Do you ever wonder what other people thought the first time they heard some of the most iconic voices of the culture? That’s what ‘The First Time I Heard…’ is all about. We will connect with other rap artists, industry executives, DJs and other voices from the culture and ask them to reminisce about the first time they heard some of the most iconic voices of our culture.

Photo Credit: DJ R-Tistic

Do you ever wonder what other people thought the first time they heard some of the most iconic voices of the culture? That’s what ‘The First Time I Heard…’ is all about. We will connect with other rap artists, industry executives, DJs and other voices from the culture and ask them to reminisce about the first time they heard some of the most iconic voices of our culture.

DJ R-Tistic has become one of the entertainment industry’s favorite DJs. Hailing from Los Angeles, California, R-Tistic has gained notoriety for his DJ mixes, which have taken him across the globe to DJ events for Stevie Wonder, Snoop Dogg, Common, and Floyd Mayweather, amongst others.

Adam Aziz: What was your reaction the first time you heard Kendrick? Do you remember what song it was?

DJ R-Tistic: In 2005, I was producing for The Game’s label, Black Wall Street. My best friend, Billy, went to High School with DJ Dave, who we all know as Dave Free. Billy introduced us and told Dave I was working with Black Wall Street. I remember Dave telling me, “My boy K. Dot and I just dropped this mixtape; check us out.” It was called ‘YHNIC,’ and I still have a copy somewhere at my parent’s house.

One thing that people may not remember, if they ever even realized it, is that The Game wasn’t the only L.A. rapper in the mid-2000s who had more of an East Coast-influenced style. I remember going to Rap battles in 2003, which was the peak of the 8 Mile, Freestyle Friday era, and most of the L.A. rappers were using a NY/Philly type of style more than what we used in the 90s, influenced by Snoop, DJ Quik, or Ice Cube. Kendrick definitely showcased this exact style on the mixtape, and it’s crazy to hear him rapping over beats like “Hova song.”

AA: What was it about Kendrick that you think made him stand out?

R-Tistic: Kendrick’s perfect balance of influences made him stand out in the early 2010s. I mention how his style was very NY/Philly influenced in 2005, but by 2007-2008, the South had taken over mainstream, and you saw him incorporate influences from Lil Wayne. On ‘GKMC,’ you hear influences from Andre3000.

Even with him showing influence from other regions, he was raised in Compton during the 90s, which was the peak of West Coast music, so it also added to his repertoire of styles that he can pull out at any time. So by 2015, you would see him showing homage to rappers such as Suga Free and Mausberg. This is why he can rap at an A+ level on any production style you throw at him. 

AA: Any favorite stories involving Kendrick?

R-Tistic: In 2013, I was BJ The Chicago Kid’s DJ at SXSW in Texas, and we performed at three events with TDE. I told Kendrick that I still had his mixtape from 2005, and he was hyped about it. This was about five months after ‘GKMC’ was released, and just seeing him turn into a superstar fascinated me. It was where I could tell he wasn’t used to getting that level of attention, but he embraced it all and tried his best to talk to fans, even when his camp would have to tell the fans to relax. A few weeks later, I was the DJ at Paid Dues 2013, and seeing him and Black Hippy as the headliners was mind-blowing. 

AA: Do you have a favorite Kendrick song? And why that song?

R-Tistic: At this point, I feel like I have a favorite Kendrick song for every setting. My favorite early album cut of his might still be “Hol Up.” My favorite unreleased song would have to be “Cartoons & Cereal.” For his major singles, it may sound cliche, but “Not Like Us” has to be it for several reasons.

I’ve been DJing for 18 years, and in my entire career, I’ve never seen a song that had that level of excitement the day it came out. I received 20+ texts asking me, “Where are you DJing tonight? I’m coming out just to hear that song!” And then, nine months later, it ended up being performed at the Super Bowl.

Beyond the fact that it’s a diss record when you look at how perfectly constructed it is, it shows why it’s had such staying power. The switch-ups of the flows, the way he used an L.A. style in the first verse while using a Bay cadence in the second verse, the simple and effective chorus that became an entire movement, the call and response at the end, the horn breaks within the song, and all of the catchy sing long moments. It’s laughable when people try to discredit how huge of a song it is or to even give Drake credit for being responsible for his own funeral anthem. 

Follow DJ R-Tistic on Instagram. Follow Kendrick Lamar on Instagram.

Read more interviews on The Hip Hop Museum!