Sphere of Hip Hop

Cookbook dropped a free download release on us this summer called I Love the 80′s. We got up with him to ask a few questions about the record. Don’t forget to download your own copy of I Love the 80′s.

Josh: You just released a project called “I Love the 80s” that features 17 tracks themed around pop culture and events from the 1980′s. How did you come up with the idea to do a full record like this?

Cookbook: While planning out my first solo record, I was listening through, and setting aside beats for it. I had a few beats already made with 80′s pop samples in them, and they were always my favorite ones out of the batch. So, I started thinking it would be a dope concept to do all 80′s samples/themes originally cause I thought it would make for a really fun, funny record. What ended up happening is the more beats I made, the more they were pulling something else out of me. The first few songs I recorded were some of the more fun, light-hearted ones on the record, but then I started to go more deep. The music really represents my childhood memories and what not, and I started really thinking that nobody really knows my story, or me for that matter…not just CookBook, but Jason P. Soto. So I started going deeper into who I was. I decided I wanted to use this record as a real introduction to who I am. That’s why I produced every single track as well. I wanted it to be very personal, and I wanted people to also get to know my production. I realized that a lot of people don’t really realize I got beats!!!! Really, it was most important to me to have it be all me. After being in a big crew for so long, it was just time to give ‘em all of me!!!

Josh: Were you keeping a list of song ideas or did you come up with them on the fly?

Cookbook: Both… mostly I was making the tracks, listening to them, and seeing what I felt. But I would have a notepad with random titles written down that I would keep as an ongoing list that I would refer to time and time again.

I had the title “Ready For The World” since I started the project. I knew I was going to use that title no matter what, cause I loved it, and it was just funny to me. I had the track with the Duran Duran sample in it forever, but I never connected the 2. Finally one day I was hearing the track (which at first was not one of my favorite tracks!), and somehow I connected the title with the beat, and BAM!!! Almost instantly, the hook, and the beginning of the first and 2nd verses came to me. So quickly, that I was driving to orange county, and I couldn’t write it down, so the whole trip I kept on saying the hook, and the lines from the verses over and over again in my head so I wouldn’t forget them! As soon as I could stop, I quickly wrote down the words, and that actually became one of my favorite songs in the end!!!

Josh: What song concepts ended up on the cutting room floor?

Cookbook: WOW! Well, some of the titles that never became anything were: Perfect Strangers, The Ricker (which was going to be to George Michael’s “I Want Your Sex” or Wham’s “Everything She Wants”—who knows? I may still do that one!!!), beat wise, there were 2 in particular that I really wanted to use, but just could never get the tracks to work good enough. Those were “The One Thing” by INXS, and “Burning Down The House” By Talking Heads. I had a great concept, and a dope verse for the latter, but the track just never felt right, so…bye bye! I’m working with a new program now, and I bet I could make those tracks do what I wanted them to do now…Oh well!!!

By the way, Reaganomics was almost gonna be named “The Fabulous Moolah” which in my mind would have been equally as fresh!!!

Josh: Which tracks were your favorites to produce and record?

Cookbook: I love the way “Neverending Story” came together. It was the absolute last song I recorded, but one of the first beats I made when I started. I had the beat on deck, and I almost skipped it because of time. But I felt it was so strong that I had to do a song to it, so I hit up Souldado (Dj Rif and Site Raw) to help me get it done. It was literally the last day before I had to turn it in for mastering. I had recorded Rif and Site’s parts, and recorded my 2 verses. I started mixing the song, and was like…”This first verse is cool, but, it ain’t it…I got something better” The homey Eddie ill was there, and he was like “You’re crazy!!! You have to turn in the album to the mastering guy today!!! That verse is dope” I said “Naw, Ed, trust me…I got a hotter one, and it’ll come quick, I know it”. So I wrote the verse in about 10 minutes, and literally dropped it in one take. I actually left the ad libs from the first verse in there, and it all seemed to still work! It ends up that’s one of my favorite verses on the album, and I feel it really sums up the whole 80′s thing quite well. My 2 favorite songs are “Growing Pains”, and “Electric Youth”. I feel those the most because they really sum up the whole album’s concept/theme so nicely. Talking about how the decisions we make, starting in our youth affect everything, and our life is our fault; whether good or bad.

Josh: Any obscure pop culture references in songs you feel like people might miss?

Cookbook: There are a lot of them, cause I’m kinda a nerd when it comes to remembering stuff, especially things concerning music. I tend to reach for things that others might not think of, and if you get it, cool. If not, then I still made sure the album was dope and enjoyable. I’ll leave it to the listeners to uncover the obscure references! Maybe I should run a contest!!!!

Ok, I’ll give you one of my favorites…In Neverending story, my last line on the first verse is, “Lookin at my Gucci it’s about time to bury/ Competition, leave em Raw and Delirious/ Live from the sunset strip…It’s Serious.”

Raw and Delirious are both Eddie Murphy stand up movies from the 80′s, essentially what made him a star, and Live from the Sunset Strip is a famous stand up movie by Richard Pryor… Daaaaang!!! I be flippin’ the lyricals, right?!? LOL!

Josh: One of my favorite tracks is Reaganomics. The song concept is fresh as is the title. That vocal sample is classic. Where does this song rate on the album for you?

Cookbook: It is my 3rd favorite song. Would be my #1, except for the emotional factor with the other 2 I previously talked about. This song is pretty much the perfect example of what I was doing with the whole concept as far as flipping an 80′s sample, making it relevant with what I talk about, then giving it a title that goes with the concept, and is straight out of 80′s pop culture! I wish I had tons of money, I would do the illest video for this!!!!

Josh: Are you planning to do an I Love the 90s album? If you did, what would you do songs about?

Cookbook: No, I am not…Although the thought did cross my path. It would be filled with lots of grunge rock samples! The next project on deck is the Cook & UNO album titled “C & U Music Factory” so, with that title, I guess you can call it the “unofficial” I love the 90′s!!!

Thanks for the interview! Great questions. And thanks to all the people who have supported me, and continue to support me and LAS over the years! If you don’t have my album yet…why not?!? IT’S FREE!!! You can download it right here at Sphere of Hip-Hop . Check for me, and get show info, or just chat with me! www.myspace.com/cookbook + www.facebook.com/cookbookthepr + www.twitter.com/cookbookthepr.

Peace!!! 80′s baby!!!