A07 Gets Familiar with Clinton Sparks

A07 – So around what time did you begin your career?
C.S – I would say professionally around ’99-’00. I consider my career beginning when I got on radio for the first time and that’s when I did.

A07 – Since then, you’ve stayed pretty consistent. What do you feel has changed musically, industry-wise and personally?
C.S – Wow!..those are quite lengthy answers for each one. Musically, we’ll obviously the internet has been a huge role. When I first started, I lied and told everyone I had a crackin internet show cause I knew no one knew about the internet. That’s how I got Eminem, Wu-Tang, Camron, & Common over to my mom’s house. I use to tell them I had one and them not knowing any better would believe me. That’s how I built relationships with them. The industry changing is similar to the music with the rise of the internet. Personally, I’ve evolved. When I was growing up I listened to all types of music from The Commodores, to Quite Riot, to RUN-DMC but I came up through Hip-Hop and gained success primarily through being Hip-Hop Dj and the mixtape circuit. I’ve personally evolved by being able to play both sides of the field. I can play all kinds of music and be accepted. It allows me to go way left and do a Chester French mixtape or work with Fallout Boy, but then turn around and do a record with D-Block.

A07 – Your resume has grown tremendously. So, being aware or your sales & marketing background, was your motive to build yourself as a brand the whole time?
C.S – Yeah. when I first started, I never looked at myself as Clinton Sparks. I always treated Clinton Sparks as a brand that I was trying to sell from day one, and to do that, I had to step outside of myself. I remember when I would hear other Dj’s compete in Boston, they’d be like, “I’m the best Dj in Boston”. I would literally sit back laugh and think to myself, “These guys are losers!”. They just wanted to be the best in Boston, I’m trying to be the best in the world. So I’ve all always had the mindset of a business person and treated myself as product….I still do-everything is the Clinton Sparks and “Get Familiar” brand.

A07 – You’ve worked with various artist. What exactly drove you to work with someone “way left” like Chester French and in particular, what exactly draws you to a new artist?
C.S – I found Chester French on the internet. I hit them up, told them I digg their music and that we should hook-up. They’re super cool! They had a house in Los Angeles cause they had just signed with Pharrell. They told me to come out to their house so I did and we instantly hit it off. We Vibe’d for like ten hours. The purpose of me meeting them was to convince them to do a mixtape. At first they didn’t get how a band like them could do mixtape, or even knew what the concept of a mixtape was, so they passed. We remained cool friends and about a year later, they hit me up and told me they wanted to do it. I listened to their music and suggested we do it like a movie since no one knew who they were. One thing that I tell artist is that anyone can make a cool song, especially now, but if your looking for longevity, people need to buy into you as an artist and person. For me to want to work with a new artist, the music got to be good. Then when I see them, I need to see them take themselves as serious as they want others to take them by putting in the work to be successful instead of expecting someone else to do the work for them.

A07 – So what would you say is the most rewarding experience in you career?
C.S – My son.

A07 – What’s his name
C.S – Jack. I know you were probably waiting for me to say something like, “being on ‘E’ or being Diddy’s Dj. Honestly, everything’s awesome but I never feel like I’m “there”. I always feel like I’m just one step closer to somewhere else.

A07 – Are there any artist out there that you haven’t worked with that you would like to?
C.S – Teddy Riley. That’s who made me a producer. I might cry if I met Teddy Riley or at least choke up[laughs]. Or, anybody that’s open minded, experimental, or just likes to do cool shit.

A07 – How’d you go from being a Hip-Hop Dj, to getting a job on ‘E’?
C.S – There was a guy named Ben Lyons, a fan of mines, who worked for Music Trade Magazine. He was doing a music conference in New York and asked his girlfriend, who worked at a record label, if I could come speak at the conference. I did and our relationship began from there. He ended up becoming a movie critic for ‘E’ and about a year later, ‘E’ wanted to get someone to do music the way he did movies. He immediately suggested getting Clinton Sparks.
He had the executive producers call me and they asked can I fly out so I did. I thought I was going to be interviewed the gave me three album they wanted me to know about, mic’d me up and threw me on live. I nailed it first take and got the job. I’ve always been good in front of the camera though. I used use skip communications class in high school and go do random skits and parodies on stuff around the neighborhood. I mean even now, I have so much stand up comedy material in my phone, I’m just trying get the balls to do it! I’m writing screen plays right now, I just developed a new television show, two new card games for casinos, and I’m writing a book. I’m just a think tank. When I went in to ‘E’ I saw ten different ways we could have made money, but I overwhelm people with ideas so much, that they feel threatened and don’t like me. So when I went to ‘E’ I thought to myself, “I’m not sayin shit!”[laughs].

A07 – What upcoming projects do you have coming up?
C.S – I just did a record with Pitbull & Akon. It’s Pitbull new single called “Shut it Down”-I wrote Akon’s parts and produced the beat. I also did my record on Pitbull’s album with him & T-pain, both records are smashers. They’re like the Day-n-Night Remix, whereas if you’ve never heard it before, you’d go crazy the first time you did. I’m also working my 3 albums right now. One more of the Dj/Producer, ones more of the artist, and one with my partner Dj Snake from Paris. We have a group called LOGAN DE GAULLE our first single being the new Tyrese record. We’re sorta Daft Punk-ish. That albums has everybody from Lisa-Lisa, to Lil Jon, to Lamar. Even Clipse has a record on here that you would never expect them to be on.

A07 – When are those all set to release?
C.S – Next year. I was a little shy to come out as an artist but I kept playing my music to everyone like Ne-yo and Akon. Kanye finally heard my music and ask what I was going to do with it. I said probably a 80/20 split and have people be shocked that that’s me on a record. He was like nah, you could the next breakthrough artist of the year with this music and the connections you have. He doesn’t know this, but he was the one that motivated to just do it. If people say I suck, I’ll go back to being a producer and a Dj. It’s not gonna kill me and I just wouldn’t put anything else out that sucked.

A07 – Okay between the two, what do you prefer? Satellite or Mainstream?
C.S – Those are two parts of me so one day I may want to play some top 40,and the next I may just want to wyle’ out on some Hip-Hop.

A07 – Where do you think your versatility comes from? Is it just you being talented or you not wanting to be a one dimensional Dj?
C.S – I just like all types of music. Any creative I pretty much like. The thing I really don’t do is Country & Reggae.

A07 – You seem like you really have the branding down packed but you speak as if your still on the come up. Even though you’ve gone so much farther than others, do you feel as if you haven’t gained much in this industry?
C.S – I don’t say this to bully people to fuck with me or be cocky, but I know I do good business. You can come to me and get radio, TV, production, marketing, Karmaloop Tv, and ‘E’. When I first start doing radio my goal was, “If you wanna break in New York, go see Flex. If you wanna break in the rest of the world, come see me.” Also, I’m nowhere near where I wanna be and I know there’s a million other people that want to be where I am right now so that’s why I never slow down or take breaks. I don’t play video games, hang out, go drink, or chase ass.

A07 – What type of advice would you give to anyone trying to pursue a career similar to yours?
C.S – I always say, be the first you and not the second somebody else. When I watched other people I only watched what they did wrong. I never had any influences ’cause nobody around me was doing what I’m doing. I think my influence was me not wanting to be broke anymore.

A07 – Do you think it’s harder to get things accomplished now versus the past, being that the industry is somewhat over-saturated?
C.S – No because I’ve already made my mark before that happened. Out of my circle of credible Dj’s in the mixtape world like Green Lantern, Whoo Kid, Kay Slay, Clinton Sparks, & Big Mike, I kind of went in another direction and grew as a business with the changing markets. If I kept putting out the same thing I’s be whack!

A07 – Do you think the Dj’s in your circle caught on to that?
C.S – We’ll I can’t say because like I said, I had different musical taste and a different personality. We all do but that’s how I did it. So I don’t know.

A07 – Do you have any regrets or wish you could have did anything different in your career?
C.S – No. I wake up everyday excited to the party called life. I’m very thankful for it.

A07 – Okay final question, what do you think of when you hear the word “rise”?
C.S – My first thought when you said that was a loft of bread. Without yeast, the bread wouldn’t rise in the oven…..

A07 – Thanks…[Laughs]