SFNY Q&A with DJ TARA (RARE FORM/SUGARCUTS.COM)

& host DEE PHUNK (RARE FORM/TREESFORBREAKFAST.COM)

When was the last time you were in SF/NY? Why were you there and what did you do?

T It’s been over 5 years since I was in SF! I was in a long distance relationship and I used to spend a lot of time out there. I'd go record shopping, eat a lot of Mexican food, and just walk around enjoying the city. It’s a great place and I'd love to get back there sometime soon.

D The last time I was in SF was the first time I ever visited the Bay in March of 2009. My friend Lety (@lety419) was about to graduate and move back to NYC so it was my chance to finally visit and have a good tour guide. It so happens that the week I picked to come was chock full of stuff to do.  I got my party fix @ PST and Le Cirque @ Yoshi's just to name a couple and got to see folks like Blu & Exile and Platinum Pied Pipers perform live. My food highlight of the whole visit was easily my shrimp enchilada from Papalote.  That salsa should be ILLEGAL. I also got to do a little sightseeing in Oakland and Piedmont. I really did not want to go back home. I really can't wait to visit again.  I'm born and raised in NY so it was such a nice change of pace.  Which is a great segue into the next question...

San Francisco is often compared to New York. New Yorkers say there is no comparison. Thoughts?

T  San Fran has a lot of the qualities that I love in NY. The people are great-y'all have got some characters, just like we do in NYC. However, to compare the two would be doing neither a favor. Each definitely have their own flavors going on...NYC's just happens to be tastier :).

D I might be biased because I'm from NY, but there's no better city in the world than New York City. That's just the way it is. There are some aspects of SF that mirror NYC but as a whole, not really. However, Brooklyn and Oakland are very similar. Oakland is Brooklyn's heavy pot smoking cousin.

SFNY is happening in the Spring in NY. In your opinion, what's the perfect track for this time and place?

T  Spring is all about awakening so anything that will get you up. Chaka Khan's "I Know You I Live You" would raise the dead if you played it at the right time. It always gets me amped. I have to give a nod to The Bay and say my other perfect track would be Blackalicious' "Make You Feel that Way". If I could wake up listening to those horns every day, I would probably turn into a morning person.

D  Any late '90s / early '00s male R&B always goes well w/ Spring in my opinion. It's the season where the temperature is perfect, the ladies are showing a tad more skin and everyone gets a little more flirtatious. Jon B's "Don't Talk," Jimmy Cozier's "She's All I Got," Donell Jones' "U Know What's Up," Carl Thomas' "I Wish" and Jaheim's "Just In Case" are all winners. (See what I did right there? LOL.)

Name the top 3 artists that best represent your style/sound.

T  Dilla, Sheila E, Sly Stone

D Well I don't DJ, but I do think music can represent personal style & demeanor. For me, it'd probably be A Tribe Called Quest, The Roots and Hall & Oates.

What are you listening to these days?

T  I'm into duets for some reason right now. Quadron and Sonnymoon are really doing it for me right now. The production is dope and the vocals are unique and beautiful. Electric Wire Hustle is another group I'm feeling. As for Hip Hop, I have to go with the Lessondary Crew (Elucid, Tanya Morgan, Spec Boogie, Che Grand) and Writtenhouse out of Philly. They do their beats live on stage and it’s crazy.

D  My music tastes are all over the place. Lately I've been bumping Onra, B. Bravo, Dirty Projectors, Machinedrum, The Bird & The Bee, Quadron, Electric Wire Hustle, DTMD, Circle Research, Full Crate & Mar, Theophilus London, Tanya Morgan, Suff Daddy, Sonnymoon, HomeMade, Devin the Dude, Sean Price, Pac Div, Dom Kennedy, Fashawn, Homeboy Sandman, Danny Brown, Gang Starr (RIP Guru) and a ton of Dilla.

 

Listen to DJ TARA’s SFNY promo mix on propsRadio.

SFNY/SUNDAY 16 MAY 2010 / THE LEFT COAST DO THE RIGHT THING / SECRET LOCATION / LES NYC

SF DJs KING MOST/FREDDY/MARKY  • NY DJs MONK-ONE/MOMA/TARA • HOSTED BY DEE PHUNK