You do not have to tell the denizens of Harlem, NY about DJ Ron G. Most have a story or recollection of Ron rocking a party, slinging his Mixtapes on the corner or hyping up the crowd at a basketball game at the famed Rucker Park summer B-ball tournaments, which sits across the street from his former home, the infamous Polo Ground projects.
He has produced works for the likes of Fat Joe, The Lost Boyz and the late Tupac Shakur. In December, Ron G beat out some very stiff competition to be named Best Mixtape Producer at the 6th Annual Justo Awards held at the Apollo Theater in New York. Beyond all of that, he is indirectly responsible for helping mold the early R&B/Hip-Hop sound of Bad Boy Entertainment. What? You thought Puffy came up with the idea of Biggie over DeBarge and Isley Brothers beats all by his lonesome? I had the opportunity to sit down and shoot the breeze with the humble Uptown legend to see what he’s been up to lately and what projects are on tap for the future.
“One thing that I have been doing for the past couple of years is bettering my craft and bettering my life,” said Ron. “Also, I’ve been learning how to be a better producer. I hooked up with a keyboard player and he taught me how to play the keys. It takes time to becomea good producer. You have to be in a certain frame of mind. I am aMixtape DJ and coming from that world is cool, but as time goes on you have to become a man. I have a family now and I realized that Mixtapes weren’t going to pay the bills forever.”
Every man comes to a cross an epiphany in life. Is the Promised Land right … or is it left? Ron G seems to be paving his own road by going full steam ahead, but it took him a while to formulate a plan on how to do so. Meanwhile, every DJ on New York City radio seems to have cashed in on the mainstream market Ron helped soften up for them. Is Ron bitter?
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“I’m not mad at what anybody else is doing,” said Ron. “I know I have a special talent that none of them have and I know this will shine through in the end. I’m a peaceful young man plus I’m a hustler. Being a hustler and being peaceful kind of works itself out.”
The term “taking it to the next level” is one that is often over used in urban music. As far as clich
