For the last year and a half it seems DJ Unk has flown under the radar, but the “Walk It Out” ambassador insists he’s flown everywhere but. “I’ve been all over the world,” boasts Unk. “It’s unbelievable how big my music is overseas.” While his fans at home may have long grown tired of the once ubiquitous chants of “2 Step”, and “Walk It Out,” Unk’s international followers have faithfully kept him busy. “When it was 3 o’clock in the afternoon in Atlanta, it was nighttime in Europe and I was on stage performing over there,” explains Unk, of his questioned absence in ATL. “I was eatin’ swordfish and dolphins right across from the Mediterranean Sea. It’s been a blessing, man.” Now the Oomp Camp headliner feels blessed to return home, more cultured, more traveled, and more ambitious than ever. Unk has just released his sophomore project, Second Season, and while 2006’s Beat’N Down Yo Block! led him and his “motivational” music on a trip all around the world, DJ Unk stresses that his Second Season displays the growth he’s experienced over the past two years. Musically, he’s sticking to the same formula that led him to top in 2006. What’s the biggest difference between your first CD, Beat’N Down Yo Block! and this new one, Second Season? The biggest difference is just growth. Beat’N Down Yo Block! was just me showing everybody what I’ve got going on, and they saw it. This project Second Season is the follow up album. Everybody says it’s hard to come back with your second album [because of ] the sophomore jinx and all that other bullshit, but this is definitely an album full of growth. It’s more maturity in the sounds, new flows, and new hits. It’s more in-your-face, that’s why I’ve got a song on the album called “In Yo Face.” I get my point across on records, and I have fun doing that. That song “In Yo Face” made the [NBA] 2K9 video game, which is in stores right now. Being that the economy has changed so much in the two years since you last came out with an album, do you think it will be difficult for you to replicate the kind of success you had with Beat’N Down Yo Block!? The hardest part will be just gaining attention and that all comes from what you put out. The economy might be down, but shit, you can make something to motivate people and get the economy back up. I just dedicate my music to every different mood. I got something on the album for every mood swing. I try to cover as much as possible, so it fits perfectly. What’s your favorite track on the new album? Of course I love the [whole] album, so it’s hard to pick one track. “That’s Right” is real gutter, but it’s also real easy, and it’s one of those songs that’s gon’ put a big smile on your face. I got a song called “Make It,” which is a motivational song; it motives me as well.
Now you have a song with Ray J on your new album as well, right? Yep, that’s my homeboy, big shouts out to Ray J, because he snapped on that thang. Ray J has been doing his thing for years, so it was a blessing to work with him, and he’s on Koch, too. The song is called “She Freaky,” and the people gon’ love it; iTunes’ gon’ love it. We came hard on that track. Like I said, it’s all about growth. It’s my sophomore album, so I had to come with something hard. I also got a song called “Ridin’ Around” with a group called Blaze; we just signed them to Big Oomp Records, and those guys there are multi-talented, especially in harmonies. You can put them up against any other R&B group and Blaze will shut ‘em down. I think the song [“Ridin’ Around”] is gon’ be another classic. Do you think you have a song on Second Season that you expect to be as big as “Walk It Out?” “Walk It Out,” that was something unbelievable, man. It woke a lot of people up, and brought everybody together; it changed a whole lot. It wasn’t just a song, it was a mentality, the way you carry yourself. It’s a stress reliever, and it’s also a good workout. So I’m not even gonna say I’ll have another song like that again, because “Walk It Out” was priceless, and not just for myself. It touched damn near every household in the world. With your new music are you sticking with same style and formula, or are you switching it up? I stuck to my formula, but I’ve got a gumbo, and a gumbo consists of a lot of different ingredients. I could do a third album, which will probably be three years later, but the message I want to leave people with is that every time I drop something it’s gon’ be something you’re gonna want to listen to. I want to give them something to wake up to, something to go to the club with, and something that is there throughout all parts of life. I want my music to let me get my point across, whatever that may be. But at the end of the day I just want people to have fun. You mentioned that you probably won’t drop your third album for three more years, which is interesting because it took you two years to come out with the follow-up to your first. It seems that most new artists release CDs as quickly as possible. Why do you choose to wait so long? A lot of new artists don’t get booked like I got booked. The bookings have just been stupid. I can’t even explain it, that “Walk It Out,” just tore it out the ass and we’ve been riding that thing ‘til the wheels fall off. We got some good wheels; because them muthafuckas still ain’t fell off. We’re still gettin’ booked just off “Walk It Out.” All they want me to do is “Walk It Out” and “2 Step,” and I’m good. We hit Japan, Italy, Greece, and Germany like seven times. Every time we go to Germany we do like 5 to 8 cities. We usually hit Germany and then drive up to Italy, drive back to Germany and then go to airport. In the midst of all that, it’s just been shows, shows, and more shows. Damn, so your passport game is probably sick right now. What’s your favorite international spot to visit? It’s gotta be Germany, just because I’m over there so much. Them boys keep me working over
there, and their fanbase is so big that every time I go over there it’s nothing but love and clubbin’. They ain’t got nothing to do over there but club, and they love my music. It’s all support over there, and the German women are lovable. They hit the stage with me, they come dressed to impress and it’s just a lot of fun. But now I’m back. Second Season is in stores now so I’m just promoting that and the new single, “Show Out.” I read somewhere that one of your favorite things to do is go on YouTube and watch yourself perform at the ‘06 BET Awards when you closed out the show. What other moments in your two years of touring stand out the most? I always wanted to have a big birthday party, and for my 26th birthday I had a party in Japan. I don’t know if that sounds as big to everybody else as it was to me, but I had a party—in Japan. Man, there were Chinese people, Japanese people, people in kung-fu suits walkin’ it out, monks and everything. The love I got on my birthday over there was amazing. Everybody was bringing me gifts and singing “Happy Birthday” in Japanese, it was crazy. They didn’t speak hardly any English, but they knew every word to “Walk It Out” and “2 Step.” For your fans in America that really embraced your music two years ago, but may not be checking for you as much right now, what message would you like to convey to them? I just want everybody to know that if you liked my music before, this time around it’s Second Season. Everything we do gets bigger and better. It’s gon’ be more positive, more live, and if you sat down in the tub and you decide to get up, now it’s time to get your ass to the stage, because it’s all up. We’re going 200%. That first 100% is what gets you in the game, the next 50% gets you to the next level, and if you turn it up another 50%, you can’t do nothing but go to the top. And that’s Second Season. You worked with DJ Montay again for “Second Season,” right? Yep, DJ Montay has top quality production. You heard him from the Flo-Rida track, and that “Low” tore it out the ass. Do you know how many plaques he got from that song? It was on top of all the charts, Billboard Hot 100, Hot Digital Songs, Ringmasters, that shit was off the chain. It’s just DJ Montay, and he’s got more to come. He did my first album, and he did the second one, too. Montay, MC Assault, Mr. Jones, Malcolm, Joe; our production team is top quality. Ain’t nobody fuckin’ wit us. It’s just a matter of time. And we’ve landed so many projects. We’re on everybody’s stuff. What do you think your place in the Atlanta rap scene is right now? I see myself on top, man. But it ain’t just me, I got a good company, I got a good foundation, I got a good surrounding. I surround myself with nothing but positivity, and that’s Big Oomp Records and the whole staff. They keep me motivated. Our whole camp is up, and we ain’t doing nothing but staying on top. There’s no going down, there’s no turning back. We can’t go nowhere but up.
OZONE MAG // 61