heavy d: Interview with Dr. Becket aka Doc Bec :UPDATE

Under-rated MC, Producer and Graf Writer the lyrical architect Doctor Becket aka Dr.Becket aka Docta Bec aka Doc Bec hails from Maryland, Washington D.C. and first graced the underground Hip-Hop scene in 1997 appearing on the Specs produced "Lyrixcism" single, then later in 1998 on the Dr Becket and K-Skills "First Class" EP, which featured the dope Ultramagnetic MC's "Raise It Up" sampling cut "Galaxy Rays"...

Doc Bec then released "Bad Mutha F#%!A / Creativity" 12'" in 2000 and a full album titled Way of Life in 2005, along with a limited edition EPs' and guest appearances on records from Jazz Addixx, Sentense, The Good People and others as well as unreleased music...Doc Bec has kept busy and thanks to Facebook, I was able to ask him some questions and these are his answers and his history.

CRDS: Doc, how were you introduced to Hip Hop?...what was the first record that you ever heard and what are you earliest memories of Hip Hop growing up where you lived?

Doc Bec: well I like Doug E Fresh, Slick Rick, Run DMC...they were the first i heard on the radio...

CRDS: what about seeing live Hip Hop?

Doc Bec: first live hip hop I ever saw was Oso Fresh opening up the mic to emcees who wanted to say something...
about 96-97

CRDS: who was Oso Fresh please Doc?

Doc Bec: Oso Fresh was a DJ who used to spin at a place called Pollen but he still spins classics today in places in D.C.

CRDS: Dope, so what age would you have been to first see him live?

Doc Bec: maybe a year after high school he let me get on the open mic.

CRDS: so you were already writing rhymes by then?

Doc Bec: I think so...I would go out and grab the mic when he made it available, and kick whatever I had at the time...

CRDS: dope, How did you choose the name Doctor Becket, what is the reason behind the name?

Doc Bec: my friend Lil Mo' from Indonesia gave me that nick name cause I guess i reminded him of the doc bec character on Quantum Leap..

CRDS: Oh the old TV show? (Doc actually mentions Quantum Leap in his Lord Finesse sampling track "Bad Mutha....r")

Doc Bec: yeah

CRDS: What was your first release and was there any material that you did before hand that has never been released?

Doc Bec: We did "Lyrixcism" in 97 by Specs.. then I did some tracks on my own and i turned him (K-Skills) on to Specs so he had a beat which was "First Class" so I said...hey lets do it all as a 12" and then his cousin lived in NJ so we linked with DJ Kaos and Number Nine and then I had my cousin put up the loot and we did it..

CRDS: was that DJ Kaos that worked with The Artifacts and what is Specs doing these days?

Doc Bec: yeah it's DJ Kaos from The Artifacts and the last I had seen with Specs was a My Space page..and it seemed that he was still supporting First Class... at that time

CRDS: dope, out of all the tracks you have produced or guested on...what is your highlight one please Doc?

Doc Bec: I really like the one the Good People put out cause it has got Prince Po and Mr.Man from Bush Babees, to me that was my ultimate 90's collab...

CRDS: Good People-Bathroom Break (Remix)?

Doc Bec: yea came out round 2008 i think...

CRDS: What Producers and Artists influence you today?

Doc Bec: I like MF Doom and the new stuff Artifacts puttin' out..along with Good People, Jazz Addixx, Ollie Ox Grill, Headstruck on some underground sh#!

CRDS: word...I must admit I have not heard of Ollie Ox Grill though

Doc Bec: yeah he's kinda reclusive.. I haven't even heard the whole thing yet and he released it years ago...I produced 2 beats on it though.

CRDS: cool and speaking of your beats why is your first full LP, Way Of Life 2005, so hard to track down these days?

Doc Bec: I aint press that many...

CRDS: would you ever do a re-press?

Doc Bec: no way..

CRDS: why is that please Doc?
I thought it was a dope album.

Doc Bec: I like it hard to find..that's the past you know

CRDS: I can understand that...Doc, What is your process for making beats and what equipment did you use in the past and what
do you use now?

Doc Bec: I always use the MPC since the first time Kaos and Number Nine put me on the MPC 2000.

my process is...find a good record that inspires me, then I got up with cat like "Latief" who taught me about drums and to make a beat the best way I know how...

Number Nine was one of the first dudes who hit me off with a 90 min beat tape and said any beat you want is yours...

CRDS: OK last questions...what have you got planned for the future and any shout outs please Doc?

ahh i would say its the year of me an all my underground peeps who been with me through the years...I would like to shout all my underground peeps who been with me through the years..K-Skills, DJ Kaos, Numba Nine, Rob, RM, CM, J Absolute, Specs, Oso, Grap, El Da Sensei, P-Original, Jazz Addixx, Headstruck, The Good People, Sputnik Brown, E Brown, Floorock, Ross, The whole Rock Steady, Vice One, Early Graf writers who inspired me like SMK, Dah One, Rust, Cycle, Cast, and Grant P and people who support me till this day.

CRDS: Thanks a lot Doc Bec

Doc Bec: Peace Jaz