us as a platform for their music. They truly love and appreciate what we do. Stay away from trends! Trendy music has no shelf life so be an artist first and foremost.
SC: Any last words or shout outs?
KEN: First, S/O to you for the interview. Second, please subscribe and share the show with as many people as possible. Finally, I can't stress how much we really love and appreciate the fans that take an interest in what we're doing. It means the world to us. We are extremely thankful for all of the support they show us. You know, we're just guys talking hip hop giving our honest opinion on what we hear or think about a topic. We're thankful that we are in a position to contribute our voices to the conversation.
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