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outhern Hip Hop is built off the spirit of independence. When major record labels turned a blind eye and gave a cold shoulder, artists were forced to do for self and cater to people who supported them. Cities like Houston, Memphis and all points in-between can testify about the benefits and eventual payoffs that the independent route can bring. However, Atlanta, Georgia, the proposed Capital Of The Dirty South, can’t fully stake that claim. The “Motown of the South” has become known as the place that artists run to in search of a major deal. It’s almost as if there is a tried and true formula: get song played in the club + get song played on the radio = sign record deal in four months. The independent scene there is not as strong as it is in neighboring cities and states because the artists get snatched up by majors by the time they attain loyalty in the streets. However, there has been one label that has carried the independent flag from day one, Big Oomp Records. Built off the backs of Oomp, DJ Jelly and MC Assault, the Big Oomp name has always signified Atlanta’s underground. Whether it was their early 90s mixtapes filling the void of not having an Urban radio station or their legendary Friday nights at the Nike Pavillion, Big Oomp repped for people who weren’t smooth enough for LaFace or clean enough for So So Def. Yes, while the world was popping champagne with Jermaine Dupri, the Atlanta streets were getting Intoxicated with Hitman Sammy Sam.
With just over a decade of success under their belts, Big Oomp is still a force to be reckoned with. Their latest artist Unk is introducing their sound to a new, younger audience, while veterans like DJ Jelly and DJ Montay strive to remind people of who help start Atlanta’s musical takeover. We caught up with Big Oomp himself to talk about his company’s influence and future. For those who don’t know, break down what the Big Oomp enterprise is exactly. Big Oomp is an entity. We’ve had a TV show for 5 years, we have the largest retail store in Atlanta, we’ve got artists, a production company, a film company, we do mixtapes and mix DVDs and have a team of DJs. How long have you been doing this? We started in 1991 with DJ Jelly and MC Assault, just hustling in the streets, serving people at the gas station, riding around downtown getting people to listen. In 1992 we got our first record store and then in ‘93 we opened up another one. In ‘94 we opened 10 stores. Then we cranked up the label in ’97 with Major Way. Then we came with Sammy Sam in ‘98, that’s what put us on the map because Sam was already a legend and Jelly was becoming the South’s best DJ at the time. Then we did the TV show in 2000 on UPN, and now we have a syndicated radio show on 6 stations. Big Oomp Records was the first independent label in Georgia. We were self-contained, we all had brains in the circle, and it was the benefit of having smart people in our organization. We didn’t have no one to look to; we paved the way for independents in Atlanta. No one had their own things. No one’s doing it right now to this day. Nobody was doing street promotions like us, no one. We were the first ones. Since the days of Bobby Brown and LaFace, Atlanta has become a haven for people looking to get major record deals. You guys have only dealt with one major the entire time you’ve been operating. Why? When we started off, we were making a lot of money with no competition. We never jumped into corporate because we were self-contained. We never expanded to the world back then but we should have. If we would’ve took a trip to New York, who knows what would’ve happened. How did you hook up with Sony in the early 2000s? With Sony, that was my first time going to New York. I was like damn, all these dudes getting deals never worked the streets, they was selling stories. So I went up there and let them know what I was doing. Are you going to entertain going with a major again? We just got a deal with Koch and we’re talking to Atlantic and Universal. The independent world is dead. The bootleggers killed it. How? Why would you say that? You’re not making money. I did it for years. It ain’t crossing my mind 34
to put out another record independently. I spend $75,000 to make the record, make it hot, and go out and get it on radio. But that bootlegger killing me. I make $25,000 back. Doing that, you just making a better day for the bootlegger. I press up 30, and the bootlegger makes 100. That’s why I say spend your money and get your record hot and go to New York and get a deal. As long as you’re spending your money you ain’t getting much. With Koch, if this label treats me well, we both make millions. How have you guys been able to stay relevant throughout the years? As we got older we kept bringing in younger guys like Unk, DJ Montay and Shorty Rock. The TV show reintroduced us to a younger audience too. How do you feel about the Atlanta music scene nowadays? Man, times done changed. It ain’t about grinding now. They come out with one song overnight. Atlanta is so hot that they ain’t got to do no work. You ain’t gotta spend no money, someone in New York will get you. No one doing street work anymore. We been around the South 6 times out of out our own pocket. When we started we had to grind. And you have a son in elementary school who is producing already. You’re talking about Lil’ Corey. It’s a crazy story. When my wife was pregnant she lived above the studio so all he heard was boom boom boom. At four months old he was crawling to the studio. He would break the clothes hangers down and bang on something. He was six months old playing with a tape player trying to play and record. He used to crawl to the studio everyday and started playing the piano. At 3 years old he was doing beat machines, by six he was running the studio and on the MPC. He’s learning Pro Tools right now. He done sold 8 tracks already - some to Lil’ Flip, Unk, Baby D, and Andre 3000 wanna work with him. He’s been in the studio with Jazze Pha, Too $hort and Rico Wade. He’s about to have a reality TV show. It’s gonna show him producing and selling a beat from beginning to end. In all of your years in this business, what is the one thing you’ve learned that you live and die by? When I first started, I started with a street mentality. I learned that you gotta stay humble. If you’re not humble, this business will shut you out. Where can people hear your syndicated radio show? Columbus, GA, Cincinnati, OH, Montgomery, AL, Columbus, SC, and of course Atlanta, GA. What projects do you have coming out in the near future? We’ve got the DJ Unk Beatin Down Yo’ Block in stores now, Sammy Sam Trouble Maker, Baby-D A-Town Secret Weapon, Dru War Games and Loko. And look out for the DJ Jelly album and the DJ Montay album. And yes, we have mix CDs in Germany, Canada, and Japan too. If you want to check out our websites, visit www.bigoompcamp.com or www. bigoomprecords.com. - Maurice G. Garland