Rocking a sick one-off ‘Newham Generals’ varsity jacket, D Double E came down to UDHQ for a catch up on his highlights of 2011 and his DJ career (Sian Anderson went in) before schooling Bea Alessio on ‘safety food’ and what turns him off in a girl… 

What’s good?

I’m blessed thank you.

What have you been up to in the past few weeks?

I’ve been doing some writing and I’ve been in studio most of the time.

So are you looking forward to taking a break over Christmas?

Nah I’m working on new solo material, Newham Generals material and also got few collaborations in the pipeline.

Looking back at 2011, what has been the highlight of the year for you?

I would say the ‘Bluku Bluku’ EP release.

This year you have been performing across the country and abroad at festivals, clubs etc. What has been the best event you performed at and why?

V Festival and Global Gathering were two big ones still, but, feedback wise, there are so many big events that I’ve been too. I only take notice when I watch my own footage back. Like yesterday I just sat down to watch two hours of footage and I was like “That’s live”, you know dem ones there. Too many dances man.

Apart from MCing, you DJ (by the name of DJ Dan) as well. Is that something you take seriously or do you just know how to mix?

Boy, it’s something I take seriously but I don’t really DJ regularly. If I can then cool ‘cos I got a lot of dubs and excloooos [exclusives]. 

What do you play? Do you play your own music?

I play my history. All the years of music and all the things I’ve been through, I got them music wise. Like realistically DJ’s can’t chat to me, ‘cos it’s a NEXT thing from NEXT corners. “How about this one you’ve never heard?” I started DJing at exactly the same time I started MCing. I only focused on spittin’, but my DJing skills are still there. Like I could just stop spittin’ and DJ, then come back with the bars and make everyone look stupid [giggles].

What equipment do you use?

I use CDJs to DJ but I started with vinyls, like I got a whole corner of my room with just vinyls. I’ve also got lot of music on my old computer and before that drum ‘n’ bass sets on tape.

What about Newham Generals clothing line? Is your varsity jacket one-off or are you selling them?

Nah this one is an exclooos. Boy, in the future you will be able to buy it, but right now it’s just me. We only sell our T-shirts at the moment.

Ok we’ll wait. Back to music, recently Snoop Dogg jumped on the remix of ‘Be Like Me’. How did that come about?

Snoop has been hollering at me and Newham Gens for quite a while on Twitter. He loved ‘Street Fighter’ and when he heard ‘Be Like Me’ he wanted to be on it. So one day Stanza [True Tiger] called me and he was like “I got him on the track”.

What do you think of Americans spitting over dubstep? Do you think more artists will follow or is it just a rare case?

I personally enjoy it, but I think they do it because they like it although they are not into it. So for me it’s just like one-off, but if there were any rappers that really cared about dubstep, it would sound really good.

You have been in the grime scene since the beginning. Going back to those days, is there anything you miss about that time?

Erm, I would say probably the mucking about levels, just going to your mates’ to spit and having nothing to worry about. Just being stress-free really, not thinking about your single or whatever. That’s why I am who I am today. I’ve done a lot of mucking about. Instead, people today that want to get into music are just trying to get what they can get out of it and if they can’t get it, then they are just like “It’s long”.

Three grime MCs and three grime producers you rate highly at the moment.

Mmm this is a difficult one. MCs wise, I like Brakeman, Chronik, he is a problem and [pause]. See what it is yeah, if I’m real with you people that I like I need to ease into them. It’s not just by listening to one tune that I’m like “Oh my God he’s hard!” There are a lot of ‘all right’ MCs, but no one like “Oh my God” except for Brakeman and Chronik. I mean Chronik has been doing it for years. He is in a different category. It’s the consistency of every track that matters most to me. It’s hard. Oh and Tempa T.

Producers this is an easier question. Teddy is definitely good. Someone fresh and new that has taken my ear is Preditah and also Faze Miyake because of ‘Take Off’. That track is everywhere you can’t not know that beat.

Ok so ‘Woo Riddim’ VS ‘Take Off’, which one wins?

Oh S-X yeah he should be in that list too. I would say they are two different tunes: one of them is animal riddim and the other one is more hip hoppy, so they both as good as each other. But in terms of impact, Woo Riddim definitely wins, especially for the radio crossover. For me to get my message across as a professional artist, I can get that off the Woo Riddim, instead with Take Off you have to get into that kind of MC mode.

Apart from your single ‘Bluku Bluku’, is Dizzee involved in any of your new material?

He is involved in a lot of material that it is going to come out.

Good stuff. Now distancing from music, what is a turn-off for you in a girl?

Boy there are a lot of turn-offs, I just need to think of the suitable one [laughs]. Erm, too much talking.

So if a girl got a pretty face, cleavage and a nice bumper, but she talks too much, would you “reject” her?

[Smiles] It’s a problem, but I might get through the problem.

So what? Just shut up and cook dinner?

Nah not even be silent. You see me, I’m quiet so I might just sit down for a bit and chill and they come like “Yeah man what’s going on” all shouting and all over you. You know what, it’s the drinking, because on a sober one they might be a different person. When I get to a club at midnight, they are waved so it effects them differently trying to kiss man on the cheek, on the hand or hug me and tell me they love me [pause] it’s the drink man.

After your track ‘Flava’ came out, did the girl from Northampton get pissed off about the one from Newcastle?

[Laughs] The links all found each other’s number, they called everybody and everybody is linked up. The Newcastle one went to Northampton and they linked it up, baited me up and phoned me [laughs].

I hearrrrr that. So when I met Whoo Kid, he told me he calls his groupies ‘moisturisers’. Do you have a name for your “female supporters”?

I call them ‘workers’ [laughs out loud].

Can you explain that to me?

Boy ‘cos they do a lot of work init? [laughs again].

What is the craziest thing a fan has ever done for you?

Erm, probably painting me a picture man. Like a massive picture of my face and he presented it to me in a rave. Went to the rave, the promoters took me upstairs. They were like “D Double E” and it was just like Van Gogh [laughs]. Boy I had to study it, it was deep. I put it in my car and it took up all the back seat [laughs] I just took it home.

Time for some more random questions, what do you put on your toast?

Just butter. Let’s just call it Utterly.

What is the first thing you do when you wake up in the morning?

Make something to eat. Toast and tea.

Are you a breast or a back-off man?

[Laughs] It’s a lot, it’s a lot, it’s a lot [pause]. The bumper. If the bumper is intact, it’s hoooooot.

What is that special piece of clothing or accessory you always wear?

Newham Generals merchandise. I got some deeper suits, Bluku suits. I got a marinating jumper [laughs].

Are you a vain person?

Nah I’m not vain. I don’t care about what people think, but I like to make myself look clean and fresh. I’m not one that looks at himself into the mirror and he’s like [checks his hair].

Since you travel a lot for your shows in the UK and abroad, what is your favourite food?

Well I got favourite food and I got ‘safety food’. Do you know about ‘safety food’?

No, please explain.

See when you travel a lot, you got what you normally eat and safety food. Like if you’re in Germany, you gotta have a food that is everywhere, like pasta. If you go anyyyywhere in the world and say “Can I have some pasta?” it’s gotta look and taste like pasta. ‘Safety food’ for me is steak and chips. I can go anywhere in the world and say “Can I have a steak well done and chips?” When I do that it’s ‘safety food’. Like you can’t go and order chicken and rice, because you will get something that doesn’t look like chicken or it’s the same colour as when you cook it. You know them ones there. Steak comes like steak and chips like chips. Everyone that travels abroad gets bumped and gets food poisoning? Stick to the safety food. My personal favourite meal is chilli con carne and spaghetti Bolognese.

You need someone who can cook real Bolognese thou, like real Italian.

Ohhhh is that an invitation yeah?

Nah mate, I’m not a “worker”.

[Laughs]  

Any shout out or any last word?

Look out for a new episode of Bluku Bluku TV coming next week and the Christmas edition too. Also, ‘Be Like Me’ video is coming soon. ‘Pumpin It Out’ single and video coming soon. There will be remix of the ‘Bluku Bluku’ EP. My album and the Newham Gens’ album coming out next year.

But yeah man, shout out to the massive, to the crew, Bluku Bluku TV, Newham Generals, Dirtee Stank and big up the “workers”. Blukalising, marinating, happy new year and bluku.

Watch the behind the scenes of ‘Be Like Me’ video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=39hGXnRYdB8

Listen to ‘Pumpin It Out’ produced by Rapid (Ruff Sqwad) here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_VXQdA1AbMA

www.newhamgenerals.com/ddoublee

www.twitter.com/DDoubleE7

WORDS: Beatrice Alessio & Sian Anderson

IMAGES: Urban Development & Kids of Grime