By Odeisel

As we get past the midpoint of the year and near the fourth quarter of 2010, there are many things that have happened in 201 so far, but perhaps the most important thing so far, in a year struggling to find that signature moment is the commemoration of Duck Down’s 15^th anniversary as a movement. While the celebrations have begun this summer, Planet Ill saw this momentous occasion early and began to chronicle this historic event early, beginning our interview run in late 2009.

I had been getting ready for this for some time now, even before we began this journey on the Planet, and by the grace of God I managed to secure a large amount of access from the label for their comments and opinions on why they have lasted so long, and what challenges they faced in changing strategies and surviving the ebb and flow of a very fickle market.

As the No Limits and Death Rows and Rawkuses go under or get gobbled up by majors, Duck Down has managed not only to tread water as their initial sphere of dominance waned, but to thrive, creating quality music and successful releases and strengthening their position in the music; adding to their legacy with each additional release. Below is a grouping of excepts from these interviews over the course of a year. Links will be provided to the full length interviews so that you can get the full flavor in the context. Once again, sincerest congratulations to Dru, Buck, Smiff N Wessun  and the entire Duck Down Family.

Dru Ha tells the story of Duck Down’s formation and continued survival:

Well I actually worked at the label, at Nervous.  I was actually Executive Producer of that album with Buckshot as well being a main member of Black Moon. So we did that record on Nervous. We got our learn on. We learned a lot.  We cut our teeth there.  We brought Smiff-N-Wessun into the fold. Buck introduced me to them and we originally started managing them.  We actually brought them into the same situation to that same label.  We were trying to get a bigger piece of the pie; thinking that we were doing a lot of the work and heavily involved in the campaign and the marketing. And just doing a lot of the stuff, we felt like we could go out there and get our own situation for the new groups that we were going to bring in.  So that really is what motivated us, money and getting a bigger piece of it.

Buckshot talks about the changes in the landscape in the last 15 years and how Duck Down survived:

Duck Down is a really intricate mind machine. We knew; we always stay ten steps ahead of the game. That’s why simple and plain why Duck Down can operate now and that’s the reason why we will be operating in the future. In 1995 we knew that the future was going to operate like this, and we had a lot of innovation. So we created www.duckdown.com In the year 1995 and no one was even thinking about dotcoms and internets.

MySpace, Facebook, none of that existed in 1995. There was no site that you see now that existed in ’95 besides the major sites and they were just starting to come up. We had a connection and a relationship to the internet when it was first being born [commercially]. So the internet recognizes us as one of its children in a sense and says ya’ll have access to information and things on the net that people still don’t have access to because all they do is type in what they need.  But they don’t type in what’s accessible.  You guys [Planet Ill] do and that’s why you stay a step ahead of the game that’s how you stay a step ahead of the labels.

Marco Polo speaks on how independent labels affect the creative process: MarcoPolo Duck Down

I think it has a lot to do with originality and creativity. If you look back to the Def Jam movement we’re talking Run DMC [Rush managed but not Def Jam artists-Ed.] LL Cool J Beastie Boys they were bringing something brand new to the table. It was exciting and original and they ran as a unit with a lot of support among the artists. And that’s one thing I see lacking in New York right now. I see a little bit of it coming back but that unity, everybody’s trying to get what they can because of the recession and fuck the next dude where there’s not that sense of movement; that unity among artists where everyone’s moving as a team and just supporting each other.

There’s a lot of stuff going on that makes it hard for that situation to happen again. Times are different. People aren’t selling records like they used to so they’re really just trying to get what they can and sacrifice where the shit came from. And that means sacrificing quality in the music and just that support for other good music.

The Legendary B Real on the differences between the independent and the major label system: Breal-Why Duck Down

It’s limited but you have the freedom to do what the fuck you want to do.  You don’t have to answer to all the big wigs at the corporate label.  It’s very much the way you make it.  As much work as you want to put into it possibly dictates your success.  And you get more of the cut on an independent label these days depending on what your deal is.  With the major labels they take so much more from you but they have all the resources to really put you out globally and give you a chance to win but you’re not getting as big a cut.

Blastmaster KRS-ONE on being a part of the Survival Skills album with Buckshot:

I loved it.  I want more albums like that where we’re just breaking emcees down, talking about emcee shit you know, boom bap, rhymes, that’s it. It was wonderful.  To be on the team, too; you’ll notice when you got respect in Hip-Hop you’ll go between certain crews. I could be a TS [Terror Squad] one minute, I could be at Duck Down, the next. In this instance, I’m over at Buckshot.

It was Buckshot’s idea, the whole thing; his idea.  He called me up, “Yo, let’s do an album.” I’m like Buck do you really want it? “Yeah I really want it.” Set up the studio time, let’s go, he set up the studio time, sent me tracks.  I’m like, “Oh shit, he serious!”

Buckshot’s the one that came up with “Robot.” Buckshot called me and said here’s the beat, here’s the concept, go to work. Shout out to Duck Down, all day.  Smif n Wessun was in the building crazy. All the producers, Black Milk, 9^th Wonder, you know, Taalib [Kweli], big shout out; Pharoahe Monch on the chorus, big shout you see who we putting on, too.

Skyzoo Talks about his decision to roll with Duck Down and why creative control was a major factor in making his decision (Audio):Skyzoo-Duckdown

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